When was the Epson Stylus Color released?

It was introduced in 1994 and sold in Japan as the MJ-700V2C, according to Epson's corporate history and IEEE Spectrum.

What print technology did the Epson Stylus Color use?

It used Epson's Micro Piezo piezoelectric drop-on-demand inkjet technology, in which a piezo crystal ejects each ink droplet without heating the ink, allowing a permanent printhead with replaceable ink cartridges.

What resolution did the Epson Stylus Color print at?

720 dpi. Epson's corporate history describes it as the world's first color inkjet printer to reach that resolution, and IEEE Spectrum calls it the world's first high-resolution color inkjet printer.

What is the MJ-700V2C?

MJ-700V2C is the Japanese-market model name for the Epson Stylus Color.

How did Micro Piezo differ from thermal inkjet printers of the time?

Thermal (bubble) inkjets used a heating element to boil ink and form droplets, while Micro Piezo used a piezoelectric crystal that flexes under voltage. Because it applied no heat, the Stylus Color could use a permanent printhead and replace only the ink cartridges.

Models · Seiko Epson Corporation

Epson Stylus Color

The Epson Stylus Color, launched in 1994 and sold in Japan as the MJ-700V2C, was a desktop color inkjet printer built on Epson's Micro Piezo piezoelectric drop-on-demand printhead. IEEE Spectrum calls it the world's first high-resolution color inkjet printer, and Epson's corporate history calls it the world's first 720 dpi color inkjet printer. Using a permanent piezo printhead with replaceable ink cartridges and a 16-million-color palette, it set a new photo-quality benchmark and is widely credited with helping establish inkjet as the dominant consumer printing technology.

By PrinterArchive EditorialEdited by PrinterArchive EditorialLast updated 2026-07-08

What it was

The Epson Stylus Color was a desktop color inkjet printer introduced by Seiko Epson in 1994 and sold in the Japanese market as the MJ-700V2C. It paired Epson's Micro Piezo printhead with high-resolution color output. Epson positions the model in its corporate history as the world's first 720 dpi color inkjet printer, and IEEE Spectrum, which later inducted it into its Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame, similarly describes it as the world's first high-resolution color inkjet printer.

Micro Piezo print technology

Unlike the thermal (bubble) inkjet designs used by many competitors, the Stylus Color relied on Epson's Micro Piezo drop-on-demand technology. A piezoelectric crystal capping each ink chamber flexed when voltage was applied, mechanically ejecting a precisely metered droplet without heating the ink. Because no heating element was required, the printhead could be a permanent, fixed component of the printer, with only the ink cartridges replaced. IEEE Spectrum records that the refined printhead carried 64 nozzles in a 16-by-4 arrangement and could reproduce a palette of about 16 million colors.

Significance

At 720 dpi the Stylus Color produced photographic output that IEEE Spectrum notes was visibly superior to competing printers of the period. Its launch coincided with rising consumer interest in printing photographs at home, and the combination of high resolution, quick-drying inks and a durable piezo printhead is credited with helping move the mainstream consumer market toward inkjet printing.

Place in the Stylus lineage

The Stylus Color built directly on the Stylus 800 (the MJ-500 in Japan), Epson's first Micro Piezo printer, released in 1993 with 48 nozzles at 360 dpi. The Stylus Color doubled that resolution and added color, launching what became Epson's long-running Stylus family of inkjet printers.

Reception and impact

Epson's corporate history records the Stylus Color as a major commercial success, and IEEE Spectrum reports that it sold roughly 300,000 units in Japan, a record for a printer at the time. Its success is widely credited with helping establish inkjet printers as the best-selling consumer printer type.

Documented specifications (each value cited to an authoritative source)
Specification	Value
Print method	Micro Piezo piezoelectric drop-on-demand inkjet
Maximum resolution	720 dpi
Printhead nozzles	64 nozzles (16 x 4 configuration)
Color palette	16 million colors
Ink system	Permanent (fixed) printhead with replaceable ink cartridges
Japanese model name	MJ-700V2C

Sources: IEEE Spectrum; Epson corporate history

Frequently asked questions

When was the Epson Stylus Color released?: It was introduced in 1994 and sold in Japan as the MJ-700V2C, according to Epson's corporate history and IEEE Spectrum.
What print technology did the Epson Stylus Color use?: It used Epson's Micro Piezo piezoelectric drop-on-demand inkjet technology, in which a piezo crystal ejects each ink droplet without heating the ink, allowing a permanent printhead with replaceable ink cartridges.
What resolution did the Epson Stylus Color print at?: 720 dpi. Epson's corporate history describes it as the world's first color inkjet printer to reach that resolution, and IEEE Spectrum calls it the world's first high-resolution color inkjet printer.
What is the MJ-700V2C?: MJ-700V2C is the Japanese-market model name for the Epson Stylus Color.
How did Micro Piezo differ from thermal inkjet printers of the time?: Thermal (bubble) inkjets used a heating element to boil ink and form droplets, while Micro Piezo used a piezoelectric crystal that flexes under voltage. Because it applied no heat, the Stylus Color could use a permanent printhead and replace only the ink cartridges.

Source transparency (2 sources)

These references support claims made in this entry. The archive uses verified institutional and public-domain sources only; see Source policy.

Sources consulted (2)

The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: Epson Stylus Color — IEEE Spectrum
Epson Stylus Color | Milestone Products — Seiko Epson Corporation

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