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Ilford imaging, developers of papers, inks ad software solutions for high quality photo and graphic arts printing, is in the midst of a renewed assault upon the industry, rolling out a series of software solutions to cover professional and consumer digital photo printing, with a POP printing solution mooted as a possibility for the near future.
The Ilford Galerie Premium was released officially last month, aimed at what Ilford sees as a growing trend towards high-quality digital photo printing for the consumer. Ilford plans to have this solution, coupled with an Epson Sylus Pro 7600 wide format printer utilising Ilford’s specialised photo papers, installed at photo dealers and mini-labs for in-store enlargements.Of a similar nature is the Printasia Big Prints solution, due for release in November this year. Aimed more towards retail environments, this solution is also optimised for the Epson 7600 and seeks to capitalise on what Andrew Stewart, Ilford Imaging Asia Pacific managing director calls "the digital camera explosion". According to Stewart, around 650,000 digital cameras will be sold this year alone, up from 400,000 last year.
"Ilford envisions our opportunities in the digital imaging market to grow from nine per cent to 27 per cent by 2006, fuelled by the explosion in digital camera sales," says Stewart.
This solution, like Galerie Premium, offers inkjet prints directly onto media of various sizes and finishes.
Illford is also experiencing success with its recently released Studio software package. An in-house digital solution for professional photographers, this solution managers photo-quality printing at various sizes on a range of media. It provides ‘drag and drop’ sizing with the use of hot folders, and automatically optimises colour and media configurations as well as the nesting of images to reduce paper wastage. According to Michael Malborough, Ilford Imaging Asia Pacific integrated business development manager, this solution is also finding acceptance throughout the commercial graphic arts industry, as well as for medical imaging applications.
