My Favorite Printer from PMA...

[Kayla Lamoreaux]

After sharing with you my thoughts on how to choose your next printer, I thought it appropriate to share with you all my favorite printer from PMA - the Epson R1900.

One could argue that as a current owner of an R1800 printer I am a little biased - and I would have to agree. I have had my R1800 for just about two years and I have no complaints - it has performed flawlessly and durably - so I would expect the same from the new generation of Epson.

While I am a huge Epson fan, I did not expect to come home from PMA wanting their newest printer - I am so happy with my R1800 I really didn't feel the need or see how it could get better than this - but it does!

One of the biggest changes from the R1800 to R1900 are the inks. You will find eight colors of ink in the new R1900 - most notably the new magenta and orange inks that have replaced the red and blue inks - the new ink combination results in improved facial tones and color gamut. If the improvements in color were not enough, Epson has developed a clearer gloss optimizer which really allows the vivid colors of your prints to shine through.

The prints not only look better on the R1900, but they last longer. Independent tests have shown that this new generation of inks results in faster-drying, archival prints that last up to 200 years under glass.

The driving force behind the quality prints from the R1900 is known as Radiance Technology. This new technology mixes inks more efficiently, optimizes grain and color gradation and most notably provides color constancy under different lighting conditions. This is key for photographers because it means that if a print is viewed under different types of lighting - i.e. flourescent, sunlight, etc. - the colors remain constant and dead-on. Time consumed adding printer profiles specific to lighting conditions are a distant memory thanks to Radiance Technology!

The R1900 is fast and versatile - printing up to 35% faster than the R1800 and printing on many different mediums. It prints on glossy, luster, and matte medias as well as thicker fine art media, roll papers, canvas and directly on inkjet printable CD/DVDs. It also sports two hi-speed USB ports for seamless printing from more than one computer.

The mechanics are also improved. Epson applies colorimetric calibration to the permanent MicroPiezo print head at the factory which eliminates the need for internal calibration devices or constant calibration. The R1900 also features a new ink-repelling coating on the print head that prolongs the life of the printer and decreases maintenance time.

All of the above is impressive. However, what convinced me of the need to upgrade was the toucan photo shown on the printer above. They had a special version at PMA that showed the results of 1/3 of each part of the photo printed with an R1400, R1800, and R1900. The difference between the 1800 and 1900 was very noticeable. The new gloss optimizer produced clearer and more vivid print colors than that of the 1400 or 1800. Also noticeable was the difference in color gradation - it was very gradual and blended with the 1900. The 1800 had better gradation than the 1400 - but the difference between the 1800 and 1900 was even more noticeable.

In my opinion, the R1900 is a tool that any digital scrapbooker would be lucky to have in their toolbox - I'm already saving for mine!

More articles you may find interesting...

Epson's Radiance Technology

Epson R1900 Home Page (you will want to checkout the Interactive Tour)