Epson printers and PaperLab named among the Good Design Best 100

Award-winning technology that enriches people’s lives

Seiko Epson Corporation (TSE: 6724, "Epson") has learned that its ET-4750, L6190/L6191/L6198 and ET-2750 inkjet printers, and PaperLab A-8000 dry-process¹ office papermaking system, have been selected to join the list of the Good Design Best 100. The Good Design Awards celebrate designs that benefit and enrich our lives and society. In 2017, Epson won Good Design Awards for a total of seven products, including two projectors, four printers, and the office papermaking system, but only the most notable or significant designs make it to the Best 100 list.

Designs that made it into the Best 100 will be displayed at the Good Design Exhibition 2017 ("G Exhibition"), which will be held 1^st to 5^th November at various sites in the Tokyo Midtown complex. The Best 100 are also eligible for the Good Design Grand Award, Good Design Gold Award, and Good Design Special Awards. Winners of these awards will be announced on 1^st November 2017.

Manabu Kawahara, general manager for design in Epson's printing solutions operations division, says, "Our customers have praised our high-capacity ink tank printers because they can print as much as they need to without worrying about the cost. We paid meticulous attention to the appearance and usability of the ET-4750, L6190/L6191/L6198 and ET-2750 inkjet printer. As the next generation of ink tank printer, this printer offers more than just great value. It is compact, stylish, easy to use, and greatly reduces the frustration people feel when they run out of ink. We will continue to use printing to improve the quality of people's life and work, and will develop printer designs for products that exceed customer expectations."

Epson designs selected to be among the Best 100:

ET-4750, L6190/L6191/L6198, ET-2750 inkjet printer

This A4 inkjet multifunction printer features large ink tanks, and boasts high productivity and cost efficiency. The ink tanks and ink bottles are designed to make  the filling process clean and quick, and the printer is intuitive and easy to navigate. The tank is in the front, which improves accessibility and makes it easier to check the ink level. Simply insert the ink bottle, and the mechanism automatically refills the tank to its full capacity. The tank juts out from the printer, showing its impressive capacity, and the simple, round shape of the casing expresses a robust durability that fits perfectly into any living space.

Judges' comments

Epson adopted high-capacity ink tank designs to address the routine out-of-ink issue and the cost of ink cartridges. The ink tanks are positioned in the front of the printers. The shape and colour of the ink tank unit are unobtrusive, and the unit blends well with the rest of the printer. The tanks are easy to fill, and you can tell at a glance how much ink remains. The design is both beautiful and functional. In addition, the design of the ink bottle spout and ink tank inlet are unique for each colour to prevent misfilling. No compromises were made with the design of the ink bottles. An auto-stop mechanism prevents ink from leaking when a bottle is removed from the tank, even when the nozzle is pointing downward, so there are no spills. We also appreciated the exquisitely designed adjustable control panel, the printer's soft curves, and the smooth, clean appearance.

PaperLab A-8000 (only sold in Japan)

The PaperLab A-8000 is the first² office papermaking system to employ a dry process¹ to securely destroy used documents and produce new sheets of paper. Epson's dry fiber technology enables paper to be produced without the huge volumes of water that ordinary papermaking requires. Since no plumbing is needed, the PaperLab can be installed in a back office or anywhere else with available space to upcycle used paper. PaperLab is changing office operations by increasing information security, producing paper of various weights and sizes, and reducing users' environmental impacts.

Judges' comments

There is a lot of discussion about the use of paperless processes. The PaperLab is a truly outstanding solution as one answer to the question about future paper use. The fact that you can recycle used paper right in the office and thus increase information security is particularly praiseworthy.

Other Epson products recognised with 2017 Good Design Awards:

• EB-1795F projector
• EB-L1000 projector series
• Workforce Pro WF-3720/4720/4740 business inkjet printer
• EP-50V inkjet printer (only sold in Japan)
• WorkForce Enterprise WF-C20590/C17590 A3 colour multifunction inkjet printer

Note that Epson products and services vary by region.

Please refer to your local Epson sales company for details of products and services available in your region: www.epson.eu

Good Design Awards

The Good Design Award is a comprehensive design-promotion system that picks good design out of a variety of unfolding phenomena. It is hosted by the Japan Institute for Design Promotion, a public interest incorporated foundation. It's precursor, the Good Design Selection System (or G Mark System), was founded in 1957 by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (the current Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry), and has been engaged in this work for about 60 years.

Recipients of a Good Design Award are granted use of the G Mark symbol, which has been an emblem of good design for over half a century.
http://www.g-mark.org/?locale=en

1. A small amount of water is used to maintain a certain level of humidity inside the system.
2. PaperLab is the first office papermaking system to use a dry process, per Epson research conducted in November 2016.