Epson has launched its AM-C400 and AM-C550 models, which provide the latest evolution in heat-free line inkjet printing and which aim to bring improved performance and sustainability advantages to the A4 print market.
With more people returning to the office, the opportunities for print resellers to sell into office-based businesses are growing again. They will have even more opportunities now that Epson has launched two new A4 printers featuring its heat-free line inkjet technology.
Epson has launched the AM-C400 and AM-C550 multifunction printers (MFPs) that aim to deliver improved solutions to the A4 market. These new products offer all the energy saving and productivity advantages afforded by Epson’s existing Line Inkjet printers but in a smaller, A4 format, the company says.
This launch expands Epson’s existing A4 inkjet line-up and is aimed at users with higher-than-average print volumes. For the channel they represent and easily maintained, profitable solution that supports sustainability agendas, according to Epson.
Boasting high print and scan speeds – up to 55ppm for print and 100ipm for scan – high paper capacities and high yield ink cartridges of up to 31,500 pages, both printers deliver enhanced productivity benefits. In addition, with an improved colour touch-screen user interface, operation has been designed to be quick and easy.
The ‘C’ shaped paper path used in their design means their footprint has been reduced, placing these printers among the smallest in class and making them ideal for environments that demand a highly reliable, productive device but where space is limited.
Closing a gap
“Launching this range means we close a gap in our product line-up and can offer the advantages of Line Inkjet throughout our office print range,” says Nick Taylor, head of sales for office printing at Epson UK.
“These A4 models expand our AM-C family and deliver comparable levels of impressive productivity to those seen on the AM-C A3 models, with a seamless user experience due to the shared user interface, but with a smaller footprint.”
Fast print speeds, reliability and a small product footprint are coupled with the reduced energy consumption and waste reductions expected from Epson Heat-Free inkjet, further supporting the sustainability agenda and offering a compelling alternative to traditional laser printers.
Developed using Epson’s Open Platform, these MFPs are easily integrated into existing technology infrastructures and are compatible with all third-party software solutions.
Wide range of customers
Jose Sanandres, product manager for office printing, Epson Europe, says the printers are aimed at a wide range of customers. “The new WorkForce Enterprise AM-C400 and AM-C550 MFPs cater to diverse printing requirements, ideal for users in general office settings seeking both A4 and A3 functionality while maintaining seamless productivity. Additionally, they are well-suited for home office or small office environments, particularly in bustling customer-facing spaces or where space is limited.
Offering both reliability and productivity, these high-end devices are tailored to meet the demands of busy settings and are suitable for anyone looking to produce large A4 print-jobs in a limited amount of time.”
“These models are designed to coexist with our AM-C A3 range to create an ecosystem of A4/A3 AM-C models with a seamless user experience based on the same user interface, shared solutions and similar levels of productivity.”
Sustainability
As mentioned, the new printers use heat-free inkjet technology, which has the advantages of significant reductions on energy consumption and CO2 emissions. “What’s more, these printers produce significantly less heat than traditional laser printers and so as an added bonus, businesses can benefit from savings on air conditioning costs,” says Jose.
“Sustainability is always at the forefront of new innovations at Epson, and so a crucial requirement in the development stage was ensuring that the printers are engineered to consume minimal energy.
“In addition, to facilitate our resellers in understanding the benefits of our technology and effectively communicating them to potential customers, we provide access to our Optimisation Tool. This tool calculates the energy savings offered by our heat-free products compared to equivalent laser models based on their declared TEC values. Subsequently, it converts these savings into a monetary value, considering the local KW/h cost, to provide full visibility into the impact on the total cost of ownership.”
Compact size
The printers also have a reduced footprint compared to other A4 printers, which brings benefits resellers can flag to customers. “The AM-C series features an innovative C-paper path design (as opposed to a S-paper path), which offers footprints among the smallest in its class and the compact size helps end users to save valuable office space,” explains Jose.
“This together with the additional flexibility provided by the optional Wi-Fi, means there are no limitations on where in the office these units can be placed. Besides the compact design, the C-paper path also provides additional benefits, such as front loading of the consumables and one single access point to clear all paper jams.”
Reseller tips
“Resellers should be putting an emphasis on the environmental benefits of the AM-C A4 range, specifically the heat-free technology and low energy consumption. Alongside this, they ought to promote the high productivity of the models such as their high printing and scanning speeds and first page out time.
“Finally, it’s also worth mentioning their sleek, compact design and ability to seamlessly integrate with the AM-C A3 models.”
The new AM-C400 and AM-C550 printers will be officially released on May 1. Once the products have been released, the price of the models will be shared exclusively with Epson’s MPS partners, Jose says.
