Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought this printer only to test the "archival" quality paper and inks. I must admit, I was quite impressed with the Luster photo paper surface; it resembled the true photographic luster surface that I am used to, but with a tighter texture. I was also quite impressed with the level of color control sliders and methods of color matching in the printer's software. (A side note, anyone who is truly concerned with accurate color will want to invest in a colorimeter and software to properly balance their monitor from a company such as Monaco; do not waste your time fighting with color matching.) For starters, I first noticed that exterior of this printer was rather flimsy and some parts are quite breakable. The printer tray in the front simply folds down, however when folding up, it only "clicks" on the left side. On one of my pritners, the tray falls at the slightest bump. Additionally, the extendable paper tray is a bit cheap and can be a little cumbersome to extend. Also, the cover is easily scratched; even wiping it with a paper towel can cause abrasions in the opaque black cover. With use, over time it will loose it's cosmetic appearance quite quickly. I have always thought Epson printers were of lower contruction standards when compared to HP. As a very experienced user (with proper monitor balancing tools and tons of "profile" experience) I was not able to get color results that I was happy with, mainly in regards to magenta levels. I was forced to tweak the magenta settings down by -2 for every print, regardless of which profile I used. Furthermore, when compared to traditional photographic images, I have had difficulty with a push/pull between magenta and green. While on one hand a portion of any given image appeared too magenta, another portion of the same image was obviously too green, particularly anyone with blonde hair. Obviouslly, there is no way to do an overall color correction for this. Every print I have printed has this issue, and I have used two different printers. Overall, the prints just did not look right to me. When comparing the Epson 2200 prints to a PROFESSIONALLY operated Fuji Frontier system, after the Epson prints are completely dry they seemed to have a "fog" to them, almost like looking through a pane of thin non-glare glass. The most notable disappointment with these prints is any areas that either are white or black, or fade to white or black. The slightest angle in the light reveals a myriad of reflection patterns, which I find completely unacceptable. These reflections are highly noticeable when the prints are viewed on a wall from any angle. They can be quite ugly and destroy the image, especially images with high contrast. More recently, I took an image that I was mostly happy with and professionally framed it. We used conservation quality mats and conservation glass, which blocks 98% of the UV rays. Within two weeks, I noticed something curious and have yet to take the frame apart to investigate further. When viewing through the glass at an angle, the parts of the image that are the darkest seem to be transferring to the glass. The image is 1/8 inch away from touching the glass. While this has created an interesting pattern on the glass, obviously this is not desired and leads me to question the "archival" claims made by Epson. Since we are in a dry climate, it is not humidity; and since we are in a rural area, it is not an effect of ozone or pollution, both of which environmental conditions are mentioned in the paper packaging regarding proper print storage and display. The only thing I can figure is that static electricity is somehow pulling a very thin layer of the darker inks off the print towards the glass. We'll see. ...... I simply cannot recommend this printer to anyone who is greatly concerned with accurate color. I have tried two different printers, and getting accurate color has been a big hassle. Don't get me wrong, the average consumer will be happy I'm sure, but anyone who desires accuracy will not be pleased, especially if they are a professional. I impolore any professional user to be just as critical of this printer, as any print they would receive from a lab; there is quite a big difference. Again, for an ink-jet "photo" printer, the Epson 2200 is a huge leap forward and at first glance it is quite impressive; but after closer inspection, to say the printer is of true "photographic quality" simply is not true. I'll stick to creating my own work, while leaving the printing to the professionals down the street. At least I know for a fact that my prints will still be around for the rest of my life, and beyond; and who needs the push/pull between green and magenta! In the long run, getting accurate color is cheaper when going to the lab, rather than wasting two or more attempts on the printer.