Photo answers review
Photo answers rating 
Home printing is still very popular with the enthusiast photographer, especially those using more advanced art papers. For printing A3 at home, there are two brands that dominate the market, and Epson has traditionally provided a couple of these models to choose from. The top of the range A3+ Epson model has been the subject of a quite significant upgrade recently that sees a number of new elements in a quite exciting new printer.
Epson has embraced feedback from its customers, which has led to the development of the latest A3+ printer – the Stylus Photo R3000. This highly specified model offers printing onto printable CDs/DVDs and a much higher ink capacity, plus wireless connectivity with built-in Wi-Fi. The model is also blessed with improved paper loading for using thicker art media, and a new colour LCD screen on the control panel is a welcome addition.
Improved design Looking at the R3000 alongside the R2880 that preceded it there are some obvious differences, but the general size is not a great deal different. It is equal in width to the R2880, however it is 14mm taller and 47mm deeper. The design is incredibly neat, especially when you start to understand the additions that have been carried out on the inside of this model, in fact it’s quite surprising that the printer is not a lot bigger. Possibly the most obvious factor is the nine individual UltraChrome K3 ink cartridges. Compared to the cartridges in the R2880, the latest 25.9ml offerings are some 2.3x larger, giving you a much longer print run between cartridge changes. These high-capacity cartridges do not travel back and forth with the print head (which is a change to what has traditionally been utilised), as a feeder system delivers the ink to the print head (a bit like the external ink flow systems from some independent ink suppliers), but it’s all neatly kept out of view. The print head itself features an ink-repelling coating for an improved accuracy of dot placement. This increases the overall print quality and the minimum dot size is just 2.0pl compared to 3.0pl on the R2880.
One very visual change is the addition of a colour LCD screen set into the printer’s control panel. This 2.5in screen provides a graphical representation of remaining ink levels so you can easily monitor the status of each cartridge. It also tells you which of the optional black cartridges is active (Photo black or Matte black is selected in the printer driver, depending on which paper type you are using). Talking of paper types, an innovative new feature is a front-loading slot for art paper to ensure the media lies flat during printing. There’s an element of manual feeding involved, but it is not only better for the prints but also a lot easier to use than the more common back-loading systems, as you don’t have to get behind the printer.
Other physical changes include the addition of a CD printing adapter so you can produce professional-looking discs with your own designs using the supplied software. Having Wi-Fi technology is another added bonus on the R3000, as you can print from any room in the house that’s within the range of your router.
Performance The Epson R3000 that we tested was a pre-production unit, but was still perfectly able to demonstrate the capability of the printer. We found it to be a most intuitive product to use, especially the printer driver software. You can even use ICC profiles to deliver more accurate print colours, which was certainly effective. The R3000 can print a high-resolution print at around 195 seconds on premium glossy A3+ paper, but the best results come when you slow things down and take your time to get the ultimate prints. We tried a number of different media types through the printer, including the textured Cold Press paper, and with the new front-loading system these art papers become very easy to use. It takes a bit of getting used to, but after a couple of prints we found ourselves to be proficient in loading the media this way, and also switching the black inks over with the LCD screen providing clear instructions. We have always been impressed by the colour performance of Epson printers, but the weakness has tended to lay in the monochrome performance. The R3000 marks a big milestone for Epson fans, as the black & white performance is superb, and certainly a match for any other A3+ printer we can think of.
Final verdict This is a very impressive printer in many ways, with the print quality really standing out, especially the black & white printing. It’s great to also have new elements like Wi-Fi and the front art paper loading. The larger inks will certainly make life easier if you print a lot, and at around £25 per cartridge they should also save you money in the long run. The LCD screen adds an extra innovative feature to this model that rounds it all off very nicely.
www.epson.co.uk
Key specification Street price £700
Print method Inkjet
Print resolution 5760x1440 optimised dpi
Droplet size 2pl
Ink system Epson UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta
Cartridges Nine with switchable blacks
Max print size A3+
Print speed 195sec A3+ high-quality photo
Connectivity USB, Ethernet and Wi-Fi
CD printing Yes
Weight/size (wxhxd) 15kg/616x322x214mm