Your home photo center.Imagine having a powerful photo center right at your fingertipsone that's so easy, anyone can create brilliant borderless portraits and enlargements. The feature-rich Epson Stylus® Photo RX500 all-in-one offers all this and more, delivering Photo Quality prints,copies and scans with or without a computer. In fact, it's so versatile, it's the perfect solution for all your photographic needs.
With superior 6-color Photo Inks and up to 5760 x 1440 optimized dpi, this innovative all-in-one provides vibrant color photos that are made to last. With many popular BorderFree paper sizes to choose from, it couldn't be easier to make BorderFree prints for framing or to place in an album. For added flexibility, Epson Stylus Photo RX500 all-in-one includes built-in card slots and a convenient photo proof sheet to select and print photos from popular memory cards.
The Epson Stylus Photo RX500 also offers fast PC-free photo copying. Whether it delivers vivid reprints or multiple photos on a page, each is as sharp as the original. As for scanning, you will be amazed at your options. Aside from powerful 2400 x 4800 optical dpi, 48 bit color scanning, the Stylus RX500 also offers Epson's exclusive Easy Photo Fix technology to restore your faded photographs to their original, vibrant color. With the built-in transparency unit, you can scan your 35mm negative and slides.
Epson's Scan to Card technology lets you scan your documents and photos to a memory card without a computer so you can take your documents and photos with your electronically.
With cost-saving individual ink cartridges, plus connectivity for both Windows® and Macintosh® systems, this remarkable performer offers an easy, affordable solution for all your photo imaging needs.
If you love to play with your digital camera but also need a serious printer that can get your office reports looking great, consider this Epson all-in-one. Based on the engines of the popular Epson Stylus Photo R300 printer and the Epson Perfection 2400 scanner, the Stylus Photo RX500 adds standalone copying (no PC required) and saves valuable desk space compared to separate components. It is both versatile and reliable, enabling you to scan photos, text, or negatives; to make copies; and to print anything from borderless 4-by-6-inch photos to business envelopes.
The flatbed scanner offers 2,400 dpi optical (9,600 dpi interpolated) resolution and 48-bit color to bring your scanned images rich detail and crisply defined color separation. Archive your family photos, save your favorite articles on your hard drive, or assemble a slide show. You can also save your scans directly to a compatible memory card, even without a PC.
Instant copies can be created in four different resolutions--top speed for black copies is 10 copies per minute. When printing from your system, the RX500 produces black documents in draft mode up to 17 ppm, 16 ppm for color. Take your time and seek perfection with the optimized 5,760 x 1,440 dpi mode, for beautifully sharp photos. In a faster mode, borderless 4-by-6-inch prints appear in as little as 37 seconds. Insert your digital camera's compatible memory card and print your evening's shots while bypassing your system. Just use the photo proof sheet mode to select only images you need.
Consumable costs are low, thanks to six separate high-yield ink tanks--you can expect up to 630 pages from the black cartridge and 430 pages from the color cartridges, based on 5% page coverage. The modern silver and black casing adds a sleek touch to your office space, while the included USB cable couldn't be more convenient. Epson provides a one-year warranty covering parts and service; Epson Exchange service is included.
What's in the Box
Epson Stylus Photo RX500, one cyan ink cartridge (T048220), one light cyan ink cartridge (T048520), one magenta ink cartridge (T048320), one light magenta ink cartridge (T048620), one yellow ink cartridge (T048420), one black ink cartridge (T048120), one USB cable, all-in-one documentation, CD-ROM containing all-in-one drivers and software (Windows and Macintosh), transparency unit, film holder, document mat, paper tray, paper guide
1 Complicated excellent Quality
After an extended search for all in one under $300 this was the clear winner. After searching the web for comparitives reviews for photo printing and finding none useful, I conducted my own comparison. I took a couple jpg files to the local superstore and had photos printed on the leading photo HP, Canon, Epson printers and at the local Drupstore. I also had the photo uploaded to Snapfish. Snapfish was clearly this winner in the test. Epson was a easy second - beat the drugstore by a longshot. Hp was next and Canon last - by far.
I was concerned about the durability of the ink from the Epson printer after reading some reviews so I conducted a test. I placed a few drops of water on each of these photos. Again, Snapfish and Epson passed this test. HP and Canon failed. HP claims to be durable but wasn't. What I learned in this test was the paper is the most important factor. Glossy paper is much more durable than a matte finish.
I've used the Epson for months now and am very pleased with the quality.
Now for the cons. The Epson was difficult to install. 3 pages of instructions and several emails from Epson technical support were required to get the scanner feature working - and I'm a programmer.
The software can also be difficult to use. Even being very technical, I've struggled at times to perform some of the advanced features such as 35mm slide and negative scanning. Never the less, once I figured out the glitches, these advanced feature provide excellent results.
Keep in mind the ink is expensive - about $80 bucks to replace all 6 carts. I haven't had the nerve to buy compatable inks but these are half the price and claim to be equal quality.
I definitely recommend the printer/scanner for a person demanding quality photo printing. Someone less technically inclined may have trouble installing and using the printer.
2 Overall, very pleased with my RX500 Printer.
I purchased this printer last week, and I have tried out almost all of its features, and everything worked well as promised. The quality of pictures I printed on Epson photo paper are excellant. It does use a lot of ink, but all good photo printers use a lot of ink. The text quality is good (just as good as any other inkjet printer). My printer read my digital camera card perfectly. The scanner does a great job. The ability to print from old negatives and slides was an important feature for me, and RX500 does a great job recreating pictures from negatives without any developing chemicals. It's also a great copier, and there is no need for your computer to be on when you just need to create a copy of something. The print speed is a bit slow, but it's probably fine for most home use. The Epson Software is okay, but you may find other software products that offer more features and flexiblity.
I considered the Epson RX600 printer, but with all my (...), the Epson RX500 printer was half the cost of the RX600. The only difference between the RX600 and RX500 is that the RX600 offers the Small View Screen and the ablility to hook your digital camera directly into the printer, but I prefer to view my pictures on my computer monitor before I decide to print them, and I can just as easily hook my camera to my front USB port. Also, I read on another website that on rare occasions this Small View Screen burns-out which concerned me. Overall, I am pleased with the RX500 printer.
Note: Epson printers sometimes have problems with clogged print-heads after 1 to 2 years (I encountered one myself), and the Epson clean features may not resolve this problem. Therefore, I also considered a HP Printer (which I have owned before and have usually been happy with) as the HP is less likely to have these print-head problems, but the HP2510 or HP2610 multi-purpose-printer cost twice as much as the Epson RX500 after all the (...), and the HP does not recreate negatives or slides. Also, on the HP, you have to change the printer cartridge to print good photos. Both of these HP printers offer a Small View Screen and also Direct Faxing, but on the Epson RX500, you must use your computer fax software.
3 A Great Printer
I got this printer when Epson had a $80 Mail in Rebate. That made the deal very sweet. But even without the Mail in Rebate this has got to be one of the better All In Ones. Photos printed on Epson 4x6 Premium paper comes out perfect, you would never have to go to get your pictures developed again. Also the ink dries right away on this paper so you don't have to wait to pick it up. Scanning is very fast, pictures come out great. Everything this printer does was nothing short of great. The only negative I would say is that Epson did not add a fax. Other then that it would be perfect.
4 BESSTTT !ALL IN ONE PRINTER!
I love this printer, I have recently started digital and was going back and forth on printers for a few months and finally went with this printer. I couldnt have picked a better one. I was readin reviews saying the ink smears, well I dont know what ink they were using because the epson ink in the printer did not, put picture in running water and everything and the ink didnt smear. There is alot of settings on the printer but something easy enough to learn. The negative scanner works great! I printed a negative at best quality and compared it to a store print and mine was better! I guess stores are cutting down on ink. Overall the printer is great! If I had to say anything bad about the printer the only thing is it seems to use more black ink when printing a picture then the colors, but its still less expensive then printing a store or just as equal to.
5 should be minus-one stars
I'm happy for the people who got printers that work, but keep reading below the spotlight reviews. All the bad stuff is true, too. Mine has been a nightmare after the first lovely 2 months (of light use.)
Worst thing? Paper feeder, as trivial as it sounds. But if you can't get the paper feeder to work, other things don't matter much. All the usual bad stuff -- ink irregularities, BIG problems with slide scanning, image quality . . . . Really, I can't say anything good about this machine. Plus, it takes up over half the space on my desk.
I called Epson and begged them to exchange it for a cheaper printer or scanner that would work reliably (and said keep the extra money.) But NO. They are sending me a replacement, exactly the same.
Second prize would be two replacements.
This is the second Epson I've had; my college bought me the first, a color printer, early in the game. Both are awful. Look at Canon (I've got 2 that I love) and HP. Don't be tempted, as I was, by the multi-function. That just makes for 3 things that don't work well.
6 Poor text printing quality. Proprietary protocols
This is a full featured product offering all sort of gadgets and is surely worth for people that prefer options over quality.
I bought this printer as a replacement for my HP all-in-one officjet R40, that I bought 6 years ago. Unfortunately I did not pay attention to the moderate ratings this printer got in tests when it comes to standard text printing (and this is something you will do often). Text printed with this machine looks like a somewhat better needle printer we had 10 years ago. If you use it under photo printing operation, it will use quite a lot of ink and will no way match up with the HP office jet. Also printing is fairly slow. I wonder how Epson can quote st like 10 pages per minute.
The software is not really mature yet. You only can install the software from the CD that comes with it and it will only allow you to install it onto the C drive. I had one computer in the network with a nearly full C drive but an empty D drive. This then is bad luck, because Epson support line is not willing to help you to solve issues.
Setting up the Epson onto a network using a D-Link USB print server seems to be impossible. The D-Link hotline thinks that Epson uses proprietary protocols and should help. The Epson hotline will not help. They argue that they sell wireless Epson print servers for st like 180$ and there would not be an interest in helping you on setting up their printer with other print serves.
Another point seems to be worth being mentioned. It took me someting like two days to get the printer working properly. By this time I have not printed color images yet. However, by just turning on and off the machine the color ink got used up by approximately 1/8th. This is quite strange.
The scanning option for slides and negatives is nice. However, it will not match up to what you will get from a real slide scanner. It is a gadget.
Given, that you will only be able to print with Epson paper or in the highest quality photo mode for getting moderate quality, I would assume, that this machine will cost quite a bit over the yeras and I would seriously think about buying this all-in-one. As for me, I will sell it.
7 Epson RX500 - Great deal!
First off, kudo's to Amazon. This shipped right away and wasn't to be delivered until 12/30. It arrived 12/24. Wow! I have only played with it to copy a couple photos for Xmas gifts and for mailing in the rebates. Copy function works well (had the shipping box sitting on top of the scanner) for regular paper items. So far it seems that copying a photo results in colors a bit off and not favorable. Epson paper does work much better than some clone Photo Glossy paper I had sitting around. I think a little tweeking will solve the problem of colors on copied photos, remember this is first attempts. Scanning in a photo using pro mode (allows for changes) resulted in a great photo print! I am extremely happy with this purchase as our old scanner a MicroTek Scanmaker 4 bit the dust a few months back. We decided it was time to get rid of the Epson Stylus Photo 600 we had (still working great) and get this RX500. The space savings of this AIO is great (the scanner was huge--legal size) plus the printer. Now all in one (althought a legal size scan bed would come in handy from time to time). I don't know why but if the ink gets wet the 5 colors don't seem to smear or streak but the black runs like crazy. If you use this for printing on envelopes be sure to cover the address with tape so it won't disappear on you (seems to be a common problem with most photo printers). Remember this is a photo printer and not meant for bulk black text printing (even though it can be used for that--it is not optimized for it). We have a HP5 laser for our bulk printing so not worried about using black ink on this one. I do like the separate ink tanks and can get the 6 cartridges replaced at Sams Club for $60. Not too bad.
The software loaded without a hitch on my NC8000 with XP Pro SP2. It was up and running in just a few minutes. Great job EPSON. Now if I can only figure out how to make a photo card with writing outside of the photo area. I am sure it can be done--just haven't mastered it yet. I am wanting to get this set up with Photoshop 7 but XP Pro SP2 is giving me a hard time loading Photoshop. Certainly not EPSON's problem. Next step will be to get this AIO working on my wired/wireless network. I have ordered a USB 2.0 print server--hopefully we will be able to scan & print over the network.
We don't have a camera that uses the digital cards but this is a great feature and one that will probably get future use. Our current digital cameras hook to our computers either through USB or firewire. The RX600 just didn't offer enough more to justify the extra cost. The RX500 is a fantastic deal. Printer & scanner for the price of a good photo scanner.
If there was one suggestion for EPSON it would be to incorporate network features on this thing. HP has gone that route but after considering all the pro's & con's of their equipment we decided to stick with EPSON. I have never had a problem with EPSON's products at home or at work. I am extremely pleased at the performance and especially the price after rebates. Don't hesitate to buy this if you are wanting photo quality prints at a reasonable price. Do your research and you too will find the RX500 a great photo printer at a great value.
8 What a fantastic product
I purchased this all-in-one because I was upgrading from an old Epson photo 1200 and didn't have a decent scanner.
I have had it now for a week and couldn't be happier. I'm thinking of getting one for my in-laws as a Christmas present.
I was really attracted to this printer/scanner/memory card reader because it would work completely 'stand-alone'... no need to hook it up to a computer. The issue for me is, as a Linux user, I often have to struggle with drivers/installation, etc, and wanted something that I know would work regardless of the operating system of the computer I was going to attach it to. I have been so impressed with its stand-alone operation that I know that my (mostly computer illiterate) in-laws will be able to use it.
The print quality is absolutely amazing. I was impressed with my Photo 1200, which is now about 5 years old, but this printer makes the detailed photos of the kitting my wife does shimmer with life. Colors are realistic, and on the right paper, they are absolutely indistinguishable from photographs, whether I'm copying a photo off the scanner or printing one out from my Nikon D100.
When I bought the RX500, I didn't realize that it would print from color film negatives. I was skeptical that this would work. Well, I have tried it from several negatives, and while you have to be careful to have the negative in the correct orientation, it works reasonably well. When printing a 4x6 photo from a negative they look really good. When 'blowing it up' to an 8x10, things look a little grainy... I don't think the scanner has enough resolution to take a small negative and blow it up to that size. The prints that size are usable, just not stunning. I wouldn't show them to people as an example of my work.
When I saw Amazon's price, I was stunned. I paid considerably more at a local camera shop. Still, it was worth it.
I have also been happy with the life of the original ink cartridges that came with it. I have printed about 40 8x10 images and about 30 4x6, and they are still going strong. In the past, I know printer manufacturers have supplied little ink in the initial cartridges so that you would immediately make a follow-up purchase. That doesn't seem to be the case with these cartridges.
If I have one complaint, it is that the user interface on the screen has some translation errors on it. Occasionally, the english prompts read more like bad translations... it says things like "Now printing pages 1..." "Now printing pages 2...". My initial impression was less-than-favorable based on this, thinking that the quality control was lacking.
If you need a color photo printer, get this. If you want a scanner, especially one that does slides and negatives, get this. If you need an all-in-one, you would be crazy NOT to get this.
9 VERY WELL THOUGHT OUT PRINTER
I purchased my printer in April 2004, so at the time of this review I've had my printer for about 7 months. It is a very good printer for what it does.
As the name indicates, it is a photo quality printer. If you're looking for an everyday all-in-one you may want to go with HP for it's cheaper inks, sheet loading scanners and built-in fax.
The only CONS I've found with this printer is that it refuses to print if you've run out of any one ink, which is a useful feature so that you don't waste other inks but is minutely irritating when it's your primary printer. When paper jams in this unit, it is very annoying to get out becuase where you usually have to clear a jam (by lifting the scanner unit) is the precise location of the ink bay and the ink bay tends to shift back in forth several times as you're trying to get the paper. Despite other reviews, I'VE NOT FOUND THAT THE RX500 JAMS MORE often than any other printer I've ever owned.
I'm a particular fan of the card reader because in addition to being able to print photos using just your memory card, when the printer is hooked to your computer it acts as a regular USB card reader (one card read at a time).
10 Stops printing if you run out of 1 of the colors
Overall, the printer puts out nice photos, but it will completely stop printing if it runs out of any one of the five colored inks, which is infuriating if you just want to print a document. Right now, I have an almost full black cartridge, but because I ran out of magenta, I can't print at all. What a great way for Epson to make money! Also, the option to print in black only is hard to get to. You have to go into the advanced printer settings to change it.
11 Horrible Printer.....
I repeat do not buy this printer. It takes six cartridges that cost around $15 a piece except for the black cartridge that will run you $18 and it's the same size as the rest. Second most, to conserve money i use black ink only to print, i've only used the color inks around 3 times. After having the unit for 8 months, the software is telling me i have to replace the color cartridges, even though i haven't used them. I pulled out the cartridges shook them and there's more than enough ink inside. I called epson customer service and they tell me everytime the unit starts it uses a little bit of color ink for warmimg up, but on what paper? Furthermore, they tell me the cartridges are pressurised so after 6 months are so, they don't work. What a bunch of crooks, they have designed a printer to make you waste over $100 a year in ink even if you don't use it. DO NOT BUY THIS PRINTER, WHAT A MISTAKE. I WILL GET MY WAY BY FILING A SUIT AGAINST THEM. THEY ARE THIEVES AT EPSON. THIS IS NOT DISCLOSED IN THE MANUAL.
12 The best!
I rarely post reviews on products but I feel compelled to do so for this fantastic machine. I purchased this all-in-one a few months ago and it exceeded my expectations.
This machine is very user-friendly,everything on it works beautifully. The printer is great, relatively fast, produces high quality photos; the scanner is awesome, very easy to use, full of features, I especially like its ability to scan negatives; the copier is a little slow but it also produces good quality copies (both in black & white or color). Its size is just right, too. Its weight is not an issue since I put it on the floor. Additionally, it's so reasonably priced.
I read all of the consummers' reviews here before buying the product. I learned from their experience and took the time to read through the directions carefully before installing/setting it up. Once it's up and running, I haven't had any problems with it. Overall, I'm beyond satisfied with this product. Epson did it again (my last printer was also an Epson).
13 Don't be Fooled by Epson's Good Reviews...
Like the other customer who wrote of Epson's greed, I'm here to tell everyone about how this printer is designed to rip off customers. The ink cartridges each contain a "smart" chip which is actually not smart at all. It simply counts how many times you print, and subtracts a certain amount of ink which was POTENTIALLY used, not ACTUALLY used. From other customer feedback, I have seen that Epson will tell customers a number of things: one, that even black printing uses a little bit of color from each cartridge (a blatant lie) or that the ink "monitoring" is necessary due to the delicate nature of the print head, which will be damaged if ink runs out or gets too low. As the other reviewer on this site noted, the printer will simply quit printing if even ONE cartridge chip says that the ink is too low. This happened to me, and I couldn't even print in black only. The kicker is that I had only printed about 10 color photos at most. There was no way my color tanks were empty. To prove it, I bought an aftermarket "chip resetter" and used it, and the printer was fooled into thinking the tanks were full again and went right back to work. I don't know about you, but I'll go with the Canon printers, who are just about the only major manufacturer to still use unchipped cartridges (for now) WATCH OUT for THIS WITH EPSON. There has already been litigation filed against them for engineering this "non-functionality" into their product. Don't let this company force you into playing their ink game.
14 No complaints!
We have had and used this printer for two months now - it's wonderful! Even my stepson, who is an amateur photography student, was impressed with the print quality on glossy photo paper.
You can use it as a fax also which it doesn't really tell you - if you have Windows it will work great with the built-in faxing software!
I would definitely buy this again.
15 Epson Greed will do you in mendaciously
8/12/04 I just got off the phone w/ Epson, and boy oh boy, what a blatant ink rip-off their guilty of. This all-in-one prints photos well, but 95% of the time I just print B&W copies, not photos. I'm shocked at the speed it uses ink, especially the 4 color cartridges considering they are hardly used, they simply evaporate. But the main problem is this unit will NOT print in B&W if ANY color cartridges are low. So here I am with a printer full of new ink (except Cyan Light because Staples was out of it for the second time) and I can't even print a B&W copy. How ludicrous. A major problem thanks to Epson's pure greed. Besides inhaling expensive ink, it's painfully slow, especially after you order it to print, up to 30 seconds go by before it does anything. Also, to save ink for non important copies, if you choose the "Draft" mode, you can barely read it. Plus, I never received my rebate from Epson. I certainly exhort you to stay away, it's not worth it.
16 Slow, and an ink hog!
I bought this printer strictly based on the reviews on Amazon.com. So much for that idea! The black ink runs: easily, and a lot! And worse, I have printed only two pages using color, and over the past month the pop-up screen that shows the status of the 6 individual ink cartrdiges continues to show declining levels for the 5 "unused" color cartridges!! They are now supposedly half empty!
Also, the "draft mode" is so faint, it is unusable.
The reviews forewarned how slow this printer is in set-up time. Believe it! It is also very finicky with the paper feed. I've had to clear several jams already. Guess I'm going back to getting ripped off by HP printer$. At lea$t I get a con$i$tently good re$ult for the high price of ink...
17 Excellent for photos, decent for text.
I bought this printer after doing a thoroug search on the net. I rate is as quite good, but there are things that could be improved.
Software installed great; it was fast, and not too big.
Copying photos as a stand alone is excellent, but I noticed some greenish overcast. But I intent to scan everything into photoshop first, so I can live with that.
OCR software is quite effective and user friendly. I already like this one.
Cartridges are quite expensive, and it seems to be going through them rather quickly, but still acceptable.
The scanner is perfect. It has more resoulution than I can use.
The software works quite good, and it's user friendly, but there could be some more explanation in the manunal - for example I could not turn on the "dust and scratches option" in the scanner software, but I have to try higher resolution and see if the function becomes enabled.
The only major drawback I noticed was the text quality - I compared it to the printout from my HP cp 1700 at work, and Epson does not even come close.... mind you, the HP is a pricey unit able to print 13X17 pages. Having said that, the print quality is decent enough, but I feel a bit dissappointed.
I am using a USB 2.0, but the time it takes to start printing is not too impressive (on the other hand, some files are huge)
the unit is compact, appears to be well made and mechanically works very well.
18 I love it so far! I couldn't wait for the newer model.
The newer model of this item I couldn't find anywhere or was priced too high. I was also going to go for the R800 but that was pricey or out of stock. I couldn't wait any longer to get a color printer to compliment my high res camera so I figured I get this one for now since it was pretty cheap. Well I love it so far! Pictures are better than photo quality with the photo and I am totally satified so far. I love it and it doesn't take up alot of space with the built in scanner.
19 Super All-In-One!
This Epson all-in-one is great! It replaces an older scanner and separate printer. I do "low budget" digital photography and digital art. This machine will do my artwork as well as text documents.
20 pretty bad printer
Good functionality, but some problems. big ink blobs on pages, paper feeding mechanism screws up frequently, either advancing several sheets of paper at once or feeding the paper crooked and jamming the printer. Must be highly monitored. images have good tonal gradation, but color is a bit muddy or desaturated. There is no reason why Epson can't do better. And $80 of ink to print 30 8x10s photos!
21 Perfect for me but you decide
I bought this printer online and picked up at a local store that same afternoon. Surprisingly it cost $50 dollars more at the store. Anyway, total set-up time (including minor assembly) was about 15 minutes. The printer and copier work perfect for me, but the only minor complaint is the noise when it is scanning. It's nothing excessive but irritating if focus on it for a second. I have an older HP Scanjet2200c that is quieter but the scans came out blurry. It's a great all in one for personal home and small office use though and I highly recomend it.
22 A high-class all in one for photos -- best for the price
This all in one is *very* different from all the others currently on the market. It is made for photos rather than for scanning documents.
It combines the R300 photo printer and Epson 2400dpi photo scanner into an affordable package that delivers great prints and high resolution scans.
I have had scanners in the past that would scan high resolution and create giant files with poor details. This is not one of those scanners.
I don't use the Epson software for photo editing or printing, so I won't comment on their usage or effectiveness. I really like Adobe Photoshop Elements for that sort of stuff.
You will need good photo editing software for cleaning up photos. Once you use high-res photo scanning settings, you will need to take time to clean up the dust on your pic. The dust is just a fact of life with high resolution scanners that are used in a home environment rather than in a clean room.
You will also need more ram for your computer. An 8x10 scanned at 600 DPI takes up approx 250mb of memory. I found my machine needed approx 1 gb to be able to process some of the scans at higher resolution -- especially if I wanted to have more than 1 pic open at a time.
Pros:
Super-duper prints on Epson Premium Glossy paper that capture crystal clear details.
Super-hi rez photo scans that really capture fine detail. A high-quality original scanned, cleaned up digitally, then printed out is indistinguishable from the original -- maybe even a little bit better depending on how good you are with Photoshop.
Very good deal for the money. Combine a $180.00 printer, $150.00 scanner, and $60.00 memory card reader into a $240.00 package.
Cons:
Limited life of non-water resistant inks.
Printer can take some fooling with the settings to get truly great details out of the pics. Once you figure out all the settings, and use good paper, the pics are spectacular.
Scanner takes some time fooling with the settings to get the colors and exposure correct. I have ended up with either overly saturated colors on some of the color correction settings, or too dark on the no color correction settings.
Does not work well with non-Epson paper.
23 Great Stand Alone, Beware Software Problems
This printer was a great stand alone product, but when I connected it to the PC, the software would not install. I worked on it for 2 days, called epson and they couldn't even figure it out. We even downloaded info off epson website. We did eveything but it would still not work with my PC, I have Windows XP. But overall I wished it would have by the pictures I printed off my camera's memory card. Great pictures. But I sent it back to Amazon.com and I am going to reorder another and try one more time to see if something was defective with the first one.
24 so far, very pleased
I bought this all-in-one on Amazon. It arrived in good shape. I'm not a techie and I had no problem unpacking and setting this printer up. The directions were clear and easy to follow. The CD loaded without a problem on my computer. I have Windows XP home version. I have not printed any photos on photo paper yet, but have printed some stuff off the internet and have made some copies using the scanner. So far, I've been very pleased with my purchase. I'm very excited to try running the family collection of slides through the scanner.
25 Not Ink Thrify, but Superb Photos
I wanted the best affordable multifunction photo printer I could buy, and I believe that I got it. Using epson borderless photo paper most people can not tell the photos were printed at home, or even from a digital camera, even with 5x7's, (I have not been printing 8x10's). USE EPSON PHOTO PAPER, DO NOT USE KODAK! The photo's I have been printing were taken with a Pentax Optio330, 3.34 megapixel. I can only imagine how good they would be with a better camera.
The photocopy functions work very well, just make sure you select the right setting, (photo, text, ect.). You can also scan negitives and slides. They come out great. It can scan at a resolution higher that my computer can handle, and I have a fairly good computer. Don't worry, you set the resolution and can get a very good scan with most computers.
It does go through a lot of ink, and the ink is on the expensive side. I have kept my old printer for text and everyday use. All in all, I love this printer!
*The photos on the much more expensive Kodak Premium Picture Paper looked like digital prints. It did not even look like I used the same printer. Plus the paper is not as glossy, much thinner, does not print borderless, and everybodys skin looked rather blue. Use Epson premium photo paper, it is much better, at least with this printer. Also Epson paper has the same look and feel as quality glossy prints from a photo lab.
26 Very impressive in the first few hours!
I've been playing with the Epson RX500 for a few hours and I'm delighted with my purchase. I'd been delaying the purchase of a printer because I couldn't choose from all the great models out there, and delaying the purchase of a scanner because I didn't have the desk space. Finally this came along and it allowed me replace an old printer, get rid of the memory card reader on my desk (as a multi-format card reader is built right in) and get a scanner in the same space.
So far the pros are:
- Great quality from the very first photo. For snapshots, clearly as good as a photo lab. And because printing at home allows you to tweak the photo to your liking, you usually end up with better photos than sending it all out to a lab, IMO.
- The scanner was ultra simple to use. I went around the house getting old photos out of their frames and scanned a half dozen test shots -- the results were great. It's fantastic to have some of my favorite photos now backed up and digitized, and I was able to easily touch up scratches and other problems with Adobe Elements.
- Set up was quite simple. The instructions were very clear, and the software loaded simply, as it should.
- The software that comes with the scanner is pretty good. If you're still using a basic photo editor or no photo editor, the Arcsoft package that comes with this printer is worth trying.
The cons?
- There is a lot of software with this package, and I still don't have all the defaults set as I'd like. For example, when I scan a photo and start to save it the Epson scanning program automatically starts up the Arcsoft Photo Editing software that came with the printer. However, I prefer to use the combination of Adobe Album and Adobe Photoshop Elements, and I have to manually close down Arcsoft so I can get the photo into Adobe, which is a couple extra steps that aren't needed. (I'm guessing there is a way I can set this up to be less annoying but haven't found it yet.)
Net -- this is a very strong, reasonably priced package for people wanting great photo printouts at home. If you haven't seen what a home photo printer can do in the past couple of years, you will be impressed with this. There are other good options out there from Canon and HP as well, but for a combination printer/scanner this struck me as the best combination of features in its price range.
27 Not good for Mac OS 10.3
I have been very disappointed with this printer. It simply does not work in Mac OS 10.3. I do have it up and running in 10.8.2 but am unhappy with the photo printing. I have not tried the Epson glossy paper but the high gloss paper I have used comes out mottled.
28 Great color, Great scanner, really just great.
I researched heavily. I needed a GOOD scanner that would also do film scanning. I have a large collection of negatives - 35mm and even super8 movie film. I have been most impressed with the quality of the scans, everything from old photos to negatives to slides comes out very well. This unit is advertised at an OPTICAL resolution of 2400x4800, and I believe it. I am able to scan a single frame of super8 movie film (which is about 1/4" square, if that) at 2400dpi and see film grain. Scanning higher res reaches the limits of the film before the scanner.
The printer: Awesome. That's all I have to say. The first test print on 4x6 epson photo paper blew me away. It looks BETTER than any photolab I have ever seen. This using only a 2.1MP Canon S330 digital camera as source. Simply amazing. Pretty quick too, about 30-45 seconds for a 4x6 in photo mode. Speed when printing "Regular" documents is VERY impressive. Draft is downright scary fast.
Software: Here's where Epson fell down for me. The CD that came with the printer would not install all the applications correctly. It would fail saying "unable to find file setup.exe" After beginning the install. I uninstalled everything and began anew, to no avail. Wound up digging into the CD with explorer and running all the installs by hand, except the scanning software which still gave the message.
Downloaded an older version from Epsons site, and it works adaquately. However, I cannot scan in "simple" or "home" mode, it fails after doing the preview scan with a memory error. Professional mode (manual control) works fine, and that's all I personally care about. I am awaiting a newer version of everything from epson.
The photo management/printing/project software (arcsoft photoimpression) is quite good. I've evaluated a lot of photo management/printing packages, and this one is a really easy to use and reasonably powerful package. I especially like the easy to use cropping to format tools (a digital format image almost never fits a 4x6, 5x7, 8x10 exactly), easy printing, and templates/projects. Free trial version can be had at arcsoft website for the curious.
Copying features are good, I haven't used it as a copier much, but it works well. Copying photos works very well, even enlarging or changing them. I prefer to scan/photoshop/print on most things, but for a quick copy it works very well.
Bonus for me is the USB card reader built in. You can use it independant of the printer as a regular card reader (Drive E: in my case). Nice thing is it's usb2.0, and VERY fast compared to my old one (You need USB 2.0 on your PC to get the most from this printer. Get a USB 2.0 card, they are about $10 or less)
All in all, 5+ start, minus a star for the failed software install (That would definitely ruin a lot of people's day).
29 A+++++++++++++++
I needed a new all in one (HP before, really great but inks too expensive & wanted seperate cartridge system)- The photos printed are amazing!!!!!! printed on epson glossy photo paper- looks better than getting your film developed!!! The colors are amazing! when printing several different photos on the same page the colors for each photo remain accurate, which was a problem before me, it seemed the whole page would get averaged. The scanner and copier are also incredible quality. I have not had to buy ink yet, but I've printed a lot of photos and ink levels still in good shape. Really awesome all in one!!!
30 It's a great printer
I tried many printers, many brands. This one is the best one compare to this price range. If you do not want scanner/copier, Epson R300 is very good too, same quality as RX500. You don't have to go to photoshop anymore.
31 Great Printer
I have had this printer for about a month. I have used it for copying, scanning and photo printing and have been very pleased with the results. Scanning is fast and simple and the prints are fabulous -- glossy and bright-- on Epson photo paper (I've used S041727). That paper is less than 15 cents for a 4x6, compared to the much more expensive Kodak and HP papers which were not nearly as professional looking. I like the fact that that the ink is sold in individual color cartridges. This printer is close to identical (except that the RX500 does not have a USB port) to the Epson RC 300, but costs very little more.
32 Nice scanner, good tech support
I'd previously reported having problems with the OS X 10.3.2 drivers. Apparently the updated drivers on their website can be used to make things work. The key is to *uninstall* the Epson Scan program (via the installer package on the CD), followed by running the installation program in the epson 10950 package, (which fixes the Epson Scan program's hanging problems). You then install the patch in their 10973 package, which allows the Scan and Save program to work.
There are still issues with the Copy Center program, but this is of smaller importance, since the unit can work as a standalone copier.
Their tech support service was very knowledgeable and friendly, although the line itself may be a little flakey, since it seems to have dropped my connection the first time I called. Perservere on that phone line. :-)
33 Very nice
After check the review on this site, I bought the Epson RX500 yesterday. My first photo print out is excellent and you can hardly tell the difference between the origianl and print out on the Kodak paper. Very satisfied. The reviews on this site are excellent.
34 Awesome Prints, Easy to use
I have had the RX500 since Christmas and used it to death. It is great. No problems at all. I use a iMac running OS X. It works great printing pictures and text. Overall very pleased with everything.
35 LEMON CITY!
I bought it and had it for a week and had to return it. It was a mess. I had a horrible time installing it and had to remove all other printers and then re-install. It used a tremendous amount of ink I went through 2 black cartridges in only a week...at 17.99 a pop this was not good. Then it began to work on an off. I would have to power off the computer to get it to work but then only for a few sheets.It is very huge and bulky. Thee is a creen to view information but you have to stand to read it. The on and off button wouldn't always work either I am so happy to be rid of it
36 Excellent photos, great machine so far
I bought the printer at CompUSA at a good price[]. I wanted a photo quality printer with decent speed, and the multi functions of copying and scanning on a flat bed. We needed the latter functions around the house for work and personal paperwork, kids' homework, etc.
I narrowed my selection down the Epson CX6400 or the RX500. Both met my needs and got excellent reviews from consumers and experts, except that some consumers felt the 6400 gave sub-standard, non-glossy photo output on prem glossy paper. I researched this best i could and found that Epson seemed to address this with a new Durabrite-specific prem glossy paper, however i couldn't find anyone saying that this delivered as good prints as the RX500 or the R300 Epson. I liked the durability of the Durabrite inks of the 6400, but in the end went for the certainty of highest quality prints using the RX500 (which uses traditional dye based inks). My logic was that while the dye-based prints of the RX500 would be susceptible to light and water damage over time, they were no worse than any other photo printer using dye-based inks (95% of those which i researched and which received 5-star consumer reviews).
Am i sure i made the right decision?? Well part of me still thinks the durability of the 6400 prints might be nice to have. but the output and performance of the RX500 has been excellent, meeting all of my expectations. Easy to learn to use and setup. I was able to use it for printing photos at a family Christmas party, from multiple cameras using different memory card types (SD and XD), and was able to select specific photos for printing, from a range or single photos.
I'm a happy customer so far.
Tom
37 Great Photo Printer
This is a great all in one for the price. The photos print crisp and clear color is exceptional for a low cost photo printer. Copy and scanner yields excellent results.
Only downside is limited support for Mac OS 10.3. Copy Utility does not launch but Epson promises an update soon.
38 Great overall all-in-one
First one I received was a lemon, grinding, screeching and didn't print 2 of the 6 colors. This machine could have been damaged during shipping (from Staples, Amazon didn't have it yet) as it sat in a truck for a weekend in NH when temps were in the 20s (supposed to be delivered on a Friday, was delivered on Monday). The new one I exchanged the lemon for at Staples works fantastic with my Powerbook G3 266 mhz Mac, I'm thrilled (older machine running OS 9.2), where I had continuous conflicts with my old HP 660C and where I continuously reveled in the idea of chucking it out the window (I'm donating it to charity instead). Prints are AMAZING from digital files. I was floored by the quality!! Scanning is great, but don't try to scan a digital print and reprint it out. It scans graphics better than photos. Copier works very well. An overall great product. I give it 4 stars because the first one was a lemon and I'm not sure if that is an Epson issue.
39 5-month Review: 99.9% Perfection
My original review is further down, written a few days after setting up the printer. I'll now relate my 5-month experience.
The machine has been flawless. It's one of the best experiences I've ever had with an electronics device, and I am a gadget freak. I've printed approx. 30 greeting cards and 200 photos, from 4x6 through 8x10. Photos copy extremely well with the flatbed scanner, and I use it to make accurate copies of originals. For even better results, tweak your original photo on the computer and print it using your favorite image editing software.
You may rarely use the negative-adapter, but if you only have a negative and need a print, it is a godsend. High quality scans, for sure.
One ink cartridge just fell under 20% full (light Cyan), so the ink lasts a long time. You can find great deals on original Epson ink on the web (try Amazon first). I bought a whole set of refills on the cheap.
I mainly use it to print digital photos (4x6 mostly) from my Canon S400 Digital Elph, and to print greeting cards. I make remarkable cards for pennies compared to $2 - $5 at the greeting card racks.
Paper: Extremely high quality prints on Epson, HP, Kodak and Ilford Galerie photo papers. I love Ilford paper. You can find great deals online for photo paper. 200 sheets of high gloss for under $20. Don't penalize yourself on quality - get the high gloss.
I have a minolta 11x17 b/w laser printer, so I don't use the RX500 for most document printing. Toner is cheaper than ink, and laser is faster than inkjet, especially for long documents.
The Epson RX600 recently came out. Same as RX500, but has an LCD preview window. Handy if you print right from the digital card reader. You can get an external Epson LCD for as low as $18, so the extra $100 for the RX600 is a bit tough to swallow. Deals are popping up on the RX500. It's still the best value of any multi-function device.
*** Original Review ***
I was looking for a color printer, as I only had a b/w laser printer. Since I have owned digital cameras since 1999, it was time to get a photo quality printer. I Decided I wanted it to scan and copy as well. The multi-function device (MFD) was much better than in previous-generation products. It had to have separate ink cartridges (better value on ink), which ruled out HP, and almost everything but Canon and Epson devices.
After exhaustive research and showroom testing at a local retailer, I bought the Epson CX6400. Great value. It was a 4-ink system (not 6), but the DuraBright inks were getting pretty good reviews. I stayed up until 1am playing with my new toy. On premium glossy paper, the prints were very good. However, they had a matte, or maybe a semi-gloss cast to them, even on the best glossy paper. Other photo printers (Epson R300) delivered a glossier, crisper photo-processing feel to them. I could live with that for the price and features the CX6400 had. The 6-ink system was not in the cards for me if I wanted a MFD flatbed device.
The next morning, while reading the Sunday paper, I saw an ad for a brand new MFD by Epson. Just came out. It was the RX500. Here's the bottom line. It has the same 6-ink system and print engine as the beautiful-printing R300/M, and it is a flatbed MFD. Nirvana!
I exchanged the unit the next morning. Wow! The printouts are just like a photo lab with my 4 megapixel shots. Even my older 2 megapixel shots looked great.
You can do almost everything on the device without a computer, as it has card slots for almost every media type. When you print from the computer, the software lets you tweak the quality even higher.
Liked the Epson CX6400. Love the RX500. The RX500 is the best of both worlds...
The 4x6 prints look incredible on premium glossy paper, and very nice on plain, bright paper. 8x10 and 8.5x11 also look great - just like a photo lab. And you can print borderless prints, without perforated paper. Ideal!
Speed is pretty good. Larger prints, and highest quality obviously take longer to print, but it's well worth it. Surf the web while you are waiting.
The bundled imaging software (PhotoImpression) is easy to use and does a great job. You can go from a digital photo to a beautiful print in minutes. The amount of control is overwhelming, but fortunately the standard setting doa great job. Go with the default settings unless you have a special need. Just set the paper type and size, and you are off to the races.
It's faster start-to-finish when you plug your memory card directly into the device. If you have a few minutes to boot up your computer, you'll have more control and you can bump the quality up a bit. Honestly, it was hard to tell the difference, though. Tech specs say there is a difference in resolution, but if I'm in a hurry, I print without the computer.
The Rx500 also scans and prints existing photos very well, as well as a magazine cover I used as a test. New on this device (and an exclusive) is a transparency and slide scanner. I scanned and printed from a 35mm positive, and a film negative. The quality is outstanding. Now I can zip out a print from any old negative or slide I have stored away in boxes. Way cool.
The only "negative" or tradeoff, is that the ink will smudge if it gets wet. That's the price you pay for the 6-ink system. As long as you get your prints into a photo album, or under glass in a frame, it is a non-issue. I'll take the tradeoff rather than settle for lesser quality in a smudge-resistant ink.
Buy the RX500. You truly get the best of all worlds. A superior photo printer, with the convenience and ultimate flexibility of a an excellent scanner/copier...
40 Great specs but buyer beware
This all-in-one has some pretty impressive specs and for the advanced-amateur photographer looking for a way to print AND scan photos in a space saving unit, it's almost the way to go. Almost? This printer does not utilize Epson's Durabright inks but instead uses dye inks. Why is that an issue? Longetivty! I emailed Epson about this issue and this is what they said:
"The reason the RX500 does not use Durabrite inks is because it is a photo
printer. Durabrite printers are units that are assumed to be primarily
used for document printing. The ink used in the RX500 is Epson Photo Dye
based ink which provides a wider color gamut than Durabrite inks which are
pigment based.
While pigment based inks are very durable and provide lightfastness up to
80 years on selected paper types, Epson Photo dye inks provide a much
better advantage for those printing photographs. Epson Photo dye inks
provide light fastness up to 30 years on selected paper types as well as
six color printing for "unvisible" dots in photographs providing for
smoother gradations and a wider color gamut."
Hmmm... wider color gamut is a good thing but I want my prints to last a long time too. And is it just me or does anybody else out think that longevity in your typical office documents is overkill? I don't frame my memos for display and I doubt anybody else does either. It just doesn't make any sense!
Why am I ranting about this? Because if we consumers band together, maybe Epson will produce what we want. I would encourage you to write, call, and email Epson - maybe they will produce inks with better light fastness ratings for this multifunction printer. If that were the case, I would buy this unit in a heartbeat!
