(Pictured above): SureColor SC-F2200 garment printer
Epson has won 2023 Good Design Awards for its WorkForce AM-C4000, 5000 and 6000 inkjet printers, SL-D500 Series photo printers and SureColor SC-F2200 Series garment printers.
Business Inkjet Printers: WorkForce Enterprise LM-C4000, 5000 and 6000 (known as WorkForce AM-C4000, 5000 and 6000 in A/NZ).
These high-speed A3 inkjet printers are intended for medium-sized to large offices. These inkjets don’t use heat to fire ink and, therefore, consume less power than laser equivalents.
Together with a simple structure that saves resources, these printers are designed to minimise environmental impact. The exterior is white, clean, rounded and unimposing.
Reasons given for the award
The multifunction printers in this class are sophisticated products that can be equipped with various options. They earned high marks for their graceful body design, including gentle form and rounded corners that suggest the smaller environmental footprint of the inkjet system. We felt that the ink cartridge window may play a supporting role in printer operation rather than being a differentiator with competitive products. We hope that in future the design of optional units such as finishers and paper feeding units will be harmonised with the body design.
Compact Photo Printers for Business: SL-D500 Series
These compact photo printers for commercial use can be installed efficiently in stores. They feature a lightweight and compact body size and frontal operation, allowing them to be installed on narrow shelves or counters. They also have a box design that allows up to three units to be installed on top of each other. In addition to the compactness of the body, the large-capacity ink tank model contributes to lowering environmental impact by reducing consumables and waste.
Reasons given for the award
These are special printers designed for shops around town offering photo printing services. All necessary operations can be completed entirely from the front panel, and multiple units can be combined side by side in compact configurations inside stores. These printers look like simple, ordinary cubes at first glance, but space is at a premium in tiny, specialised shops offering photo printing services and designs like this can be expected to save a considerable amount of space.
Garment Printers: SureColor SC-F2200 Series (pictured above)
These garment printers can directly print onto t-shirts and other clothes. The compact design of these printers makes them easier to install, expand and transport. Epson has also changed the design of the operating unit, which contributes to reduced downtime and improved productivity. Epson hopes that the product helps contribute to the digitalisation of the textile printing industry.
Reasons given for the award
Epson revamped the design of its previous garment printer in response to feedback from its users. They reduced the depth of the unit and made installation space more compact. The SC-F2250 (known as the SC-F2260 in A/NZ) is now the standard model in the garment printer series.
The high performance and roundness give a sense of intelligence combined with the beautifully arranged details to produce an attractive appearance. Furthermore, the easily operable controls, movable parts, and top transparent cover are uniformly black on a white-tone background. This fully expresses a brand identity rooted in usability and gives the impression of reliability and advanced technology over the entire series. In addition, we also appreciated that the software is provided with well-organised graphics that are easy to use, with no PC knowledge required.
The 2023 Good Design Awards are presented for designs that benefit and enrich people’s lives and society in general.
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