Epson has released 16 bit printer drivers for its Epson Stylus Pro printer range, allowing users running the Apple Macintosh OS X Leopard operating system to achieve smoother colour gradations and greater image detail in their prints.
The highly precise 16-bit printer drivers allow Epson’s Stylus Pro printers to be integrated into a 16-bit workflow. More colour information is translated through to the printer as 16 bit processing traces the original image data with a higher frequency than 8 bit processing, enabling highly accurate colour transitions and gradations in all prints.
With the Epson 16 bit drivers, images can now be faithfully reproduced from Adobe Photoshop CS3 with smoother gradations and greater image detail.
The diagrams illustrate the original image information on the red line and the 8 bit and 16 bit rendering of the data by the printer driver, with the greater depth of the 16 bit driver providing a more accurate matching of the original data.
The result is that with 16 bit processing there are more steps from one extreme point to another - for example from black to white or from low to high saturation of a given colour - so there are more points at which the original data can be precisely matched.
Epson’s 16-bit printer drivers take full advantage of Apple's OS X architecture and printing window, and are available for Epson’s Stylus Pro 3800, Stylus Pro 4880, Stylus Pro 7880, Stylus Pro 9880, and Stylus Pro 11880. They are compatible with virtually any application software for an end-to-end 16-bit workflow.
The 16 bit drivers are available for free download from the Epson Pro Graphics web site: http://www.epson.com.au/prographics/
Epson Australia
www.epson.com.au
