Epson launches business printer that prints up to 75,000 pages at a time

Epson enables businesses to save more on printing costs with the Replaceable Ink Pack System (RIPS). Each RIPS utilises high capacity ink packs that can hold a far higher volume of ink compared to traditional ink cartridges. The system provides the ease-of-use of a cartridge-based system, combined with the high volume printing of an ink tank system.

Source: Epson.

The first printer model in Southeast Asia to feature this technology is the new Epson WorkForce Pro WF-R8591. With a full set of ink packs, the WF-R8591 can print up to 75,000 pages* before needing to have any of the packs replaced. This minimises running costs and downtime as supplies replacement cycles become less frequent.

“The Epson RIPS is the most significant development in the world of business printing in the recent few years,” says Epson Southeast Asia’s Regional General Manager for Printer and Visual Products Division, Siew Jin Kiat. “The concept of using ink packs may appear simple on the surface. However the technology that enables this to become a reality is unique to Epson. This is because only our new Micro Piezo based PrecisionCore print heads have the performance and reliability to exploit the high volume printing capability of the RIPS.”

Key features of the WF-R8591 include:

Epson RIPS – The four ink packs of the WF-R8591 can print the rough equivalent volume of 40 standard toner cartridges** and generate a far lower environmental impact as a result. Furthermore, the printer utilises inkjet technology, which only requires ink supplies and a waste ink box. This further lowers printing cost by eliminating the use of additional consumables such as a drum, transfer unit and a fuser unit that would be required for laser technology.

Epson PrecisionCore print head - Making the RIPS possible are the PrecisionCore print heads, supported by the WF-R8591. PrecisionCore are a new generation of Epson’s proprietary Micro Piezo piezoelectric print heads. Micro Piezo print heads are found in every Epson inkjet printer and use electro-pulses instead of heat to propel ink out of the print nozzles, making them extremely durable and is able to eject ink droplets in variable dot sizes for the greatest detail and smooth gradations in documents or photographs. Epson WF-R8591’s print head allows high-speed printing of up to 24 images per minute (ipm) at a default resolution of 600 x 600 dpi.

Flexible paper handing – The WF-R8591 can be upgraded with additional paper cassettes to support up to 1,831 sheets input capacity. Papers of different sizes and types can be placed in the different cassettes for automatic selection based on document size or copy originals. In addition, a cabinet can be added for convenient storage of additional paper and spare consumables.

Source: Epson.

DURABrite Pro pigment inks – The WF-R8591 uses a new pigment ink set known as DURABrite Pro that was specially developed for business use. Compared to conventional pigment inks, this new ink set has greater pigment concentration, achieving vivid black and colour prints and allowing graphs and images to be clearly expressed even on ordinary plain paper. The ink also has a curl inhibiting ingredient. Like DURABrite Ultra ink, this new ink set is water-, smudge- and fade-resistant.

Connectivity – As a business printer, the connectivity options include USB 2.0, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, as well as Wi-Fi Direct. Wi-Fi Direct allows up to four devices to connect directly to the printer at a time without the need for a router. Network settings to be remotely changed using the EpsonNet Config Web management interface.

Epson Connect – While connected to a network, the WF-R8591 supports Epson Connect, a suite of mobile printing solutions that includes Epson iPrint, Epson Email Print, Remote Print Driver, and Scan to Cloud. It also supports third party mobile printing solutions Apple AirPrint and Google Cloud Print. Epson iPrint, which is part of Epson Connect, allows users to print and scan directly with their smart devices or online cloud storage services.

*In accordance with ISO 24711/24712. Actual yields will vary considerably for reasons including images printed, print settings, temperature and humidity. Yields may be lower when printing infrequently or predominantly with one ink colour. A variable amount of ink remains in the cartridges after the “replace cartridge” signal. Part of the ink from the first cartridges is used for priming the printer. Ink is used for both printing and print head maintenance. All inks are used for both black and colour printing.

**Based on entry A3 colour laser printer with similar specifications.