New Epson Papers Designed to Meet Needs of Today's Most Demanding Photographers and Graphic Artists LONG BEACH, Calif.---May 9, 2002--Epson America Inc., creator of high quality award-winning digital imaging products, is introducing seven new papers made especially for both professional and amateur users. Each new product is designed for use with the EPSON Stylus Pro line of printers to give photographers a broader choice of artistic and commercial media to express their work. The new wide format products include: Somerset Velvet for Epson, PremiumSemimatte Photo Paper, Premium Glossy Photo Paper, EPSON Proofing Paper Commercial Semimatte, Premium Luster Photo Paper and EPSON ColorLife(TM) Photo Paper. "Once again, we've expanded our already-extensive line of professional media to meet the growing demands of today's most advanced photographers and graphic artists," said Paul Lukacs, assistant product manager, Professional Graphic Supplies. "As today's digital artists continue to push new boundaries with our Stylus Pro ink jet technology, we'll continue to support them with a broad and superior selection of papers to help transform their creative visions into reality." Somerset Velvet for Epson Made exclusively for Epson by St. Cuthberts Mill in Somerset England (makers of fine specialty papers since the 18th century), Somerset Velvet for Epson is an acid-free, 100 percent cotton rag fine art paper. The media is designed to give a museum quality feel and texture to prints using Epson Archival(TM) and UltraChrome(TM) Inks and is available in 255 g/m(2) rolls and 505 g/m(2) cut sheets. Premium Semimatte Photo Paper Premium Semimatte Photo Paper is a resin-coated photographic media that enables highly saturated, high-resolution images to be displayed with an elegant, but understated flat matte "N" surface finish that reduces glare, while maximizing presentation quality. Its 10-mil thickness and wide color gamut are designed for more discerning professionals, while its instant drying and non-cockling characteristics make it very easy to handle. EPSON Premium Glossy Photo Paper Epson's award-winning Premium Glossy Photo Paper is now available in wide format rolls, offering the highest gloss level of any Epson inkjet paper. This paper is engineered to produce vivid, life-like images that rival those of a traditional silver halide print, while its ultra-glossy finish allows for a wide color gamut and higher D(Max) for greater visual impact. Its 10-mil thickness and non-cockling characteristics also make it easy to handle and even laminate. Premium Luster Photo Paper Epson's popular Premium Luster Photo Paper is now available in 10- and 20-inch widths to accommodate borderless printing on the new Stylus Pro 7600 and Stylus Pro 9600 wide format printers. Similar to traditional luster papers used by wedding, portrait and school photographers, Epson's Premium Luster Photo Paper offers an "E" surface finish with a 10-mil RC base. This paper delivers highly saturated prints by offering maximum ink coverage and a high D(MAX) for true photographic reproductions. It's designed for use with Epson Archival and UltraChrome inks for long-life displays, and dye-based inks for shorter-term prints. EPSON ColorLife Photo Paper Originally designed for use with Epson's Stylus desktop printers, EPSON ColorLife Photo Paper is engineered to deliver colorful, fade-resistant photos, with lightfastness rated up to 26 years under glass, on a smoother satin finish using Epson's Photographic Dye inks. Now this media is available in wide-format rolls for Stylus Pro users. EPSON Proofing Paper Commercial Semimatte Designed with a commercial-grade base color, the semimatte surface finish on this proofing media is ideally suited for simulating the commercial printing applications most commonly used in high-end, sheet-fed printed products such as brochures, collateral, book covers and posters. This medium-weight paper is coated with exacting standards and displays superior short-term stability when used in conjunction with Epson professional inks.