XXX dpi + XXX ppm = confusion (Epson Stylus C40)

Member Name: benniash

Product:	Epson Stylus C40
Date:	12/01/04 (220 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Price, Quality

Disadvantages: Slow, Noisy

You'd think that with an A-Level in computing I?d have a decent idea what to look for in a printer, no chance. When I went to get my latest printer (although a good few months ago now!!) I knew that I needed something that produced a decent level of quality print, was reasonably priced and fairly quick. Unfortunately knowing and understanding are two totally different things!

When I told the sales rep this he started talking in dots per inch and pages per minute ? all of which went straight over my head!! He showed me several different printers and edged me towards the Epson Stylus C40UX.
Although looks were not important in the buying process I was quite pleased with what I saw. The printer was of a reasonable size with a main body of cream and a blue transparent lid for changing the ink.

It was a four-colour inkjet printer and having had a reliable Epson in the past I knew I could trust the make. This particular model was retailing for £70, but I have since seen it for both more (£80) and less (£60), which seemed reasonable enough. I had budgeted for a total spend of £150 but if it did the job then I?d be happy to save some money, plus I also needed to stock up on ink and paper.

Within about thirty minutes I had purchased the printer having been assured that it met my requirements. Within the hour I was back home and setting it up.

The installation process was simple. I connected the printer up to the computer with the USB lead (this didn?t come with the printer so if you haven?t got one it will set you back about a tenner) and when I switched the computer on it instantly recognised the new piece of hardware and began the process. The printer comes with all the software needed to install it as well having several manuals to help you along the way. At this point the manuals were redundant as the process unfolded before me on screen; several next, yes, no and continue clicks later and I received the first print, a test
copy, from my new printer.

The test copy looked good and seemed to print at a reasonable pace, although I wasn?t too happy with the noise. It certainly wasn?t the loudest printer I?d ever owned but in terms of today?s technology advances I would have hoped for it being much quieter.

The specifications said that the printer produced a maximum of 1440x720 dots per inch; whilst this meant nothing to me I have to say that I was happy with both the colour and black printing. I am able to produce quality, professional letters that give out a good impression of my company.
If the noise wasn?t bad enough I was also a little disappointed with the speed. Trying to understand just how quick (or slow) this printer was at the time of purchase was almost impossible. At eight pages per minute for black, and almost half for colour, I did a bit of mental arithmetic and figured this was quite good. In reality this is good for when you?re printing off a few pages but if you have a fifty-page document or want to do a hundred client mail merges you?ll not be best impressed. It doesn?t help that for all this time the noise is just so irritating! ? Plus, this also means you can?t do it too late at night.

The problem that I encountered in the shop was that to gain the quality I was looking for I?d have to find a compromise with the speed as I was aware that some of the faster models produced significantly less quality print outs.

This printer is actually aimed at the home user but would suit anyone running a small business where they needed quality over speed. It is not ridiculously slow but is not ideal for jobs over about twenty-five pages. It came with a one years guarantee and has been as reliable as clockwork. The adjustable paper holder caters for envelopes and paper sizes up to A4 and can hold up to one hundred sheets of A4 at a time, although I would have made a design change to the tray that catches the paper when it is printed.


The end has no ridge and relies on its curve to hold the paper ? although on many occasion the paper has been thrown out onto the floor.
I use the printer every day and the ink lasts for a reasonable amount of time. With just two buttons to use on the printer, the ink is easy to change and although the Epson refills are fairly expensive at over ten pound a shot, you can find some great bargains on the web and get it as cheap as £3 (see inkfactory.co.uk opinion). I also like the fact that it has a separate cartridge for the black from the colour as I use so much more of the black.

It is compatible with all Microsoft Windows programmes since (and including) the 1998 version, as well as all the Apple Mac models since (and including) the Apple Mac05 8.6.

With this printer it is case of what you see is what you get. It is simple to use and has no real features or functions. Despite a few flaws, I would recommend this to anyone who wants a quality, professional finish to their letters or documents. It is adequate for minimum business use but ideal for home and personal use.

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