Epson Stylus Photo R285 Printer With Individual Ink Cartridges
See it at Amazon.co.uk for £48.92Average Customer Rating
(3.0 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
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(1 out of 5)Epson Going Backwards
I have previously owned the R200 and R220 models, to fulfil my requirement for printing CD's. Both served very well, and were fantastic bits of kit. When my 220 was finally starting to wear out I went to get a replacement, and this was Epson's current model that filled the niche previously occupied by the now obsolete R220 (although there had been the R265 in between).
Initially wasn't keen on the design - it was bigger, boxier and less elegant (though didn't offer any additional functionality for it's increased size). Then, it refused to work claiming there was no yellow ink in, when there clearly was (a second cartridge didn't resolve this). After a trip back to the shop, I got it's replacement to acknowledge the existence of yellow ink. So far so good. I then relaised that to print disks, I had to remove the paper landing tray and refit it to another couple of slots to accomodate disks! The previous version simply allowed the CD tray to be folded up and down. Then we had driver issues, resulting in the printer getting halfway through a colour page and then giving up (wasting a lot of ink). We have a clean cycle that seems a lot longer than the previous version and much higher ink consumption than previous models.
In almost every respect, this printer is inferior to the earlier models - I really don't know what Epson are thinking of in taking this bold step backwards! I could understand new models being created to push the technology and capabilities forward - but if they couldn't do that, they should have continued manufacturing the superior earlier models (I'd have bought them). If it ain't broke - don't fix it. I'm now about ready to take a sledgehammer to this machine (and I suppose given it's cheapness, it wouldn't be too much to pay for the satisfaction of putting it out of my misery), as it's a complete waste of my time and money - I'm now scouring the web for old/used R200 and R220 printers, as Epson do not seem to be able to fill their own boots! Crazy.
(1 out of 5)So unhappy with Epson - 19.02.2008
I too had great difficulty in getting the print head to move when setting up the printer. Eventually did get inks loaded only to find when starting to print, the printer would just spew out 2 or 3 blank sheets. This also happened when printer was first switched on. Paper jamming was so frequent and so noisy, that it was really quite alarming (using good quality paper too). The finished print, either document or photo, was blurred and out of alignment on the right side of paper, despite my efforts at correcting this.
Epson did not even reply to my e-mail. Expect to get refund from Amazon, who so far have been excellent.
(5 out of 5)Great value printer
I purchased this printer because I had a HP all-in-one and the print quality was simply not good enough for printing photos.
The print quality of the Epson R285 is excellent. I printed a family photo for my Nan and she couldn't believe it wasn't a professional print.
It is true that the first set of ink cartridges you use run out fairly quickly but it does tell you this in the paperwork that comes with the printer. The replacement ink cartridges do not run out as quickly.
The fact it also prints on to CDs/DVDs is an added bonus. The software that comes with this makes it very easy to achieve.
All-in-all, I think this is a great printer and it is very affordable as well.
(5 out of 5)OTHER REVIEWS RUBBISH!
Had I acted on some previous reviewers' opinions I might not have bought this product.Fortunately having had two Epson Stylus printers in the past I knew the Brand to provide excellent quality printing at a very reasonable price.
All my printers tend to get very hard use as I produce many photos and greetings cards in almost industrial quantities.
The R285 gives me even better quality than its predecessors. The print quality I have achieved with this printer is simply stunning.
(1 out of 5)Very Disappointing!
Ordered one of these - when it arrived it would not set up correctly - the print head failed to move, making it impossible to insert ink. Contacted EPSON helpline and was told that the sequence of error lights showing indicated a software problem. Returned item to Amazon for replacement, only to receive a second printer which immediately showed the same error status!! This has now been returned for refund.