Epson Stylus Photo R3000 Ink Cartridges

Epson R3000 Printer Review

The Epson Stylus Photo R3000 is an inkjet printer that has the versatility to handle a range of different projects, from lab-quality photos and graphic designs to standard text documents, but it is a bit expensive. Expert tests also revealed that the R3000 is among the quickest in its class of photo printers, printing an 8x10-inch image in as fast as 90 seconds and a 13x19-inch image in a little over 2 minutes. With flexible media handling, a sophisticated Stylus Photo R3000 printer ink system and professional-quality output, this device is one of the top picks in its class for both amateur and professional photographers' needs.

The machine comes equipped with plenty of connection options, such as an ethernet interface for printing on a wired network and Wi-Fi, as well as an iPrint Mobile Application that will allow users to print straight from their iPhone and other mobile devices. The back of the machine includes a standard USB port for printing from a PC, while the front of the device incorporates a color LCD that will allow users to preview their photos.

The R3000's best attribute is its media handling, as it handles cut sheet paper with a maximum size of 13x19 inches and specialty media like optical discs and fine art papers. When using roll paper, the device can print documents with a size of up to 13x44 inches. The unit also has two separate media feeds. The main top-loading feed can handle up to 120 sheets of plain paper and 30 sheets of photo paper, while the front is a single-sheet feeder designed for thick fine art paper.

The device performed at the top tier of its class on output tests, printing photos and graphics with superb quality and a resolution of 5760x1440 dpi using color Epson R3000 ink. Despite being a photo printer, the unit also tested well for its text output, printing characters with sharp detail, and Stylus Photo R3000 ink cartridge system can produce a droplet size of 2 picoliters for fine detail.

The unit operates with Advanced Micro Piezo print heads that use drop-on-demand technology. The machine uses 9 separate Epson R3000 ink cartridges including magenta, yellow, cyan, light cyan, light magenta, photo black, matte black, light black and light light black printer ink. Since each color of Epson R3000 ink is packaged individually, users will be able to replace them separately over time and save money.

Whether a user is just starting out in photography or if they've been doing it for years, the R3000 offers the speeds, professional-quality output and flexible media handling to support both. Ranked as the best model in its class by PC Magazine, this inkjet printer is well worth its higher price tag.