I haven’t been all too interested in printers for the last year and a half or so. The reason for this is quite simple — I have been making a concerted effort to be as “paperless” as possible. Thanks to my iPhone, iPad and the various apps that are now available for them, there is little I actually NEED to print. And on those rare occasions when I DO need something printed out … I just send an email to my assistant and ask her to print it using her laser printer. The result? I don’t have or need a printer in my study at the synagogue and the printer at home only sees use when printing shipping labels for Gear Diary giveaway prizes. And THAT’S handled by “Gear Diary Shipping North East Division”, aka Elana. 🙂
That changed when I began taking photography more seriously last summer. I have been shooting hundreds of pictures and, along the way, have had some beginner’s luck that let me capture a few that really stand out. I love sharing my pictures on my iPad, but there are a few that I actually want to print and frame. That’s where the review sample of the Epson Expression Premium XP-800 Small-in-One Printer comes in. This diminutive printer does it all and, thankfully, that includes printing amazing pictures on Epson’s special glossy photo paper. Let’s take a closer look.
From Epson:
Brilliant photos, sharp text, 2-sided printing, copying, scanning and more — you get it all with the full-featured, space-saving Expression Premium XP-800 Small-in-One printer. Use the intuitive 3.5″ touchscreen with gesture navigation for easy setup and operation. Always ready to print, the XP-800 features a dedicated photo tray, as well as an auto-extend output tray. And, with the 30-page Automatic Document Feeder, the XP-800 can copy, scan or fax stacks of originals while you take care of other business. It makes it easy to take on any creative project with direct CD/DVD printing, plus a rear paper feed for card stock, envelopes and more. Featuring convenient wireless and Ethernet networking, the XP-800 can be shared with everyone in the family. Print from any room in the house. You can even print from your iPad, iPhone, tablet or smartphone with Epson Connect. And, the XP-800 includes Apple AirPrint™ and Google Cloud Print™ support. It’s all at your fingertips with the ultra-versatile Expression Premium XP-800.
The list of features offered by the XP-800 is impressive. Let’s quickly run them down.
Superior image quality — brilliant photos and sharp text, all with one Small-in-One printer
Save paper — automatic 2-sided printing, copying and scanning
Intuitive navigation — 3.5″ touchscreen with gesture navigation
Do more — 30-page Auto Document Feeder included to quickly copy / scan / fax stacks of 2-sided originals
Superior performance, Small-in-One design — get all the tools you need for photos, documents and more, while saving valuable space on your desk
Epson Connect™ — print and share from anywhere; convenient mobile printing from smartphones, tablets and more; also supports Apple AirPrint™ and Google Cloud Print
One-of-a-kind creative projects — rear paper feed accommodates specialty paper, print directly onto inkjet printable CDs / DVDs
Always ready to print — auto-extend output tray and dedicated photo tray
PC-free printing of brilliant borderless photos — built-in card slots 3.5″ touchscreen with gesture navigation
Smudge, scratch and water resistant prints — worry-free handling; share photos or archive important documents right after printing
Brilliant results, smart value — individual ink cartridges; replace only the color you need
What Epson refers to as “Eco Features” make this little printer even more impressive. What ARE those Eco Features? Epson lists them as the ability to save up to 50% on paper thanks to automatic two-sided printing and copying, the ability to print on recycled paper and the fact that the XP-800 is ENERGY STAR® qualified. Will such features actually get me to buy one printer over another? Probably not, but it is nice to see a company like Epson being conscious of such things.
I first saw this printer at a demo in New York back in July. At the time, this very same tiger image was sitting in the output tray. It looked fantastic. The colors were vibrant. The detail was superb. It looked almost alive. It was THAT stunning. Quite frankly, I didn’t think the picture could possibly have been created using this printer. It was. How do I know? Simple, the review sample came and, once I started l the loading the paper tray properly this picture shot during July’s Gear Fest came out.
Yes, I will admit that my first few attempts saw me loading the paper upside down. I was perplexed why the pictures were as lousy as they were. Oops. There is a reason products come with instruction manuals. 🙂
It also let me print this.
Hopefully these pictures of a printed picture give you some sense of the quality. If not, trust me, they look pretty amazing!
And at no time has the printer been physically connected to my computer! I LOVE wireless printing.
So while the XP-800 comes loaded with the features you want and need in an All-In-One, things like a touchscreen and the ability to print and share from anywhere using Apple AirPrint and Google Cloud Print, it is the photo-printing prowess that really stands out.
Sure, ink cartridges for a printer like this are ridiculously expensive but that is the nature of the beast. And since you only need to replace those cartridges that run out there is less waste and expense than there would be were it to use just a single integrated cartridge.
I’ll be using this review sample for some time to come. And while it will likely not see a lot of document printing, there is no question it will see more than its fair share of image printing. You can order yours for just $229 here through our Amazon Affiliate Store.
MSRP: $279.99
What I Like: Small; All-In-One does pretty much anything and everything you will want from a printer; Wireless printing built right in; Touchscreen is nicely responsive; Menus make setup and use simple; Printed pictures are stunning
What Needs Improvement: Nothing, it is a superb all-in-one
