SureColor captures the magic of any wedding in high definition

The photography sector offers many business opportunities for those who look to the future with enthusiasm, creativity and far-sightedness. Such as Artphoto Evaluna, based in Umbria, Italy, which is going all-in on Epson's inkjet fine art technology to offer an innovative, superior quality product to professional photographers.

Artphoto Evaluna was founded in Amelia, Italy in 1999 as a modern photographic studio. Soon afterwards, however, the company's core business became the design and creation of photobooks for professional photography, particularly weddings and portraits.

However the photo album was only the starting point. Image processing, preparation, the search for the distinctive and attention to detail have as a whole always represented a territory to be explored, which has led the company to create a contemporary product, and through it offer many photographers the opportunity to present their own work in a completely new way.

At Artphoto Evaluna, each process in the production chain is carried out internally, right from the base materials. From printing to binding, to packaging, each step is skilfully handled down to the finest detail to offer a product of superior quality; modern, customised and in touch with the latest market trends.

"Attention to contemporary design and continually implemented and reinterpreted artisanal thought," says Augusto Ottaviani, the company's CEO. "This is and will continue to be our strength for meeting new market challenges. We work with professional photographers, both in Italy and abroad, and at this very moment we are setting up a new e-commerce platform for the international market."

In 1999, professional photography, although generally analogue, already contained within itself the spark of a great revolution: digital was about to become the future. So the company was structured around a production system capable of completely welcoming the new digital world, but with chemical printing. Ten years later, digital cameras had completely conquered even the professional world, and Artphoto Evaluna decided to introduce inkjet fine art technology within its printing department. The company chose an Epson Stylus Pro 9900 printer, which it immediately gained the favour of clients, who noted the incredible production quality and uniformity of the entire spectrum of colours as well as the extremely high quality of the images.

"From the start," remembers Ottaviani, "the fine art inkjet allowed us to improve our product. We had more detail and definition in the images, even in black and white, as well as more predictability and repeatability in the results. And the continued evolution of Epson's products and inks did the rest, convincing us more and more of the validity of the choice we made. Accurate colours, deep blacks and optimised contrasts are elements that fully meet the expectations of the professional photographers we work with."

Thanks to this success, it's easy to understand why at the beginning of 2016 the company took the decision to upgrade to a production system completely based on the fine art inkjet, and installed four SureColor SC-P10000 printers with corresponding Print&Save contracts (the Epson copy-cost programme for professional printing), which, among other things, allows the company to significantly reduce printing costs compared to the separate purchase of consumables and assistance.

With such high production (more than 200m² a day) and probable future international growth spurred by Artphoto Evaluna's presence at an important wedding photography event in Stockholm, it's clear that the choice of Epson printers was only made after careful assessment and a series of tests that verified all qualitative and operational aspects and ensured full productivity as soon as the printers were installed.

The SureColor SC-P10000 is a 44" printer equipped with a PrecisionCore Micro TFP head and Epson UltraChrome Pro ink with 10 colours for uniform printing of exceptional quality, plus consistent, deep blacks thanks to new, high-density Photo Black and Matte Black inks.

"These printers," explains Ottaviani, "will complete our evolution and allow us to confidently tackle the international market. They are a rapid and reliable solution that allows us to achieve higher quality and reduce environmental impact, despite the fact that the volume of work has increased compared to the past."

"The history of Artphoto Evaluna," says Renato Sangalli, Business Manager ProGraphic at Epson Italy, "shows how Epson has been attentive to client requirements and how it continually works to improve its solutions, with special attention to the services offered. The services, in fact, are a value added for the benefit of both parties, as shown by the experience of Artphoto Evaluna with Print&Save, which allows the SureColor SC-P10000 to operate at maximum quality at the same time as reducing management costs."