Epson P-440, i9100, HP 7960 User Manual

Pop Photo

> BUYER’S GUIDE

2004

PRINTERS

>THE BUYERS: PHOTOGRAPHERS AT ALL LEVELS CAN NOW AFFORD TOP PRINT QUALITY AND MAJOR-LEAGUE FEATURES

Right now, the big picture in inkjet photo printers is that the three leading brands have achieved a comparable—and extremely impressive—level of

output quality.

Previously, Epson had the edge, but recent entries from Canon and HewlettPackard have leveled the playing field so that now, all high-end (and many less expensive) models turn out beautiful continuous-tone prints. And aside from subtle differences in hue, sharpness, and saturation, color prints from a top Epson, Canon, and HP look very similar.

On the other hand, there are significant differences in terms of speed, paper handling, available media variety, and print longevity. The premium Canon machines use six colors with individual ink tanks, which means less waste. Epson’s top pigment printer, the Stylus Photo 2200, packs seven colors. Recently, HP raised the bar with an eight-color system in the Photosmart 7960. The HP 7960 and Epson 2200 also employ special inks for better black-and-white reproduction, something Canon needs to work on.

Meanwhile, Canon printers are still the fastest, but Epson gives you the widest choice of papers. Epsons come in two flavors: those using higher-gamut, dyebased inks, and those with longer-lived, pigment-based ones. But understand that the life expectancy of any inkjet print depends not just on the ink, but on many other factors, including whether the print

	HOT	Photo-quality inkjets are so
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	NOT
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is mounted behind glass or exposed to contaminants in the air.

Your buying decision may hinge on other features, such as borderless prints, roll-paper handling, and the ability to print onto the surface of a CD or DVD. You’ll also find pricey large-format inkjet models, as well as inexpensive combo units that double as scanners and copiers.

Of course, inkjets aren’t the only photo-quality game in town. Olympus, Kodak, Mitsubishi, and Sony make lettersized dye-sublimation printers that use resin-coated papers closer in look and feel to conventional photo paper and more resistant to scratching and moisture than most inkjet prints. (In fact, many snap- shot-size printers are dye-subs.)

These fast printers, which use red, green, and blue dye ribbons, plus an overcoat, let you apply a choice of texture finishes without changing papers. Under a loupe, you’ll notice that dye-sub prints are smooth (no inkjet dots), the result of the dye being vaporized and absorbed (“sublimated”) into the paper rather than lying on the surface. The downside? Dyesubs typically don’t produce sharp text in small font sizes.

Many printers (both inkjet and dye-sub) have built-in media-card slots, and most can print directly from a digital camera.

For best results, stick with the same brand of printer and camera, or make sure they use the same print-matching language, which embeds the camera’s unique imaging profile within each picture file. Some manufacturers support Epson’s PRINT Image Matching (P.I.M.) II; others use Exif (Exchangeable Image Format File) 2.2. A new one called PictBridge debuted this year, which also allows printers and cameras from different companies to work together. —Jonathan Barkey

> BILLBOARDS MADE EASY

Most of us are thrilled to make 13x19inch prints. But what if even that big isn’t big enough? Enter the Epson Stylus Pro 7600, which produces monster-size, borderless blowups (up to 2x100 feet!) on a variety of papers, with a life expectancy of about a century. The 7600 provides superb prints with its seven-color UltraChrome pigmented inkset. Although its color range is much better than that of earlier models, the 7600 also comes in a

dye-ink version (print-display life up to 26 years) with an expanded color gamut and better black density. The 7600 costs (only) $3,000 street.

> KINKO’S—WATCH OUT!

Tired of desktop clutter? New all-in- ones from Epson and Hewlett-Packard squeeze a photo-quality inkjet printer, color scanner/copier, and fax into a single compact package. The Epson Stylus CX5200 boasts fast printing, 48-bit, 1200x2400-dpi, letter-sized scanning, plus faxing via your PC. Using four DuraBrite pigmented ink cartridges, it makes water-resistant color copies and prints (single and double-sided). The even fancier HP PCS 2410 Photosmart (shown) offers six-color output,

direct printing and proofing from media cards, and color faxing. The CX5200 streets at about $150. The HP 2410 is $300.

HP PHOTOSMART

PRIMEPICKS

PRINTERS

7960 PHOTO PRINTER

www.hp.com; 800-752-0900

5

CANON i9100 PHOTO PRINTER

> EIGHT COLORS AND B&W, TOO

THE SKINNY: A new level of dedicated photo

printing. Eight-ink system matches others in

color, and beats all in black-

> WIDE-CARRIAGE SPEED DEMON

Tested November 2003

and-white with Photo Gray

VITAL

THE SKINNY: Terrific color output and blazing

www.usa.canon.com

ink. Print directly from built-in

STATISTICS

speed, with 4x6s in about 37 sec, 8x10s in 1

800-652-2666

media card slots, as well as

> 4800x1200 dpi

min 13 sec, and borderless 13x19s in 6 min 7

from compatible HP cameras.

> 4 cartridges hold

sec. Image quality and resolution have improved

Downside: slow.

8 inks

> Direct printing

over the earlier S9000.

FEATURES TO LIKE: 2.5-in.

from Photosmart

FEATURES TO LIKE:

swiveling LCD screen. Border-

VITAL

cameras and 6

User-replaceable print-

less prints up to 8.5x11.

STATISTICS

media formats

head. Low-ink sensor

Separate 25-sheet tray for

> $290 street

> 4800x1200 dpi

warns you when one of

4x6s.

the six individual Think-

> 3,072 nozzles

> 4-picoliter

Tank ink cartridges is

droplets

running low. Borderless

> Borderless prints

prints right up to 13x19.

to 13x19

>SIMILAR AND RECOMMENDED

Very quiet operation.

> $500 street

Epson Stylus Photo 1280 ($380)

EPSON STYLUS PHOTO 900

> A BARGAIN THAT ALSO PRINTS CDS AND DVDS

Tested October 2003

THE SKINNY: Letter-sized inkjet with high per-

www.epson.com

>SIMILAR AND RECOMMENDED

800-463-7766

Canon i900D ($250)

formance and a low price. Beautiful image qual-

ity thanks to six photo inks. Borderless 4x6s,

5x7s, and 8x10s. Template and software for

OLYMPUS P-440

direct printing onto CDs and DVDs. Two large ink

cartridges (black and

VITAL

color) offer extended

printing, but we’d pre-

STATISTICS

www.olympusamerica.com; 800-622-6372

fer six separate tanks.

> 5760x720 dpi

> LIKE HAVING A MINILAB IN A BOX

FEATURES TO LIKE:

> 4-picoliter droplets

Accepts 4- and 8.3-in.

> 2 ink cartridges—

THE SKINNY: Dye-sub prints

roll paper, prints ban-

CcMmY plus

from this new machine (as

VITAL

ners up to 44 in. long.

black

with the earlier, slower P-400)

STATISTICS

>SIMILAR AND RECOMMENDED

Love that price!

> $185 street

Epson Stylus Photo 960 ($330)

rival lab prints for smooth-

> 314 dpi

ness, feel, durability. Border-

> Continuous tone

less 8x10s, 1.8-in. color LCD

> 16.7 million colors

monitor. Downside: uses only

> 3-pass CMY ink

EPSON STYLUS PHOTO 2200

Olympus paper.

ribbon plus clear

overcoat

FEATURES TO LIKE: Print

> Borderless 8x10s

from built-in xD card slot,

> $499 street

> BIG BEAUTIFUL PRINTS THAT LAST AND LAST

Tested October 2002

other media via PCMCIA slot

THE SKINNY: Seven-color, junior version of

www.epson.com

and adapters. Glossy or

matte overcoat without

800-463-7766

the Stylus Pro 7600 is much better than the

changing paper. Video

earlier Stylus Photo 2000P. Faster, wider color

out lets you view and

gamut, neutral b&w output, banishes color

edit on your TV.

shifting under different

VITAL

lighting. Great paper

STATISTICS

handling. Lower price.

> 2880x1440 dpi

FEATURES TO LIKE:

Takes roll paper up to

> 4-picoliter droplets

> 7 individual

13 in. wide. Auto paper

UltraChrome

cutter and catch bas-

pigmented ink

ket for easy batch print-

cartridges

ing. Optional Matte

> Borderless prints

Black ink gives better

up to 13x44

>SIMILAR AND RECOMMENDED

>SIMILAR AND RECOMMENDED

matte and watercolor

> $700 street

In a class of its own

Kodak Professional 8500 Digital Photo Printer

prints.

($900)