- Borderless, Hi-Def photos up to 13" x 19"
- Wireless printing with Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n
- 6-color Claria ink
- Adobe Photoshop Elements included
- CD/DVD printing
Update #2 Almost nine months after my original review and Epson STILL hasn''t released the ICC profile for their Ultra Premium Luster paper. If you are using anything other than their Ultra Premium line you really aren''t getting your money''s worth on this printer. And as a photographer I can''t give my clients work printed on glossy! Unfortunately, Epson doesn''t seem to even have a timeline for giving their consumers proper ICC profiles. I just cannot understand why they have profiles for every other paper besides their most popular?
Update I am adding a few stars onto my original review for a couple of reasons. One, because Epson customer service is actually one of the better customer service experiences I''ve had to deal with. They are very quick and courteous with their responses. And two, because after a month the banding problem I was having has randomly fixed itself. I''m hoping it was only a problem with the printer being so new, and will not happen again. But I will certainly update my review if this is not the case.
Original Review
Let me start off by saying that if you can get this printer working correctly, it will produce some incredible prints. Epson''s Ultra Premium photo paper, combined with the amazing Claria Hi-Def ink is sure to exceed your expectations on print quality. That is IF your printer decides to work properly.
Out of the box the initial installation (Mac OSX 10.6) was quite easy, and everything worked smoothly. I then tried to connect my printer to wi-fi which is when my problems began. Although I followed the instructions to a T, wi-fi just would not install on my printer, despite the fact that this printer advertises a wi-fi connection in "seconds". A few days, countless hours, and a couple phone calls to Epson did not solve the problem, I was basically told they didn''t know what the issue was. Having to connect my computer and printer with a cable every time I needed to print something was a bit of a pain, but certainly not something that was worth the hassle of returning the product. I then started printing some images to complete client orders I had lined up, and I noticed banding on every single image. I followed all of the steps listed on Epson''s website, as well as took the advice of a printing instructor at my school, taking every step to rectify this problem. Nothing worked. And weeks later my printer is still banding. I have changed the ink and lost a full pack of Epson Ultra Premium Photo Paper, wasting a ridiculous amount of money in the process. Now my printer will no longer even respond to the "clean the print heads" command.
Another big problem with this printer is that Epson has not completed the ICC profiles for some of their own paper, most notably the Ultra Premium Luster. This paper of course being the favorite of photographers. And if you can''t print on Ultra Premium paper there''s not much purpose in purchasing the overpriced Claria inks, as their full potential will not be reached using mediocre paper. I contacted Epson and they said they don''t know when the ICC profile will be available.
Epson''s paper is, in my opinion, the best on the market and as a photographer I hate giving my clients work printed on anything less. But nothing is worth this much hassle. Epson should invest some more time into producing quality printers that are worthy of the paper and ink they use.
*Just a note, this printer does not come with a USB cord, so if you are thinking of purchasing this product and don''t have an extra one laying around, I suggest buying a USB cord along with it since your wi-fi may end up not working. Otherwise, you''ll still need access to one for initial set-up.
Buy Epson Artisan 1430 Wireless Wide-Format Color Inkjet Printer (C11CB53201) Now
I rarely give 5-stars to a printer because there are usually aspects within its usage that are done only satisfactory--trying to functionally get by. The Epson Artisan 1430 is an HD photo printer and it should be reviewed under only that guise.
---Summarical Thought---
This printer gives extremely high quality print-outs on photo paper when using high resolution images. The print time is somewhat lengthy though the outcome is worth the effort. There is a minimalist approach to unboxing and use, for there are very few steps to get the Epson working. It is fairly quick to set-up wirelessly through the included software. There are no negatives that stick out, except maybe subjectively, to claim there are lacking points or better options. If what you want is a way to print high-quality photos the Epson Artisan 1430 is nothing but this.
---Printing Quality---
I used fairly inexpensive Semi-Gloss photo paper that was not a ''premium'' grade nor an Epson brand.
Photo Quality on Photo Paper: 9/10
Settings used: Quality Option: ''Best Photo'' Print Options: All Boxes Unchecked *Under Advanced Tab*: All Boxes Unchecked under Print Options
When printing photos out, I looked for resolutions at least 1 megapixel or more--at least 1024x786--and blew the pictures up to make a 4*8.5x11 poster. The latter was done using Picasa by Google and something I strongly suggest doing if you get this printer. That is one of the fun things that you can do with a printer that accurately replicates photos/pictures/paintings on paper--you can do a lot of interesting decorations/projects. My idea was to find some of my favorite paintings online and print them out to use around the house--which this printer did exceptionally well at. It is for this fact that I can really give you a good idea on the print quality of this printer. The lower the resolution of course the less clear and precise the photos/pictures were when enlarged.
Comparing to the original picture on my laptop screen, the pictures printed out where actually better quality with better contrast and colors. I do know my LED screen is not too good, but the pictures were extremely vibrant and saturated correctly. Printing paintings from Monet to Van Gogh as well actual pictures, the accuracy was outstanding.
Printing black and white text on plain paper, the Artisan did not have the sharp angles and abyss black that a laser printer would have though the text was fairly decent with a slightly washed out black and compact angles around the letters.
B/W Quality: 7/10
---Ink...& Usage---
**Important**
The Epson Artisan 1430 takes Epson cartridge 79 which is high-capacity. After going to the store and seeing Epson 78 next to the 79 with the label: ''Standard Capacity'' and 30% less in the cost, I thought that this would be an option for someone wanting to print just a few more photos. Even the employee thought the 78 would fit in the Artisan. This is not the case. The cartridges look identical except for 1 strip of plastic that blocks the ability to slide it in the cartridge holder all the way. Well, I decided to ''snip'' the extra plastic boundary and it proceeded to fit perfectly. When going to prime the ink, however, I found that the printer would not recognize the ink. Not sure why Epson did not want the 78 to be used in the printer, but it will not in anyway take anything other than Epson 79.
The cartridges are around 22$ a piece and the Epson needs 6: Black, Yellow, Light Magenta, Light Cyan, Dark Magenta, and Dark Cyan. When printing many colored photos the most used where the Light Magenta and Light Cyan. I printed around 40 or so ''highest'' quality full size (8.5x11) print-outs before the L. Magenta and L. Cyan ran out. Yellow was on its way. If you plan to use this for many photos, go ahead and buy some replacement L.Magenta and L.Cyan cartridges. If you are planning on printing 5"x7" or smaller photos, this ink will last a very very long time. If I had to guess at the latter I would say you would at least get 120 printouts before running empty.
---Print Time---
The print time was fairly slow and this is due to me selecting the highest possible quality and deselecting the ''fast print'' option (don''t know if that helps quality or not). It took about 7-8 minutes to finish printing a full size photo.
---Operation---
Very simple to use. The wireless setup is the most complicated but this is lessened due to the software included with the Artisan. You have the choice of using the included CD to install software on your computer--and setup the wireless connection--or you can download it from Epson''s website. Some printers have you follow a manual to setup the wireless connection, but the Epson, through the software, is automated. You have the option to connect via an AccessPoint (which is sometimes difficult to find), or you can input a wireless key. I did find it difficult to setup multiple connections because after you first connect to your router, I could not find how to add another connection without installing and re-installing the software.
The printer is very very quiet, equal to a loud whisper and is stable when on a table. It is wide, somewhat heavy (25 lbs or 11kg), and takes up a lot of space (25" or 63cm wide).
This printer will not be just something in your house that prints things but can really encourage a hobby in creating posters, decorating the house, and forming photo albums/collages. Be warned that with the high quality photos might also come an addiction to inundate your place of living with many pictures. The reasonable price makes this a very good value.
Read Best Reviews of Epson Artisan 1430 Wireless Wide-Format Color Inkjet Printer (C11CB53201) Here
I''ve already read two OTHER reviews of this printer that had the exact same problem out of the box: namely, the paper jam signal is blinking (indicating a paper jam duh) and will not clear no matter what you do. The EPSON support was timely (I had to wait 5 minutes on a weeknight for tech support) and some of the best I''ve had. In the end, they determined the bogus paper jam light was unsolveable and they had to send me a replacement. I received it by FEDEX 2 days later. They also let me keep the original printer''s ink cartridges and sent me 6 new ones, so I was able to do some "free" testing as to ink capacity (see below). With the replacement printer I had ZERO problems with easy setup; no horizontal striping on the prints; all colors solid and vibrant.
Pros:
* Excellent tech support and hand holding.
* Stunning pro quality prints on Epson High-Gloss Paper
* Beautiful prints on Epson Matte Presentation Paper
* Problem free push one button setup with WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)
* Included copy of Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 (Win/Mac)
* Some of the best, friendliest, and fastest support I''ve ever received
Cons:
* Obvious bad initial batch of DOA printers WHICH MUST BE FIXED
* Power cord has tendency to come out of printer
* Sparse documentation in box (newbies beware)
Things to note:
* Big footprint (which is necessary for a big format printer)
* If you don''t have WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) capable router, wireless setup may be a problem
* USB printer cable is NOT included but would be useful
* Specialized ink and paper is more expensive than usual home printing supplies (don''t be surprised)
* Paper feed support for 13 x 19 inch is a bit short for thin matte paper which "flops over"
I set this up with WPS before I installed any software, which was not in the included documentation. My experience told me to set up with WPS before installing drivers as the printer is just registering with the router. Just push the WPS button on your router (if it has one) and then push the button on your printer within 2 minutes. When I subsequently installed the included software and commenced setup, it asked me if I knew where my printer was and finding it on the network was trivial. Nowhere does it say to do WPS first, and I suspect some people will have setup problems if they don''t do WPS first (or don''t have a WPS router). I had no need of a USB cable for setup.
Also, though the wireless connectivity is nice, you may have issues with it later as I did. It''s likely that the printer was too far away from my router and the connection may have dropped (yes, my fault). So, out of 25 wirelessly printed posters, 2 stopped printing in the middle and I wasted a couple of premium photo sheets. (NOTE ADDED: Large files printed in high quality on glossy paper cause most problems. Same photo printed on matte paper is no problem. Wi-fi bandwidth or packet issue? Maybe.Problem does NOT occur with USB connection.) USB cable connection was rock solid. I highly recommend getting the inexpensive matte paper while you setup and learn to use the printer. Alternatively, just do setup and testing with regular 8.5 x 11 inch inkjet paper.
When replacing my printer, Epson let me keep the original six cartridges and sent me six new ones as well (like I said, nice support!) so I experimented with quantity. I was able to print thirty 13 x 19 prints before two of the cartridges ran out: light cyan and light magenta. The other cartridges are at varying levels, with black being about one quarter full. It''s difficult to say what mileage you will get since it depends upon what you print I did black and white prints, color photographs, and movie posters (Wikimedia Commons has a great high def Boris Karloff "The Mummy" with some complex coloring). Each of the six ink cartridges will be individually replaced, not all at once. You might want to invest in a second set, and then replace each individually as they run out. Light cyan and light magenta are the colors most likely to need replacement the most often. Black if you do a lot of bitonal printing (large text posters).
I printed on one sheet of non-Epson glossy photo paper and 2 hours later the ink was smudging. When Epson recommends that you use their own paper, take that to heart. The Epson papers are dry and solid right out of the printer.
Based on my experience so far, I have a rule of thumb that a single 13 x 19 inch photo quality print on premium paper will cost about $3 to $5. That might be higher than reality, but it still gives me a good feel for single print expenses.
I love this printer and would have probably given 5 out of 5 stars had it worked initially. The hand writing is on the wall that there''s something awry with some of these early shipments, but Epson responded like a champ and replaced it quickly.
Lots of friends and family are going to get gifts this year of beautiful 13 x 19 inch prints of houses, babies, and cats. Cheers!
Want Epson Artisan 1430 Wireless Wide-Format Color Inkjet Printer (C11CB53201) Discount?
I bought this printer for a few reasons, and will rate each point separately:
1. Wide format: I do a lot of 13x19 and 11x17 printing. A wide format printer was a necessity for me. There are about a dozen or so wide format printers on the market (or is it large format, with wide format being 24" or wider? I forgot). Epson has always made a good wide format printer. This is now my 3rd model over 11 years.
2. Price: The price is always important to me. This cost me under $300 and for a wide format printer with these specs, an excellent value.
3. Separate color ink cartridges: I print a lot of blue and black in my work, so it''s important to be able to replace these colors frequently without having to replace the entire color cartridge. This will save me money.
4. Print quality: I need a printer that is going to give me exceptional print quality. The highest print quality setting gives me what I am looking for. The colors are stunning.
5. Paper: I love Epson''s premium luster line of papers. They are gorgeous. I always buy Epson''s brand of papers and have a stock of various sizes.
Things not important to me: speed wireless printing. I would have connected the printer to my print server (which is also wireless). The built-in wireless saved me the hassle (and my print server is a hassle when I add a new printer to it). The speed is fine, and I didn''t notice any slow-down when printing wirelessly versus via USB.
I am not saying that speed and wireless printing are not important, they are just not important for me. I am of the mind that you can''t have it all, and that in high-end graphic arts printing, you almost always sacrifice speed for quality.
If I were able to remove a half star it would be for not including a small assortment of paper samples. It was always a nice surprise to open that in any new printer, almost like the toy in Cracker Jacks. Don''t be cheap Epson!!!
I highly recommend this printer, and with it, Epson premium luster papers. You won''t be disappointed.
Brand new printer out of box, put the ink cartridges that came with it in and then it powered itself off. When I turned it back on I get a flashing power light, flashing paper light and solid ink light. Epson was very pleasant to talk to, they had no idea what was wrong and are sending me a new one. Hopefully the next one is better.
Update: Received replacement printer in 2 days later. Works great. Print quality is excellent and it''s fast. I''m going to change my rating on this too.
