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Product Reviews : Printers : Top 5 photo inkjets
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Top 5 photo inkjets
By Calvin Siew
23/04/2004

Although things have been relatively quiet in the inkjet scene, not all is lost. There're still plenty of great choices around and the units in our roundup actually feature great specifications. For starters, some of the inkjets sport higher vertical resolutions. That's right, in the resolution stakes, a "measly" 1,200 vertical dpi (dots per inch) is nothing to shout about anymore. The Epson R310 features 1,440dpi while Canon's i990 doubles it to a mind-blowing 2,400dpi.

Another trend you'll notice about our latest crop of picks is the number of inks offered. Apart from the Epson C63, the other four machines feature five to eight different colors of inks. This means increased color gamut and smoother gradations, all of which work towards better print quality. That's not to say the C63 has nothing special to offer in terms of ink technology. In fact, it's the only photo printer in this group to feature pigment inks, resulting in water-resistant outputs. So read on for our pick of the five best buys.


Click here for a feature comparison table.
1.  Canon i990
 
CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10
The good:  Quick print speeds; good-quality photo printouts; PictBridge compatibility; quiet operation.
The bad:  No card reader; colors too warm in default settings.
The bottom line: The i990 delivers solid photo-quality outputs with fast speeds quietly, and all at an affordable price.

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2.  Epson Stylus Photo R310
 
CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10
The good:  Excellent photo quality; multiple direct-printing options; color preview screen; prints directly onto CD/DVD media.
The bad:  Slow; text quality is only fair.
The bottom line: The Epson Stylus R310 photo inkjet printer includes many features sure to please digital photo enthusiasts.

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3.  Epson Stylus C63
 
CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10
The good:  Reasonably good print quality; affordable; borderless 4R printing.
The bad:  Slight dithering visible on photo prints; no PictBridge support; slow with prints other than draft.
The bottom line: The Epson C63 brings quality photo printing to the home at an affordable price.

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4.  HP Photosmart 7960
 
CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10
The good:  Stylish design; plentiful features; 7-in-1 memory card reader; 8-ink printing; automatic calibration; quiet operation.
The bad:  Plastic construction; page numbers in draft prints are missing intermittently.
The bottom line: The HP Photosmart 7960 is a solid, feature-packed photo printer that has performance and quality to match.

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5.  Canon i865
 
CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10
The good:  Quick print speeds; good-quality photo printouts; PictBridge compatibility.
The bad:  Color text and graphics printouts show visible dithering; no card reader.
The bottom line: The i865 delivers solid photo-quality outputs at an affordable price and sports the ability to convert into a versatile office printer.

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