Kodak’s New Inkjet Printer

March 3, 2008: Kodak’s new EasyShare 5500 All-in-One printer introduces a new Facial Retouch inkjet software editing feature to the company’s range.
Designed for the home printing market, the EasyShare 5500 combines print, scan, copy and fax capabilities. It also has a built in automatic document feeder and duplexer for double-sided document printing. Its pigmented inks, when used with Kodak papers, have been rated by Wilhelm Imaging Research (www.wilhelm-research.com) as ‘best in class’. Tests conducted by WIR showed prints displayed under glass to have lightfastness ratings greater than 125 years, while unprotected prints were rated at between 34 and 81 years, depending on the type of paper. They are also resistant to high humidity and contact with water.
The new printer is rated to print at up to 32 pages/minute in black and 22 pages/minute in colour for document printing. It can produce a borderless snapshot (10 x 15 cm) print in as little as 28 seconds. The pigment ink cartridges are supplied in a convenient two-cartridge, six-ink system that works with all Kodak AiO inkjet printers. Users can view and edit photos on a 2.4-inch colour LCD screen and the printer offers PC-free printing from most memory cards, USO drives and PictBridge-enabled cameras. Bluetooth wireless technology allows the printer to print wirelessly from devices like mobile phones.

The EasyShare 5500 will ship with the new Facial Retouch feature, which supports:
– one-click facial enhancement where faces and facial features are detected automatically,
– control over which faces to retouch and the level of adjustment made to each face,
– a texture enhancer, skin tone smoothing and blemish reduction, eye and teeth whitening, and
– a preview option that provides an easy way to select the final retouch level.
Compatible with the latest Windows and Macintosh PCs, the EasyShare 5500 has an RRP of $349. The black ink cartridge will sell for $14.99, while the colour cartridge costs $24.99. A 180-sheet Everyday Value Pack for snapshot printing will be available for $35.99, equating to a cost of 20 cents/print. For more information, visit www.kodakprinter.com.au.