Epson will replace its six-year-old Stylus Pro 4900 A2 inkjet printer with a new model, the SureColor P5000, which will come in three editions for different usages.

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The new SureColor P5000 features a revised ink set for greater colour accuracy. (Source: Epson.)
Like its predecessor, the SureColor P5000 is designed for photographic and graphic design applications and features an updated 10-colour extended-gamut UltraChrome HDX ink set.   New additions include orange and green cartridges plus a black ink that is 1.5 times denser than the previous ink. The pigment inks, which are supplied in 200 mL cartridges, offer up to twice the print permanence of the previous generation inks. Another feature of the new model is the  Epson PrecisionCore TFP printhead, which has 360 nozzles per colour channel and can deliver high print speeds with variable-size ink droplets as small as 3.5 picoliters. It includes the same ink-repellent surface coating and improved dust and static control as previous SureColor, reducing nozzle clogging and maintenance requirements for users.  Printless nozzle checks help to conserve ink and paper.

Paper handling has also been improved. The P5000 includes auto-switching between the high-capacity front paper cassette and the roll media feeder, enabling both sources to be loaded at the same time. The paper cassette can accommodate up to 100 sheets of paper, varying in size between A4 and A2 size, while the roll media holder is designed for17-inch wide paper up to 0.05 mm thick. It has a standard 2-inch core with 3-inch adapters. The printer includes a high-speed internal rotary cutter with auto or manual operation. The maximum printable length is just over 30 metres. Fine art media in thicknesses up to 1.5 mm is also supported and borderless printing is available at all the standard cut sheet widths.
The SureColor P5000 comes with a full-colour 2.7-inch LCD panel that enables easy access to setup, control and maintenance functions. It will be offered with  two different ink configurations. The Standard edition of the printer use Light Light Black ink to offer greater print permanence, smooth and neutral tonal transitions and support of the Epson Advanced Black and White mode, making it the best option for photographers. The Designer edition offers all the features of the Standard Edition and comes with additional software, notably EFI Fiery eXpress for Epson, an industry”‘leading software RIP with true Adobe PostScript 3 support for accurate CMYK and spot colour printing. The Commercial edition and replaces the Light Light Black ink with a Violet ink, expanding the colour gamut  to cover 99% of the Pantone Plus Formula Guide solid-coated colour matching, making it ideal for commercial and flexographic proofing applications.

An optional in-line SpectroProofer UVS spectrophotometer  is available for the P5000. Developed jointly with X-Rite,  it provides automated colour management and verification-related tasks for a range of proofing applications. It supports all current illumination standards for UV and UV-Cut measurement and is UV selectable between M0, M1 and M2.

The SureColor P5000 was announced last week in most overseas regions, with the Standard and Commercial editions priced at US$1995 and the Designer edition at US$2495. According to a US press release, The Epson SureColor P5000 Standard and Commercial Editions are available now, and the Designer Edition will be available in March 2016, through Epson Authorized Professional Imaging Resellers. Epson Australia has yet to reveal the local release dates and pricing for the three versions of the SureColor P5000. When it does we’ll add this information to our news report.