With remarkable speed and precision, theEpson Stylus® C86 delivers sharp, vivid resultsevery day, every project. A champion performerwhatever the task at hand, this high-value printerenables anyone to create brilliant, long-lastingresults.
Water, smudge, and light-resistant DURABrite® Inksensure Photo Quality prints to preserve cherished photos or importantdocuments. 5760 x 1440 optimized dpi offers astounding clarity and detailfor consistently vibrant color, text and graphics. The Epson Stylus C86even offers true BorderFree™ printing for frame-ready prints in severalpopular sizes. And, this DURABrite Photo Series printer comes with 20 sheetsof photo paper, Photo Series software, and quick access to Epson’s exclusivephoto craft and photo sharing websites.
In addition to its extraordinary output, this powerful ink jet makes it easy toget more done with incredible high-speed printing. The Epson Stylus C86speeds through black text at up to 22 ppm and color at up to 12 ppm. Plus,its individual ink cartridges provide added convenience, as well as morecost-effective operation.
With USB and Parallel connectivity, plus networking and wireless options,this printer is the ideal solution for both Windows® and Macintosh® computers.Now, anyone can achieve superior results, project after project,with the exceptional power and performance of theEpson Stylus C86.
1 Print Nozzles clog frequently
I've never written a review before but I figgure Epson needs a little BAD press. I Have owned a C84 and C86, both printers print very crisp images when the print heads aren't clogged. I've wasted soooo much money on ink (Cleaning the heads) that my Epson buying days are over. Don't be fooled on the low price the Ink will cost you. Even if you buy off-label ink.
2 Prints beautifully for a year, then becomes a paperweight
I have owned two C82 printers and folks have owned two C84 printers (two of each because one of each failed during the warranty period.) Know that every 18 months or so Epson releases a new model number of the same printer, and has historically failed to address the issues of the previous version. Search the web for "clogged nozzles" and "C82 and C84" and you'll find a lot of info from users with problems (you may not find such feedback YET on the C86 because the model number is relatively new and not enough time has elapsed to allow the printheads, etc to clog up. If past experience is any indicator, it'll only be a matter of time until you experience the same issues.
As one of the previous reviewers mentioned, after a while of use, the printheads, etc clog and none of the routine diagnostics and remedies work. You are left with the option of either sending the item to a service center, or buying a new printer (if out of warranty.) Since repair costs exceed the cost of a new unit (after rebates), it is generally not worth the cost of repair. Seiko/Epson customer service won't stand behind the product after the warranty has lapsed and are very quick to point out the customer is on their own or has to foot the bill for a repair.
For those of you interested in a disposable printer (which works great for the first year or first few cartridge changes) the print quality is very good. Though the printer is VERY thirsty (it goes through a lot of ink quickly), the cost of printing per page is reported to be among the lowest going.
I suggest owners who want this short-term operational printer, I suggest you consider purchasing some extra inks (so as not to run dry unexpectedly soon.)
Unfortunately, Epson quality is no longer what it was in the 80s and 90s (it WAS the gold standard.) I may look to go back to HP to replace mine (which will be going to dump this weekend.)
Don't let the low initial purchase price fool you...this item uses the Gilette razor approach: the base item is very cheap, but the refills are where the company makes their living.
Bottom line, it's a DISPOSABLE PRINTER and is not worth the frustration.
3 Save your money and buy an HP.
I purchased an Epson C84 printer when I bought my Mac G5. The printer was "free" with rebate which is the good news. Previously I've only owned HP Deskjets so I thought I understood how all inkjets behaved. Not so.
First, the Epson will run you poor due to incredible ink usage. Expect to replace the black ink cartridge every two months with typical printing. Also, the printer uses a finite amount of color ink even if you print exclusively in black and white. The printer needs to do this in order to keep the nozzles flowing. Mine haven't yet clogged but from reviews posted here and elsewhere it is only a matter of time. You'll need to replace the color cartridge about every 6 months. More frequently if you print photos.
Second, you MUST keep spare ink on hand. If you forget and let a cartidge (any color) run out the printer shuts down and you cannot print! At least with my previous experience with HPs you could "limp home" and print an off color or "streaky" black and white document.
I've owned this printer for one year and have spent about $200 on ink! The black cartridge just ran out again and it's the end for this money pit. I'll be selling it at a garage sale next week.
4 Great print quality.....but.....
First, let me say that the Epson C86 (and C84, the earlier version) produces beautiful prints, especially considering the fact it uses pigment inks (DuraBrite) rather than the dye based inks that HP and Canon use. As a rule, dye based inks have a wider color gamut and are more vivid, particularly on glossy paper, than pigment inks, but I also have an HP deskjet 9650 (A3) Photo printer and the Epson prints are very close in quality to those from the HP, especially when I use the DuraBrite Glossy Photo paper.
Now for the bad news. First, everyone should realize when you buy an inkjet printer, you are actually buying a profit generating machine for the company that builds it. A very large percentage of the corporate profits of Epson and HP come from the sale of, you guessed it.....ink. They sell the printers at or close to cost, but make a killing on those tiny ink cartridges, and this is where the Epson will get you. Epson printers have a permanent, built-in printhead and it will sooner or later start to clog (do a Google search for Epson clogged nozzles.....you'll get over 6000 hits). When this happens, your prints will look really bad (banding and missing colors), and the "Epson solution" for this is to run cleaning cycles, which will burn through those high dollar cartridges even faster. I have had two Epson's to clogg almost completely, both within a week after the warranty had run out. Also, if the cartridge is low on ink, the printer will refuse to run a cleaning cycle until you replace the cartridge with a new one, then it will waste the ink in your new cartridge attempting to clear the nozzles. Epson cartridges have a microchip built in supposedly to monitor the ink remaining in the cartridge, but I have my suspicions that it may be responsible for the previous problems I mentioned as well as making it difficult (but not impossible) to refill the cartridges.
If you do not use your printer regularly, I would recommend that you steer clear of Epson, the clogging problem is worse if you let the printer set for long periods of time without using it. In this case I would suggest HP or Canon, my HP printers set for several months at a time and very rarely get a clogged nozzle, one cleaning cycle usually clears it up. Also, the HP printers have the printhead built into the cartridge, so every time you replace the cartridge you get a brand new printhead. However, the HP cartridges are tiny with very little ink (thanks Carly.....glad you got the ax), if you do a lot of printing you had better have some cash.
Finally, if you are having clogging problems, my solution might work for you and save some of your money from flowing into Epson's pockets. First, try to print something every day, even if it's just one small 4 x 6 photo. You want to keep the ink (all four colors) flowing in the printheads, letting the printer set will definitely cause you problems. Sooner or later, the printhead will clog and the nozzle test will show a clogged nozzle (broken lines). DO NOT run a cleaning cycle (this is exactly what Epson wants you to do.....it's money in their pocket). Instead, and there are a number of ways to do this (Google it), move the cartridge/printhead assembly to the center or left of the printer and immediately pull the plug, this will leave the area where the printhead is normally "parked" accessible. I take an eyedropper and soak the two small sponges that normally cover the printhead with Radio Shack tape head cleaner (alcohol), plug the printer back in, wait for the printhead to park itself and then cut the printer off with the switch. You want to do this as quickly as possible, don't ever leave the printhead "unparked" for any length of time. I usually let the printer set overnight, turn it on the next day and my nozzle check is perfect.....all without wasting any of that high dollar ink. Some people use Windex or distilled water, some people say not to use any of them including the alcohol.....that it will destroy the printhead, but I've had good luck with the tape head cleaner. Just remember, do this at your own risk....this will probably void your warranty if Epson finds out. If the printer is under warranty and you are unable to get the printhead nozzles restored, I would just ship it back to Epson, they'll probably send you a "refurbished" replacement. If it's out of warranty, I figure there is really nothing to lose.
The Epson C86 is basically disposable (made in Indonesia) junk. It is often cheaper to buy a new printer and use the cartridges in your old printer rather than buy replacement cartridges alone. This way you will have a backup printer when the nozzles become hopelessly clogged in your original printer. The reason I continue to use the Epson is because it produces really nice prints (when it's working) that have excellent fade resistance. I frame a lot of my artwork and photographs and don't won't them to fade after a few months. I would like to have an Epson A3 printer (2200 or the new R1800) but refuse to purchase one because of the clogging problems, it's one thing to trash an $80 printer.....quite a different matter to throw a $600 one in the dumpster.
5 Excellent affordable general use printer
This is a great printer for text and graphics. It is very fast, the text looks sharp and the colors are vibrant. This printer was an upgrade from an HP and the set of cartridges for the HP was over $100 while the epsons are about $50. Also the epson cartridges last far longer. Some people have mentioned that the first set of cartridges don't last and I have found this to be entirely untrue. I still have the orginal set (although black is almost out) and I have printed AT LEAST 350 pages. The ink is incrediblely resiliant. Even when printed on standard paper outdoor flyers just do not run. This is a good printer and is made even better by the very low price.
6 Two weeks old and uses too much ink
Had to replace the black cartridge after a week and a half of light usage. New black cartridge is small and cost $25. Fortunately the old printer is still in the garage and can be brought back. This one is going in the trash when the replacement cartridge runs out. Printer is quiet and prints with good quality.
Cost of the printer was low due to rebate so it was not too bad to try comething new even if ink cost is not satisfactory. However, it seems that manufacturers should disclose ink usage rate and capacity before the purchase.
7 Who writes these good reviews? Epson viral marketers. . .
This printer is horrible, simply horrible. I bought it because of a rebate offer which made the stupid thing cheap. I'm still waiting for the rebate months later. Hello, Epson?
That would be okay if the printer was good. But this printer sucks ink like I've never seen; the initial black cartridge lasted for about 15 pages, no kidding! The refills cost a FORTUNE, you have to change multiple colors, it is never aligned right, cheap ink doesn't work well, and it uses all the colors to print black/white (no idea why).
DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS PRINTER! YOU WILL REGRET PURCHASING THIS PRINTER!
8 2nd bad printer in 3 months
Maybe I am having bad luck..The first one quit printing yellow and Mag after the first cartridges ran out...Bought new epson ones and ran clean utility probably 10 times.. called Epson and they agreed and sent a new one...Now today it is doing the same thing, ink shows 20% full so to be safe I installed new cartridges all around..No change in color... I will be back on the phone with Epson tomorrow.
But when it works it looks great..Perfect quality and color.
9 Inexpensive Black and White Photo Printer, Stunning Prints
Wow. Just, wow. Finally, a decent black and white print. In fact, it's not only decent, it's stunning. It's not only stunning, it will last 100 years like a traditional photo. Let me tell you how.
If you're into digital photography, eventually you will wander into black and white print territory. You will discover what we all do, that the latest/greatest printer that you bought makes absolutely horrid black and white prints. Stands to reason, you have all color cartridges. Trying to make clean grays, free of nasty color casts, out of cyan, magenta, yellow and black is all but impossible. Forget about it.
You jump on-line to do some homework. You learn making B&W prints is expensive and involved. You need Photoshop. You need expensive "RIP" software that's specific for your printer.
Enter a company called MIS Inks. They make black and white ink cartridges that replace the C,Y,M,K for this printer, the C82, abd C84 Epson Stylus printers. Simply replace the color Durabrites with these cartridges when you want a black and white print. (It's recommended you print a page of something colorful, like a graph to clear the printheads of the color inks. Google "MIS Inks" for the link for these inks. Look for their "EZ Black and White" line. Read up, as you need different cartridges depeding on your printer, and different blacks for glossy or matte paper.) Out pops an absolutely stunning black and white print.
The C86 is also one of the best text printers. As far as some of the issues others are having, can't say this has been my experience. I haven't had it long but it's thus far never clogged and paper never jams.
I now have two printers, both Epsons. The R200 is for six color photos made with dye-based inks, direct printing on CDs, and color text/graphics printing. The C86 is for making black and white photos, and straight black text printer. Not including inks, the price paid for all this capability (both printers)? About $150. Needless to say, I'm in the Epson camp.
10 Great Inkjet Printer for Under $100
Some reviewers seem to have trouble with the paper feed on the C86, but I've printed a few hundred documents and have not had a single problem, and I switch between different weight paper frequently. The document tray holds over 50 sheets and the feeder has not jammed once.
While it's true that the black ink that came with printer didn't last long (maybe 150 to 200 sheets of text) the printer will accept a high-capicity black cartridge. And when ink runs out, the printer tells you which color is empty with the press of a button, making replacement easy.
I use the printer primarily for text and spread sheet documents and the clarity is excellent, especially when you choose the "Fine," Photo," or "Best Photo" options from the Advanced print settings. The better the quality, the slower the output, as you would expect. But, the "Photo" printing options produce laser quality results on smooth paper, but again, not with laser speed. Good for only occasional unhurried use. With normal print settings, it cranks out text documents super fast.
Set-up was easy to Mac OS X 10, but like most low-cost printers, no USB cable is included in the box.
11 horribly engineered - DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY
This printer is wonderfully inexpensive and prints beautifully. However, the ink cartridges do not last very long (and the "recommended" ones are prohibitively expensive), and the cheap replacement ones you can find on the 'net don't work very well. The paper tray holds about 4 sheets at a time (okay, maybe I'm exaggerating....20 sheets). And the worst? The paper jams every third time you print, wasting time, paper, and ink. And now, for some reason, it won't load a sheet properly, so everything I print comes out lop-sided (and the sheet is bent on one side). I've used Epson and HP printers for years, and this is quite simply the poorest printer I've ever used. I will try to return it, but I've had it for several weeks now, and I don't know if they'll take it back.
12 Not a good choice for infrequent users.
Epson's DuraBrite inks print beautifully, I have to admit, and the printer itself is quiet and fast. However, the reasonable price and colorfast pigment inks are offset by horrendous clogging problems and high usage for the (really not effective) print head cleaning cycles. I have seen numerous problem reports on this and other Epson series printers that use the DuraBrite inks (whether OEM or compatible doesn't seem to be the issue)- it is much harder to keep the nozzles clear on this than my old Stylus Color 740. Also, many people have had problems with the ink pump hoses detaching after the first cartridge replacement. Too bad, I really liked it when it worked.
13 OK printer, poor refill
I have used the Epson C86 through one cartridge change. The printer has performed well, no cause for concern. I should eventually get it for free after a mail in rebate on a camera+printer bundle.
What I'm writing to report is something I haven't seen reported much - its printer dialog interface, and ease (or lack thereof) of ink refill. There are 2 important features missing on this printer: 1. The ability to print banners. I was looking forward to printing out some panoramas since it prints photo quality. 2. It lacks the ability to set auto-on from printer preferences. The Canon bubblejet I had before this one that I used for almost 3 yrs had a checkbox in its dialog so I didn't need to turn on the printer for jobs. It would turn itself on upon receiving a feed, print, then turn off in 5 min or so. The Epson C86 does not have that feature. Either I must leave it on all the time or must turn it on and off manually all the time.
Now about ink refill. I've gradually become a believer in refills. Although this printer has separate color cartridges, each cart is 5-10ml which is quite little, and the cartridge "looks" pretty thin. Now at 10 bux plus for each new, I REALLY want to refill the ones I have. Well, I learned that Epson cartridges host a chip that counts the number of droplets used and signals to the printer to stop using it after certain number of droplets.
[...]
It totally seems like Epson would like to extort the money from its customers to buy new, thin, low -capacity cartridges all the time. Just no consideration for user's money and the environment. OK so now you can buy resetters (a device the size of a mini-snickers bar) that will reset the chip count. Great, so I get one for about 8 dollars. The woes don't end here. It turns out the fill hole also points to the ground so if you fill it, you better have a great way to seal, which I haven't discovered yet.
So for now, I'm going to try refilling its cartridges. And I think I will be doing some research into refilling potential for each printer I buy from here on out.
14 Good print quality, but the paper feed is erratic
For the large amount of ink this printer seems to go through, it is gratifying that at least the print quality is more than acceptable.
This is the printer I use in my home office, where I seldom print even five pages a day. I am not a novice at using printers, so it is a little bit of a surprise that the machine so frequently refuses to load a page for printing. I stand up, ruffle the paper AGAIN, reload, and usually it prints -- at least by the second or third time of going through these motions.
Although my printing volume is very low, it is nice that the machine dependably produces "client worthy" documents, even when these include line drawings. Without question this is the best inexpensive printer I have used in that respect. The cost seems to be the speed at which ink cartridges run out. And it would be nice not to have to fuss so much about the paper.
15 Incomplete Catriges
The printer is good and gives affordable prints but it is quite sad that EPSON spoil the impact by including incomplete propably refurbished catriges when you buy the printer. Also in genral color prints are fine but careful with document the black ink runs out before you know it. Overall good priter but the Ink esp. black is costly and makes you wonder.
16 Epson Cartridges Waste Ink & Have "Smart Chips"
Wonder why you're getting a printer so cheap? You're probalby only getting reject half filled ink tanks included, and look at the cost of new cartridges and consider how frequently you may need to buy them unless you hardly ever do any printing.
People are fed up with printer manufacturers having cartridges with sponges that don't refill well (Lexmark), or smart chips that prevent refills (Epson), not to mention HP's methods including "Expired Cartridge" messages, etc. If we don't, as consumers, vote "no" by not buying these printers and sending letters to CEO's we'll just get more of the same scamming.
I was excited to read about Canon Pixma IP3000 & up models with separate ink-tanks & no smart chips. Examining all the Pixma models at a local store I noticed this extra pull down tray in the front-middle. After full investigation, it's a disabled/never will work CD/DVD printing bay. Yet the same models in Europe have a working CD/DVD print bay. The USA price does not reflect the non-functional CD/DVD printing either. So I will (doubtedly) try to get a Euro model or wait for Canon to release USA models that are fully functional. I may end up temporarly buying the Epson R200 but I feel like I should be ashamed supporting Epson and their smart-chip scam. There is a chip resetter device (avg. $10 to $15) but I don't know if it works well yet. Forget Lexmark unless you have money to burn on cartridges. And there's concern about Epson printers wasting/spraying ink all over the inside (read all R200 reviews) that soon causes problems (dries solid/hard). The Canon has ink tanks with no smart chips, look easily refillable, and their print head underneath the ink tanks holder is also removable (i.e. replacable, but I don't know what that will cost. If other printers' print heads go you pretty much resort to trashing the printer). It looks like the Pixma line is leading the way in printing and cartridge technology. Canon: Kudos for heading a little more environmetally responsible with the Pixmas obviously designed for long-term usage in mind but PLEASE get those CD/DVD printing trays functional soon!
17 Excellent buy for a home printer
I recently bought this printer and I am very satisfied with the performance. The installation was easy, it was hooked and ready in 5 min.
The regualr text prints are of excellent clarity and good speed.
The ink cartridges are used very efficiently and the colors are in individual cartridges, I printed around 30 4x6 prints the first day and I hardly noticed any change in the levels of ink.
But it takes around 3 - 5 min to print a 4x6. I have not used other printers so, I cannot compare. But it is slower than what I expected the speed to be.
Also, I had to increase the brightness of the image by 20 - 30 % using the photo editing software to get a good print. My camera is Nikon 3200 and the editing software I used was ACDsee view.
Overall, I am very satisfied with the performance of the printer. I would recommend this to anybody I know for their home.
18 Good and affordable!
This is the upgrade to the C84. This isn't a huge advancement, and if you have the C84, don't bother. If however, you're looking for a new printer for home use, consider this one. It's marginally faster than it's predecessor (by 2-3 ppgs/minute), the print cost run the same (It uses the same catridges), and the resolution is the same (very high resolution).
It uses individual color cartridges rather than the tricolor cartridge of HP's, which I find helps cut down on ink cost. The printer is fairly effeicient with it's ink, and I don't have to replace cartridges often.
The input tray really doesn't hold many sheets; I find I have problems with feeding if more than 50-60 sheets are in it, but again, it's not meant as a high volume printer, so that's not a big deal.
Like the C84, it prints very good photos and graphics, and excellent text. It's meant as an affordable all around, low through medium volume use (less than 500 sheets/month) printer. It excels in this role. If you, like me, print a fair amount of text (100 pages a month give or take) and some photos, but need high quality all around, this is a great printer for you, espically at the price. For your average home user, it's an excellent choice.
19 Incredible Affordable Printer!!!!!!!!!!!
I bought this printer for college, and I could not be any more impressed.
The photo quality is very impressive, especially with photo paper.
The text and graphics are bold and crisp, and make documents look better than ever.
Also the DuraBright ink is AMAZING!!!!!!, you can run the paper underwater, and it doesnt run at all.
The onlu negative thinsg are that it is on the large size, and it doesnt include a USB cable.
20 Remarkable Print Quality for the Price
The Epson Stylus C86 is an ideal personal desktop printer that can produce outstanding photographic prints when used with care.
I needed a personal printer to sit beside my computer that could handle moderate volume. I still use the networked office printer down the hall for occasional bulk jobs, but the Stylus C86 is perfect for most day-to-day work. Ordinary text printing is fast and sharp. I've used it with perforated postcard sheets very successfully, and the 'fine' setting produces truly excellent typographic resolution.
Printing high quality digital photos on any printer is a skill that takes a good deal of practice, and the nature of the output depends as much on details of the input file as it does on the quality of the printer. With carefully prepared CMYK digital images, and good photo paper such as Epson's Enhanced Matte paper (a must for quality work), I've been able to produce amazing digital prints with the Stylus C86. Co-workers couldn't believe they had been output from an inexpensive desktop printer.
Epson recommends the DuraBrite inks with this printer, and that is what I use. There's no doubt they are expensive, and the cost of replacement cartridges is a drawback of all inkjet printers. The claimed advantage of these specific inks is that they are pigment based and so do not fade as dye-based inks do. I haven't done a thorough test of this, but there is no question that the inks are more durable than the dye-based inks used in an older Canon printer I had: prints from that machine would be noticeably faded after only a few months. It is hardly worth making digital photo prints at all if the colors won't last, and the DuraBrite inks used in the Stylus C86 are certainly superior to many others. Further, the cartridges are individually replaceable so if you use a lot of cyan (say), you can replace only the cyan cartridge without having to discard the remaining yellow and magenta. The software that comes with the printer is adequate (if inelegant), and it lets you check the amount of ink remaining in each color and clean the print nozzles when needed.
It's important not to judge this printer by the wrong standards. It isn't meant to be a rugged, high-volume, multi-user office printer. It's a personal printer that will perform very well for an individual user, and it can produce stunning photo prints with good paper and a good input file. Are there more durable, heavy-duty printers available? Of course. They cost much more. Are there printers that will produce commercial-quality photo prints quickly and in high volume? Of course. They cost much more, too. It is the combination of both quality and price that make the Epson Stylus C86 a truly remarkable personal printer. I use mine every day.
21 Super Printer
Being that parallel printers are getting harder to come by, I found the Epson still makes a few. After dealing with an HP 3820 which only lasted two years, I found it was time to go to another brand.
The Epson Stylus C86 was easy to install and prints like a charm. Now of course, I'm still back in the boondocks with Windows 98, but the printer is super fast, easy to change the cartridges and appears a bit more durable than the cheap HP products.
Yes, Epson, I'm riding in your boat for now on!
22 Good printer
It works very well with my iBook G3 and iMac G5. Besides, it works with my Airport Express. The only problem is that doesn't work well with Rhinotek compatible cartridges.
