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Epson Artisan 50 Printer: Review

Posted to Photo Printers 2009-11-02

Epson Artisan 50: Review

The Epson Artisan 50 color inkjet printer is a full-featured inkjet printer especially designed for printing photos and color documents. It features print speeds of up to 38ppm for color documents, 5ppm for color laser quality documents and 37ppm for black and white documents. The printer can print 4x6 color photos in as little as 11 seconds.

The Artisan 50 features a Micro Piezo print head that delivers special Claria inks for vibrant color photos and crisp, clear text. The printer uses a 6-color ink system, with separate cartridges for each color. The cartridges are available in special high-capacity versions for lower overall cost and greater convenience. The Artisan 50 is also able to print directly onto inkjet compatible CDs and DVDs, eliminating the need to print and fix labels.

Rating:

4.6 out of 5

Value

The Artisan 50 is a good value for the money, given its street price and performance statistics. It's a bit on the pricey side for an everyday printer, however. If you print a lot of photos, and want the very best quality, then it's worth the difference in price. But be prepared to spend a little more on inks as well, with the 6-color ink system. On the plus side, Epson claims the photos will archive for longer than those printed by photo labs and most other inkjet printers.

Performance

The Artisan 50 really shines when it comes to print speeds. 38ppm color documents is fast, and so is 11 seconds for a 4x6 photo. You can expect similar reductions in time for larger print sizes. 5ppm for laser-quality color documents is quick, too. And the photo quality is excellent, with accurate skin tones and sharp, grain free photos.

Summary

If you print a lot of photos or color documents, the Artisan 50 is an excellent choice. It's a color workhorse. Print quality is outstanding and printing speed is excellent. Be prepared to spend a bit more up front, however, and on ink cartridges in the future. And if you need a shared printer, you'll need to look elsewhere as the Artisan 50 does not include a network connection.

Pros

6-color Claria ink system
38ppm color document printing
37ppm black and white document printing
5ppm laser quality color output
Excellent photo quality printing

Cons

There are no cons for this product