Epson Stylus Photo R3000 review

Epson was not prepared to disclose detailed page yield and ink consumption figures to us, so we’ve had to approximate print costs based on data derived from an older printer using a similar ink system, in this case the Epson Stylus Photo R2800.

With each cartridge priced at around £24, we estimate the cost of a page of mono A4 text at 4.7p – a very good reason to use a different printer for text documents. Meanwhile, the combined ink costs of a page of mixed-colour printing should be around 18p. Including Epson Premium Glossy photo paper, a 6x4in photo is likely to cost around 52p, with 22p of that cost made up by ink. In a similar vein, an A4 print including paper should come in at around £1.49, with an A3 print costing £3.41.

The Stylus Photo R3000 is unquestionably one of the best photo printers you can buy, and it’s priced accordingly, at £551. Although the £500 Canon Pixma Pro-10 renders dark tones with greater depth and subtlety, the R3000’s dynamic rendering of bright colours as well as its glossier finish on appropriate papers will appeal to many users. We’re not at all happy with Epson’s unwillingness to reveal print costs, though, especially given that, by all appearances, this printer is likely to be expensive to run. It’s largely because of this uncertainty that the R3000 gets four rather than five stars.