Oversized value and prints of very high quality

The Epson Stylus Photo 1400 printer uses six cartridges. It can make borderless prints up to 13 x 19 inches. The cartridges hold more ink than previous models; please note that they cost about $20 per cartridge so this is a big investment in making your prints. Shop around for the inks, you can save a few bucks.

Color accuracy is excellent, running the full color spectrum with outstanding fidelity. It is recommended that you use the Wide Gamut working space in Photoshop. The black density is also very good.

You can compare this printer alongside other brands; some may be preferable over this unit, but the results are more than acceptable. Although this unit is not as fast as others, it is still fairly quick in delivering a full 13 x 19 inch print in less than 10 minutes at the highest quality setting. However, if you check the high speed printing option, speed is reduced by 50% and the difference in quality is negligible.

Black and White prints
There is no special driver to do black and white prints. However, they still come out very good and you won’t be displeased with the results. This unit also allows you to print photos and text on coated CDs and DVDs. You need to check with the website or manual to see what kind of special papers can be used, there are limitations in this area.

Archive quality: according to the Wilhelm Imaging Research tests, the image is expected to last 98 years while on display. If you have an urge to decorate your CDs or DVDs (personally, I use a Sharpie marker…it’s faster and quicker although low-tech) for your rock band, this could prove to be a good choice.

Purchasing Tips
As an FYI, if you are purchasing, it is $350 on the Epson website with a $50 rebate. Not a bad deal as it includes free shipping. You can shop around a bit on other websites and can get it for $20-$50 less. If you don’t have time to hunt all over, you are getting a pretty good deal by purchasing direct as you don’t have the surprise of the shipping costs.

Machine set up Printers that can output large photos have a larger footprint and are heavier. You have to make sure you have a desk or work area that can support this working situation. Many people have 2-3 printers and possibly one or two scanners. I'm self employed and have to do a lot of work for various clients, from personal photography to some wedding photography to correspondence. Some users need to have scanners that can automatically create a PDF, that scanner cannot work with an oversized photo.

The actual set up of the printer is relatively simple; install the disk, follow the instructions, and put the plugs where they belong. That is usually a no-brainer, but does require some planning in setting up the power and USB cords. If you are in the process of setting up a mini-studio, take a few minutes to plan the layout so that you can add paper, change inks, or fix a jam without becoming a contortionist. The worst case scenario is having things all set up and discovering you can't unjam the printer without disconnecting other equipment.

For all you techies, below is information that I obtained from the Epson website:
Printing Technology: 6-color advanced DX5 MicroPiezo ink jet technology optimized for photo printing

Ink Cartridge Configuration: 6 individual high-capacity ink cartridges
Ink Type: Claria Hi-Definition Ink (smudge, scratch, water and fade resistant photos)

Light Resistance / Print Longevity: Up to 98 years under glass, Up to 200 years album storage 1

Minimum Ink Droplet Size: 1.5 picoliters
Maximum Resolution (dots per inch): 5760 x 1440 optimized dpi

Print Speed:
Up to 15 ppm black text, up to 15 ppm color²
4" x 6" Borderless Photo
4" x 6" photo in as fast as 46 sec²
8" x 10" Borderless Photo
8" x 10" borderless photo in as fast as 1 min 51 sec²

Special Features
Auto photo correction 3
Direct Camera Connection
PictBridge (tm) port (cameras/phones)
Exif
Direct CD/DVD Printing
Ink jet printable CDs and DVDs

Maximum Paper Size: Up to 13" x 19" BorderFree (tm)

Paper Sizes: 4" x 6", 5" x 7", 8" x 10", A4 (8.3" x 11.7"), letter (8.5" x 11"), legal (8.5" x 14"), 11" x 14", 12" x 12", B (11" x 17"), A3 (11.7" x 16.5") and Super B (13" x 19")

Borderless Photo Sizes: 4" x 6", 5" x 7", 8" x 10", A4 (8.3" x 11.7"), letter (8.5" x 11"),11" x 14", B (11" x 17"), 12" x 12" and Super B (13" x 19")

Paper Types: Supports plain paper, Epson Bright White Paper, Photo Paper Glossy, Premium Photo Paper Glossy, Ultra Premium Photo Paper Glossy, Premium Photo Paper Semi-gloss, Ultra Premium Photo Paper Luster, Presentation Paper Matte, Premium Presentation Paper Matte, Ultra Premium Presentation Paper Matte, and Ultra Premium Presentation Paper Matte Double-sided

Envelope Types: No. 10

Input Paper Capacity: 120 sheets plain paper, 20 sheets Premium Photo Paper Glossy

Recommended Ink Cartridges:
79 High-Capacity Black; T079120
79 High-Capacity Cyan; T079220
79 High-Capacity Magenta; T079320
79 High-Capacity Yellow; T079420
79 High-Capacity Light Cyan; T079520
79 High-Capacity Light Magenta; T079620
See note 4

Weight: 25.4 lb Printing: 24.2" x 31.6" x 16.3" Storage: 24.2" x 12.4" x 8.8"
Case Color: Silver and black
Connectivity: Hi-Speed USB 2.0
Operating Systems: Windows® 2000, XP, XP Professional x64 and Windows Vista™ Macintosh® OS X 10.2.8, 10.3.9 and 10.4.x

Software Included: Epson® printer driver, Epson Print CD, Web to Page 3, Adobe Photoshop Elements Color Management
PhotoEnhance 3, ICM or ColorSync™ with ICC profiles

Sound Level: 47 dB per ISO 7779
Temperature: Operating: 50 °to 95 °F (10° to 35°C), Storage: 4° to 104 °F (-20 ° to 40 °C) [one month at 40 °C]

Relative Humidity: Operating: 20㫨% Storage: 5㫭% (no condensation)

Safety Approvals: Safety standards UL60950-1-CAN/CSA-22.2 No. 60950-1 EMC FCC Part 15 subpart B class B, CAN/CSA-CEI/IEC CISPR 22 class B
Power Requirements

Rated voltage: 100𤩨 V AC
Rated frequency: 50㫔 Hz
Rated current: 0.5 A (Max .06 A)
Power Consumption

Approx. 16 W ISO 10561
Approx. 1.2 W (Standby Mode)
ENERGY STAR compliant

Warranty: One-year limited in the U.S. and Canada

Notes
1 Ink lightfastness ratings based on accelerated testing of prints on specialty media, stored in an album. Actual print stability will vary according to media, printed image, display conditions, light intensity, humidity and atmospheric conditions. Epson does not guarantee the longevity of prints. For maximum print life, display all prints under glass or properly store them. Visit www.wilhelm-research.com for the latest information.

2 PPM speed measured after first page, based on black and color text patterns in Draft Mode on plain paper. Color photo in Photo Mode on Epson Premium Photo Paper Glossy measured from start of paper feed. Additional print time will vary based on system configuration, software application and page complexity. See www.epson.com/printspeed for more information about print speeds.

3 Not available when printing using Mac OS X

4 We recommend that you use genuine Epson ink cartridges. The use of other products may affect your print quality and could result in printer damage. Yields vary considerably based on images printed, print settings, paper type, frequency of use and temperature. For print quality, a small amount of ink remains in the cartridge after the “Replace cartridge” indicator comes on. The printer ships with full cartridges and part of the ink from the first cartridges is used for priming the printer. See www.epson.com/cartridgeinfo for more information about cartridges.