LONG BEACH, Calif.-July 10, 2001--EPSON Gemini(TM) Professional Portrait Printing System to Offer Control Over Production of Prints with Convenience, Time Savings and More Media Choices Epson America Inc. will revolutionize the portrait photography market with the introduction of the EPSON Gemini(TM) Professional Portrait Printing System.      This system combines Epson's award-winning image quality, EPSON Archival(TM) inks, media handling capabilities and ease-of-use to give portrait photographers a convenient and time-saving photo printing alternative to their traditional color labs.      The EPSON Gemini system will enable photographers to print portraits on media up to 13" x 19" in the convenience of their own studios, giving them increased control over the production of prints and faster turnaround time, as well as more choices for media than they can get from a traditional lab. The system is designed for small- to mid-size wedding portrait photography studios averaging 100-200 8" x 10" prints each month.      Portrait System Features      The system features two Epson ink jet printers, a PC server, proprietary software, an uninterrupted power supply, USB connectivity and a system rack with touch screen control for the server. The printers boast up to 1440 x 720 dpi hardware resolution, variable sized three-picoliter droplets, fast print speeds and detailed photographic quality output, using six-color Epson Archival pigment inks and media that resist fading for generations.      The system's printers can print a high-quality 8" x 10" photograph in about 3.5 minutes and can match the quality of a silver halide-based 8" x 10" photograph in about 5.5 minutes. They feature Epson's award-winning Micro Piezo(R) DX3(TM) print head technology with 96 nozzles to place extremely precise and variable-sized droplets of ink on a wide array of media for ultra-sharp resolution and high print-to-print consistency.      The system has four 50-sheet capacity paper trays that handle a variety of media up to 13" x 19". The system will initially have Macintosh compatibility, and Epson plans to add PC compatibility in the future.     "Until now, studios have had to rely on their labs' schedules and often have lost valuable delivery time," said Tim Mathiesen, Gemini product manager. "Now photographers will have less frustration as they control not only the quality of their output but also their turnaround time. It's like adding a 13th month of sales in their shooting schedule because they aren't dependent on the lab's cutoff dates to meet their deadlines, especially during busy seasons." Availability and Pricing Epson will unveil the EPSON Gemini Professional Portrait Printing System at the Professional Photographers of America's Imaging 2001 trade show in Rosemont, Ill., Aug. 3-8. The system will be available for lease on a cost-per-print basis that is competitive with traditional printing in the first quarter of 2002.