What other novelties does the MP980 feature?
Kawaguchi: Newly added is Template Print function with which notebook paper, graph paper, and other useful templates can be printed. Calendar Print function to create original calendars is another novelty. ID Photo Size Print function has 13 different sizes available covering virtually all sorts of the commonly used.
What improvement has been made in Auto Photo Fix?
Kawaguchi: Auto Photo Fix has already been compatible with Card/Camera Direct and "Easy-PhotoPrint EX", and now it is equipped with the red eye collection. Functions like face detection and scene categorization have advanced in accuracy. In the latest model, Auto Photo Fix is available when reprinting photos or printing photos from scanned films. It is set to ON by default when using the photo index sheet while it had to be enabled before.
Are there any changes in terms of operation?
Kawaguchi: The image display screen for the Card Direct mode instantly appears by inserting a memory card, and the screen for Camera Direct mode appears by connecting the cable. This provides simple operation for those who are not comfortable with machine operation. The MP980 is now equipped with “Scan to Memory” for directly saving scanned data to USB flash memory or a memory card. And also, it supports wireless LAN connection as one of the highlights. The downsized body, however, led to another challenge for us in working out how to cut off noise.
Will you tell us your future goal?
Edamura: I think we have reached substantially higher level of quality in both color and grayscale printing. Now, I am considering enhancing quality by pursuing a more optimal combination between gray ink and color ink. I like to try a bunch of different things in the future.
Kawaguchi: Image quality and printing speed involve collaboration between mechanical designer team and image processing team, and we cannot make a difference if either side cuts corners. It is very difficult to achieve a good balance on how far each team should go. Again, we haggled over how far we should and we were even taking on a tone of belligerence sometimes. That’s what has made the MP980 superb, indeed. So, we would like to continue to work together as one team.
