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Imaging Devices

Best Photo Printers Revealed – Jan 2013 (Part 6)

1/17/2013 9:17:00 AM

See how we tested printer…

Printer benchmarks

Printer benchmarks

1.    Pure colours

These red, green, blue, black, cyan, magenta and yellow boxes and bars test the ability of the printers to produce pure colours and smooth tonal gradations.

2.    Resolution lines

Carefully sized and positioned monochrome bars challenge the ability of the printers to reproduce fine details accurately.

3.    Rainbow stripes

These stripes (full spectrum, RGB and magenta to yellow through cyan) test how the printers reproduce subtle variation in tone and hue.

4.    Greyscale wedge

It should be possible to recognize each step in this greyscale wedge. The progression from light to dark should also be smooth.

Printer times: lower values indicate faster speeds

Canon MG6250

10x15cm (standard quality): 0.19

A4 (best quality): 1.59

Canon Pro 9000

10x15cm (standard quality): 0.17

A4 (best quality): 2.57

Canon Pro-1

10x15cm (standard quality): 0.24

A4 (best quality): 2.10

A3+ (best quality): 4.25

Epson PX830FWD

10x15cm (standard quality): 0.42

A4 (best quality): 3.17

A3+ (best quality): 6.48

Epson R2000

10x15cm (standard quality): 4.05

A4 (best quality): 6.38

A3+ (best quality): 9.27

Epson R3000

10x15cm (standard quality): 1.33

A4 (best quality): 5.10

A3+ (best quality): 10.50

Print speed result: All speeds recorded are for borderless printing, at 6x4-inch, A4 and, where available, A3+sizes

Print speed result

Print speed result

Overall benchmark verdict

The Epson PX830FWD is the outright quickest for postcard printing in normal quality mode, but is overtaken by the Canon MG6250 and Pro9000 Mark II in top quality modes. Pigment-based A3+ printers are typically slower but, at maximum quality settings, the Epson R2000 is the quickest, followed by the Canon Pro-1 and then the Epson R3000.

The digital camera verdict: The canon PIXMA PRO-1 makes you look best on paper

Fully earning its ‘Pro’ name tag, the new Canon is quite simply the best photo inkjet printer on the market

All too often, you need to pick a printer that’s best suited to your favourite style of photo output. However, the Canon PIXMA Pro-1 bucks the trend by excelling in every area. As a photo printer, it delivers supreme quality for both colour and mono, on matte and glossy media. The closet-running competitor is the Epson Stylus Photo R3000, which is almost as majestic for mono.

The canon PIXMA PRO-1 makes you look best on paper

The canon PIXMA PRO-1 makes you look best on paper

If you’re only interested in creating large-format glossy colour prints, the Canon PIXMA Pro9000 Mark II is the printer to go for. The Epson Stylus Photo R2000 is comparatively disappointing for colour and isn’t well suited to black and white either.

Canon rules the A4 printer roost with its PIXMA MG6250. Colour print quality is sublime and it’s the best A4 printer in the group for black-and-white photo output too. It’s fast, delivering borderless A4 photo prints in under two minutes, even in top quality mode. The Epson Stylus Photo PX830FWD is the second-best A4 printer of colour, despite its six-ink line-up, and can’t match the Canon for mono photo prints.

How the printers compare

Canon PIXMA MG6250

·         Contact: www.canon.com

·         Target price: $217.5

·         Number of inks: Six

·         Max print size: A4

·         Max print resolution: 9,600x2,400dpi

·         Input trays: 1 rear, 1 lower

·         Ink and paper cost per A4 photo: $1.99

·         Interfaces: USB 2.0, Ethernet, Wi-Fi

·         PictBridge: Yes

·         Memory card slots: CF, MMC, MS, SD/HC

·         LCD display: 7.5cm

·         CD/DVD printing: Yes

·         Built-in scanner: 4,800x4,800dpi

·         Dimensions (WxDxH): 470x367x173mm

·         Weight: 9.2kg

Ratings

·         Features: 5 stars

·         Build quality: 4 stars

·         Photo print quality: 4 stars

·         Value: 5 stars

·         Overall: 4 stars

 

Epson Stylus Photo PX830FWD

·         Contact: www.epson.com

·         Target price: $277.5

·         Number of inks: Six

·         Max print size: A4

·         Max print resolution: 5,760x1,440dpi

·         Input trays: 1 rear, 1 postcard tray

·         Ink and paper cost per A4 photo: $1.99

·         Interfaces: USB 2.0, Ethernet, Wi-Fi

·         PictBridge: Yes

·         Memory card slots: CF, MMC, MS, SD/HC/XC, xD

·         LCD display: 8.9cm

·         CD/DVD printing: Yes

·         Built-in scanner: 4,800x4,800dpi

·         Dimensions (WxDxH): 465x458x198mm

·         Weight: 11.4kg

Ratings

·         Features: 4 stars

·         Build quality: 4 stars

·         Photo print quality: 3 stars

·         Value: 3 stars

·         Overall: 3 stars

 

Canon PIXMA Pro9000 Mark II

·         Contact: www.canon.com

·         Target price: $585

·         Number of inks: Eight

·         Max print size: A3+

·         Max print resolution: 4,800x2,400dpi

·         Input trays: 1 rear, 1 manual

·         Ink and paper cost per A4 photo: $2.25

·         Interfaces: USB 2.0

·         PictBridge: Yes

·         Memory card slots: No

·         LCD display: No

·         CD/DVD printing: Yes

·         Built-in scanner: No

·         Dimensions (WxDxH): 660x354x191mm

·         Weight: 14.4kg

Ratings

·         Features: 4 stars

·         Build quality: 5 stars

·         Photo print quality: 4 stars

·         Value: 4 stars

·         Overall: 4 stars

 

Epson Stylus Photo R2000

·         Contact: www.epson.com

·         Target price: $630

·         Number of inks: Eight

·         Max print size: A3+ (plus panoramic)

·         Max print resolution: 5,760x1,440dpi

·         Input trays: 1 rear, 1 manual, roll feeder

·         Ink and paper cost per A4 photo: $2.25

·         Interfaces: USB 2.0, Ethernet, Wi-Fi

·         PictBridge: Yes

·         Memory card slots: No

·         LCD display: No

·         CD/DVD printing: Yes

·         Built-in scanner: No

·         Dimensions (WxDxH): 622x324x219mm

·         Weight: 12.3kg

Ratings

·         Features: 4 stars

·         Build quality: 3 stars

·         Photo print quality: 3 stars

·         Value: 3 stars

·         Overall: 3 stars

 

Canon PIX Pro-1

·         Contact: www.canon.com

·         Target price: $1042.5

·         Number of inks: Twelve

·         Max print size: A3+

·         Max print resolution: 4,800x2,400dpi

·         Input trays: 1 rear, 1 manual

·         Ink and paper cost per A4 photo: $2.25

·         Interfaces: USB 2.0, Ethernet

·         PictBridge: Yes

·         Memory card slots: No

·         LCD display: No

·         CD/DVD printing: Yes

·         Built-in scanner: No

·         Dimensions (WxDxH): 695x462x239mm

·         Weight: 27.7kg

Ratings

·         Features: 5 stars

·         Build quality: 5 stars

·         Photo print quality: 5 stars

·         Value: 4 stars

·         Overall: 5 stars

 

Epson Stylus Photo R3000

·         Contact: www.epson.com

·         Target price: $795

·         Number of inks: Nine

·         Max print size: A3+ (plus panoramic)

·         Max print resolution: 5,760x1,440dpi

·         Input trays: 1 rear, 1 manual, roll feeder

·         Ink and paper cost per A4 photo: $2.55

·         Interfaces: USB 2.0, Ethernet, Wi-Fi

·         PictBridge: Yes

·         Memory card slots: No

·         LCD display: 6.1cm

·         CD/DVD printing: Yes

·         Built-in scanner: No

·         Dimensions (WxDxH): 616x369x228mm

·         Weight: 15.1kg

Ratings

·         Features: 4 stars

·         Build quality: 4 stars

·         Photo print quality: 4 stars

·         Value: 4 stars

·         Overall: 4 stars

Digital Camera: Our test results

Your at-a-glance guide to how the printers performed in our tests

Canon PIXMA Pro-1

The new benchmark in inkjet photo printing, the Pro-1 offers truly professional print quality for both colour and mono images, on a wide range of glossy and matte media. It’s a spectacular piece of kit.

·         What’s good: Supreme print quality, large-capacity cartridges, reasonable running costs.

·         What’s bad: Replacement of all 12 cartridges is expensive, but some last longer than others.

·         Our verdict: It’s the most expensive printer in the group, but well worth the outlay.

·         Rating: 5 stars

Epson Stylus Photo R3000

·         What’s good: Excellent print quality for both colour and mono, on all sort of media.

·         What’s bad: Shared ink channel for photo black and matte black inks.

·         Our verdict: almost as good as the Canon Pro-1 and rather cheaper to buy.

·         Rating: 4 stars

Canon PIXMA MG6250

·         What’s good: Simply the best A4 printer for both colour and mono photo output.

·         What’s bad: A4 print size can be a bit limiting when producing output.

·         Our verdict: If you don’t need large-format printing, the MG6250 is the obvious choice.

·         Rating: 4 stars

Canon PIXMA Pro9000 Mark II

·         What’s good: Unbeatable for large-format glossy colour prints, and fast too.

·         What’s good: Dye-based ink range isn’t ideal for matte media, and it’s not great for mono.

·         Our verdict: Well worth considering if you’re not into black-and-white photo printing.

·         Rating: 4 stars

Epson Stylus Photo R2000

·         What’s good: Includes Wi-Fi Ethernet, plus a panoramic roll feeder.

·         What’s bad: Colour rendition can look a bit muddy, and it’s not good for mono.

·         Our verdict: Loses out to the Canon Pro9000 Mark II as a budget A3+ printer.

·         Rating: 3 stars

Epson Stylus Photo PX830FWD

·         What’s good: All-in-one goodies include an Auto Document Feeder and standalone fax.

·         What’s bad: Colour print quality can look a little insipid, and it’s poor for mono.

·         Our verdict: Many features are more suited to office work than photo printing.

·         Rating: 3 stars

 

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