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Epson R800 Technology Preview

Posted December 9, 2003

About three months ago, Red River Paper took delivery of an 8 color Epson PX-G900 from Japan. The intent of bringing Japanese models to the United States is to try and understand coming trends in inkjet technology. In some cases, Japanese (and often other Asian and Euro-market) printers offer a look at what American consumers can expect on shelves in the coming months. This seems true of the PX-G900 and the new R800 announced by Epson America a few weeks back. This review is intended to give you a sneak peak at what we believe are the best aspects of the new R800.

The PX-G900 is a true advancement in color desktop printing. Gone are the traditional Light (or Photo) Cyan and Magenta. This printer introduces what is being labeled a "Hi-Fi" ink system that uses a red and a blue ink in addition to the standard cyan, magenta, yellow. We found the result to be the most brilliant color to date from a pigment based inkjet printer. Assuming Epson uses this same technology in the R800, American users are in for a real treat. Reds and oranges are extremely brilliant and blues are deeper and richer.

In addition to the red and blue ink, the PX-G900 has permanently installed photo black and matte black inks. Media selection in the print driver decides which is used. Having both blacks on board makes switching papers a breeze. We feel this is a big advance, especially for the professioal user.

Compatible Papers

Papers available for use with this printer are the same as for the Epson 2200. Resin coated glossy and satin will remain the obvious choice for photography reproductions. A wide variety of matte and artistic surfaces will work also. The printer cannot use cast coated glossy papers which are the predominant paper for greeting cards. Drying was basically instant on all media types.

Ink Cartridge of the PX-G900

Note how its design is very similar to the ink tanks of the Epson 2200 and 960.

Another exciting innovation included with the PX-G900 is a "clear ink" that is used to apply a glossy coating. The results are stunning, turning what one normally considers a very glossy resin coated paper into a super-glossy finished image! We noted that the gloss cartridge has more effect on lighter images. Very dark backgrounds tend to stifle the additional gloss. A big benefit is that the gloss finisher tends to flatten out an image. To explain further, it helps to look at an Epson 2200 print. The darks can look raised on the sheet while bright whites look like shimmering pools on the paper. These are physical artifacts of a pigment ink. However, the gloss finisher helps fill in all the space between the dark highs and the white lows. The result is a print on glossy paper that when held at an angle, gives no hint that it was printed on a pigmented inkjet machine.

The glosser can be applied to the entire page (with a small border on all sides) or just to the image area. The capability to spot gloss only certain parts of the image or areas of the paper is not available. Though that would be a neat addition. What is not known at this time is the ability of the gloss finisher to further extend the print life of prints. Red River Paper will fade test some of its products with the new glosser in the near future. Its quite probable that it will maintain or extend the print life of an image by at least a few years. The R800 ink system, called the UltraChrome Hi-Gloss in the USA, will most likely offer 40 unprotected years on a resin gloss without any coating - which is outstanding for most if not all serious users.

In either case, we are happy to see the brilliant colors of the new inkset and the wow factor of the clear glosser cartridge.

Price per Print

Tests were conducted to determine the cost for a photo print. Because official pricing for R800 ink is not available, we will assume the inks are similar in price to the Epson 2200 UltraChrome tanks. Actual ink usage depends on choice of media setting and print quality.

We printed a variety of full coverage photos using plain, matte, gloss and luster papers with the appropriate media setting at the equivalent of 1440dpi. A total of 55 8x10 photos were printed (or 4419 square inches).

Ink Use Table for 55 8x10 prints (percent of cartridge used)

  • Cyan 100%
  • Magenta 100%
  • Yellow 100%
  • Photo Black 100%
  • Matte Black 55%
  • Red 80%
  • Blue 70%

If we assume a ink cartridge cost of $11 each, the usage represents $66 worth of ink. Dividing that by the total prints made, we find an ink cost of about $1.20 per full 8x10. At $10.50 per ink, the costs falls to $1.14 per 8x10. This is roughly equivalent of the cost to run an Epson 2200. With a good resin coated paper, your total 8x10 cost should be around $1.50 - $1.70 per print.

These cost estimates do not include the gloss finisher. In a seperate test, we "glossed" 37 sheets of 8.5x11 (the actual coverage is 8.25" x 10.75"). A total of 3281 square inches at an assumed cost of $10 per glossy tank would yield a price of $.30 per 8x10. That is in addition to the ink costs noted above.

The glossing process does slow the machine but improves the final print even on the highest quality resin gloss or satin sheets.

In our view, the new "Hi-Fi" color system from Epson is the best color we have seen from a pigment ink printer. Couple that with the versatility of two black inks and the glosser feature and the PX-G900 is a great machine. From a technology perspective, it proves that manufacturers are listening to their customers and can improve on already good systems. We cannot wait for the 13" wide version of this machine to be introduced in the USA.

Speed

The PX-G900 also makes gains in the speed category. Speeds in fact that approach those of Canon's latest photo printers - which is fast. The average 8x10 at 1440dpi high speed mode takes about 2 minutes and 25 seconds. The American R800 will probably complete a borderless 4x6 in 1 minute 15 seconds.

Who needs this kind of printer?

The Epson UltraChrome system on the R800 has a rather specific audience. People looking to make long lasting photo prints should buy this printer. If you want to make greeting cards, business flyers or reports, there are other printers to consider. Epson though, is at the top of the photo printer market and the R800 will be no exception. Photographers and amateurs alike can print stunning color and detail that will last many years before fading. Depending on your volume, the R800 can become your lab, or at least a viable alternative when you are in a rush. The Epson 2200 is still probably preferrable for many jobs, but the perfect digital darkroom would have one of each!

Paper Feeds

The PX-G900 fed from three paths.

  • Standard Paper Tray - like all Epson printers, you can place up to around 35 sheets of photo paper in this upright tray.
  • Straight Path - Acknowledging the prevalence of thick/heavy inkjet papers, Epson has designed a flat path fed from the rear of the printer.
  • Roll - the PX-G900, like many previous Epson printers, has a roll holder and path to feed these products. This printer did not come with a automated paper cutter but appears able to handle one.

CD Printing

The PX-G900 does come with the standard CD printing kit.

Printer Ports

The printer comes with both USB and Firewire ports.

See the official Epson press release for the R800 here

Please email us with your comments.

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