Epson Stylus Photo R200 Ink Jet Printer (C11C546011)

• 5,760 x 1,440 dpi maximum resolution, 3-picoliter drop size
• Up to 15 ppm color, 15 ppm black
• Economical printing with 6 individual ink cartridges
• Complete, easy-to-use CD and DVD face printing solution
• USB interface, PC and Mac compatible, 1-year warranty

(Update. Sept 30, 2007): Almost 3 years old, it''s been a real workhorse printing DVDs, and I still rate it a 5-star printer. It did recently have a clogged nozzle. My fault. I read inkjets work best when exercised regularly -print at least one page a week -but the printer sat idle for about a month while I was on an extended roadtrip. Upon my return, black did not print. Status Monitor indicated more than 1/2 tank of black, but the Nozzle Check pattern printed all colors except black. So, for the first time ever, I ran the Head Cleaner. (You don''t want to do this unless ABSOLUTELY necessary because it uses up a LOT of ink from all 6 tanks. You cannot select just one color.) Still no black ink flowing.

This site has the best information I was able to find about how to clear a clogged Epson printer nozzle:

http://www.inkjetreview.ca/Articles/clogged_epson_nozzles.htm.

The first suggestion listed -putting distilled water on the printhead sponges -is what worked for me.

By the way, except for the tanks that came with R200, I never used Epson ink, and the printer ran just fine. Unfortunately, apparently the newer Epson inkjets use only Epson ink. The difference is that a complete set of generic R200 inks cost about as much as a single tank of Epson ink. So, I sure hope this R200 lives for at least another 3 years.

Here''s my original review: Excellent printer. I purchased it only for the CD/DVD printing feature. However, I decided it''ll also replace my Epson Stylus Photo 870 which, after 4 years of heavy use, continues to produce excellent results even with off-brand ink. By comparison, the R200 print quality is even better.

Here''s some info that might be useful if you''re about to buy the R200, or are still shopping:

It takes about 3 minutes to print 100% of the disk surface. Printing less, like one line of text on the top half of the disk, and one line of text on the bottom half and no background graphic takes about 1.5 minutes.

If you do a price check on a complete set of Epson brand ink cartridges for this printer, you''ll see the cost is more than half the price of the printer. But, each color ink has a separate cartridge so only the color that runs out has to be replaced, not the whole set.

The R200 does not include a USB cable, so you''ll need to either buy a cable or use a spare if you have one.

It''s important to read the section in the manual about printing disks before you try to print your first one. The steps are simple, but if you don''t select the right settings for Printer Setup, the printhead might miss part of the disk.

I read some reviews here and at other sites which mentioned having problems using this printer with a Mac. So far I''ve printed on disks using both Epson Print CD and another CD printing app called Discus, and printed to letter-sized paper from programs including Word, Exel, Photoshop, QuarkXPress, TextEdit, Mail, and printed web pages without a single problem.

If you prefer to use Photoshop, Illustrator, or similar programs to create original designs, no problem. Both Epson Print CD and Discus import graphics files.

I''ve seen some comments on how quiet this printer is. It is very quiet printing, but it does make noticeable noise when it starts the job, especially when pulling in a sheet of paper to print. So, it''s not totally quiet.

The R200 is the same as the R300 as far as quality and speed; it just lacks some extra features the R300 has that, in my case, I didn''t think were worth the extra cost.

(Update) I''ll add that I''m a wedding videographer, and print about 15 20 dvds plus dvd case covers, a week. I''ve lost count of exactly how many I''ve done with this printer, but I can say after 3 years the disk feeder tray and the whole unit still works perfectly.

(Update) I read one review here about a problem printing shipping labels. After connecting online with their sites, I regularly print both USPS Priority Mail and UPS shipping labels with the R200, and it''s quick.

[Update) I have replaced the original ink cartridges several times already, but, because I''m using this printer for all my printing, it''s difficult to estimate the average ink cost per disk -maybe $.30 at most. I can state the R200 is by no means an ink hog. The Epson Photo 870, which this replaced, seemed to use (evaporate?) ink even when idle. Not so with this R200. Considering everything my R200 has printed so far, it was well worth the purchase price. If this machine ever decides to die, I''ll definitely replace it with another Epson.

(Update) Well, altho I''ve had very good luck with this printer, I''m not sure about replacing it with with another Epson, because supposedly the new ones work ONLY with Epson ink. That would increase my printing costs 5-fold. I''ve read Canon inkjets are better, but none print directly on disks.

Buy Epson Stylus Photo R200 Ink Jet Printer (C11C546011) Now

Printer has the highest resolution specs out there, and among the smallest "droplet size" at 3 picoliters. (Canon I960 is 2 picoliters, but less than 4 picoliters is invisible to naked eye. A couple years ago, the smallest droplet size available at any price, including pro-level inkjets, was 4 picoliters...) Has Epson''s patented, (arguabley) superior micropiezo (as opposed to thermal) technology and high quality nozzles built onto print-head, not cheaply built into ink cartridges, like other manufacturers. This model uses six individual ink tanks to more accurately produce gradients instead of the usual four colors another feature, until recently, found only on higher end models that Epson pushed down into this consumer printer. Net-net? Absolutely amazing quality photos that rival or exceed far more expensive printers or "pro-level" technology that''s a couple years old. All for a hundred bucks. I''ve made several side-by-side comparisons between photos from the R200 and the local photo lab. R200 wins, hands down, no question about it. Bye-bye photo lab.

So as not to bastardize more expensive R300,R500 photo stylus line, Epson doesn''t exactly tout R200''s resolution. Note, resolution specs are not on the box of the R200, but are big and bold on the box for the other R-series models. The printers in the R-series are identical, except you must print from your PC with the R200, it doesn''t connect direct to your digicam, or have media slots like the R300, 300M... If, like me, you tweak sharpness and adjust color levels always, in a photo editor, before printing you''ll never use those features. Save your money; go with the R200.

As an added bonus this printer has the ability to produce professional quality graphics and text directly onto printable CDRs. A terrific, distinguishing feature that works very well. Another distinguishing feature is its ability to print borderless on every available paper size... don''t take this for granted. Not all printers are this versitile when it comes to borderless. I use this printer for text as well as photos, and its text looks perfectly fine to my eyes. Is it "the best" ink jet text out there? Probably not, but I''ll trade that capability any day for its superior photo quality.

Some pointers to save on ink costs check out Abacus inks, and/or a software package called Ink Saver 2.0 (I would strongly recommended I.S. 2.0 to compensate for the R200''s illegible text "draft" mode...) If you want to stick to Epson original inks, Altex (dot com) has the lowest price available.

On a final point, the build quality of this printer appears MUCH better than the other manufacturers entry level models. This printer, based on its superior specs, versitility, build quality, and price point is a fantastic value. Epson outdid themselves by aggressively pushing the technology from their premium models into the entry level R200 and giving it capabilities like direct CD printing, that other printers simply don''t have. Epson, therefore, has managed to leap-frog the other manufacturers in a the very crowded field of capable sub-onehundred dollar inkjet printers.

Read Best Reviews of Epson Stylus Photo R200 Ink Jet Printer (C11C546011) Here

This printer is VERY impressive right out of the gate. You will be hard pressed to find a printer (especially at this price point) that will do a better job with photo printing.

Other reviews in this forum seem to fall at opposite ends of the spectrum, and that does not surprise me. I have previously owned Stylus C80 that I loved for a while, until the print heads began clogging. I was able to clean them out with a special solvent kit, but after that only repeated head cleaning cycles would keep it working. It finally puked out completely when the paper feed mechanism would no longer feed the paper properly. This after 2 1/2 years of moderate use.

I took the plunge AGAIN and bought the R200, thinking that maybe improvements had been made with the reliability. Guess what...same story, as this one is now starting down the same road as my old C80. I WISH the Epsons I have had did not have these problems, but the harsh reality is that there are problems out there folks. You will not notice it immediately, but if my experience is typical, this stuff creeps up on you. I really doubt that Epson is trying to "rip you off", and I do not see them as a company that operates that way. Heck, they consistently rank very high in the "out of the box" reviews of some very esteemed publications. Just be aware that there is a little truth in some of the poorest reviews in this forum, and a lot of truth to the rave reviews about photo print quality, until...

If you are going to lay down your cash, I will say this. If you are going to be a HEAVY user of this printer, you will be better off. Just keep EVERYTHING squeaky clean as it tends to give off a pretty good "spray" that tends to coat internal parts (nore so than other printers I have used). You will end up having more trouble if you use it moderately to infrequently, and do not maintain it as stuff dries out.

GOOD LUCK

Want Epson Stylus Photo R200 Ink Jet Printer (C11C546011) Discount?

I''ve had this printer for two years, and mine has printed literally thousands of CDs and DVDs (somewhere around 5000 by my estimate). In its price range, this is simply the best disc printer available -by far. It also does great on glossy and heavy matte paper of all brands.

But printing on this machine is not effortless. It has many quirks which can sabotage your efforts unless you make accommodations. It''s important to learn how the machine works first, and do so with great care because a mistake can render it useless (I speak from experience). The results are worth it.

This printer requires a great deal of TLC, plus genuine Epson inks (which cost more than off brands), and some patience. Many of the negative reviews here describe symptoms which I have experienced, but which can be avoided by just being careful. Of course, a printer probably shouldn''t require that of the users, but the results are truly spectacular if you play along.

Most of the problems can be attributed to genuine design flaws -some of them quite small but with great consequences. For example, there is a little arrow on the printer which is used to align the disc tray before printing. It matches up with a printed arrow on the disc tray itself. But the arrow on the printer is simply an area of indented plastic, making it almost invisible. When you get this printer, the first thing to do is make that arrow visible by putting a piece of tape or something on it.

If you don''t make the alignment arrow visible, you will inevitably push the disc tray in too far and expose another regrettable design flaw: the disc tray has a clear plastic leader which helps it find it''s path inside the printer. But if this leader gets bent (which it will if it gets pushed in too far), the tray will not go in and out. Instead it will jam every time. Once that strip of plastic is broken or bent, the disc tray must be replaced (I bought mine for $5 from a part supplier recommended by Epson, but it was a hassle).

Also, the plastic can get bent if the disc tray is not inserted exactly level with the slot. If you angle it a little bit up or down, the plastic lip will get caught and shred. Again, you''ll need another disc tray if this happens.

Next, the tray movement in and out is not always smooth. On mine, once the tray starts moving in, it stops at a point and I must give it a gentle push or it won''t go in. Likewise, when the disc is done printing, the tray stalls before it is completely ejected.

Neither of these things would be a big problem except that the printer kind of freaks out if it happens. Resetting it requires removing the tray, pressing the middle button, and waiting for it to go through a reset cycle before reinserting the tray. This reveals another design flaw: if you do not wait for the reset cycle to complete, the disc tray can sometimes be drawn in and all the way through the printer, smashing it against the wall behind the printer (be sure you allow at least 8 inches between the back of this printer and the wall). Again, if that happens, your disc tray is ruined and must be replaced.

The reset cycle happens periodically, sometimes in the middle of a print job. When it happens, everything must stop, the disc tray must be removed, and you simply must wait until it''s complete (2-3 minutes). I don''t know why it does this, but it happens without warning and it can be quite frustrating if you''re not expecting it.

A couple of other small things: If the disc insertion slot is down when the printer is first turned on, it will not go through its warm-up cycle. Instead it flashes frantically until you put up the tray intake. Not very intuitive, to be sure. If the printer has been turned on but not used for quite a while, it will initially reject the disc tray and try to do a warm-up cycle. It''s confusing and unexpected (it doesn''t happen every time).

Also, if a print job fails or is cancelled, it can take up to 5 minutes for the printer to reset. During this time, nothing appears to be happening, and you''ll wonder if the command got sent. So you''ll turn off the printer and turn it on again, and discover that the print job is still there and it starts printing. If on the other hand, you simply wait, eventually the printer will reset.

Finally, the printer will not print at all if even one of the ink cartridges is empty. This is annoying and inexcusable, and could probably be fixed with a simple driver update. As it is, always make sure you have a spare set of cartridges on hand.

Using non-Epson inks will lead to blotchiness and ultimately clogging of the nozzles. Also, sometimes they come up as empty when they are new. It''s tempting because of the price, but don''t do it. You will regret it.

And you must be aware that the cleaning routine uses A LOT of ink. If you start with completely full cartridges and do just one cleaning cycle, you''ll see the inks drop to about 85%. That''s really unacceptable, but not a problem if you realize that the cleaning cycle is hardly ever necessary with genuine Epson inks. I never run it unless I can visibly see problems with the output (which is quite rare). Some of the problems I get are due to fuzz or stray cat hairs getting into the printer. When this happens, you simply have to keep printing until the blothces go away. Again, this can be frustrating, but it''s relatively rare.

The Epson PrintCD software is pretty rudimentary, but it works. Just be aware that it isn''t exactly WYSIWYG (for example, the shadows under text look better when printed than they do on the screen, and sometimes the background image looks like it fills the entire disc when it actually leaves a small area uncovered when printed). With a little bit of experimenting when I first got the printer, it was pretty easy to pick up what I could and could not do.

So, that''s a lot of design flaws and problems and things to remember and/or avoid. You may ask, is it worth it? Based on the output, the answer is an unqualified YES. There are more expensive disc printers, but I have never seen a higher quality inkjet printed disc. My customers simply love them. And the inks, though not cheap, are cheap enough to be cost effective for me. The colors are deep and true, and the images and text are always crisp.

Just be aware that the quality comes with a price above and beyond the dollars you spend. "Type A" folks should stay away, as should those who are not technically savvy. And if you buy, remember to stay calm.

** UPDATE May 2007 **

This printer finally died with a most unfortunate error message: "A part of this device has reached the end of its service life."

After a bit of research, I discovered that these "suicide" dates are built in to the machine and can be overridden only if you''re willing to get out your soldering gun (which I''m not).

So it''s gone. Replaced by the similar but disappointing Epson R260, which I have also reviewed extensively.

I bought the Epson R200 for use with my Powerbook G4. Having said that, it works fine with my Mac, and no further reference will be made to my OS so PC readers may continue aswell.

PROS:

The CD/DVD tray works fine, as long as you read the directions and keep the top open. The printing quality on the CD or DVD is great. I''ve noticed no loss of quality between a CD and a piece of paper.

Front connecting USB outlet makes it easy to connect it to a computer

Ease of operation

CONS:

The ink does seem to waste slightly. I''ve notice a little pool of ink soaked up by some white pad in my printer, which makes me a little woosy, seeing as ink''s 20 bucks a pop or more or something, and this is after printing one CD.

I had to manually line up or adjust the center of printing so the disc would be printed on center. This took me quite a while, and if anyone else is wondering, I''d adjust it only by .1, .2, .3 mm and so on, NOT a full mm.

(comment on inkjet cd printers, not soley the R200) The printed disc must dry for 24 hours, but even then, dense black ink is easily smeared by a rub of the thumb. The discs can also, obviously, not get wet, like Gremlins, otherwise the ink runs. Expensive lamination devises are made, but I''ve found none for cheap, which kind of defeats the purpose.

The text seems blurry. This is common w/ inkjet printers, and was also the first thing I printed so it could also be a one-time thing. Also this problem is minor. If you''re that worried about sharp text, buy a laserprinter.

OVERALL: This printer prints great on CD''s and DVD''s and the software packaged with it (Epson CD Print) is pretty good, only limited by not allowing you to rotate text. However, GraphicsConverter, available online for free trial, offers great manipulation and editing of images and text rotation. The Epson CD Print works great for me otherwise, and I am very harsh on this kind of stuff. I like freedom and the ability to design very technical images and prints. It''s nothing expensive and professional, but it''s not at all a bad or limited package for home use, and I''ve created labels that look just as good as real screenprinted CD''s and DVD''s... Also, the printer comes with a photo editing program which is decent, although I still use graphics converter for most things.

This printer is definately for those who want to print brilliant photo-images on discs, as well as text on paper. Ink smudging is to be expected slightly. And the only thing to rival inkjet CD printing would be thermal printing which is expensive, difficult, and far away in detail, or HP''s new LightScribe technology which is currently monochrome, so don''t expect any colorful images. I recomend this printer. Good quality, cheap price, easy to use for those who read directions, and good software packaged. I recomend a cheap warrenty too.