Epson makes a big step forward with this new photo printer, a must for home photo enthusiasts. The 2,800 x 720 resolution, 4-color variable dot size, and 6-color piezoelectric print head deliver outstanding quality prints. Another big advancement - when printed on Epson Matte Heavyweight media with the proper Epson ink, the printer will produce prints with a 25-year lightfastness. Photos printed on some ink jet printers show signs of fading in a matter of months, so this color fastness is a remarkable improvement.
One of the trendy things about this printer is that you don’t need a computer to print your photographs. The printer accepts most memory devices used in digital cameras. It comes with a CompactFlash Type I adapter, which can be exchanged through Epson for a memory stick or SmartMedia adapter. It also supports CompactFlash Type II and the IBM Microdrive. Just remove the memory card from your camera and insert it into the printer. Select which photos to print, the type and size of paper, the layout, quality and number of copies. Then press the Print button. A thumbnail of the photos can be printed for selection purposes, or you can purchase an optional 1.6-inch color LCD monitor ($99) for previewing images before printing.
This printer employs a true border-free printing technique either on flat or roll paper. The photos that pop out of the printer look like they came from a photo-processing lab. Very intense scrutiny was needed to distinguish between the printer photos and the film prints that we compared. The photos appear completely dry and can be handled right away. Although instructions warn not to immediately stack the photos, I did so with no ill effects. The photos are also more water-resistant than most. Photos stood up to a dip under running water; drops of water standing on the surface of the pictures left no damage when wiped off.
Epson provides clear documentation that makes installation easy. The printer comes with two software programs. Arc Soft’s Photo Impression can be used to edit, enhance, retouch, or add special effects. Epson’s Film Factory can be used to arrange, organize, and store your photos. Both programs are adequate, but neither is outstanding. One extremely nice feature of this printer is that when the media card with photographs is inserted into the printer, it shows up as a removable drive in My Computer. This provides easy access to the photos so they can be quickly moved to the hard drive or modified by any photo editing software you may have.
The 785EPX includes another exciting new feature called Print Image Matching (PIM). Pioneered by Epson, this technology allows manufacturers of digital cameras to set the parameters for printing and store these parameters along with the photograph. This allows the printer to print the photograph with exactly the same gamma level, color space, contrast, sharpness, brightness, saturation, etc. that were used when it was taken. This translates to more accurate image reproduction. I tested the printer with photos taken with an Epson 3100Z camera, which supports PIM. Without exception, PIM produced superior photographs. The 3100Z also allows you to preview the photos in the camera and choose the ones you want to print. This information is saved with the photo image information. When you insert the media card into the printer, the printer automatically knows which photos you want to print.
It’s hard to find fault with this printer. Its USB-only interface will prevent some older computers from connecting. The only other thing that I can mention is that in high photo quality mode, the printer takes its time. I waited up to four minutes for a 4 X 6 photo. This was, however, a small price to pay for the quality of the photos.
