Epson has celebrated its 50th anniversary, marking decades of innovation and success as a brand.
Tracing its roots back to 1942 and the watchmaking industry, Epson says it has “continued to advance the efficient, compact and precise technologies first developed for watches, that have become a part of the DNA that has been passed down from generation to generation”.
The company adds that it has leveraged these core technologies and adhered to the founding principles of ‘Integrity and Effort’ and ‘Creativity and Challenge’ innovate and create innumerable products and abundant value.
Company sales have expanded along with its sales network, which spans the world. Epson’s network of manufacturing sites and service and support organisations has also expanded globally. Working closely with its sites around the world, the company has expanded its customer base from consumers to business and into the commercial and industrial fields.
Son of EP
In 1968, Epson launched its first information equipment product, the compact and lightweight EP-101 digital electronic printer. In 1975, this printer served as the impetus for the creation of the Epson brand. The brand name reflects the company’s hopes of preserving the value of the electronic printer (“EP”) while continuing to create many valuable derivatives (“SON”) – thus EP + SON = EPSON.
In 1969, with the goal of providing more accurate timepieces, Epson developed the world’s first commercial quartz watch. In 1982, it introduced a TV watch. And in 1988 the company developed a self-winding quartz watch that generated its own power and never needed battery replacement.
In 1975, Epson launched the MP-80, a compact and lightweight computer printer. The MP-80 was the first printer to come standard equipped with ESC/P, a printer control language created by Epson that would later become the industry’s de facto standard.
Epson’s first projector was the VPJ-700, a compact full-colour LCD video projector released in 1989. It followed this in 1994 with the ELP-3000, which delivered triple the brightness of conventional models despite its portable, compact, and lightweight design. These projectors, coupled with a PC, became widely used in business.
Since its founding, the company has worked to enhance production efficiency by streamlining design and promoting automation. In response to the emergence of high-mix, low volume production in the early 1980s, it independently developed and designed industrial SCARA robots that serve as the core of a flexible production system.
In 1993 Epson released the MJ-500, an inkjet printer equipped with Epson’s proprietary Micro Piezo ink ejection technology.
The following year, Epson launched the MJ-700V2C, calling it the world’s first printer to deliver high-resolution (720 dpi) at an affordable price.
Epson entered the large-format printer market for professional graphic applications in 2000. It launched the Monna Lisa 160B, a digital textile printing machine in 2003 and earned high praise from designers and the textile industry for its ability to produce a wide variety of products in small quantities; its low waste and small environmental footprint; and its ability to render photographic details on fabrics.
In 2010, as production shifted toward short run print jobs and product life cycles shortened in industries such as food, beverages, and cosmetics, Epson launched the SurePress series of digital label presses to meet the diverse printing needs of the commercial and industrial sectors.
EcoTank
Also in 2010, Epson developed and launched the EcoTank series, printers equipped with high-capacity ink tanks. These high-capacity ink tank printers currently sell in 170 countries and regions around the world, and cumulative sales have surpassed 100 million units.
Micro Piezo technology has continued to evolve, with Epson developing next generation printhead technology called PrecisionCore. This has made it possible to develop a wide range of products, not only for the home and office but also for commercial and industrial applications.
For offices, Epson deploys PrecisionCore technology in high-speed linehead inkjet multifunction devices, delivering up to 100 pages per minute. Epson says that blazing speed, outstanding durability, excellent maintainability and the unequalled energy-efficiency of inkjet systems make them a compelling replacement for office laser printers.
In 2016, with further miniaturisation of the optical engine and improved cooling performance, Epson launched a high-lumen laser projector, the EB-L25000U. This projector boasted 25,000 lumens of brightness.
Today, the company and the Epson brand are recognised around the world for home printers, business printers, large format printers, projectors and a wide range of other products. Epson says it has earned this recognition largely as a result of a staunch commitment to advancing the efficient, compact and precise technologies that are an integral part of Epson’s DNA, and which contribute to a more sustainable future.
Epson adds that it will continue to take pride in the Epson brand by living up to the corporate purpose: “Our philosophy of efficient, compact and precise innovation enriches lives and helps create a better world.”
