Epson Stylus Photo PX720WD review
It's not ideal for office work, but if you want a superb MFP for creative projects you needn't spend more.
While Epson’s dye inks struggled to assert their authority on plain paper, they produce some of the best photos. In dark areas, where almost all the other printers fared badly, fine details were reproduced clearly – resulting in a huge improvement on two of our most challenging subjects. Despite not having a grey ink, the PX720WD delivered a stunning black and white photograph. None of its images showed any suggestion of grain, while their finish on Epson Premium Glossy paper was superb.
Images captured with the scanner were similarly impressive, with sharp focus and excellent preservation of detail in the lightest and darkest shades. Low-resolution scans were fast and even our 600dpi photo capture took only 16 seconds, though at a minute and seven seconds, the 1,200dpi test wasn’t quite the fastest.
The PX720WD has neither the highest print resolution nor the smallest droplet size, but its excellent photos show that the best specifications don’t necessarily equate to the best results. It isn’t the perfect choice if you have lots of plain-paper printing in mind, but the scanner is great and it isn’t too expensive to buy and run. While manufacturers often claim ‘lab quality’ photos, the PX720WD can actually deliver them. If you’re looking for an MFP for photo work, it’s a superb buy.
Basic Specifications | |
---|---|
Rating | ***** |
Maximum native print resolution | 5,760×1,440dpi |
Max optical resolution | 2,400×4,800dpi |
Quoted Speeds | |
Quoted speed, mono A4 | 40ppm |
Quoted speed, colour A4 | 40ppm |
Tested Print Speeds | |
Time for two 10x8in photos 1.0 | 4m 31s |
Time for six 6x4in photos 1.0 | 7m 51s |
Physical and Environmental | |
Standard printer interfaces | USB, PictBridge, 10/100 Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n wireless |
Optional printer interfaces | none |
Size | 446x458x150mm |
Weight | 9.6kg |
Noise (in normal use) | 36dB(A) |
Paper Handling | |
Maximum paper size | A4/legal |
Maximum paper weight | 300gsm |
Standard paper inputs | 2 |
Standard paper input capacity | 120 |
Duplex (code, cost if option) | Yes |
General | |
Printer technology | piezo inkjet |
Supported operating systems | Windows XP/XP-64/Vista/7, Mac OS X 10.4.11+ |
Other inkjet features | 6.3cm colour screen |
Other inkjet options | none |
Buying Information | |
Price | £133 |
Consumable parts and prices | £8 |
Price per colour A4 page | 4.9p |
Quoted life of supplied black cartridge | 330 pages (ISO/IEC 24712) |
Quoted life of supplied colour cartridge(s) | 855 cyan, 435 magenta, 620 yellow,330 light cyan, 620 light magenta pages (ISO/IEC 24712) |
Quoted life of supplied photo cartridge(s) | N/A |
Warranty | one-year RTB |
Supplier | http://uk.insight.com |
Details | www.epson.co.uk |
Print Quality | |
Number of ink colours | 6 |
Number of ink cartridges | 6 |
Maximum number of ink colours | 6 |
Maximum number of cartridges | 6 |
Quoted photo durability | 98 years |
Quoted photo durability source | Wilhelm Imaging Research |
Tested Scan Speeds | |
Full scan area preview | 11s |
A4 document at 150dpi | 12s |
A4 document at 300dpi | 18s |
6x4in photo at 600dpi | 16s |
6x4in photo at 1200dpi | 1m 7s |
Tested Copy Speeds | |
Time for single A4 mono copy 1.0 | 15s |
Time for single A4 colour copy 1.0 | 20s |
Time for 10 A4 copies using feeder 2.0 | N/A |
Photo Features | |
PictBridge support | Yes |
Borderless printing | A4 |
Direct (PC-less) printing | Yes |
Supported memory cards | CF, SD, SDHC, Memory Stick Pro, xD |
CD printing | Yes |
Copy Features | |
Maximum number of copies | 99 |
Max mono copy resolution | 600x600dpi |
Max colour copy resolution | 600x600dpi |
Fax Features | |
Max mono fax resolution | N/A |
Fax memory (maximum mono pages) | N/A |