I have to admit that before I met my husband, I didn’t have a great interest in gadgets or electronics. If I could plug it in and it worked without having to read a manual, I was good to go! And then I met my husband…who gives definition to the word “techie.” I remember when we finally retired my laptop and exchanged it for a MacBook. Initially, I was so frustrated trying to get used to the different shortcuts and programs. Today, I’d be lost in front of any computer that wasn’t prefaced with the word Mac.
As a woman and a mom, I am more and more appreciative of new technology that makes my life easier (in other words, saves time, energy, and money). But that technology has to be something I can actually learn without taking a course. I remember my first printer…it simply printed. The fact that it printed in black and white AND color was advanced as far as I was concerned. So when I got offered the opportunity to review Epson’s Artisan 810 All-in-One Printer, I was excited and a little intimidated. Could I really figure out this printer that does it “all?” Absolutely! And when you hear about some of the features I’m most excited about (like the ability to print coloring pages for your kids), I think you’ll agree that this printer is definitely mom-approved!
So how is this printer different from other printers?
The term “all-in-one” simply means you can print, scan, and fax with the printer. It makes life so much easier to not have to either a.) purchase a fax machine and a scanner or b.) go to a store to scan or fax something. Another feature that sets this printer apart from others is that it’s WiFi enabled. In other words, I can print from anywhere in my house without every connecting my computer to the printer. And…my husband can also do the same with his computer. The printer also has a Smart Touch Panel that will light only the buttons you need to get your printing job done quickly. The large tilt LCD helps you view, crop and edit photos easily.
How easy is it to use and set up?
I have to admit that there is a bit of manual reading I had to complete in order to set it up. But honestly, it’s not difficult. In order to get the most out of the printer, I think it’s wise to read the manual.
What about the technical specs of the printer?
If you’re a numbers person, you’ll definitely be impressed with Epson’s stats. You can print 4″ x 6″ photos in 1o seconds and delivers print speeds (on plain paper) of up to 38 pages per minute. For laser quality, it will print 9.5 pages per minute in black and 9.1 pages per minute in color. If you do a lot of printing this is definitely a feature you’ll appreciate. With this printer, you’ll get ultra-high definition printing which means your documents will display crisp text and your photos will have depth and clarity.
What kinds of projects can be completed with the printer?
One of my favorite aspects of the printer is the ability to get creative with projects. For example, you can take photos and turn them into coloring pages (and you would never need to buy a coloring book!) or create personalized notepaper. You can also create personalized CDs and DVDs by printing directly onto them (it takes 45 seconds to print) as opposed to using labels. If you have a wedding or baby shower you’re planning, this would be a perfect personalized favor. The printer also comes with Print Creations Software so that you can print invitations, calendars, and photo books. If you really take advantage of all this printer offers, you could save a lot of money AND create amazing projects.
I like to print a lot of photos. What features are available with this printer with regards to photo printing?
Many choose printers specifically based on their photo printing capabilities. Perhaps you have a photo that you’d like to correct…maybe it’s the colors or the lighting. The printer has a feature that can correct lighting in poorly exposed images or correct color. You can also remove red eye and restore color to faded photos.
We don’t print half of the pictures we take, which is the unfortunate part of digital cameras. However, it’s nice to know that those that we have printed (but not saved anywhere else) can be restored should something happen to them.
What else does the printer do?
I wish I could tell you that it washes dishes and folds laundry…but I can’t (FTC rules and all!). But I can tell you that the printer will scan to any computer on your network, a USB device and capture and convert documents to PDF files. iPhone and iPod Touch users can print photos, documents, and more. You can also copy, scan, and even charge your wireless devices with the printer. And you can print video clips from your camera and insert your camera’s memory card into the printer to print without having to first upload the pictures to your computer.
There is one thing I should note about the ink used in this printer. I haven’t owned a lot of printers in my life, but I will say that there are printers that use a single cartridge and those that use multiple. From my experience, those that use multiple cartridges, such as the Epson Artisan 810 All-in-One Printer, actually save you money in the long run. You only have to replace the cartridges you use (rather than having to replace the entire cartridge, regardless of whether you used all of the colors). We don’t do a lot of color printing (unless it’s for projects, etc.). The printer we have now uses a combined black & white/color cartridge. We have to replace it all the time, despite the fact that much of the color ink does not get used. This may seem like a small detail but if you do a lot of printing, it’s definitely worth considering.
In summary, if you’re looking for a printer that’s capable of doing more than that, check out Epson’s Artisan 810 All-in-One Printer. It retails for $299.99 but right now you can get it for $249.99 on their site.
Disclosure: I did not receive compensation for this review. I received a product, courtesy of the company in order to facilitate my review.
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Thanks for the thorough review. I’ve been thinking about getting a new printe so I can do better quality photo prints, and this review information is very helpful. Can you tell me how large the maximum paper size for this printer is?
I’ve been wanting to get an all in one. But needed something that excels in the picture department. Looks like this one does! How fast does it print the pictures?