Epson Stylus Photo 1290 Printer

Amazon Customer Reviews

(4 out of 5)

Pretty good workhorse

I use the 1290 at work for occasional colour printing. I've had it a couple of years now, and it seems to be reliable, unlike its predecessor.
One thing you have to keep on top of is keeping the print heads clean. I guess this applies to most if not all ink-jet printers, but be warned: if you don't use it, it will clog up.
When the heads are clean, it prints very well, especially on good quality paper. Glossy/Pearl/Satin papers give you images that look like illustrations from books. Plain paper is generally disappointing, and I would only use plain paper to produce a rough copy for checking over before printing on the 'proper'stuff.
It's not very fast. A full A3 photograph will always take longer than you think. Don't make the mistake of sitting and waiting - go make a cup of tea, or a meal!
On the whole though, it's easy to use, gives good output, and has been reliable. Buy it if you can afford the expensive ink cartridges and don't expect speed.