Epson Stylus C88+ Ink Jet Printer (C11C617121) Reviews

• Great Performance for the $

  
  By AU0XVZNNBZERS on 2007-01-04
  I purchased this to replace an Epson C82 that worked great for several years before finally clogging beyond repair. This newer model prints borderless on all media and with great visual results. It is also a bit smaller than the previous model which is great because I actually keep it in a drawer out of sight, and just pull it out and turn it on to print. Epson improved the ink overspray by putting foam under the entire print path. Previous models had only a few spots to soak up extra ink, and borderless prints often left ink places that could soak into future prints. So this is another improvement. Over all a good printer for the price. I expect this one will also last several years.
  
  

• Very disappointing

  
  By A1WC7CM1EVND05 on 2007-03-01
  I have always been a big Epson fan. However, I have been extremely disappointed with this printer. First of all, it burns through ink cartridges, which gets expensive. Secondly, I am constantly having to clean the nozzle heads to prevent gaps (which uses even more ink) so that the text on my documents is legible. It's so bad I have to clean them before almost every print job, and even then I rarely get a page to print out cleanly. Also, the printer has major problems with the paper feed - mostly when trying to print double-sided. After *every* page I have to push the paper feed button. Very annoying for large documents. Finally, when printing photos or anything that has a lot of ink coverage the colors are terrible. It's been so frustrating I am thinking of forking over for a laser printer. Avoid buying this printer!
  
  

• epson workhorse

  
  By A12J09N43OAAG1 on 2007-03-26
  I originally purchased this printer for our phone server at work. I was hoping a newer design would install without making me reboot the system (it didn't) . The picture quality is typical Epson ,and I'm very happy with it.
  I just print an occasional color graph or chart ,and it rocks. It's quiet ,it's small ,and it takes readily available ink. The cartridges are the newer sepperate component type cartridge . It doesn't like cheap copy paper ,and will jam eventually. It was easy to unjam and clear however ,i was able to slip my ape like hands down into the printer ,without having to curse ,scream or apply a band-aid.
  
  

• Used to really like Epson- but then I got the C88+

  
  By A1CO143WYQULQG on 2007-06-27
  This is a perfectly disgusting printer. Yes, the price is too good to be true--- and that should have been my first warning. The thing not only burns through ink- but to re-load it with new cartridges cost 2/3's the price of the printer. If you use a good quality generic ink (which had always worked perfectly fine with my old Epson)- you wind up with gaps in your print jobs (my personal opinion is that Epson has taken the route of forcing people to buy its ink- by making their machines incompatible with anything else). Plus- the alignment program for this stupid machine is not to be believed. I currently have a trash basket with well over a hundred sheets of paper sitting beside me while I try to align the heads of the Antichrist (the new nickname for the machine). The old Epson I had- had an extremely easy and efficient program for head alignment; this system is not to be believed!! Please- spare yourself some money, time and frustration. At least until Epson gets its act back together- buy a Canon or HP or anything- but not one of these miserable machines. I can't tell if they've simply gone cheap on their production materials or on their technology or on their labor-- or on all three...
  
  

• Demands more ink when there's still ink in the Cartridges!

  
  By A34QRA5URLO543 on 2007-08-27
  I absolutely HATE this printer.
  
  Once again, the ink has run out. Why does this make me so mad? Because I just bought all 4 new cartridges (costing me over $35) less than 6 weeks ago and I haven't made very many prints. I've printed 0 photos. All my prints are mostly B&W, and I set the printer to "economy" setting on the ink. I turn the printer off when not in use (as the manual recommends to avoid drying out the cartridges). I shake the cartridges, and they're still half full.
  
  But for some reason, this monster wants MORE INK.
  
  For the amount of money I spend constantly refilling the ink, I might as well just but a brand new printer each time instead of buying new ink!
  
  The MOST annoying thing about this printer is that it "locks up" if even one of the cartridges goes "empty". I want to print a B&W document, but it won't let me because the Yellow cartridge is "empty". ARGH!
  
  If you are a casual printer, this is not the machine for you.
  
  If you plan to print alot of B&W documents, color documents, or even (gasp!) an occasional photo, this printer may cause you to become Amish.
  
  If you want a really shiny paperweight, this printer is just what you're looking for!
  
  
• Great deal
  By A2VNS36TB1N3J4 on 2007-03-13
  I was looking for an inexpensive printer that was MAC compatible. This one fits the bill perfectly. It's fast, quiet, and it hooked up to my Mac like a dream. Why spend more?
  
  
• Epson C88+ = Satisfaction+
  By A11E6JTBDXOHSQ on 2007-01-14
  Pros: If you are looking to replace an old printer this one is fast, and gives excellent picture results - First thing I printed, out of the box, was good enough to hang on the living room wall. Easy to use. setup time 5 min.
  I got the super saver free delivery expecting it to come in 2 weeks but I received it in 1 day!
  Cons: Black cartridge could be bigger & it's the same size as the colored cartridges but it's more expensive.
  
  
• Stay away!!!!
  By A21W25EX6PLWZ8 on 2007-03-24
  After owning two Hewlitt Packard printers over the years, I decided to try this Epson printer. Big mistake! This printer eats through ink like crazy. It worked well for the first few months, but since then I have had nothing but problems with printing. Certain colors won't print correctly or at all.
  
  If you like spending money on ink and investing in a poorly built printer, then this is the one for you! Try Cannon or HP instead!
  
  
• I always loved Epson printers until I bought the C88
  By A2HX73UKL3XEJO on 2007-08-03
  I bough my first Epson printer in 1995 and it lasted for 10 years. So when it came time to replace it, I went with Epson again.
  
  I bought the Epson C88 based on the recommendations here and it stopped working after one year: The print heads just stopped working and I tried everything to get them working again: cleaning, replacing the ink cartridges, etc. Another reviewer stated that this printer wasted ink and that is also true. I have never seen a printer go through so much ink in my life.
  
  
• Ink Dispensers wear out
  By A1BNT6QXKREVDR on 2007-01-14
  I have had a few Epson printers and have this one now. I like them. They are good printers for the price and you can buy generic cartridges at a really reasonable price. Pictures and documents turn out well. The only thing I have noticed with both of them was that I have to do a cleaning often, which uses ink. After about two years I have gotten to the point where I am do a cleaning every couple times I use it. They have konked out at about two years. however I still like them and haven't found better customer service.
  
  
• I owned a C82, a C86, then I did not want the C88+
  By A2BWOU506Q4X1 on 2007-02-03
  They do work really great, these Epsons. I know it because I owned two. For 1.5 years each. Read the reviews of the C82 and C86. The early reviews are all great, the ones that are added after 1.5 years all have one star. Something to think about. I got an HP deskjet now. Where the print heads are not part of the printer but part of the ink cartridge. A new printhead every time you get a new cartridge. Anyway. Enjoy your product as long as it lasts...
  
  
• reasonable purchase
  By A2SUSHK91HEFCH on 2007-03-20
  This is a good printer so far, have only use it a few weeks. The print quality, for an ink jet in the price range, is exceptional.
  
  I use the printer primarily in an OS/2 environment - and using the drivers for the Epson C80 works quite well.
  
  One of the things I like so far is that the ink dries very quickly. Have not done a good deal of color printing yet, but from what little color printing I have done - the colors look real sharp.
  
  I gather that this model is a bit of an ink guzzler, and it is not lightning fast...but if you are not using it for business purposes or printing all day/every day, you may just find this model fits your needs.
  
  
• impossible to install on Mac OS X
  By A3L1TG3OOOTRBR on 2007-09-18
  I bought this printer for my mom many months ago, and I still can't install the drivers for her eMac. The install disk didn't work. The drivers cannot even be downloaded from the website onto a Mac (don't ask me why), and I had to download and transfer them on my PC. The installation "succeeds", but the drivers still don't work, and the computer cannot see the printer. The instructions that Epson support sent me did not work. Nothing works. I've never seen a product that was so much of a pain to get working.
  
  **** UPDATE -- 8-21-08 ****
  Have used this now for about a year (with my PC, not Mac). It does a beautiful job on digital photos, with bold and brilliant color. However, it uses ink so fast, and the ink is SO expensive, that you're really better off printing your digital pictures at Walmart or some other place. They'll charge you 15 cents or something, which will probably end up being more cost effective. Too bad.
  
  If you just want something to print letters and papers and such, you'd be much better off getting a small laser printer. Don't even *think* about an ink-jet. Only get an ink-jet if you absolutely *must* have color, and even then you should still get a laser printer as your main ax.
  
  
• No Technical Support!!!
  By A1X0IP4AOOKPE8 on 2007-10-08
  I returned this product due to not being able to get any technical support from Epson!!! I never got this printer installed, so I do not know how it works. I tried for 2 weeks to get technical support, by phone and email. After 2 weeks I decided I better return item because I felt that I would have a product that the manufacturer did not care about helping customer who bought it. I will never purchase anything that comes from Epson. Absolutely, no customer service or support from this company.
  
  
• Nice Printer, Nice Price
  By A37JNUJSVAJKYN on 2008-01-18
  I purchased this printer after my Dell inkjet printer failed to produce color images, and pictures that satisfied me. So I thought I would start my search backawards this time, and take a look at who had the cheepest ink - and that was EPSON!
  
  So this printer seemed like an excellent price when I picked it up for $49 at a local office store, I got it home and used it for a couple of months when it finally needed ink after making greeting cards, and printing pictures! I have always bought remanufactured ink cartridges and had no problems - DO NOT DO THAT WITH THIS PRINTER! I have tried all kinds of company and cannot get a GOOD print out from the remanufactured or refilled cartridges.
  
  The thing I really like about this printer is all the ink is seperate it is not a black, and a multicolor cartridge or worse one cartridge that does all - this allows you to replace one at a time and the price on the cartridges are resonable too.. this printer prints super fast too in color or text modes. This is a excellent printer at the price point, especially now when all you seem to be finding are printers that print, copy, fax, scan, and wash the dishes!
  
  
• Very good printer
  By AD93FJFWVQEEB on 2007-07-30
  This is my third Epson printer. They have all been very good but do wear out after heavy use for about three years. I haven't found any printer brand that lasts for a longer period of time for me and some other brands have lasted only a year or two.
  
  
• Be aware of ink issues before you buy
  By A1H0D6615MYKYF on 2008-05-10
  Be aware that Epson engineers its ink-jet printers to use small amounts of the color inks even when you only print in black and white. Eventually one or more of the color cartridges will run out and the printer WILL NOT WORK until you buy new cartridges - even if you have never used color.
  
  
• What we have learned to expect from an Epson printer
  By A3PGW9BY3Q5ZIB on 2007-08-31
  As with every other Epson printer we have purchased ( we currently have three in London, UK and one in California) this printer is an excellent, no problem choice. Easy to set up, totally reliable and very good quality imagery. My only complaint - it is the usual one - is the cost of the ink cartidges. It is so tempting to use the cheaper alternatives. We are particularly keen, as designers, to ensure that colours are exactly as we want them. Of course we tried alternative inks and they were hopeless. So, bite the bullet and stick with Epson, all the way!
  
  
• Buyer Beware!
  By A12GE62ZHCPEAP on 2007-10-03
  I have owned the C82 and the C86 and both models are useless because the print heads dry out and will not print. Epson told me the problem is that I don't use them enough. I have had a Cannon i960 for the past 3 years and the thing prints like a champ. It doesn't care if I leave it on off, or don't use it for months. I am so disapponted in Epson. The tech support rep recommends this model as a replacement. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me (the C86 was sent as a replacement for the C82) I think I need to move on to another brand.
  
  
• Waste of money
  By A12Z5TRVKG0PX4 on 2007-12-07
  I bought this printer just over a year ago. After just one year of moderate use, it will not print streak-free, no matter how many times I run the cleaning program, burning lots of ink. The blue won't print. I am very dissappointed in this product.
  
  At work, we also used an Epson printer. Same thing happened there. After just one year of use, the blue won't print. We ordered a new print head for the blue and replaced it. It still won't print and we had to replace the whole printer. What a waste of money!
  
  
• No worries
  By A3K4IQ8ECKKG6O on 2007-01-05
  I bought the C88 to replace an aging C80. It's been up and working ever since. My only complaint is that the black cartridges are the same size as the color ones, so they are consumed much faster.
  
  Everything was so routine about the purchase, that I hardly considered the need for a review like this.
  
  
• Ink consumption is horrible but waterproof ink saves the day
  By A1SJVVRMSZ1XAL on 2007-03-07
  Great for occasional prints in color or with color but the ink drops fast and is expensive. Best part is that the Epson ink is waterproof, so you can do things like doorhangers or outdoor signs and they'll last. If you are concerned about ink consumption, look into InkSaver - a program that controls how much ink you use and can save up to 50% on ink - if you can live with slightly degraded print quality.
  
  Generally the C88 does a good job with paper handling and the print quality is quite high. And it's nice to be able to change individual colors as they run dry.
  
  
• Great Printer
  By A1TXRPOTA2Y64Z on 2007-03-26
  I am very impressed with this printer. I used to own an Epson C60,and this printer just blew that printer away. it's fast and the colors are very vivid. I would highly recommend this product. This is a inexpensive printer with a lot of bang for the money!
  
  
• Great Little Home Printer
  By A1VF4ZOFZACF5O on 2007-04-01
  This is a great home printer. It makes quick clear copies.
  
  
• eh, its ok
  By A2HV853UNP5VTY on 2007-07-11
  Is this a great printer NO, is it an okay printer, sure. but if you want something better go with an Epson R220. I have both, but need a small replacement. So if you want ok printer, get this one, but if you want better, do a bit more research.
  
  
• utility printer
  By A1SCKTHDWAUBZA on 2007-03-10
  Good printer,does a good job on printed matter,our daily download of comics,maps,etc. It also does suprisingly well on photos,although we also have a dedicated photo printer for large prints.
  
  
• Great Job for a low cost printer
  By A3DMWTYO8ELZ9C on 2007-01-05
  Excellen color reproduction. Very good with photos. Reasonably fast. Well worth the investment.
  
  
• Epson Stylus C88+
  By A1TDZN5ZWJ0V1C on 2007-02-08
  This Epson replaced an Epson Stylus C86 and so far we are very pleased with it's performance. The price was especially satisfying and the delivery was quicker than we ever expected. Thanks Amazon!
  
  
• Great print quality but fussy with paper
  By A3QQSP4HCPBKAS on 2007-02-08
  We've had the printer for about a month now. It prints great pictures and graphics but it is fussy about taking in paper. It struggles with thick card stock and has a tendency to print everything a little bit crooked. Not a big deal if you are cutting an image out or just printing a document, but annoying for things like pre-folded programs and labels. The description says that the printer can also print all the way to the edge of an 8.5x11" piece of paper, but it appears to be limited by Microsoft programs which won't. Try open-source software for that.
  
  
• Good Value for Money
  By A3V7XG2XWQA9BV on 2007-02-12
  The printer is a great value for the price. It is quiet, compact size, prints very well. My only complaint is the black ink is used up quickly and it prints slower than expected. But other than this I feel it was definitely work the money. Thank you.
  
  

• Epson S041062 Photo Quality Inkjet Letter Paper (100 Sheets)
• Epson 4 x 6 Inch Premium Gloss Photo Paper, 100 Sheets (S041727)
• Epson Black Ink Cartridge (T060120)
• Epson Magenta Ink Cartridge (T060320)
• Epson Color Multi-pack Ink Cartridges (TO60520)

• Epson Black Ink Cartridge (T060120)
• Belkin F3U133-10 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Cable (10 Feet)
• Epson Color Multi-pack Ink Cartridges (TO60520)
• Take4Less 10-pack (4B, 2C, 2M, 2Y) Epson T060 Compatible Ink Cartridges T060120 T060220 T060320 T060420 for EPSON CX3800 CX3810 CX4200 C88
• Belkin F3U133-16 USB 2.0 A/B Cable (16 Feet)