Olympus True Print Kiosks

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The Brill Report

Innovative New Product from Olympus!

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Sunday, October 13, 2002

By Richard Brill Editor in Chief

OLYMPUS TRUE PRINT

Digital Imaging and printing Kiosks

Win-Win Solution for both the consumer and the retailer!

TruePrint TP 200

The next time you print out your favorite Photos it may be at an Olympus True Print Kiosk near you. At the hotel, airport, cruise ship, or even the local retailer.

Printing out pictures at home can be fun until the ink cartridge starts to run out and you have to replace it. This can be costly. “It’s only ink”! Even if you don’t use the printer for a while the ink can still dry up.

The Olympus kiosk system is a simple hassle free way to turn digital images into true color prints every time.

The Olympus True Print Kiosks are designed to meet the needs of the most non computer concentric lest technical consumer. It’s easy and fun to use.

Insert any digital media source from any digital media device will work including a CD-ROM

The Kiosk uses a very easy to use touch screen that painlessly guides you along. You have the option of selecting an express print option or deluxe print option. The deluxe print option is more advanced than the express option. Deluxe allows you to crop and manipulate the image. Also change levels such as brightness and color including redeye reduction. While Express is a quick load and print.

Once the process is complete a receipt can be printed you can also save the images you loaded on to a CD-ROM Make prints or Specialty prints which consists of calendars, Cards or several types of style sheets including wallet-sized, indexed and 8”x10” prints.

I was able to test the unit using my images. I used a basic 1.2 meg a pixel image and a higher quality. The output was photo-lab-quality pictures on photo quality paper using dye-sublimation printing process.

In dye-sublimation printing, colors are not laid down as individual dots, as is done in inkjet printers.

The Dye-Sublimation process makes 3 passes one for each color then a 4^th pass which adds a protective coating. Embedded in this cellophane film are solid dyes corresponding to the four basic colors used in printing: cyan, magenta, yellow and black.

The print head heats up as it passes over the film, causing the dyes to vaporize and permeate the glossy surface of the paper before they return to solid form.

A smooth gradation at the edges of each pixel, instead of the conspicuous border between dye and paper produced by inkjets. And because the color infuses the paper, It’s not likely to fading over time.

Dye-sublimation is a better quality and we will see more of it as prices come down.

Thanks to better storage and quality images Consumers are welcoming digital photography more and more each day at The projected industry growth of 30% Plus a year.

Thus this Kiosk is a welcomed convince for consumers as well as a nice way for retailers to profit on the change in the growing consumer demand.

Specifications

Video:128-Bit AGP on board

SCSI: Adaptec SCSI II Ultra Wide

Interfaces: SCSI II, Dual USB, 10/100 Ethernet

Hard Drive: TP-200 20 GB IDE HDD,

TP-100 6.5 GBIDE HDD

LCD: TP-200/TP-100 LCD Color 1024x768

Display: ELO Touch Screen

Keyboard: ON Screen Keyboard

Camera Card: the entire standard including PCMCIA

Receipt: Seiko-Epson 60 thermal Printer capable of graphics *TP-200 only*

Weight: TP-200 70lbs.

TP-100 31Lbs.

*Flatbed Scanner is optional*

Output: 8”X10” Olympus CAMEDIA P-400 dot-free dye sublimation photo printer

4”x6” Mitsubishi CP8000 dot-free dye-sublimation photo printers

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