Epson Expression Photo XP-970 Print/Scan/Copy Wi-Fi Colour Printer, Black

Product Information

Ultimate wireless– designed for easy printing from you iPhone ®, iPad ®, Android™, mobile devices and many more 3, includes Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct ®2, for router free printing SmartWay is an innovative partnership of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that reduces greenhouse gases and other air pollutants and improves fuel efficiency The print quality isn’t up to the extremely high standard of the most expensive photo printers on this list, but still produces impressive-looking results. Ease of use is generally a strong point. Epson’s driver interface is on the cluttered side, but the options are logically laid out, and the XP-970’s touchscreen interface makes configuration, copying and scanning a breeze. It is a mite annoying that you have to regularly reassure the printer that it’s finished a print job or selected the right sort of paper in the tray – but even that’s better than other printers that give you too little information and no indication as to why a job just failed.

The built-in colour screen makes for more intuitive operation and again, as with the pigment-based PRO-300, you can create panoramic prints of up to 990cm in length. Colour output on glossy paper is simply spectacular, easing ahead of Epson’s larger-format 6-ink photo printers, and the Canon also delivers very convincing output for both colour and mono photo prints on matte and fine art media. For our money, it’s the best letter-sized photo printer on the market, but it’s equally adept at document printing. Key features include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, a memory card slot, and a facility for printing on white-faced CDs and DVDs. If you really can’t be bothered to read the rest of the review, then here’s a spoiler: the XP-970 really does churn out great quality A3 prints. It also has all the essential features you could ask for at the price, including trays for photo media and a 5760 x 1440dpi six-colour printing system that uses Epson’s Claria Photo HD inks. The main paper trays only hold up to A4 paper, but the rear paper feed takes A3 sheets. In short, you get an affordable printer for more modestly proportioned 6×4 and 8×10 prints, but you can stretch to the larger format for framing or exhibition prints.Of course, all this wouldn't mean much if the prints didn't look any good. Fortunately, the Canon PIXMA G650 MegaTank (G620 in the US) puts out images of great quality, with good color rendition and tonal range. Multifunction printers, or MFPs, have a built-in scanner and can operate as a printer, a scanner and a copier. Many A3 printers come with all these functions, particularly if they’re designed for an office or home office. However, make sure your MFP has the right size scanner for your needs, as some cheaper A3 MFPs only have A4 scanner beds; if you want to make A3 scans as well as prints, you’ll need a model with an A3 scanner. I tried to install the product's software for an Ethernet connection but cannot complete the installation in Windows or on my Mac. What should I do?

Epson has introduced its 'EcoTank' system where you get a much larger ink supply when you buy the printer, but we're not convinced this makes better economic sense since you have to pay much more upfront. The option for 2-Sided Printing (Windows) or Two-sided Printing Settings (Mac) is gray or not available. What should I do?There are two paper trays, one for up to 100 A4-sized sheets, the other for a secondary store of photo paper or envelopes. The rear tray is where you can put A3 paper, for those occasions when you need a larger print, though it will only take one sheet at a time. Mono and color print speeds are fast and there’s an auto duplex facility. A motorized tilting front panel and output tray add refinement, along with auto paper width detection, which can save setup time when using different types of paper. I can print with a wireless connection on my home network but not on a VPN (virtual private network). What should I do? Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ™; level of performance subject to the range of the router being used. Wi-Fi Direct may require printer software.