Epson Stylus Photo R380 Digital Photo Inkjet Printer

PROs:
A. Top of & leading edge of it's class.

B. Ahead most years over every other brand. A pioneer.

C. User friendly & easy to use, connect & operate.

D. Epson Ink (& generics) is less expensive. (No heads in cartridge.)

E. Once printer has initialized it is rather quiet when printing.

F. It can print on printable CD & DVD, mini disks (including "business card"
disks) using tray and software included. Can print unlimited quantities.

G. Printer is strongly built, is industrial quality. Main framework & many
parts are metal.

H. Epson Phone Technical Support is free and available M-F 6am-8pm Pac.
Time and 24-7-365 via e-mail. Phone: 562-276-4303. Also a website
with FAQ's, downloads & advice.

I. Epson Inks & Photo paper products are high quality, dye based inks engineered
to work together for optimum results, service & long life.

CONs:
A. Like all Epson injets the printheads/nozzles are part
of the printer, not the cartridge.

B. Because of A. the Epson inkjets are high maintenance for
the average user. The heads have a tendency to clog.

C. Clogged heads can be fatal. (I've never had a mechanical
or electronic failure aside from permanently clogged heads.)

D. Seriously clogged heads are not fixable with "head cleaning
cartridges".

E. Slightly noisy "power on" initialization. Uses ink every cycle.

F. Disk printing capability is manual & only 1 disk at a time
can be printed. It's slow compared to sheet fed print on paper.

G. Metal + size = heavy. Where the plastic cover hinges are attached
is fragile. DON'T stress any plastic where any hinged cover is attached.

H. Free phone support is limited to registered Epson products from
Epson authorized re-sellers. However, email support & questions may
still be answered for Epson products if bought used, etc.

I: Epson branded inks & papers cost more. However it must be said that
you can't expect best results from anything but the real thing. Non Epson
ink voids all warranty. The ink and paper were made to work together
chemically for optimum results.

Summation:
An "Excellent" rating. Though conditional. To achieve the benefit of
leading edge photo, cd & dvd printing there is a price that falls
on the consumer called Preventive Maintenance.

IF YOU DON'T PRINT IN FULL COLOR AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK YOU MUST DO
A NOZZLE CHECK; AND CLEANING (if needed) NO LESS THAN EVERY 2 WEEKS
LIKE CLOCKWORK FOR BEST RESULTS.

A nozzle check can be done 4 times on a sheet of plain paper by turning & flipping.
Do this religiously at least twice a month & you should be fine.

Remember, even new in box, this is still a 2 year old product. Check with Epson
& seller to determine warranty status. Also check ink shelf life date! Blow out dust
with "canned air" as needed.

Note: To save time & ink leave printer on if you plan to use it more than once a day.
Only turn it on if you're going to use it or do a nozzle check for maintenance. Just
keep in mind that a little time & a little ink will give you professional quality photo
printing & long service life, at home!

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are mine. Experiance as I saw it. Yours may vary
greatly from mine. Mininal REGULAR nozzle care & blowing out paper dust work well for me.

I do not like the memory functions of the printer. You can dump an entire CF card in the memory but not save one or two choice images to keep and reuse over again.... the ONLY other thing about this printer that I don't like is the size. IT IS HUGE.....

But for the crisp, HIGH QUALITY proofs, and beautiful DSLR prints you get from this machine, and the 17 second 4x6 SPEED of this printer, it is absolutely unparalleled in the field. Don't waste this printer making documents, or pie charts. That is a WASTE. PRINT PHOTOS. That is what it excels at and that is what EPSON is known for. Need a document printer?? Get a workforce1100 for less and gain the 13x19 size tabloid prints. Making pics for family or clients?? You will never lose with this printer.

I bought the Epson R380 Photo Printer because I sell software and I needed a printer to print on CDs/DVDs. I am pleased at the quality of the finished product and how smoothly the printer performs. I am also amazed at how easy it is to print on a CD/DVD. If you need a multi-purpose printer that will make your CDs or DVDs look professional, this is the unit for you! Also, the price for such quality and performance is a bargain. As I write this, I have printed over 200 CDs without a problem. I will push it to the limit and see what it can do. I have no doubt that it will last for a long time.

You send item to me wrong address, but post office fix that no problem. Epson Stylus Photo® R380 InkJet Printer

This printer prints "true to life" pictures! Yes it uses ink, but they all do! I use it only for photo printing and I use a different one for documents. Of all the printers I have owned (atleast 7) this is the most amazing picture quality!