I'll begin by explaining what led me to purchase the Epson Photo 820 printer. I had purchased an Alps MD-2010 printer about six years ago, which was about $500 at the time. The newer technologies were not out yet, so the dye-sub printers were leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. I hear people complaining about the speed of today's printers, but let me tell you that you have to experience using a printer that feeds the paper through four times during each print job! That's right - once for each color of magenta, black, cyan, and yellow. The higher end Alps line was subject to as many as seven pass throughs! Needless to say, the multiple passes made you contemplate mowing the grass during print jobs! Recently, after I cleaned the platen on the Alps incorrectly, the printing became very light even after cleaning the heads. Hence, the need for a new color printer.

Pre-Purchase Research

I must say, after being very content with the Alps printer, I was reluctant to begin looking for an ink jet printer. The same factors that led me to purchase the Alps originally held me back from being excited about the only options on the market today being ink jet printers. After a recent trip to Fry's Electronics, I noticed a big stack of the 820's at $99. As I read over the specs, I became interested, and more importantly, curious as to whether or not a $99 printer could truly compete with my $500 printer from years past. Knowing how other components like scanners and monitors have dropped drastically over the last few years, I didn't rule out the possibility!

I came home and did some reading on the net, primarily right here on Epinions. It sounded like everyone agreed that the print quality of the 820 was top notch, so I came to the conclusion that it might suit my needs.

I had noticed an ad for the 820 at OfficeMax for $99 with a mail in offer for a $20 gift card. "Murphy's Law" kicked in and after a trip to the local store, they were sold out. Circuit City was my next destination, and they too, were sold out. At this point, I was more driven than ever to buy this printer, given that it was apparently in such high demand. I headed back to Fry's and picked the Epson 820 up with paper and a longer USB cable.

Initial Impression

I should begin by saying that for the price I paid for the 820, I wasn't expecting much, particularly given the fact that my previous printer was a dye-sub, yielding excellent results.

After unpacking the 820, I was glad to see that Epson included a fold-out "Get Started" sheet, along with a fairly lengthy manual on the specifics. Also included are several sheets of both glossy and matte photo paper, allowing you to test out your new printer. It also struck me that the printer seemed to be constructed fairly cheaply. Slightly larger than my old Alps, but half the weight! Well, as I've learned in other areas of the electronics arena, size and weight do not necessarily dictate the ability to do the job, as evidenced by today's VCR's.

Setup

Easy as can be. Plugged the power into my surge protector. Ran the USB cable from the computer to the printer, and installed the ink cartridges. Be sure to remove all of the tape and packing inserts prior to use.

Print Quality

I should mention that the reason that I titled this review, "Excellent option as a secondary printer", is because I have been using an HP Laserjet IIIP for the past eleven years (thankfully with no problems!), and I will continue to use that for black and white jobs. I can't imagine being without this duopoly, as the laser printer's quality cannot be surpassed and the speed is there whether you're printing one line of text per page or an entirely black page. Additionally, one toner cartridge, which I'm able to pick up for about $40, lasts for about four to six reams of paper, which at my usage level equates to about two to three years.

The first printing I attempted with the 820 was a jewel case insert printed on Matte Heavyweight paper by Epson. I must say, even at the 720 dpi setting, I was very impressed. Much more precise than my Alps when it comes to details. Color rendition is much improved as well. The Alps always seemed to be a little off in terms of color matching.

My next project was printing CD labels with "CD Stomper". Again, very impressed. I told the 820 I was using "Photo Quality Inkjet Paper", and it produced a label that rivals the real thing. It didn't quite have the "gloss, finished" look of the Alps, but that's not a weakness of the printer. Dye-sub printers just have a different look to them when compared to conventional ink-jets.

My third project, and most impressive was printing two 5x7 prints that I had taken with my old Fuji MX-1200 digicam a few years ago. I had been looking to have prints made of these two shots for quite awhile, but ended up dragging my feet on sending them in. I loaded the glossy paper provided with the printer and maxed the resolution out at 2,880x720. Also had the printer perform "Digital Camera Correction". I used the "Film Factory" software included with the printer, which makes printing a snap. After reviewing the preview, I hit "Print", and away the 820 went! The total print job for two 5x7's on one 8x10 sheet ended up taking about 11 minutes, but as evidenced by my prior printer purchase, I want quality, regardless of the time involved. I'm not a printhouse, and I don't require the fastest printer around. There's always something to occupy my time with while it's working anyway.

The finished product was nothing short of amazing! It looks like six years of technological advancement combined with Epson's introduction of 6 color printing has really turned things around! I was amazed looking at the sheet, as it looked like two prints directly from a photo developer. The details, color rendition, and contrast were incredible. Mind you, these shots came from a 1.2 megapixel camera. I'm excited to see what prints from my Olympus 3040, 3 megapixel camera look like!

Epson's inclusion of two additional colors - light cyan and light magenta produce, as Epson puts it, "Photo lab image quality, for perfect highlights, more accurate skin tones, and richer blacks". I'd have to agree, as these photos look completely natural and precise. Even the beach sand on one of the pictures appears completely lifelike.

Drawbacks

I have read numerous reviews complaining about the ink consumption with this model. I have cleaned the ink nozzles twice; the first as recommended, the second was a mistake (I hadn't read the manual yet). I have printed half a dozen jewel case inserts, five CD labels, and the two 5x7 prints. After all of this, the ink monitor shows about 15% usage thusfar. This appears to be on par or better than what I was experiencing with the Alps, so no complaints here! I've also found compatible cartridges for a third of the cost of brand name units, so I'm not overly concerned with the situation. As I mentioned, this will be used strictly for color, while my laser gets all of the black and white jobs.

Another disadvantage to the 820 is the fact that the print head is not on the cartridge itself, so it has the potential to be the weak link in this printer's chain. This factor should theoretically keep the cost of the cartridges down, but they're still overpriced in my opinion. Printers that contain the print head on the cartridge don't suffer wear like the 820 does, given that the head is changed every time you use up a cartridge, but the downside to that scenario is that compatible cartridges become a potential problem, given that these are generally cartridges that have been re-filled and re-sold, resulting in print heads being used multiple times that may not be designed for that. Assuming regular use, the head on the 820 should provide years of trouble free printing.

Recommendations

My final two cents on this printer would be the following. First, if you're looking for an excellent quality photo printer at a low price point, seriously consider the Epson 820. It's an excellent buy in my opinion. Second, do yourself a favor and use this printer in conjunction with a laser printer. Given the low cost of today's laser printers (i.e. Hewlett Packard 1200 ~ $360), nobody should be without one. It will dramatically extend the life of the 820 by removing the majority of most peoples' printing duties, which are black and white. Third, even if you have a parallel cable prior to purchase, buy a USB cable to use with the 820 (both are an option with this model). It will speed up communication between the computer and the printer significantly. Last, be sure to use the printer somewhat regularly to ensure that the inks don't dry up on the head! (Not a serious situation under most circumstances, but it will require a cleaning (which is automated) that will use up additional ink).

*UPDATE*

Since the initial writing of this review, I have printed a large number of additional photos. An even mix of black and whites and color. I've always been a big fan of Ansel Adams, so I decided to convert some of my favorite scenic shots into greyscale images. The effect can be impressive, given the right picture. I have shown these photos to several people who are absolutely amazed at the quality. They've stared at the pictures for well over a minute and unanimously concluded that they'd never be able to distinguish the Epson pics from professional lab pics. I am becoming more fond of this printer as the days pass, I must say!

I really have no complaints about ink usage. I've printed a fair number of 5x7 photos (~12), CD jewel case inserts (~10), and CD labels (~10), and I'm still at about 25% color ink remaining and about 75%-80% black. From the printers I've used in the past, this is reasonable in my opinion. It would be nice if the ink were to last a while longer, but I'm feeling as though I'm getting my money's worth. I've looked around on-line for compatible ink cartridges. One of the better vendors I've found is "Tyler Martin" at "www.tylermartin.com". Their cartridges seem to be well constructed (not refurbished), include the chip that monitors ink levels, and run about $6.95 for black and $7.95 for color. If you're tired of paying high prices for genuine cartridges, you may want to check them out. Happy printing!

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 79
Operating System: Windows