Epson Stylus 800

Used in today's Epson Stylus inkjet printer lineups, Micro Piezo inkjet technology is the key to the superb image quality and high speed provided by Epson's inkjet printers. Micro Piezo technology using a multi-layer actuator print head debuted in the Epson Stylus 800 inkjet printer (known in Japan as the MJ-500), which went on sale in March 1993.

Compatible with A4-sized paper, the Epson Stylus 800 was Epson's first inkjet printer aimed at home users. Capable of high-speed printing of alphabet characters at 150 characters per second (cps) in 10 characters per inch (cpi) mode and 180 cps in 12 cpi mode, the Epson Stylus 800 also offered resolution of 360 dpi and a high level of print quality that could be mistaken for laser output. Moreover, the printer's use of a print head that never needed to be replaced kept ink cartridge prices reasonable. One A4-sized page only cost a few cents to print. With the printer itself priced attractively the inkjet printer became much more attainable for many users.

Unlike the print heads used in other printing systems, the Micro Piezo print head did not heat the ink. Since the ink was not heated, Epson had much more flexibility in formulating its inks, thus dramatically increasing the market's anticipation of a shift to color. Moreover, in the following year, the research that went into this printer became the basis for the Epson Stylus Color inkjet printer.