User Manual

Resolution - Not Just Dots Per Inch
Tech Focus:
Discussions of print quality have long been
characterized by the specification of dots
per inch (dpi), but resolution and overall
quality have always been more complex
than counting dots. All print technologies
can produce dots that are so small that they
can’t easily be perceived. The rest of the
print story needs to be examined alongside
dpi to understand true print quality. Other
factors include levels of grayscale, and how
accurately one dot can be placed.
Research
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has shown that the levels of
grayscale used in an image contribute
considerably to its perceived quality, more
so than pure dpi resolution. Take a look at
the graphic to the right, keeping in mind you
would be unable to see these individual dots
without magnification. Each of the dot sizes
ejected by the PrecisionCore head repre-
sents an available level of grayscale, with the
smallest dots providing gradation equivalent
to a much higher resolution. For this reason,
dpi by itself has become an obsolete way
to compare print systems. In fact, Epson’s
reputation for the best output quality has
always had more to do with superior color
gamut and gradation than raw dpi.
Dot precision or accuracy is another impor-
tant factor, especially for detail, as additional
dots add little value if their location or form
cannot be controlled. Accuracy, as used
here, refers to the ability not only to place
a dot in a desired location, but also to the
characteristics of the dot itself. Is it uniformly
rounded? Can you maintain control of its size
across a line? A page? A hundred pages? A
thousand pages? PrecisionCore shines by
producing incredibly precise, variably sized
dots repeatedly and reliably.
How variable dot sizes produce smoother output
PrecisionCore: An Ink Chemist’s Best Friend
Tech Focus:
Resolution and precision are table stakes for
printing, but there is more than that to output
quality. In desktop printers, ink can contain
some twenty different ingredients, each
playing an important role in creating the final
print. PrecisionCore’s micro-mechanical
firing element avoids the material limitations
faced by heat-based systems, enabling
Epson’s ink chemists to select from a wider
range of critical materials, and to use them in
higher concentration. This delivers a number
of benefits.
First, it allows for more colorful and du-
rable ink formulations. Ink formulations that
contain higher concentrations of colorants
and binders than heat-based inkjet systems
means brighter, more vibrant, and more du-
rable output on photos, documents, labels,
textiles, and even dye sublimation transfers
to everyday objects, such as coffee mugs.
It’s no surprise one of Epson’s inks is called
DURABrite®, in testimony to its durable and
bright colors.
Second, it also allows printing on a much
wider range of substrates. Epson inks con-
tain functional additives with properties that
permit greater substrate addressability, en-
abling inks to adhere to a wider range of ma-
terials. Carrier flexibility of the PrecisionCore
print chips is another factor that contributes
to media flexibility. PrecisionCore can print
with aqueous pigment and dye, eco-solvent,
resin, sublimation, oil-based or UV curable
inks. This means Epson printers can be
designed to print on anything from plain pa-
per to glossy labels to synthetics, and from
three-point text fonts to large format signage
due to the unique ink chemistry.
To summarize, PrecisionCore enables out-
put that has superior color with dark blacks,
because of its ability to deliver more colorant
per dot volume, and more durable output
because of its ability to deliver inks with a
higher percentage of binder.
PrecisionCore white paper
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