TOKYO | Japan – October 2024 – Seiko Epson Corporation (TSE: 6724, “Epson”) has won 2024 Good Design Awards for five printers and an auto color chart reading portable table. Good Design Awards are presented annually for designs that benefit and enrich our lives and society. The design winners are described below along with the reasons for their selection.
WorkForce Enterprise LM-C400 Business Inkjet Printer
This is an A4 color linehead inkjet multifunction printer designed for offices. The print head has been newly angled, and the paper feed path has been shortened. These innovations have achieved high productivity with a printing speed of 40 pages per minute1 while reducing the printer to desktop size. It consumes less power and requires fewer replacement parts than laser printers, contributing to a reduced environmental burden. The goal was to design a printer that creates a clean office environment.
1 Single-sided A4 portrait paper. Please see Epson’s website for the printing speed calculation conditions.
Reasons for Award
This model aims to reduce the environmental burden in offices. Epson has achieved this by downsizing an inkjet printer, which has better environmental performance than laser printers, to a desktop size. Adopting the design language of its office inkjet printers, this machine features a design that naturally guides the eye to key areas. For example, the zoning is clear, and there is a window that allows the ink cartridges to be seen. With its rounded exterior, Epson has created a design that blends seamlessly into any office space.
ColorWorks CW-C8020 Color Label Printer
This is a high-speed color inkjet label printer aimed at various industries including manufacturing, food, retail, and medical, where there is a desire to produce high-mix, low-volume labels in-house and shorten delivery times. The large-capacity ink pack system with fewer plastic parts contributes to reducing the environmental burden by lowering waste from consumables. The goal was to design a printer that allows workers to use it without complaint by adopting a highly durable line head and enhancing the robustness and ease of use so that it can be relied upon as an industrial machine.
Reasons for Award
The judges greatly appreciated this product as a high-speed printer that supports the needs of the new era of manufacturing, including diversification of products, smaller lot production, and in-house production. Epson has designed this printer under the assumption that its users will be found in various fields. Easy replacement is possible because the printer has been configured so that all the ink and label paper can be replaced from the front. A metal frame has been adopted to offer robustness, and network compatibility allows for diversified usage locations and control from other sites. Therefore, it is expected that this printer will be used in a variety of business lines. It is easy to introduce this printer, considering its size, beauty of form, and cost performance, which comes with an ink pack system that reduces waste. Accordingly, the judges highly regard it as a design that will increase design freedom for companies of various sizes and support the future of manufacturing.
SureColor SC-P20500 Series Large-format Inkjet Printers
This is a 64-inch-compatible water-based pigment large-format inkjet printer designed to improve image quality and productivity, mainly for the photo and fine art market. Adopting a large-capacity ink pack has reduced the frequency of ink replacements. It has also reduced waste to approximately one tenth2. Furthermore, the flat top surface can also be used for work, improving space efficiency. The goal was to design a high-performance and sophisticated printer with a white exterior to create clean printing sites of the future.
2 When compared to the SC8 ink cartridge (700ml) compatible with the “SC-P20050 series”
Reasons for Award
This product achieves the highest-class color gamut expression because it is equipped with 12 ink colors for photo and fine art. At the same time, it reduces waste generated during printing to approximately one tenth of the previous volume. It is a large-format printer. Nevertheless, the top surface is flat, so it can be used as a workspace. This means Epson has also taken into consideration the space efficiency of the installation. It is equipped with a large-capacity ink pack to reduce the frequency of ink replacements. Furthermore, placing it at a low position also reduces the workload. The judges rated this product for its outstanding design, which is kind to people and the environment while achieving the highest image quality.
SureColor SC-F1050/SC-V1050 Garment Printer/UV Printer
These are entry-level models of a compact garment printer and UV printer, which can easily be installed in small stores. Customers can order original goods using a dedicated app from photos on their smartphones. The store can then operate multiple printers via the cloud. This system supports the small-scale launches of goods businesses, which are becoming increasingly popular. The goal was to design a printer that inspires the creative urges of the creator, with the printing process visible through the transparent exterior, like a showcase.
Reasons for Award
The main feature of these products is their transparent upper cases. Being able to see the actual progress of the printing creates a feeling of excitement, as something is being produced right before your eyes, while also offering a sense of security. The neat rectangular case makes it easier to install in stores, creating new spatial value akin to a mini-factory inside the store. Moreover, the surface embossing of the garment printer provides a fabric-like texture. This clever playfulness further adds to the product’s appeal.
Monna Lisa ML-13000 Digital Textile Printer
This is a digital textile printer mainly for clothing and textiles. The pre- and post-processing, previously carried out separately, is now performed simultaneously with the printing. This shortens the printing process. The use of pigment inks also means there is no need to steam and wash the fabric after printing, significantly reducing water usage. This contributes to a reduction in the environmental burden. The goal was to design an eco-friendly printer that reduces welding and other areas of sheet metal processing for the exterior.
Reasons for Award
Even just looking at the numbers-a 97% reduction in water usage and a shortening of the dyeing process from 1.5 months to three days-the technological development that made this possible is a major innovation. It is highly regarded as a design that offers a fundamental solution to the social issue of clothing waste. The exterior design of the equipment also incorporates maintainability, an appearance that brightens up factories, and a reduction in the energy used during manufacturing. The concepts of being eco-friendly and clean have been consistently integrated from the targets and technological innovation to the final output. It is highly praised as a comprehensive design that shows the way forward for an ideal future in the diversifying manufacturing and fashion industries.
SureColor SD10ACRT Auto Color Chart Reading Portable Table
This is an auto color chart reading portable table that makes it easy to match colors on large-format printers. Linking it with Epson’s SD-10 colorimeter and color management software enables accurate color matching by automatically reading the printed color chart and creating the optimal profile for the printer and media. Epson’s proprietary drive technology has achieved a highly accurate, compact, and lightweight body. It comes with a carry case, so it can easily be carried to the printing site. This ensures simple, accurate, and quick color chart reading. The goal was to design a flat and simple table that is both portable and easy to operate.
Reasons for Award
There is a need to achieve maximum precision with minimal resources to efficiently meet the demands of the ever-diversifying market with as little waste as possible. Color correction work on printers previously required a great deal of time and effort. However, this product automates that work to achieve both efficiency and precision. This feature has great social significance. The judges highly rated this as a design that improves portability and precisely responds to the needs of printing sites by accurately understanding the workplace environment and utilizing the drive technology Epson has cultivated in printers.
