Having made surpisingly little impact in the professional wide format 'print for pay' market under their own brand (systems such as Mimaki, Mutoh and Roland do however rely heavily on Epson printhead and controller technology), Epson can still boast some very impressive figures in terms of their market share in those sectors that sit just outside of what the typical LFR reader might deem to be 'our market'.
Where Epson do excel is in fine art and photographic reproduction, where their printers are very much accepted as the benchmark that competing printers are measured against.
Their dominance in those particular sectors has no doubt played a central role in their continued growth during 2009.
Epson has increased its UK market share in the large format inkjet printing (LFP) market by 7.5% in Q3 2009 resulting in a 71.5% total market share of all A2-A0+ printers sold in the UK in the last quarter.
The Epson Stylus Pro range features models ranging from the 17-inch Stylus Pro 3880 up to the 64-inch Stylus Pro 11880. They all combine the latest hardware innovations and industry-leading ink technology to produce high quality and value for money for photography, fine art, proofing and POS printing applications.
Following the launch of the Epson Stylus Pro 3880 in September this year, Epson’s share of the A2+ market grew by almost 3% in Q3 to 93%. Its A1+ market share also grew 3% to 58%, the highest level since 2004. The biggest growth area for Epson was in the 44-inch A0+ printer sector, where its market share leapt by 18% on the previous quarter. The reason for growth in both these sectors is because of the introduction of Epson’s latest professional printers, the Stylus Pro 7900 and Stylus Pro 9900, which incorporate the new UltraChrome HDR inkset. Finally, market share in the 64-inch sector, a relatively new area for Epson with the Stylus Pro 11880, more than doubled to just over 26%.
Martin Johns, Senior Product Manager, Epson UK, says: “By continual innovation, a focus on quality, and competitive pricing, Epson is the inkjet print technology of choice for many professional graphics users. Companies have the confidence that when they invest in an Epson printer, they can offer their customers added value and service for a relatively modest investment.”
