Up to now, there have two types of inks to choose from when outputting photo-quality prints on inkjet printers: you could have either great-looking inks, the colours of which shift and fade after a few weeks, or more permanent inks and papers that remain stable for years but look dull and unrealistic. But now, the Epson Stylus Photo 2000P (AU$1999), the first desktop printer to employ Epson's MicroCrystal Encapsulation technology and new archival papers, produces photo-quality prints, with claims that the colours will remain stable for up to two centuries. And though we don't have 200 years to confirm this, photo-image quality is truly outstanding. The 2000P is a nicely designed silver and black printer capable of outputting up to 33 x 112cm enlargements. The printer can be configured as a USB or parallel device, and optionally as an Ethernet and PostScript 3 printer. In photo mode, resolution is 1440 x 720, which when combined with variable droplet particles as small as 0.1 micron, produces virtually continuous tone quality, the finest we've ever seen in an inkjet printer.

Unlike other Epson inkjets, installation and setup were easy. The printer has two cartridges--one black and one with five colours; when one colour runs out in the latter, the entire cartridge must be replaced. Although the 2000P can print text, it is really a dedicated photo printer.

The 2000P will print on plain paper (best for rough copies only). Good prints should be output on specially formulated Archival Matte, Premium Semigloss photo paper, Premium Luster, and Watercolor Radiant White paper. The printer can accommodate up to 100 sheets, though feeding paper in one page at a time is better. The 2000P can handle 33cm and 15cm roll paper, for production volume printing. Understandably, the 2000P is a slow performer, but it is also ultraquiet. The unit has a customisable interface, and each cartridge has an embedded microchip that accurately displays ink status. Other features include automatic image resizing, colour profiling, and watermark previewing.

Print quality, even on Archival Matte paper, is spectacular. Prints exhibit virtually undetectable dot patterns, rivaling prints made by true continuous-tone dye-sublimation devices. Colours are accurate, with realistic skin tones and a more extensive colour gamut than we've ever seen.

The Epson Stylus 2000P is sure to be a hit with photographers looking for an excuse to get rid of their darkroom. The printer is just that good.

Epson Stylus Photo 2000P