Epson Stylus Photo 1400 Photo Printer

The Epson Stylus Photo Printer 1400 was a breeze to set up. The colors are deep and clear. On b&w archive scanned photos, the richness was outstanding. Works great with Photoshop Elements. Great value for being able to print 11x17 borderless prints.

I bought this to replace another 13x19 printer from Epson. The old one was doing fine, but this new one intrigued me-- more inks, and thus better photos, plus the ability to do borderless 13x19 was a nice bonus. But what put it over the edge was the ability to print on CDs.

After having used the printer for several projects, I can say that I am fully satisfied. The inks are very nice, and true to life. CD printing is easy and effective.

I have had this printer a couple weeks, prints look good so far. I have printed on Office Depot premium glossy photo paper and Epson Ultra Premium Luster, both 8.5" x 11". The Ultra Premium is definitely better. It's really convenient being able to print photos at home; I can see immediately how the prints will look and make any necessary adjustments to the color and re print them. That's great, but it's not cheap. I have not yet figured out what I am paying per print with the 8.5" x 11" prints, but with 4" x 6" prints it seems it would be cheaper to have them done professionally. Photo paper isn't cheap, and neither is the ink. There are 6 ink cartridges, and they are around $20 each. Of course they don't all run out at the same time, but still its $120 worth of ink in this printer. Overall, I think this is a really good printer for the amateur photographer.

I have had my 1400 for almost 1 month and I am thrilled with it. My old printer was a Stylus 1280 which was great for 4 years. The new printer far surpasses the old in quietness and ink usage. I have printed 8 8"x10" photos, 12 8"x10"prints of paintings, over 300 invitations to my latest art exhibit, plus just every day stuff such as letters, calendars, etc. I have bought a new set of inks but haven't replaced the ones that came with the 1400. Several of them are quite low but I do believe I am using less ink.

I have been testing this printer for a week or so, with a Windows XP based system. I am a hobbyist, and don't have access to the advanced Photoshop tools. I mention this to frame my review.

The box contained all of the standard equipment (printer, software, ink cartridges, CD/DVD tray) except a USB cable. The printer has a USB and PictBridge socket. There is no print server built it, which is unfortunate.

Setting up the printer was fast, easy and there was nothing unexpected. If you've installed a printer before, this one won't be a challenge. The software as well installed easily with no surprises.

I printed a number of color photographs adjusting the various settings in the basic (default) menu. There is an advanced menu section for more advanced users. The quality of the prints was stunning, colors were vibrant and the prints were sharp. They are definitely on par with prints you will order from Walmart. Prints were fast, and the machine is quiet.

The only other negative (aside from no USB cable or Print Server) is that the ink cartridges are small, and fairly expensive. On the plus side though, you only need to replace the one that is empty.

In summary this is an excellent printer, probably not a professional grade, but certainly close.