Epson Stylus Photo 780
Inkjet Printer

Stylus Photo 780 Main Features:

• 2880 x 720 dpi Perfect Picture Printing
• Print speeds of up to 7.8ppm black text and 7.5ppm color
• Borderless prints on 4x6", 5x7" and 8.5x11" without special media
• EPSON Ultra Micro Dot™ 4pl with Variable Sized Droplet Technology
• USB and Parallel connectivity for Windows® and Macintosh®
• EPSON Software™ Film Factory™, Arcsoft™ PhotoImpression™ 3.0, and QBeo™ PhotoGenetics™ 2.0 TE, Adobe Activeshare software included
• Print Image Matching compatible when used with new drivers and software

Using the latest Photo Reproduction Quality technology incorporating the EPSON Perfect Picture Imaging System, true Photo-Quality performance comes as standard without the need for additional upgrades, while printing on plain paper has been improved even further.

The best news is the 780's price, it's now only $99 and Epson has upgraded drivers and software to fully support the Print Image Matching (PIM) technology found on many of the new digicams. Visit the Epson Print Image Matching web site for more details.

How to Get the PRINT Image Matching Upgrade

The first PRINT Image Matching-compatible printer, the EPSON Stylus Photo 785EPX, offered PRINT Image Matching support when used without the computer. With a simple software upgrade to Epson Software Film Factory, this printer can now support PRINT Image Matching through the computer.

Customers who own the EPSON Stylus Photo 780, 890 and 1280 printers can also easily upgrade their printer with an updated driver and a new version of Epson Software Film Factory with PRINT Image Matching support. These upgrades can be obtained by calling Epson's PRINT Image Matching customer support line at (562) 276-7296 to speak to a representative Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. PST, and on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST. A CD-ROM containing the PRINT Image Matching upgrade will be shipped to each customer, free of charge.

or Download the newest 780 drivers from Epson America's File Library

The difference between the models -- the Stylus Photo 780 is the entry-level photo printer for the home user. It has a carriage width of 8.5 inches and can handle paper lengths up to 44 inches.  It is iMac-styled with the translucent blue cover.

The main difference between the 780 and the 890 is that the 890 comes packaged with the roll paper holder. There is no roll paper option available for the 780 and the only Paper Source option in the print driver is the Sheet Feeder.

The Epson Stylus Photo 1280 (1290 in Europe) has a wider carriage and accepts paper stock up to 13 inches in width and 44 inches in length. All three printers feature the same basic print engine with an amazing 4-picoliter variable size ink droplet that gives you about twice the tonal range of any other inkjet. The 1280 (1290) uses the larger capacity T009 color cartridge.

To insure complete cross-platform compatibility the new printers are equipped with both bi-directional parallel and high-speed USB ports. When used with a Windows PC you can use either port and the USB can be used with the macintosh computers. Epson has an optional print server that allows the printer to be a true resource on an ethernet network.

Mechanics & Performance

I'm not one who cares much about looks, so I can take it or leave it when it comes to the iMac styling -- how can you avoid it nowadays. seems as if everything is mimicking the popular translucent color schemes of our friends over at Apple.

The first thing you notice, especially if you're a new Epson printer user, is the rather noisy "pump up and nozzle clean" cycle that all Epsons are famous for. Yes it does require a little time when the printer is first turned on and yes, it does waste a certain amount of ink. But, it is necessary for the piezo printing technology that Epson uses. It properly primes the feed lines and ensures that all of the nozzles are clear. Believe me, the printed results are well worth it.

The new printers are quite fast unless using the 2880dpi mode, it greatly extends print times and doubles the ink useage. The 2880dpi mode can only be selected with the Photo Paper, Premium Glossy Paper or Glossy Film media settings and cannot be used with the no margins (borderless) mode. Unless you're creating prints to be examined by an 8x loupe, the 1440dpi and 720dpi modes will more than meet your needs.

As you can see by the print times above, using the borderless (aka no margins or full bleed) option doubles the print time. You'll know why if you lift the cover and watch the process it uses to produce a borderless print. The printer micro-steps and begins printing before the leading edge of the paper gets in range and then slows down when the trailing edge of the paper is being printed. I was very impressed at how it handled the paper during borderless printing and didn't see any smearing or blurring of the trailing edge at all.

I really like the ability to print borderless pictures without having to use the special Epson 4x6" photo paper with the tear-off margins. It's a hassle to bend and tear off four tabs per print and the micro-perf'd edges were not all that smooth. You can now use any brand of 4x6" photo paper to print your own "drug store size jumbo prints."

Looking down inside the new Stylus Photo printers you will see how they are able to handle the ink that is over-sprayed during full bleed printing. There is absorbant foam that soaks up the excess ink and it's located along the leading edge as well as at the 0", 4", 5", 8" and 8.5" width points.