Epson Stylus Photo R280 Photo Printer
Part of Epson's new HiDefinition series, the Stylus Photo R280 computer printer goes far beyond. In addition to fast up to 37 ppm printing for text on standard letter paper, the R280 is an affordable entry for optimak graphic and photo printing. Using some of the same technology that professionals rely on to produce beautiful and marketable art, Epson's new Ultra Hi-Definition printers set a new standard in the photo printer category. A key component of the new product line is Claria ink, the latest breakthrough in Epson's long line of ink innovations, delivering superior image quality with Ultra Hi-Definition richness, depth and clarity. With Claria ink and a newly designed print head, these products deliver the fastest photo print speeds of any previous Epson model, and print longevity that is superior to lab photos. The Ultra Hi-Definition product line offers a variety of convenient and user-friendly features, such as automatic photo correction, which automatically adjusts improperly lit photos and corrects skin tones for better-looking prints -- it's like having a trained photo lab technician inside the printer.
Print text documents at 38 pages per minute and print standard 4 by 6 inch photos in 11 seconds with the Epson Stylus Photo R280 photo printer. This efficient 17.7 by 22.5 by 11.3 inch photo printer produces a maximum resolution of 5760 by 1440 dpi for crystal-clear photographs printed with smudge, scratch, fade, and water resistant Claria Hi-Definition ink. Your photos will be preserved for up to 200 years in family albums for future generations to enjoy, and the Photo R280's Auto Photo Correction with advanced face detection corrects overexposed shots and ensures that your images come out red-eye free and beautifully toned. This advanced photo printer also features six-color inkjet printing with superior DX5 technology for a remarkably lifelike color palette, and can also print text and images directly onto inkjet printable CDs and DVDs for a professional look with a personalized touch. In addition, this printer comes backed by a 1-year limited manufacturer's warranty. What's in the Box
Stylus Photo R280 ink jet printer, 78 black ink cartridge (T078120), 78 cyan ink cartridge (T078220), 78 magenta ink cartridge (T078320), 78 yellow ink cartridge (T078420), 78 light cyan ink cartridge (T078520), 78 light magenta ink cartridge (T078620), CD/DVD tray and software, power cord, documentation, and CD-ROM (printer drivers and software).
Epson Stylus Photo R280 Photo Printer Accessories
 Canon PowerShot SD850 IS 8.0 MP Digital Elph Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
Canon PowerShot SD870IS 8MP Digital Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver)
Sony Cybershot DSC-S700 7.2MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom
Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens
Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR Zoom Nikkor Lens
Canon PowerShot SD800 IS 7.1MP Digital Elph Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle Image-Stabilized Optical Zoom
SanDisk 4 GB Extreme III SDHC Card with MicroMate USB 2.0 Reader (SDSDRX3-4096-A21, Retail Package)
.3MP Digital Camera Blue
Epson 78 Black Ink Cartridge (T078120)
Epson Claria Hi-def Color Ink Multi Pack w/5 cartridges (T078920)
Epson Stylus Photo R280 Photo Printer Reviews
This seemed to make it happy. So I read through the manual, tried various fixes, nothing worked. The ink cartridge carriage whizzed around and sounded like it was printing on nothing. There's no reason to think that the unit won't flip out again, but if the system reset works reliably, then I would say this is worth it. I called Epson support (the number for R280 support is in the back of the manual) and they had me unplug, restore the trays to normal printing position, then plug in and hold down the Power and Paper Out buttons simultaneously for 6 seconds to power on. I got this unit set up, printed a test page, a very good photo, and 3 very good DVDs using the included Epson Print CD software, then the next time I powered on all 3 panel lights started flashing. Then it said another cartridge was empty.
The software said my new ink cartrige was empty, and wouldn't relent until I actually broke out a new cartridge. If you're into cool electronic gadgets that require regular troubleshooting (like most Windows users), this is your printer. Fool me once. I was able to go back to printing DVD's. The R280 is by far the BEST VALUE for a home-use CD/DVD print system I have found, assuming you can get it to work.
It had a hardware issue so the place I got it from just sent me another one which also had a hardware issue where the ink cartridge could not move and it also made a VERY loud screeching noise when turned on. I have never even been able to see what kind of print quality this printer has because the 3 broken ones that I have received NEVER worked.
This is very cheaply made and I would not recommend it. On that one I went through Epson's tech support and received another one in the mail today through the manufacturer's warranty.
Spend a little extra money and get the all-in-one. So now I have 3 broken R280's laying around.
It has the exact same hardware issue as the 2nd one that I had. It's definitely manufactured better.
I wonder what Epson will do now. I got one through my student discount when I bought my Macbook.
No regrets, but like all photo printers the ink is expensive. The output from this printer is excellent. I'm considering reducing the cost of ink by purchasing a continuous ink system (check ebay).
The next step up would be something like an R1900 - wide format and pigment based Ultrachrome inks. Something to keep in mind is that this printer is optimized for photo printing. For this reason ink costs a little more for this printer, but you do get what you pay for. However, if you are mainly printing labels, text documents, and other general home/office tasks this may not be the best choice as your only printer. Photos print out nice and clear on a variety of medium ranging from photo paper to watercolor paper. The Claria ink is a step above the standard entry-level inks in that it's designed to be color fast for ~100 years and have less light fade and other longevity issues.
The Claria inks are good (probably the best in this price category). I only use this printer for photo printing, I have a laser printer for everyday text and office type jobs. In summary - this is an excellent entry level photo printer. I've had this printer for a few months now, so far it has performed quite well.
This leaves a nice border in which I can write captions with my handy Pigma Micron archival pen. I've also gotten completely bizarre responses from email tech support that have nothing to do with my problem. Printing a 4x6 on 5x7 with the R280 results in a "sort of" centered photo, but not really, and it can even be slightly crooked. Set-up of the second (working) printer was a snap.
On the down side of the R280, unlike the old 1280, there is no setting to center the photo on the page. I've been given incorrect tech support phone numbers (which are not toll-free or available 24 hours). The printer I ordered from an Amazon merchant arrived broken, but I simply kept the ink and went to my local Office Depot to pick up another one to give it a chance. I'm a photographer and bought this to replace my Epson Stylus Photo 1280 which produced larger prints but without the long-lived ink. When Epson works, it's great, but when it doesn't, you are hosed, my friend. Unlike the 1280, it connects to the computer via USB 2.0, and the USB cable (about $25 for 6') is not included.
The R280 is smaller, quieter and much faster than the 1280, not to mention cheaper. I just bought a Vista-based computer, and the printer works without a hitch on it. I bought this unit to print 4x6 photos on 5x7 paper. Response from Epson on the broken printer has been abysmal.
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