Epson delivers true photo-quality printing at 2880dpi, print sizes to 13 x 44 inches, and border free printing!
Page 1: Intro and Highlights
Review First Posted: 8/31/2001
MSRP $499 US
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Improved lightfastness, up to 25 years for framed prints on Epson Heavyweight Matte Paper.
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Border Free photo printing up to 11x14 inches
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True 6-color photo printer with near-invisible 4 picoliter droplets
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2880 dpi for ultra-smooth, ultra-sharp photos
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Manufacturer Overview
Epson America Inc. has been at the forefront of inkjet printer technology for many years. Best known for its MicroPiezo technology, which played a major role in the launch of photo-quality inkjet printing, Epson has introduced many more innovations in its race to be the number one printer manufacturer. Earlier this year (2001), Epson introduced three new Stylus Photo inkjet printers -- the 780, 890, and 1280 -- targeted at three distinct markets, at very competitive prices. The 780 is the first six-color inkjet printer to fall into the less than $200 price range (current (August 2001) list is only $99(!)), with a maximum 2,880 x 720 dpi resolution, and borderless printing on single sheet papers up to 8 x 10 inches. For less than $300, the 890 has the added capability of printing panoramic images up to 44 inches long, or continuous 4 x 6- or 8 x 10-inch prints output on roll paper. The Stylus Photo 1280 is designed for the advanced amateur / prosumer market, with a wider 13-inch paper feed that allows printing of borderless 11 x 14-inch prints, as well as 13 x 44-inch panoramas, expanded software options, and optional Ethernet and Postscript RIPing software.
The highlight of all three models is the exceptional image quality and edge-to-edge printing -- neither of which have been previously offered at the consumer level. We applaud Epson for bringing these high-end technologies to the mass market at such a reasonable price.
Two ink cartridges, Black and Color, 48-nozzles per color.
4-picoliter droplets and variable droplet size for ultra-smooth highlight detail and gradients.
256KB print buffer.
USB and Parallel connectivity for Macintosh and Windows computers.
Windows and Macintosh Printer drivers.
Generous software bundle includes Epson Film Factory, ArcSoft PhotoImpression 3.0, and QBeo's PhotoGenetics 2.0.
Fast "draft" mode for low-quality text printing.
Excellent text quality in photo mode, albeit with longer print times.
Optional roll-paper adapter provided for continuous banner and panoramic photo printing (26-foot roll paper available for continuous, 4x6-inch snapshot printing).
