Epson Stylus Photo R800 Inkjet Printer Reviews

• I'm BLOWN AWAY

  
  By A8ARDTUYENDG5 on 2004-03-01
  I have been shopping for a high-end consumer printer for my wife for about 3 months now. My wife is into photo-scrapbooking, so high quality prints that last a long time are our main goal.

  I had looked at the high-end consumer printers from Canon and HP, but decided against them due to reported ozone fading problems (Canon) and star-wheel marks on the HP 7960 which I saw myself on the test prints at the local retailer.

  I was about to buy a high-end dye sublimation printer when I saw some reviews of the R800. Now that I've owned one, I have to say this is by far the best photo printer I've ever used.

  It's FAST - 4x6's print in about 45 seconds
  It does TRUE borderless prints (no tear-offs)
  The colors are life-life and saturated
  Pigment ink promises long life and freedom from ozone fading
  And it's unexpectedly QUIET!
  I've notice NO banding or digthring at all.
  The gloss is excellent and comparable to glossy photo paper
  Can print onto CD's (I haven't tried this)

  Can take roll paper (but no cutter)

  Consumables seem to cost about $40-$50 per 4x6, or $1.50-$1.75 for an 8x10, which is a bit high, but not out of line with competitors.

  I HIGHLY recommend this printer. Prints made with the EPSON premium glossy photo paper are out of this world.
  
  

• Little Hercules

  
  By A8KWKXQDA9IN7 on 2004-02-27
  This is really an outstanding photo printer. I've been really impressed with the quality of the photos that this guy produces. When I first read that it had a 1.5 picoliter droplet size I was pretty amazed and you can really see the clarity in the prints. I've been a fan of Epson's chrome inks which is used on the 2200 as well. With a matte black and a gloss optimizer inks, this makes the R800 a very versitle printer as well. Too many times have I bought a printer that does exceptional well on one type of paper and sub-par on another. The chrome inks are also rated to last 80 years as well. At first, I didn't care for the abilty to print cd/dvd directly on the printable discs, but after using it, I've really become fond of the option. My only knock on the R800 is that it doesn't do formats larger than your standard 8 1/2 by 11. Though I realize that is what the 2200 is for, I wished the R800 did wider formats are well as I am more impressed by it's print quality. Either way if your looking for a somewhat proffessional printer for photos, I'd really reccommend the R800, you won't be disappointed. The 2200 is also a great printer for wider formats and if you're just interested in the cd/dvd printing capablity, Epson also makes a R300 that does it as well for a much better price
  
  

• Ink Hog

  
  By A2GPR1YEE18IGR on 2005-12-08
  I bought this printer based on everyone's glowing reviews. However, the one thing most people overlooked is that this is an ink HOG. And, with it using EIGHT different cartridges costing $11.30 apiece, you can easily end up buying this printer 10 times over by buying ink cartridges. After getting tired of spending all that money on Epson ink cartridges, I finally got an HP multifuntion machine. Yeah, its not quite as good a printer, but it doesn't require a home equity line of credit to finance continual ink purchases. And if I really want high quality photos, I just ship them online to ophoto. Maybe if you were a professional photographer, this printer might be justifiable. But for the average person, this thing is a money pit. You can get okay photos with an HP machine that only soaks you $30 or so at a time for ink, instead of $100. And with high quality prints just a mouse click away, I really regret this purchase. I eventually just junked it.
  
  Plus, when I first got the printer I had an issue with print quality, and customer service had me go through several cleaning cycles which used up all my ink the first time around, and then said that was too bad, but I had to replace all my ink cartridges. So I had to drop over $100 on ink cartridges just to get my first pictures out of this thing.
  
  So, unless you REALLY have a burning need to print high quality photos at home, there are a lot more economical options.
  
  

• Pricey, but WELL worth it

  
  By A3SCP07J95IABF on 2004-03-27
  I previously owned a Canon S800 photo printer with six dye-based inks, and have been quite pleased with it. However, all of the fade-resistant claims are based on keeping the print behind glass or plastic; if you do, the claims are true, and I have 3-year old photos that still look perfect. HOWEVER, tape them onto the refrigerator or on your office wall, and they'll be visible faded in <1 year.

  Enter the pigment-based UltraChrome inks. I've only had my printer for 1 month, so I can't really say how long they'll last when "naked", but so far they look absolutely fantastic. I agree with the other reviewers, so I won't bother to re-iterate what they've written, except to rave about the quality, smudge-resistance, saturation of colors (and blacks!), and the glossy-optimizer. I rub my fingers/thumb over a printout versus a traditional 4x6 photo and can't tell the difference at all. Wipe a wet finger over it, and NO SMEAR at all.

  These inks are pricey (the old razor blade business model), and per print are probably more expensive than traditional photographic prints (4X6's). But, if you want to print your own, especially enlargements, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this printer.
  
  

• R800 is unreliable, too expensive & variable quality

  
  By A1U5IJHJK84S54 on 2005-03-23
  This is my second--and last--Epson printer. I've had this junk since July, 2004.
  
  I would have bought a Canon or an HP this time around but bought the R800 Epson (the stinkin' four HUNDRED dollar Epson) for one reason: it prints directly onto DVDs. The tipping point to decide on the $400 model? It has pigment inks that will last longer...IF THE INK EVER DECIDED TO COME OUT AND ONTO THE PAPER. But I'm yelling.
  
  Because I have had so many failed prints, I lost interest in printing and the printer sits idle and unused most of the time. Thus the print heads dry and clog up. I can't tell you how much ink (at $95 per complete cartridge set replacement cost) I have wasted in bad prints because the printer heads malfunctioned or the color came out wrong.
  
  At first the print quality was stunning. Then it simply started printing too red. I contacted Epson "support" (what a joke) who eventually said they were having problems with the SP2 XP upgrade messing with the Epson driver. I downloaded the new driver. Still way too red. Flesh tone came out bright red and over saturated. It was so frustrating I simply quit printing and decided to take my Nikon D70's files to a photo finisher. Faster, cheaper and more reliable.
  
  Believe me, don't bother with a printer if you think 1) it's cheaper or 2) faster. It's neither. And it's not even better in quality depending on how good your photo finisher is. A good color photo will last longer than any inkjet print. More durable and water resistant, too.
  
  But I bought the R800 so I could print onto DVDs.
  
  So tonight, knowing I had not used it in weeks, I wisely ran the Print Head Utility and verified that the heads were cleaned and unclogged (wasting yet more precious ink in the process). I then printed out a passably good DVD. Don't think it's anything to write home about: the print quality on a printable CD or DVD is not anywhere near glossy photo paper. Photo printing onto a DVD is dull and flat...not very exciting at all. But at least it's not on peel-and-stick label paper.
  
  I printed a second DVD right away. True to form, even after the head cleaning routine, the black head cloged half way through printing and the lower half of the DVD is shot. Thanks again Epson. Even after the head cleaning routine (that takes about five minutes) it fails again and ruins a $1.50 printable 8x DVD. It's done this to many pieces of high quality glossy photo paper, too, wasting ink, paper, money and time. What a piece of garbage.
  
  And it happens again and again. I just want to scream. And Epson support is nowhere to be found.
  
  And just try figuring out all the color settings. Good luck. Let's see, under Color Management in print setup, should I use Color Controls, PhotoEnhance or ICM mode? If I use the ICC/ICM profile, should I select "off" or "applied by Printer Software"? What's the difference and when does one use which setting? Who knows? I dare you to find the documentation that even explains the sttings, much less actually helps you make a good print the first time.
  
  Now, if you don't mind printing three or four to get one, go for it. And keep your wallet out. Those massive .5cc "tanks" (that should more accurately be called thimbles) empty faster than you can say "Replace Ink Tanks for $95." I love the way Epson puts a sales web link right in the print window titled "Buy Ink" so you can go straight to the Epson site and plunk down full price plus shipping for more ink that will clog and be blown out the head cleaning utility, and then clog anyway.
  
  If you have to buy an Epson, don't waste your money on the R800. Get the $100 model R200. That way when you throw it away it won't hurt so bad.
  
  Never Epson again.
  
  
• Picture Perfect
  By on 2004-03-03
  The printer arrived yesterday...

  The Good:
  1. No-glitch installation with XP (less than 15 minutes from box
  until my first print)

  2. Colors have been very accurate every time using both the
  supplied software (mediocre) and Photoshop. The skys are
  gorgeous, dot-free and beautifully colored.

  3. The new glossy mode works very well-- there is no problem at
  all with these prints when viewed at angle (a frequent
  problem with pigmented inks).

  4. Super quiet and very fast.

  Questions / Problems:

  1. Have not tried with other non-Epson papers. As of yet, there
  are still very few papers w/ included ICC profiles. So the
  range of papers may be limited for some time (particularly
  for matte and art papers) unless you are comfortable with
  tweeking and profiling.

  Overall: A+ 5/5 ... I have seen a lot of prints and these are
  at least as good as any on the market for under a
  thousand.
  
  

• Worth the wait
  By AT8HSJ4WCE4QI on 2004-02-21
  I really wanted a great photo printer about two months ago. I looked at the Epson R300, but couldn't find any in stock online or in stores. When I visited the Epson web site and found out the R800 was due in February, I did some research on this model and found several favorable reviews on the pre-production version. Although I normally hesitate on buying new models before the public has had a chance to test them out, I am incredibly happy I got this printer. I use Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 to touch up my digital photos (made with a Sony DSC-F717). This printer works incredibly well with the changes I make. What I see on the monitor is what comes out of this printer - vibrant colors and great detail. I recommend using Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper. My pictures look better than photo developing at any store. When I told my friends that I made these at home, they couldn't believe it. I'm getting ready to frame some fantastic 8" by 11" outdoor shots. The printer was a snap to install, and it's nearly whisper quiet. The only noise I hear is when the paper is initially loaded in by the feeder. After that, silence, and I typically forget I'm printing at all until I come back and notice my photos are sitting on the exit tray. I own an Epson C60 that I still use for text printing, and by far the R800 is easier to print photos with. The printing options are a lot more user-friendly than the Epsons of old. Plus, the quality of my 4" by 6" family snapshots are better than those portable dye-sublimation printers made by Kodak and Canon. Beautiful, beautiful pictures!
  
  
• Didn't wait long enough.
  By A13URRNCNRPG9K on 2004-02-16
  Wow! I just got my Epson 2200. I should have waited for the R800. Even better quality, better form factor and prints CD's too.

  Whatever you buy, make sure it has the Epson UltraChrome inks.
  
  

• Good, but finicky. Solved CD/DVD printing problem!
  By A336TWM8WDH8FJ on 2004-10-18
  I also had horrific problems trying to print CDs/DVDs. Spent the better part of a day trying to get the printer to accept a disc. Tried everything I could think of. It was a Sunday, and Epson Customer Service was closed. Checked internet for a solution; no solution, but discovered it was a common problem. Finally decided to return printer. After I had uninstalled it, I thought about trying a firewire connection instead of USB. Re-installed with firewire. . . and it worked!
  
  Also discovered that not all plain, and photo papers work well. Kodak and HP photo papers were blotchy. Canon paper printed nice. Epson paper printed great!
  
  
  
  
• Outstanding capabilities, Remarkable Results!
  By on 2004-02-22
  I love this printer! I bought it for two reasons - the reviews it received for its photo printing quality, and for the simple fact that I can print directly on my CDs and DVDs. Skipping the labeling part of burning a CD is such an amazing thing - and the quality of the picture burned on the CD/DVD is nothing short of Outstanding. It takes a bit longer to print on the CD, because the printer draws the CD into the housing and checks the alignment of the CD for a few seconds before printing. The result is worth the wait, as I did not have to even manually adjust the print position on the CD (using the software-based adjustment within Epson Print CD). The box included 3 of the Epson Borderless Glossy 4X6 photo paper, and this is an awesome idea. I took my favorite picture, and printed it in under a minute in amazing quality. The picture is a dead giveaway for a standard developed photo, and did not need to be cropped or otherwise cut after being printed - It went straight into my 4X6 frame with no other manipulation. I love it!
  The things left to be determined are: 1. How long will I be able to go before having to buy ink, and 2. Will the ink on the photo last as long as Epson claims it will last.
  In short, if you do a lot of CD or DVD burning, or you want a printer that can handle photo printing and give you a borderless, effort free 4X6, %x& or 8X10, this printer is for you!
  
  
• I'm in love!
  By A1Q2BXGVK34GCM on 2004-07-07
  I have owned many printers...but I have to say I love this printer the best so far. It's so versatile. The prints on Epson photo glossy paper look like they just came from the lab. I'm still amazed after two weeks.

  Prints on coated inkjet CDs are a bit under saturated. Also if you want the best quality and water proof photos you have to use Epson paper.

  This is a wonderful printer for photo enthusiasts and the geek who wants the novelty of printing on CDs. However if you do not intend to print on a regular basis do not buy this printer. The pigmented ink will clog the head with infrequent use.

  I would give it five stars if it were a bit faster. I still love it though.
  
  

• The Ferrari of Printers
  By A141GEBTQY6SJ9 on 2006-07-23
  One star for the Ferrari of Printers? Yep, it's capable of amazing print quality as long as you use Epson's most expensive paper and ink, you have infinite patience, and you are intimately familiar with the difference between ICC, ICM, sRGB versus ARGB, and of course the various Gamma options you must select for each print. Being a Ferrari, I just printed some pictures for my Mom and I had to reload the (expensive) Epson paper no less than 13 times to get the one print I needed. For me, it's much less of trial to upload pictures to an online service for great quality pictures, than it is to buy ink at $130 a pop and spend an afternoon screaming at my printer, which by the way thinks that human flesh is actually orange tinted. Before you buy this printer, you should really try an online print service-or even a custom lab. I did get a great quality print on the fourteenth try, thanks mostly to Qimage.
  
  
• what went wrong?
  By AZBPE9OXUR8GT on 2005-01-02
  First off: I've had this printer for around 4 months now. I'm on a Mac, running 10.3. I used to have an Epson _80 (can't remember the exact model), which printed great for it's price, but just died on me one day. I have used various other Epsons in the past, all with fine results.
  
  I first tried to print some cds using their seperate printing tray technique. What is needed is their tray, with some arrows that match up with some arrows on the printer. The tray guide, I found, was sloppy, there is a lot of 'play' from left to right, almost 1/4". Why? I have no idea why the tolerances are not stricter. That was a MINOR issue. This is where it got tricky, costing me time and $$ talking to their customer service, which is NOT toll-free. My printer would NOT print on cds (you have to use their no-frills cd printing program in order to print on cds). I kept getting error messages, some saying I needed to talk to the "Chooser", which is a term from previous vesions of OS on Macs. The printer/cd program will not work with a firewire connection. The printer worked fine with all other programs. When I talked with customer service (four times), they had conflicting reports from what I read, word-for-word, out of the manual. They had me deleting support files, retreading steps I had gone over with the previous support rep. Ordering a new cd tray. Nothing worked. The problem was never resolved. I decided I would keep it to see how the normal printing jobs would work.
  
  I started printing some pictures and other, normal stuff. It has worked ok - colors are great, pictures looked warm and detailed. All of a sudden I started seeing big track marks all the way down the page! They are from the rollers. It looks like crap. I can't believe that for $400 a printer works like this. Outrageous, I say. Piece-o-crap.
  
  
• Fantastic Results - Superb Prints - Solid Printer
  By A2ZWIMIZG7AEFQ on 2004-12-15
  My previous printer was an Epson Stylus Photo 700 (1998). It gave good results, but alas, technology marched on and left me behind. Being a research freak, I read every review I could find and decided to pony up the bucks for the R800. I have several years of darkroom experience and know what it takes to turn out a really good print. Reviews by professionals indicated that I could expect outstanding results. Folks, I'm here to tell you, they didn't lie. Almost all the reviews recommended using Epson's Premium Glossy Photo Paper (Free shipping for $25.00 or more at Amazon, 100 4x6 for 13.69 and 20 8x10 for $14.42 - do the math! Best prices around)and the results are outstanding! I have a supply of various Kodak inkjet photo papers and the results are good, but not great. I use them for proofs now. The results with Epson paper are worth the price of admission. Now do yourself a huge favor, READ THE MANUAL, cover to cover. When your print properties come up, EXPERIMENT - don't hesitate to use the advanced tab. Ignore the warning box that tries to scare you away, the best is yet to come. Have fun, turn off the high speed printing, (wow, what a difference) click on some boxes, make some changes - folks you're gonna be surprised! Click on the drop down arrows and check out what Epson calls vivid. Look at the subtle differences in the finished product. The gloss optimizer cartridge is worth its weight in gold. With a little practice, you'll be turning out Custom Lab results. Epson has been known for making printers that are stingy with ink usage while turning out a quality finished product(anybody out there ever tried to keep an HP inkjet in cartridges without taking out a second mortgage?). That low thirst level is apparent in these cartridges too. The moral of the story is: BUY IT - but don't tell anyone where you got those fabulous prints - your friends will be pestering you to do all their prints too.
  
  Here I am, almost a year later, still a very happy puppy. I'm a bit puzzled by some of the lengthy bad reviews. I still buy only Epson Premium Glossy papers. I've tried some HP samples and get the same results as with the Kodak mentiond above, good, but not great. Never tried making CD labels, I'm just a photo kinda guy. Ya gets what ya pays for. 10/25/05
  
  
• Greatest Yet
  By A1JOVGJ0MAB5EV on 2005-12-11
  I bought this printer for two reasons.
  1. High dpi
  2. Printing on CD's.
  I own a HP1115 and HP7960. I thought the 7960 was great. This surpasses it. My son is a professional photogher and I check with him before buying any photo related gear. He was impressed with all the info he could find on the R800. As for ink costs, well you get what you pay for in this case. It does printable CD's as I expected. I dabble in scanning, touching up and printing old photos. This thing is awesome for that application. The R800 is to me worth every penny I spent for it.
  
  
• Pretty pictures for a pretty penny!
  By A2SF7AIEL5IRV1 on 2005-10-24
  Great output that will output you to the poor house. Use it only for high quality photo output that you must have right now! But don't throw away your old b&w laser printer. With the high cost and short life of these Epson ink cartridges, you don't want to use this device as a utility printer for simple b&w output. And having more cartridges DOESN'T make it less expensive. But it is a good machine for high-cost high-quality output.
  
  
• Disappointed
  By A1URX5ER5IZ2XP on 2004-12-26
  I was very disappointed in my new Epson R800. My Epson Color Stylus 900 printed better pictures. This model leaves a film over the pictures even when using the photo glossy paper. The pictures have a dull appearance to them rather than a nice glossy crisp print. Also, it eats ink like candy and each cartridge, (there are 8 of them) costs around $14 - $15 apiece depending on where you purchase them. I wish I had my Stylus 900 back however, it served me well for 7 years. Dixie
  
  
• Absolutely the best prints from digital pictures!
  By A65ZNGJ41E1HD on 2005-04-20
  I just upgraded from the Epson 1270 1440 dpi printer to the Epson R800. While I loved the 1270 color prints, I find the R800's print's absolutely amazing! Even 8 x 10 blowups from a cropped 4Mega Pixel jpeg, zoomed to 2x it's cropped size, show absolutely no pixelation or edge artifacts (jagged edges to objects); and the gloss cartridge really finishes the pictures so they are undistinguishable from lab photos!
  
  While the individual color cartridges cost around $14.00 each for genuine Epson, it may actually work out no more expensive than replacing the 6 color 1270 cartridge ($35) when one color runs out.
  
  Great product, Epson!
  
  
• Not what it seems
  By A3VB16HB4MNNNF on 2006-11-06
  I was using an Epson 890 for a couple of years and began to run into paper handling problems. Believing I had worn it out I was attracted to the R800 as a quality replacement.
  How very frustrating to find that, after a few months of use, this expensive inkjet can only print on glossy photo paper and basic 80/100gsm matt stock. It will not handle matt art papers of any substantial thickness, will not feed matt greetings cards and is a huge disappointment. Epson Support are very unhelpful, just saying you must use Epson papers which leaves you with very limited possibilties.
  I bought this printer because it has the potential to produce sunlight resistant prints from original art works but its paper handing problems negate this possibilty. It also guzzles hard to find and very expensive inks at an alarming rate.
  At this price and after all these years of development I expect perfection from Epson but I find my $60 Canon is a dream to use compared with the R800
  
  
• Total waste of Ink
  By A2F9ED9SN4D3IU on 2007-01-05
  I've had this printer for about nine month, and have purchased ink three times. A few months ago I received a court letter regarding a class action lawsuit against epson. The plaitiffs alleged that inkjet printers and inkjet cartridges indicate that cartridges are "empty" and suspended printer function' eventhough substantial ink remains. This case has now been setteled. After spending alot of money on ink. I decided to purchase another printer istead(an 89.00$ canon)and, Im now printing my pictures at target. If you Buy this or any other epson be prepared to spend a few extra bucks on ink. Oh by the way, each color cartidge cost me 14 or 15 dollars, six colors in total.
  
  
• Photos and CD/DVD Printing -- This thing is Awesome!
  By A2C81Q30L0Y2DQ on 2004-05-28
  I have had my r800 for around two months now and let me tell you this thing is awesome (and I have had quite a few printers in my day).

  CD/DVD printing is really why I bought it but the photos are top notch. I have printed over 300 Cd-R and DVD-R and they just look Terrific. I also have printed DVD Cases and 8x10 photos that just amaze me at the clarity.

  Price for cartridges are still kinda of high (was supposed to be $8 each but they are $12-$15) -- Eight cartridges so if you want the most bang for your buck I think Canon has some nice choices(This can be expensive). Overall I feel this is the best photo and cd/dvd printer under $1000 --
  
  

• No problems here...
  By A1NV2F2U3EAK25 on 2005-02-21
  An earlier reveiw trashed this printer listing several specific complaints/problems he/she's had including a bad experience with Epson's tech support. I've been using the R800 for about a month now and have no complaints about this well built machine. My CD/DVD printing experience has been very positive and I have several beauitifully rendered disks to prove it. I've not only used Epson's included CD printing software, but have tried, with success, several other 3rd party CD/DVD printing software applications. All worked very well. I have used the printer on both the USB and the Firewire ports with equal success - I prefer the Firewire connection because I think it's a little faster. Photos and text print very well on plain or photo paper also. I really don't have any complaints about this printer. And tech support ( I had a question about some of the print set-up instructions in the manual) was helpful - and free. After about a 5-minute phone wait, I received friendly and helpful assistance.
  I'd recommend this printer to a friend.
  
  
• One significant disappointing feature
  By A25HFJPUCYXNUG on 2004-09-01
  Half the reason I bought this printer was to print out my music CD projects. BUT, you cannot (as far as I can tell) use other labeling programs besides the supplied Epson one. OK, not that big a deal EXCEPT the Epson program will not import the song titles from a CD Text encoded disc (or from the internet via the CCDB). So am I supposed to actually TYPE all these song titles into the CD? Come on, Epson, get with the program.
  
  I've only had the printer one day, so am still evaluating. It does appear to make very good prints on Epson Premium Glossy paper. The print quality on the TDK CDRs I bought is a washed out look. I'm trying to find out how to get more color there (Epson does say they don't pump as much ink onto the CDRs as the printer would onto regular paper due to absorption problems I assume).
  
  Just my initial cut/thoughts on this printer.
  
  
• Best printer I've had yet
  By A3NXOGLIGEDO7E on 2004-12-21
  After my Epson 960 went south on me after less than one year, I called Epson and they talked me into an exchange for this printer (for an additional $150 which I thought was a good bargain) This printer is outstanding. Although the best prints come from Epson papers, I've found equally good prints from Staples brand glossy papers and much less expensive. My two complaints are mediocre quality of prints on printable CDs and the cost of inks. I tried using generic inks on my Epson 960 and I think that's what damaged the printer so now I am sticking to only Epson inks. I've subsequently found out that, that's how Epson makes their money....not by the cost of printers but by the cost of their inks. I have already purchased enough ink for the R800 to buy 3 printers. Such a ripoff!
  
  
• Great Home Photoprinter - Ink Costs are Significant
  By AV65RHLQQ7NRW on 2006-05-31
  I've had this printer for one year. I don't know how many prints I've made, but certainly hundreds. Everything from 4x6s to 8x12s (on specially cut paper - works like a charm).
  
  Print Quality - Excellent
  I use profiled monitors and a paper-specific profile from a third party paper source. I am an 'advanced amateur' photographer, but my prints from the R800 have been evaluated by professionals. Although I have printed some really long panoramics, they were stitched from multiple exposures. So, the largest single-image prints I've made are the 8x12s (from a 6 mp dSLR) - They are as good or better than a print from a 35mm slide.
  
  Cost - the printer cost is resonable, until to run out of the included ink set, then you start racking up costs rather alarmingly. It's still cheaper than getting prints made commercially, and it is great to have the ability to print immediately at home.
  
  Mechanical - some minor issues. It's not easy to get roll paper fed, primarily because the roll has such a curl set in it that you can't get it started. Rarely, the sheet feeder also has trouble. It appears to be paper dependent: thick papers sometimes stick.
  
  Overall - deduct one star because the ink costs are discouraging. I'd buy it again. Well, actually, I'd buy the R1800 because I'd like to print larger!
  
  
  
  
• Most Fantastic Printer I Have Found Yet
  By A2LH5DNQMX04W8 on 2004-11-27
  After having gone through Lexmark, Canon and HP printers, I decided to try the Epson R800 and I couldn't be more thrilled!! We have a business that I need to be able to print transfers on my printer and this printer outdoes itself for crisp clear, permanent inked transfers. All of the other printers I have had used water based dye inks which have had issues with washing, and the Ultrachrome pigment based inks are perfect for long lasting designs. And as for photos - WOW!! They look professional as if they just came out of the photo lab. It's also great for CD's - I bought a stack of printable CD's and they turn out looking like you bought them in the store. Installation was a snap with Windows XP and I have found no disadvantages so far with this printer. Everything I have tried consistently comes out looking professional with this printer although the 8 individual cartridges can be pricey at around $14.00 a piece. Still, if thats the price for quality work, I guess I will pay it gladly!!
  
  
• Outstanding with instant gratification!
  By A13DOKPM6WO4IJ on 2005-02-19
  I quickly rationalized this purchase when I grew disappointed with my local lab processing. I had asked that they not modify my digital photos and yet they continue to make their own corrections. If you own a digital SLR and a good image editing program you can pump out some outstanding prints that rival your local lab. Epson has announced a newer version of this printer that will allow for even larger prints than 8X10, if it performs as well as the R800, count me in!
  
  
• Awesome printer.
  By AOL921MO6IHEY on 2005-04-03
  I can't believe how great my pictures are...
  
  This is a top notch photo printer. I've waited and read a lot before buying this puppy but I couldn't be happier.
  
  I'm stunned at the few negative comments here. They're probably coming from people using cheap compatible ink cartriges and non-Epson paper.
  
  You can't go wrong. Go ahead and buy the R800.
  
  
• Best printer I've ever had
  By A3HVKHEAO0HTX2 on 2006-06-14
  I was working on a new art show - I needed to get prints in black and white, on high-gloss paper. Every Pinter I tried had imperfections on the black. I looked around and found this printer, and thought I'd give it a go - VERY glad I did. The black is almost silky - if you print on Epson archival paper, it utterly perfect - even under a magnifying glass, large areas of back are consistent and unbroken. And the show was a hit, thanks to the printed quality of the prints were!
  
  While this printer met my needs for that specific job, I've been using it ever since, for everything from printed documents to photos - and I'm always amazed at he high quality! It was bit pricy when I bough it (March 2005), but it was well worth it.
  
  I also like that you can just replace the color ink you're low on, instead of having to purchase a new cartridge.
  
  My only complaints are the printer will stop printing if ANY cartridge is out (even if you're not going to need it), and I have yet to find the cartridges local, so have to order on-line
  
  
• life-like reproduction
  By A1N5NG72RV087S on 2005-02-04
  I have done a lot of research in determining my choice in photo printers. I looked at the Epson R800, Canon Pixma IP8500 and HP's 8450. I also tested those printers at the local stores. By and far, the Epson R800 produced the best fidelity of reproduction. Certainly the Canon produced nice prints, was fast, and inks are cheap, but the Epson had the best quality prints. The Epson's prints also seem to last the longest. The HP had a lot of extras but didn't do so well on the color reproduction.
  
  So if you want quality, take the Epson. The best on-line review of the above printers will be found in Tom's Hardware guide, if you are interested.
  
  

• NETGEAR PS121 USB 2.0 Mini Print Server
• NETGEAR FWG114P ProSafe 802.11g Wireless VPN Firewall 4-Port 10/100 Switch with USB Server
• Belkin F3U134-10 USB Extension Cable (10-Feet)
• Epson Premium Glossy 8 1/2 x 11 Inch Photo Paper 20 Count (S041286)
• Epson S041302 Premium Glossy Photo Paper (4in Roll)

• Epson Cyan Ink Cartridge ( T054220 )
• Epson Gloss Optimizer (T054020)
• Epson T054320 Magenta Ink Cartridge
• Epson Photo Black Ink Cartridge (T054120)
• Epson Yellow Ink Cartridge (T054420)