Epson Stylus Photo 785EPX

I really like the ability to print borderless pictures without having to use the old 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. Epson's new borderless glossy photo paper is available in the 4x6", 5x7" and 8x10" standard photographic sizes. No more cutting prints to make them fit in photo frames. The Stylus 785EPX can also print BorderFree prints on standard 8.5 x 11" letter size media as well.

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 (borderless) 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.

The built in PCMCIA Type II card slot supports all existing memory cards when used with the appropriate adapter. Epson includes a CompactFlash Type I adapter and there's a mailin coupon in the box to exchange the CF adapter for either a SmartMedia or MemoryStick adapter (offer good thru 9/01/01).

You can read your memory cards and print pictures without the use of a computer or the PCMCIA slot can be used as a card reader to transfer images to the host computer when connected via USB. Utility programs are included that detect when a card has been inserted and then automatically copies the images to the hard drive.

The 785EPX comes with a roll paper holder. Using the 4" wide glossy photo paper rolls you can crank out an endless stream of borderless 4x6" prints just like a photo lab. You can also print up to 4 x 44" panormamas with the roll paper. I would advise you to get a good rotary trimmer to cut roll paper prints as most paper cutters leave the edges rough.

Equipped with a high-speed USB port, the 785EPX is compatible with PCs running Windows 98, 2000, Me or later; USB equipped Macintosh with System 8.5.1 - 9.X

There is an optional 1.6" color LCD preview monitor available for $99. This monitor allows you to "see" and select pictures on the memory card for printing. This eliminates the need to print index sheets. The color preview monitor has a screen saver function, brightness adjustment knob and a tilt mechanism for changing the viewing angle.

The first thing you notice, especially if you're a new Epson printer user, is the rather lengthy "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.