Epson Stylus Photo PX720WD review

The PX720WD is a marked improvement over Epson's preceding PX710W in terms of intuitive ease of use, and the auto duplex unit is nice to have for double-sided printing if and when you need it. In all other respects, the two printers are virtually identical, so it's a case of evolution rather than revolution.

We liked

The touch-sensitive panel makes it easier to engage standalone printing and photocopying modes, and there's a wide range of media card slots. Built predominantly for photo output, the addition of a CompactFlash slot is an advantage to those with posh D-SLRs, as this is lacking on many of the latest all-in-one printers.

Photo print quality is particularly punchy and vibrant, and the addition of a secondary paper input tray for postcard prints of up to 7x5 inches reduces the need for continual swapping between plain paper and photo paper in the main tray.

We disliked

Photo print quality isn't noticeably better than from Canon's 5-ink printers like the MG5150, and the latter produces stronger mono text with its pigment-based black ink. Another plus point for the Canon is that the secondary input tray can accommodate full A4 photo paper.

Epson's touch-panel interface isn't quite on a par with full-colour touch-screen LCDs, as fitted to the Lexmark Interact S605 or the HP Photosmart Premium C309G.

Verdict

One of the most expensive A4 all-in-one printers on the market, the Epson PX720WD goes a long way to justify its price tag and running costs are pretty reasonable. Ultimately, however, the 6-ink system doesn't really deliver noticeably better photo quality than some of Canon's cheaper 5-ink printers.

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