Epson Stylus 830
To sum up, the Stylus Photo 830 is fairly slow but prints generally well. Its default resolutions are usually adequate and recommended for routine work like printing out web pages, hard copies for proofreading and quick photo prints. You can always use the higher resolutions to improve the results, sharpen outlines and smooth out the few remaining imperfections. We prefer them for things like CVs or photo prints approaching lab quality.
Because it is unreasonable to pay over US$100 or 100 euros a year for printer ink, we recommend the Stylus Photo 830 if you print under 45 pages a month in the States or 30 in Europe, the difference being due to cartridge pricing policy on either side of the Atlantic.
| Model | Stylus Photo 820 | Stylus Photo 830 |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Epson | Epson |
| Price, US | $99 | - |
| Price, Europe | - | 149 € |
| Resolution | 5760 x 720 dpi | 5760 x 720 dpi |
| Number of cartridges | 2 | 2 |
| Price for a set of cartridges, US | $44 | $44 |
| Price for a set of cartridges, EU | 62 € | 62 € |
| Number of colors | 4 | 4 |
| Speed, B&W | 12 ppm | 12 ppm |
| Speed, color | 11 ppm | 11 ppm |
| Connectivity | USB | USB |
| Format | A4 | A4 |
| Number of nozzles | 288 | 288 |
NB : the photo rating of 4/ 5 is mainly due to the quality of printing in high definition, but also to speed. Because it is so slow - 3 to 8 minutes for a 10x15 print - it loses marks.
We tested the Stylus Photo 830. This is the European version with the same housing, characteristics and cartridges as the Stylus Photo 820 on sale in the States. So our comments theoretically apply equally to both. Theoretically only because the folks at Epson refuse to commit themselves. They sent us an email saying: "We are not able to comment on the differences between features of international products." When asked for test material, Epson USA said they could not lend us any because they get too many such requests. So it seems we'll always have to make do with materials supplied by Epson Europe, who are fortunately much more generous in this regard.
