Epson Stylus Photo R800 printer

I was really pleased with my Epson. As with other printers Epson recommended only using Epson paper. Look at the Epson site (and this information did not come with my printer) and you will see that over 90gm weight only Epson genuine media can be used.

Of course I used Epson paper where I wanted the best quality photos. I used my old HP Deskjet for everyday printing. So after very little use my Epson was already out of guarentee. Then I used the Epson for printing on 180gm card for my mother-in-law's funeral order of service. Then my Epson stopped accepting any paper at all. Epson will not help me. I have told Pixmania , whose only response is to say that I can send it back to France (at a cost of £64) and they will mend it. I don't want it mended I want a machine I can use non-Epson paper on.

Pixmania have still not put Epson's full specification's on their website. IE. WEIGHT (Cut Sheet) From 64 to 90 g/m2. Up to 255 gr/m² using Epson genuine media only.

Do not buy this machine if you think you might want to print anything over 90gm on non-Epson paper.

Produces nice results with good colour saturation and no visible banding on epson paper. Colours on gloosy paper look very simular to traditional gloss photos, reflect the light well without changing as the angle of the light varies. Print black and white there is a browny colour cast. The printer also lays down too much black on very dark colours obscuring shadow detail.
The big downside is operating cost. The ink is around 10 pounds per cartridge and it takes 8 carts. I have only managed to squeeze 50 A4 colour photos out of a set. Thats 2 pounds per a4 page based on premium glossy paper. The printer takes every chance to use up ink. When you change one cartridge it goes through an entire cleaning cycle using up around 5% of each cartridge! there is 8 carts so thats about 40% on one cart used up! thats 4 pounds gone.

if the cleaning cycle uses up enough ink that another cart says its empty you have to replace that too and get another head cleaning cycle. This is a real problem because you don't use the ink up in all the carts at the same rate so you are forever replacing carts and going throught head cleans. Since each cart feeds its own set of nozzles in the head why can't the printer only clean the nozzles of the colour you just replaced?
The carts have a chip on them which decides when the cart is empty. When it says it empty there is still plenty of ink inside it. I know I opened one up to look.
if one of the nozzels jams there is no option to only clean that colour so again 5% of every ink cart wasted to clean a single nozzel jam on one colour....

Summary high quality prints with epson premium glossy paper, relable and well built. Costs around 2 pounds per a4 page to print photos

Can't find a fault with it as yet, the gloss optimiser really brings out that real photograph feel and look, you won't tell the difference between photo lab and home printing with this printer (as long as you use proffesional paper (I.E Epson premium photo paper) as stated above. The price is the best i've seen in the U.K - The only downside to this fantstic printer is the amount a keen photographer would have to pay on ink!!!!!

A definate xxxxx star!!!!!

Hi, This machine is very impressive it was well packed and the tracking system worked well i could see where it was at any time well done Pixmania, the price was the best i could find anywhere better than the uk. this printer is the best i have owned particularly for my interest in photography. It is well made and has a substantial quality feel to it. The prints i have made from photographs and scans are excellent. Pay attention to the quality of paper you feed it and you will not be dissapointed i find the epson premium quality photo paper the best. The software supplied is excellent allthough i had to buy a usb connector for it still cheap at the price. I run it through usb 1.1 you should get quicker results with usb 2. In conclusion this is a high quality printer which delivers excellent results.