Today Epson announced the release of two new photo printers, the Epson Stylus Photo R260 and R380 and one new all-in-one printer, the Epson Stylus Photo RX580. Epson notes that these new models are “ultra hi-definition” and that the new Claria ink and print heads will deliver professional-level results.

Epson says that all three models are rated at 30 pages per minute for black and color and they can produce a 4 x 6 picture in 13 seconds. If those stats are true, both are pretty impressive. Most photo printers today take about 60 seconds to print a 4 x 6, and other than the recently-announced Canon MP810, virtually no models were faster than 45 seconds per print. It is also strange that these printers are equally fast for both black and color prints. Typically, inkjet printers print in black about 20-25% faster than they do in color.

The Stylus Photo R260 and R380 are similar models, the R380 being the more fancy of the two. It features a 3.5″ LCD and the ability to print directly from memory cards. Overall, it is more of a standalone printer than the R260 is. The Stylus Photo RX580 is an all-in-one printer with the ability to scan and copy. It has a 2400 x 1200 scanning resolution and the ability to print directly from media cards or via PictBridge.

The Stylus Photo R260 will be $130 and it will be available in September, and the Stylus Photo R380 and the RX580 will both be $200 and available in October.

There is an interesting note in a story about these printers on abcnews.com:

It’s worth noting too that Epson is introducing its new Claria inks with these models, and it’s touting the new inks as providing “the ultimate combination of photo quality and longevity.” But a company representative couldn’t give any details for what that translates to.

Nice to see that all this stuff sounds great but has no real meaning.

Epson Ushers in the Era of Ultra Hi-Definition Photo Printing [Press Release]