Epson Stylus R200 Photo Printer

Manufacturer:	Epson
List price:	~~$149.99~~
Our price:	Too Low To Display that is 100% off!

Epson Stylus R200 Photo Printer

Average rating: Stars

More than adequate for those with average printing needs

My old HP Deskjet printer finally gave up the ghost, and I went a good many months without the ability to print at all. Printers are relatively inexpensive these days, but I had just purchased a new car, which caused my disposable income to become nonexistent. At the same time, I like to research all of the available options before I buy a piece of hardware, and - if you've shopped for a printer - you know there are all kinds of models out there on the market. As events unfolded, however, I ended up making a somewhat spontaneous decision - so much for all the research, but I really, really needed a printer. Obviously, "affordable" was a key variable in the equation, and, as luck would have it, an Epson rep was actually in the store at the time. So not only did I make a sudden decision, I was influenced by a salesman. Normally, this would mean bad news, but I really think I made the right choice here. (The fact that the Epson rep was actually purchasing this same printer right alongside me also made me feel pretty good about my decision.)

I have been quite happy with this printer. I print more text documents than anything else, and I have had nothing but flawless printouts so far; draft mode, which I use a lot to save ink, comes out amazingly fast. I also love the fact that the paper loads from the back (especially since my previous printer reached the point where it would not pick up paper at all, even with me trying to help each sheet along). It's a little loud dropping the paper in, but the actual printing process is pretty quiet.

I don't print a lot of photographs, but I certainly did want a printer capable of producing colorful photos, and I have been very happy with those I've printed so far. The colors are magnificent - if I had paid several hundred dollars for a more powerful photo printer, I am quite sure my untrained eye would have been unable to tell any difference. If you're a graphics artist or something, I'm sure you'll want to go for a more expensive printer, but your average consumer who just wants to print photos every so often should be more than satisfied with this printer's results. One of the reasons the R200 prints such high-quality photos is its reliance on six individual print cartridges (black, cyan, light cyan, magenta, light magenta, and yellow) rather than one black and one color cartridge. This has its advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, there is the vivid color and the relatively low price of individual cartridges - if, that is, you only need to buy one at a time. On the down side, those printing a large number of photos will find themselves buying ink cartridges by the bushel. The biggest drawback is the fact that you cannot print at all if one of the six cartridges runs out of ink, even if the other five cartridges are completely full - and the five color cartridges tend to diminish at similar rates, which means you may well find yourself having to buy five cartridges at one time just to be able to continue printing in black ink. As some reviewers have alluded to, there also seems to be issue with leakage in the color cartridges, as mine show significantly lower levels than they should, based on the printing I have done. These are definite drawbacks to what is otherwise a very impressive, relatively inexpensive printer. I should note that I have used this printer for a year now without having to replace a single cartridge as of yet - but I don't do a great deal of printing.

This printer has a number of additional special features. If you have an Epson digital camera, you can plug it right into the printer's USB port and print your photos directly from the camera. In addition, and this is a big deal for some users, the R200 allows you to print your own CD/DVD labels; I have not tried this yet myself, but you can read the widely diverging comments of others on this particular option. The software that comes with the printer is also of good quality. If you need more than basic photo editing capabilities, though, you would do well to purchase a sophisticated photo editing program such as Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro.

From where I sit, I don't think you'll find a better ink-based photo printer for such an affordable price - the R200 might not have all the bells and whistles of more expensive photo printers, even the R300, but I have often found bells and whistles to be pretty annoying and oftentimes useless. The bottom line is that this printer has features that, until now, were only available on more expensive models, making the R200 really stand out in the crowd. Make sure you know what kind of printer you want to buy before purchasing it, though. If you plan on doing a lot of printing, especially color printing, you will probably do well to invest in a more expensive printer. If you are an average person wanting a quality text printer and the ability to print crisp photos from time to time (as opposed to significant numbers of photos), I believe the R200 is all the printer you will ever need. Its affordable price, high-quality photo prints, and ease of use make this a real bargain for those whose printing needs match this printer's capabilities and features.

Epson Stylus R200 Photo Printer - Epson

Excellent and inexpensive photo & cd printer

The photo quality is amazing, certainly besting my HP DeskJet 932C and Minolta 2300DL color laser. Be sure to use good paper - I used Kodak with great results; I tried using Royal Brites that I've had a while - DO NOT USE THAT! Royal Brites paper just puddles the ink and makes a mess. That paper just won't work with Epson ink.

The best feature, in my opinion, is the CD printing ability. By far the least expensive solution I've seen for printing CD's (most other printers that do this are industrial-grade for mass duplicators and cost thou$and$) and the print quality is probably better than even the best industrial-grade printers (with the caveat that the industrial-type printers use the waxy-feeling plastic ink that can be used on plain CD's without special coatings, but that type of ink typically is only a 150DPI screen printing). The print quality on printable CD's is about as good as on photo paper - and one key advantage - no warping when the ink is wet ;) Luckily for me, Sam's Club warehouse just started carrying high quality Verbatim printable DVD+R disks for about $42 per 100 spindle. Direct printing has the advantage of not "unbalancing" your CD/DVD disks which happens if you don't get your conventional labels placed just right. Cost of ink is a drawback to this printer - I don't know yet how the mileage on the ink cartridges is going to be, but I know the local BJ's warehouse and Sam's has the 6-cartridge full set at about $60.

I found a place that has much better buys on compatible ink, without the fuss of refilling (...). I got a full set of 6 cartridges that cost me less than $23 delivered. I have not yet loaded them to attest for the quality, but they appear to be clones from China or Taiwan. They don't appear to be commercial refills but rather factory-fresh compatible cartridges. Quite a bargain over Epson branded ink. Whether the color fastness and accuracy is as good as Epson remains to be seen.

Epson - Epson Stylus R200 Photo Printer

Best Color Printer I've Owned

This printer was a toss-in when I bought a Canon PowerShot A510, and it's been a pleasure to own so far.

The quality is excellent. I'd been using a Canon i450 for two years before I had this one, and the detail and color produced by this printer is just amazing, especially considering the price (I spent over $200 on an HP DeskJet 722C in 1998 that prints at half the quality and speed).

Perhaps the best feature is the CD label printing. Fed up with the software and templates on the Memorex CD label maker I've had for years, I kept the application device from the kit and use it now to apply Avery labels. After using an included program (whose interface could be a little better, but it's functional) to design the CD (or DVD) label it's ready to go. The printer prints it right onto the disc label using an attachment.

I have heard that the ink wears down quickly. I've been trying not to overdo it since the ink is costly, but over time it will probably be less than going to the local K-Mart and having someone develop pictures. I intend on buying a LaserJet 1022 to print text to save on ink in this printer.

Discount Electronics

Accessories

$29.44