Conclusion
Most
users would be more than happy with the photos produced by all three
printers, although dedicated photographers may demand higher quality.
The Epson Stylus Photo PX730WD was the only unit to use six photo inks,
with the other two printers using three colours plus black(s). This
brings me back to my opening statement about photo-capable and
photo-quality printers. For the best photographic quality you really do
need a printer with six inks, as these will provide more subtlety of
colour and smoother gradients.
All
the printers are heavily promoting Wi-Fi, email, AirPrint and cloud
printing. While these are great features, especially for family use and
for using a mobile phone to capture photos, I can’t help wondering if
this is really useful for a photographer who simply wants high-quality
photo prints. All the printers come with software applications or
download ability to create calendars and greeting cards. There is no
denying the convenience of an all-in-one multifunction unit, but perhaps
these units are better suited to the small office or home office market
or as a workhorse for everyday printing. Photographers may have to
accept that an A3 single-function printer will be the better choice.
