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For years now, I have always stuck with a
dedicated printer and scanner for a number of valid reasons. For one,
multifunction options tend to skimp on quality and simply do not provide the
level of performance you would expect from standalone options. Second, a
majority are poorly designed and do not hold up well over time.
Finally, mostly all of them are big, bulky and ugly. While I have
recently been heavily focusing on printers and have shown you one in
particular that breaks the norm as to how a multifunction printer should
look like, there is one other respected company that has just launched their flagship
models designed to capture the interest of many and even possibly convert
those reluctant to commit to just one device. Loaded with just
about every feature one can possibly ask for, the new Artisan printers from
Epson are truly a major step in the right direction. This
comprehensive review will
focus on one of two impressive models in this product line...the Artisan
700.
Packaging & Contents
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The printer is extremely well-packaged and if
you buy from Epson direct, it will be sent to you double-boxed. The
printer itself ships very well protected, with lots of film around that
gloss black finish and enough tape on all its moving parts to drive
you a bit crazy. However, what did impress me the most was all the
accessories bundled with it. There's a separate accessory kit that
includes one of each supported ink cartridges, plenty of documentation,
software CD, power cable and Ethernet cable. Also, note that the black
ink cartridge Epson chose to bundle with the printer is actually a high
capacity model. More on that later though...
Bonus...Bonus...Bonus...
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But that's not all! Epson chose to be very
generous when it comes to extra goodies. In fact, this is the first
inkjet-based printer I've seen that ships with so much extra. Open the
box and you'll be pleasantly surprised when you find all these bright bonus
stickers, all of which reveal a surprise. Look further and you'll find
a sticker pointing to another section where you'll find another extra
high-capacity black ink cartridge. In addition, they include a free
Memorex printable 52x CD-R. Finally, the last surprise was one I did
not bother to open at first. If you open up the gift brochure
included, you will find three 4x6 sheets of their highest quality (Ultra
Premium) photo paper. You will also find a couple of coupons, one of
which will offer you a generous 20% discount on photo paper from their
website.
Specifications
Below are very detailed specs taken directly
from Epson...
Printing Technology
Ink Palette
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Black, Cyan, Light Cyan,
Magenta, Light Magenta and Yellow
Ink Cartridge Configuration
Ink Type
Light Resistance / Print
Longevity
Minimum Ink Droplet Size
Maximum Resolution
Black Text
Color Text
4" x 6" Photo
Copy Speed
Scanner Type
Optical Resolution
Maximum Resolution
Scanner Bit Depth
Standalone Color Copier
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Copy Modes
Color, Black/White, Text, Graphics, Photo
Copy Quantity
Maximum Copy Size
Copy Features
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Auto background removal for
text
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Fit to page, reduction and
enlargement (25 — 400%)
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Photo reprints and
enlargements
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Copy onto CDs/DVDs, Color
restoration of old, faded photos
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Scan to memory card or USB
flash drive
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Scan to PDF
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Scan to PC
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2-sided copies with optional
duplexer
Special Features
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2-sided printing3,
make Automatic with optional duplexer
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Auto Photo Correction of
digital photos with on-screen preview
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Paper Cassette with two input
paper trays, main tray adjustable tray up to 8.5" x 14",
Photo tray 4" x 6" and 5" x 7"
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Auto Photo Correction
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View a photo slide show on the
built-in 2.5” color LCD
PC-free Printing
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Auto Photo Correction preview
on the built-in LCD
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Select and print photos
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Crop, rotate and enlarge
photos
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View and print photos by-date
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Print your own picture
packages, passport and photo ID
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Select multiple photos to
print on a single page
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Print your own school papers,
college-ruled, wide-ruled and graph paper
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Make personalized note paper
using your own photos
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Photo index sheet
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Photo greeting cards
Layouts
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Borderless
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Classic borders
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Photo ID
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2-up,4-up, 8-up, 20-up, index
20-up
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Index 30-up and 80-up
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Picture packages
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CD/DVD jewel case with and
without index
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CD photo layouts (single,
quarter, variety)
Compatible Memory Cards
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SD™
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MiniSD™ 4
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MicroSD™ 4
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SDHC™ 4
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Mini SDHC™ 4
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Micro SDHC™ 4
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xD-Picture Card™
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xD-Picture Card Type-M™
4
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xD-Picture Card Type-M+™
4
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xD-Picture Card Type-H™
4
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Memory Stick®
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Memory Stick Duo™ 4
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Memory Stick PRO™ 4
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Memory Stick PRO Duo™
4
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Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo™
4
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Memory Stick Micro (M2)™
4
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Memory Stick MagicGate™
4
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Compact Flash®
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Compact Flash Type I, II
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Microdrive®
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MultiMedia Card™
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MMCplus™ 4
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MMCmobile™ 4
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MMCmicro™ 4
Direct CD/DVD Printing
Direct Camera Connection
Maximum Paper Size
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Plain (8.5" x 11"), Photo (4"
x 6", 5" x 7", 8" x 10", 8.5" x 11", 16:9 wide), Ink jet
printable CD/DVDs
Paper Sizes
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8.5" x 11", 8.5" x 14", A4,
B5, A5, A6, half letter, executive, user definable (3.5" –
44" in length)
Borderless Photo Sizes
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4" x 6", 5" x 7", 8" x 10",
8.5" x 11", 16:9 wide
Paper Types
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Plain and Epson Bright White
Paper
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Photo Paper Glossy
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Premium Photo Paper Glossy
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Ultra Premium Photo Paper
Glossy
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Ultra Premium Photo Paper
Luster
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Premium Photo Paper Semi-gloss
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Presentation Paper Matte
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Premium Presentation Paper
Matte and Matte Scrapbook Photo Paper (letter)
Envelope Types
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No. 10, DL, C6; plain paper,
bond paper, air mail
Input Paper Capacity
Recommended Ink Cartridges
Ink Yield Information
Weight and Dimensions (W x D x
H)
Case Color
Connectivity
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Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, compatible
with 802.11 n, Ethernet – 10/100, Hi-Speed USB 2.0,
PictBridge, Bluetooth (optional)
Operating Systems
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Windows Vista®, XP
Professional x64, XP, 2000 Mac OS® X 10.3.9, 10.4.11 and
10.5.x (PowerPC® or Intel® processor)
Software Included
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Epson printer driver, Epson
Print CD, Web to Page, Epson Scan, ArcSoft® Print
Creations™, Epson scanner drivers, ABBYY® FineReader®
Color Management
Sound Level
Temperature
Relative Humidity
Safety Approvals
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Safety standards UL60950-1,
CAN/CS4-222 No.
60950-1, EMI FCC Part 15 subpart B class B,
CAN/CSA-CEI/IEC CISPR 22 class B
Power Requirements
Power Consumption
Options
Warranty
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