Epson SX400

Epson Stylus SX400 All in One Printer…..


Having had my previous printer for a good couple of years now I thought it was about time I had a little look around to see what I could get for my money. As is usual with me I did not do much looking and found something I liked at a reasonable price so I decided to buy it (well put it on the Argos Card).

I was after something more than just a bog standard printer and ...
...£59.99p. Seeing as the Epson SX400 is so much more than just a printer I couldn't get over how much of a bargain it was. I have since checked out the Amazon website and seen exactly the same offer but of course a postage and packing price would need to be paid on top of that price.

The price, compared to other all in one printers such as this, is rather reasonable of course seeing as it is half price I would think it could be nothing ... more

Epson Stylus SX400 All in One Printer…..

Having had my previous printer for a good couple of years now I thought it was about time I had a little look around to see what I could get for my money. As is usual with me I did not do much looking and found something I liked at a reasonable price so I decided to buy it (well put it on the Argos Card).

I was after something more than just a bog standard printer and when I saw this is the Argos Sale booklet, it just screamed out at me. I thought it looked stylish, it was a great price and had a lot more features than my previous run of the mill printer.

***Price and Look****

The original recommended retail price of this all in one printer was £119.99 pence but seeing as it was on a half price sale in Argos I obviously paid only £59.99p. Seeing as the Epson SX400 is so much more than just a printer I couldn't get over how much of a bargain it was. I have since checked out the Amazon website and seen exactly the same offer but of course a postage and packing price would need to be paid on top of that price.

The price, compared to other all in one printers such as this, is rather reasonable of course seeing as it is half price I would think it could be nothing but reasonable. Most all in one printers are over £100 and for what you are getting this one is certainly priced well.

As I have previously said when I first saw this printer, I immediately thought how stylish it looked. It is a lot larger than my previous printer was and it is now squeezed onto my desk worktop but at the same time, it is still able to look good. It is made up of mostly black high gloss plastic but it does have some glossy sliver trim. The paper is loaded in at the back of the printer and there is a flap up flap down section so when it is not in use paper does not need to be loaded and this section can be packed away.

On the top of the printer to the left hand side, there is the main control panel which although has many buttons is fairly easy to follow and simple to use. There is a small LCD display where the photos that are printing will be displayed if the printer is set to print without the use of a PC. There are buttons to allow the function change between all the different modes of use.

The large surface area of the top of the printer is the lid where you are then able to place you documents that are to be copied or scanned underneath. This lid is rather sturdy feeling and I think this will not be affected much with a lot of use.

The printer looks good and has plenty of buttons without being over complicated and I think the main aspect of the look that I am not happy with it the super gloss finish. This high sheen means that any finger marks show up very easily so I do find that I am forever polishing greasy little marks off of the top!

***Specifications***

· The printer is an all in one that means it is a printer, scanner and copier.
· It has ink jet cartridges that print in colour
· It weighs 5.9kg. it is 45cm wide, 34.2cm in depth and 18.2cm in height.
· It has a memory card slot that is compatible with a memory stick, compactflash, Smartmedia, SD memory card, multimediacard, xD Picture Card, Memory Stick PRO, IBM Microdrive, SDHC Memory Card.
· The copy speed is up to 29ppm for both mono and colour
· Maximum printing resolution is up to 5760 x 1440 dpi for both mono and colour.
· The optical resolution for the scanning is 1200 x 2400 dpi
· The colour depth of the scanning is 24 bit (internal 48 bit)
· Standard media capacity is 120 sheets
· Operating system support: MS Windows XP, 2000, Apple MacOS X 10.2.8 or alter, Vista, XP 64 bit edition.
· The printer has a 1 year manufacturers guarantee

***Box Contents***

· Epson SX400 printer
· Pack of four separate ink cartridges
· Power cable
· Warranty document
· Basic operating guide and "Start Here" guide
· Control Panel icon sticker

***NB as with most printers this one does not have the required USB cable to link the printer to the PC and therefore make sure you purchase this before leaving the store otherwise you will not be able to fully set up the printer when you get home!***

***General Use***

The printer is easy to use in all the different modes that it has to offer. I found the quality of photos, scanned items and photocopies very good and am pleased with all the features.

I like the fact that you are able to use the LCD display screen to look at your photos for printing which means you don't have to use your PC. I find the LCD screen of a good size and you are able to see photos well before printing. The LCD display is also of pretty good quality and the pictures are shown up well.

The speed at which the printer copies, scans and prints is satisfactory to me. I do use a quicker printer at work but I feel for a home use printer this one is fast enough.

The PC software that comes with this printer is easy to install and guides you through all the basic functions of the Epson stylus SX400 and even all the advanced ones too. I found all the software for each of the separate options of the all in one printer easy to follow and do believe that even a complete computer novice would be able to install and set up all the necessary parts.

***Overall Opinion***

On the whole, I have found this Epson SX400 a joy to use. I have been able to take full advantage of all the features that the printer has to offer. As I have not used a printer that has a scanner built in before my expectations were low but this printer really made my scanned in pictures look just like a digital photo, or near enough.

The printer is easy to use without having your PC turned on and this can be a god send sometimes as my PC seems to take ages to load up. I find that having a photocopier is now an absolute must and when I do need to replace this printer I am sure I will yet again buy a all in one type printer.

The all in one printer looks good, works very well and had plenty of easy to use features that are real must have in every home and not just in an office type environment. It may be slightly on the large side but the girth is certainly worth it for the features that are offered.

I would rate this printer highly although not being an expert just your run of the mill daily user I cannot say expertly how this printer fairs against others. What I can say however is that I have found it easy to use and enjoyable doing so. The price was good and I myself feel I have got a good bargain. I do think a four star rating is apt for this Epson Stylus SX400 all in one printer. I think I will give it a HIGH RECOMMENDATION and would also be interested in how other people who own this product find it.

I do hope this has been of some help/interest to you.

Thank you for taking the time to read. 

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