Epson Stylus Photo R2880: Review

Rating:

4.0 out of 5

Features

The Stylus Photo R2880 contains 2 USB ports, which is perfect for connecting to two different PC's without the need for a network setup, which makes it great for home users with more than one computer. But if preferred, this printer can also be connected to a wireless print server which makes it accessible to an entire network. Whether it is for a small business, or your tech crazed family.

Epson has made some upgrades to its ink cartridges since its predecessor was brought to market. The Stylus Photo R2880 replaces the basic magenta and light magenta with a vivid magenta and vivid light magenta which results in better color accuracy, especially when reproducing blues and purples. Its ability to print black and white has also improved from the previous model.

The Stylus Photo R2880 also utilizes a new printing technology called Radiance technology which improves ink selection and the way that the ink dots are placed on the page. This technology results in better color consistency, less grain, better ink efficiency, and an overall higher quality image. Epson has also found a way to cut down on print head clogging. The Stylus Photo R2880 includes print heads that have been coated with an ink-repelling coating as well as small glass beads in each cartridge. The coating is supposed to help cut down on the amount of ink buildup that can occur on print heads from lack of use and the beads are supposed to help "stir" the ink so it is always at a consistent viscosity resulting in quality photos print after print.

Performance

The Stylus Photo R2880 offers users a total of 9 Epson UltraChrome K3 inks in Cyan, Vivid Magenta, Yellow, Light Cyan, Vivid Light Magenta, Light Black, Light Light Black, and Matte or Photo Black, but only 8 cartridges can be used at a time. Users still need to swap out the photo black for the matte black when changing paper types. This may not be cost effective in the long run because the printer will require the ink lines for all colors to be purged every time a cartridge is changed, which can result in a decent amount of ink waste over the life of the printer.

Print speed is faster than its predecessor and the Stylus Photo R2880 can print 8" x 10" photos in 2 minutes 18 seconds for high quality photo mode and 1 minute 36 seconds for super fine mode. 11" x 14" photos print in 3 minutes 55 seconds for photo mode and 2 min 36 sec for super fine mode. Print quality is great regardless of the type of paper that is used.

The one flaw with this printer is that it doesn't allow users a way to add new paper types that have not already been pre-programmed into its drivers. Either you will need to only use Epson compatible papers, or make sure you know what Epson style paper is comparable to the third party paper you are trying to use in order to avoid any printing issues.

Summary

In conclusion, the Stylus Photo R2880 provides quality photo printing capabilities on a wide range of paper options that are sure to strike any photographers fancy. If you can tolerate having to switch black cartridges when switching between photo and matte printing, then the Stylus Photo R2880 will fulfill all your printing desires. But if this seems like too much of a hassle, then you may want to look elsewhere for your next photo printer.

Pros

• Prints on up to 13" rolls
• 8" x 10" photo in 2 minutes 8 seconds
• 8 Epson UltraChrome K3 ink cartridges

Cons

• Ink wasted each time black photo/matte cartridges are swapped
• Can't add new paper types

Related Links

Canon PIXMA Pro9500 Photo Printer:
8" x 10": approximately 2 minutes 6 seconds 11" x 14": approximately 4 minutes