Welcome to our Epson Printer Review Page:
In our research section, we try to keep our readers informed about a variety of technology related products and services. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about Epson Printers - features, reviews, prices, pictures. Enjoy! See the categories below to get started learning about the Epson PictureMate printers:
Epson PictureMate Printers
Epson's PictureMate line of portable printers are meant for one thing - printing photos, and thus using only 4x6 paper. While it might look like a portable radio, it is not battery powered, so stay need an AC outlet. It does however print without the need for a PC - just plug your digital camera into the USB port or insert your memory card from your camera (accepts all standard formats). With a built in LCD screen, you can preview and select the images you want to print. (Epson PictureMate pictured at right). With maximum print resolution of 5760x1440dpi, your pictures will be crisp and accurate.
Also includes a SAVE function that lets you copy photos out to a CD-R drive or USB thumb drive. While some photo printers use dye sumblimation technology, the Epson model is a fairly standard inkjet (6 colors). The resulting print time won't win any awards - over 2 minutes in most cases for a 4x6 print. A 20 sheet feeder tray keeps your paper at the ready, and combining ink and paper costs, you end up with prints costing just about 25 cents each. You can follow these links to get direct pricing from Amazon (about $159). (here) Printing at home may be convenient, but remember to consider Walmart or other stores that have digital photo processing centers - just pop in your memory card and print, with prices sometimes less than 20 cents. Keep in mind the PictureMate series is designed for printing photos and not for printing text documents. But many gush over the high quality photo print results, claiming they are better looking than standard film prints from the photo lab.
Epson Stylus Photo R1800 and R800:
Epson offers some higher end printers as well, including these 2 aimed at printing larger, archival photos. Features include:
8 color ink tanks.
Separate matte and blank ink cartridges.
Pigment based inks to last 200 years.
Able to print direct on DVDs and CDs
Create prints up to 13" x 44"
5760x1440dpi resolution
Speed? 4x6 in about 40 seconds, 11X14 in about 3 minutes
The R1800 is pictured below. It runs just over $500, while the Epson Stylus R800 is about $350. Both connect via USB or Firewire. Which printer is best for me? Depends on your printing needs. For most people making casual prints for home use, the PictureMate is probably adequate, though you are limited to 4X6 standard photo size prints. For $200 more the R800 is ideal for very high quality prints in sizes up to 11"x14". Unless you are making even larger archival prints, the R1800 may be overkill for most users.
Other options for printing photos:
HP, Canon, and other manufacturers offer similar printers designed for home use. Nothing beats comparing print outs with your own eyes to see what you prefer. Circuit City and Best Buy will usually have print samples next to models so you can compare in person. However, you won't go wrong with the Epsons listed here.
Where to buy Epson Printers?
A number of online stores offer low-cost printers. Most physical stores (Sears, Best Buy, etc.) also sell the same products online from their websites, so you can check there as well. Start with a shopping comparison engine like Pricegrabber or Shopper.com. They will show you competitive prices at a dozen or more online merchants - then just pick the lowest price. ECost and NewEgg offer some of the best prices. Some of the links below have more information regarding photo printing (like "Sharing Digital Photos" or "Printing Digital Photos").
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