Printers for Photographers: Epson Stylus Photo R2000

In this day of digital technology, it's important for professional photographers and businesses that rely on crisp copies of images to have top of the line photo printers.

There are a variety of quality manufacturers that make quality photo printers. Canon, HP and Kodak all have good printers for printing images. Epson also has a line of quality photo printers. In May 2011 the company introduced a new 13-inch printer called the Epson Stylus Photo R2000.

In a media release, the senior product manager of Epson's Professional Imaging, Richard Day, called the printer "an incredible tool for serious photographers, creative professionals and hobbyists who want to step up to superior quality printing."

What Makes the R2000 So Great?

The R2000 is considered to be Epson's next-generation pigment printing technology. It's a step above all the other photo printers by this manufacturer in that it produces exceptionally vivid prints using pigment-based inks. And it can produce these vivid prints on a variety of mediums including canvas, art boards, cut sheet paper, roll paper, fine art media and photographic media. It can even print professional quality CD and DVD covers.

The ink has an enhanced gloss optimizer which gives all the prints a gloss comparable to prints from a commercial grade printer.

The cost is reasonable as well with the unit mostly retailing for less than $600. It comes with one year of specialized technical support staff and a one-year whole-unit exchange limited warranty plan.

Benefit and Technology Breakdown

The printer has environmentally friendly and has been designed to be recycled when you're finished with it. It's ENERGY STAR qualified and RoHS compliant. It comes with a variety of UltraChrome high-gloss ink cartridges, CD print tray and software, roll paper holder accessory, single sheet guide, printer documentation and CD-ROM with the printer drivers and software for PCs and Macs.

Photo or Matte Black Ink Choices

The unit has an auto-selecting black inks feature that automatically selects which type of black ink will produce the best results on your chosen media.

Reliable Connectivity

The Epson R2000 is designed for fast connectivity anywhere. It has Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n wireless technology, a built-in 100 Mbit Ethernet for wired networking and hi-speed USB 2.0. Ethernet and USB cables are not included in the box.

Larger Capacity Ink Cartridges

You won't need to change the cartridges as much with the Stylus Photo R2000 as you did with earlier models. Each cartridge has the capacity to delivery up to 50 percent more prints for increased productivity.

The High Gloss Ink

The Stylus R2000 has special award-winning, UltraChrome, high gloss ink. This ink is such a superior quality that it's able to create gallery quality prints using an eight-color pigment ink set. The ink is fade-, water- and smudge- resistant. Instead of the standard yellow, magenta and cyan, you also get red and orange inks that help create bolder colors and more natural skin tones. The UltraChrome ink also prints more vibrant blues and intense greens.

The ink also has a gloss optimizer to create a fully uniform gloss finish that makes every print look professional.

Quality Print Head

The print head is high precision and has eight channels to produce a high resolution. You can print 5670 x 1440 optimized dpi with the R2000. The droplets on this inkjet printer are exceptionally fine and can be as small as 1.5 picoliters. The head has an ink repellent coating so you don't need to worry about ink cross contamination. The print head is also designed to need less maintenance.

Advanced Image Technology

A great deal of research went into designing this printer's image technology so that ink droplets would be precisely placed for professional, grain-free images. The AccuPhoto HG image technology was created in collaboration with the Munsell Color Science Laboratory at the Rochester Institute of Technology.