Epson Stylus Photo 2000P

My husband is a amateur photographer and having taken some publicity photos for a local singer wanted to be able to digitally enhance his work and print it instantly without having to wait for a week or so, which he would have to with the photo lab. A new printer was needed anyway and after looking at several different types we decided to fork out just over £600 on the 2000P. It seemed a lot of money, but having had Epson before we were sure that it would deliver results, and thank goodness we were right.

The pack is fully complete and there are no extras to buy before you start, except paper, which even then Epson provide you with A4 samples of. The printer itself can take A4, A3 and rolls of paper, giving you a decent range of capabilities for a home photo printer. Ink is included and the colour cartridge is separate to the black, which we have found to be really handy. The rolls of paper can be purchased in A4 width and A3 width, making excellent banners and panoramic photos.

To print an A4 sized professional setting portrait takes about 35 minutes, but the quality is superb, making it hard to tell that it is not a genuine photograph. A full page of text takes a fair bit longer than a normal printer, about 2 minutes, but then it is designed for high quality photos rather than text printing.

The software that is included within the pack is comprehensive and easy to use, and has a huge range of settings from absolute basic, which is really handy if you wanted to print a proof, to professional settings that produce the best quality photographs in very true colours. Samples of pictures are included within the pack showing results using all the different types of paper available; from high gloss to complete matt finishes.

The year warranty is fairly standard, but only provides you with repair if the printer is taken away to a workshop, and would have been better if they provided an at home service, which they will at extra cost to the owner. The warranty also says many times that only ‘certain’ repairs are covered by it, and it is not very clear as to what is excluded.

The design of the 2000P is very stylish in black and chrome, with ample paper storage and a tray that will securely hold finished work flat, be it A4 or A3 size. The paper feeder is strong but easily removes to allow you to fit the paper roll holders, A4 and A3 sizes, that comes with the package.

All in all this is a fantastic photo printer offering a whole host of potential to the user, and as it is aimed at the professional-amateur the results are as close to photo lab quality as you could want.