Epson Stylus Photo R320 review

Take the printer mechanism of the Epson Stylus Photo R200 and bolt on an LCD panel and a mini colour monitor. Stir in a selection of memory card slots and the result is the Epson Stylus Photo R320.

Essentially, it's a mini-lab version of the entry-level R200. It features the same five colours plus black range of inks and the same sharp print quality. However, the built-in profiles have been altered so images printed directly from a camera or memory card come out with a bit more punch and definition.

Printing directly from a Mac produces the same slightly punchier profile than the R200. The colour cast is slightly less yellow with, perhaps, a little more magenta. When it comes to black and white then there is a noticeable mauve tinge to the output. It's not unpleasant but it's definitely not a neutral print and is therefore unsuitable for serious monochrome work.

If you choose to use the R320 to print directly from a camera or memory card then you'll be pleased to know that all types (including xD cards) are taken care of. You can even plug a PictBridge-enabled digital camera into a USB port on the front of the printer and view the images on the tiny 1.5-inch colour screen that's built-in to the R320.

It's not a large enough screen to do any edits, but it is big enough to identify the images you want to print. Settings for paper size, quality and borderless printing can be set from the printer so that you don't even have to turn your Mac on if you want to print from a card or camera.

As with the R200, this model has a built-in CD tray so you can enhance your CDs and DVDs with full-colour printing; an attractively printed CD is much nicer and easier to locate than a scabby old CD with a scrawled note in felt-tip across its surface.