by Stefano Belviolandi

Artistic drawing meet professional scanning and printing. This is the spirit of Epson 2021 calendar that, for twenty years now, has been making its technology available for art. This year illustrations replaced photos. Plates, painted in watercolours and acrylic, which are scanned, graphically edited and printed. We discuss about this matter with Renata Sangalli, Epson Italia pro-graphics sales manager

What led Epson to “support” the 2021 calendar project?

«Epson calendar is a project designed at the end of the ‘90s, when digital photography was making its début; we wanted to show how the digital and in particular our printing systems could provide prints characterised by the same quality obtained in the dark room. After twenty years where the big protagonists of Italian photography “helped” to tell the establishment of digital photography, with the 2021 Calendar, “Colorseeker, the origin of colours” we start a new journey where Italian illustration, with its authors, will give life to the narration of an art form rich in big talents».

What resources did Epson implement? (Technologies, materials...)

«Epson calendar is the result of a synthesis of creativity, artistic talent and sophisticated use of the instruments of digital technology. Every plate was drawn and painted by Folì with watercolours and traditional acrylics. Then, the images were acquired with the Epson Perfection V850 Pro scanner, a work instrument of the artist, and graphically edited on a digital level. At this point, the image, ready to become a page of the calendar, was printed with a Fine Art technique on Epson Fine Art Cotton Smooth Natural paper, a sheet at a time, using Epson SureColor SC-P6000 printers».

Which is the relationship between Epson and the promotional printing?

«Epson has been operating in the sector of promotional printing for years with its printing solutions. We have systems for the direct printing on t-shirts that have evolved over time for a market that has grown in terms of figures and needs.

There is the segment of sublimation printing that has applications to make both bi-dimensional and three-dimensional objects. Epson is the provider of printing and professional services in Italy».

What are your previsions for 2021?

«We managed to limit the negative repercussions caused by the pandemic also through the introduction of new products in areas where we weren’t present yet. The fact of offering solutions for different sectors (photography, promotional gadgets, design and architecture, signage and visual communication, textile) allowed us to compensate the reduction of the investments in certain fields with the growth we had in others.

As for 2021, much will depend on the evolution of the situation. In this moment I think we should prepare to act and rely on development plans able to adapt to even very different scenarios».