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Entered CNET Catalog: 09/10/2002
SKU: 0010343844902
Manufacturer: Epson
Manufacturer description
Epson launched the powerful Epson Stylus Photo 925 ink jet printer, fulfilling the needs of the rising population of digital photo lovers. The new model is compatible with many types of memory cards in the market, enabling standalone printing without connecting to the computer. With the innovative automatic roll paper cutter (auto-cutter) and various improvements in printing technology, Epson Stylus Photo 925 makes photo printing an easy task and is the ultimate choice for all quality-seeking users. Thanks to the standalone function of Photo 925 and its compatibility with different types of memory cards, users can produce high quality photos without connecting to the computer. Photo 925 comes with 3 card slots, enabling direct data reading from Compact flash, Microdrive, SmartMedia and Memory Stick without using any PCMCIA adapter, while SD Card users can print using USB card reader. No matter what type of digital camera you are using, Photo 925 is definitely an optimal choice for digital photo printing.Product summary
The good: High maximum resolution; prints from multiple sources, including digital cameras and removable media; supports roll paper; easy setup; comprehensive documentation.
The bad: Disappointing all-around image quality, including text output; slow as molasses in January; slightly high ink consumption.
The bottom line: This printer's attractive photos and myriad printing options can't offset its weak overall output quality and print speeds.
CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 12/03/2002
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 USB ports only. |
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The Stylus Photo 925 sets up in minutes, thanks to a wealth of documentation. The colorful "getting started" poster walks you through unpacking, connecting, and installing the printer. Or you can refer to one of the two included manuals. To install the ink, open the output tray, then fold up the semitranslucent black cover. The two ink cartridges (one black, and one for cyan, magenta, yellow, photo cyan, photo magenta) snap snuggly into the ink tanks.
Before you begin to print, make sure the lever on its right side as you face the printer is set to the correct thickness type (regular paper or envelope), as this might affect print quality. To print from your PC, simply install the driver software, and hook up the USB cable. The CD-ROM contains an electronic version of the user manual, easy-to-use software for editing and organizing images, and access to Epson's free photo-sharing Web site.
 Select appropriate paper thickness. |
 Accepts all major media cards. |
The printer itself is extremely versatile. It's Mac and PC compatible via the USB port (no cable included), and you can print through a computer, as well as directly from a digital camera or removable media, such as CompactFlash and SmartMedia cards, IBM Microdrives, or Memory Sticks.
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 Roll paper for outsized prints. |
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This printer ships with a roll-paper holder and one spool of 4-inch roll paper. This way, you can print pages of any size (such as panoramas), then manually or automatically crop the pages to fit.
 The LCD makes it possible to print from a camera. |
 Plenty of photo software options. |
Like many photo printers, the Stylus Photo 925 ships with a CD full of photo manipulation software. The Epson Software Film Factory is a photo organization and management program. The PIM plug-in for Adobe Photoshop enables the printer to retain and process PIM image quality in JPEG files from digital cameras. ArcSoft PhotoImpression, an easy yet versatile photo editor, lets you edit and add effects to your images. And the Epson Photocenter Link takes you to Epson's free photo-sharing Web site.
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 Ink costs are a bit on the high side. |
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As in our previous tests, the Epson 925's text and graphics output didn't pass muster. Text on both plain and Epson Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper was extremely fuzzy, and the paper looked oversaturated with ink. This was apparent in italics and in both large and small fonts, the latter looking nearly illegible and more like a series of ink droplets in the shape of letters than actual letters. Our tests and retests in Espon 925's default Normal mode yielded more of the same. We did see some improvement, however, in Fine mode. If you want to use this printer, make sure to set it to Fine mode. However, you'll run out of black ink more quickly.
Graphics output on the 925 was, as one juror put it, shockingly bad compared to that of the majority of the inkjets we see these days. Gradients appeared very grainy, the photo elements were dark and lacking in detail, dithering was highly visible throughout the test document, and the printer did a terrible job on lines and sharp edges. We saw no improvement using Epson Ink Jet Paper. Epson representatives suggested that we try printing the graphics file in PDF rather than AI (Adobe Illustrator) format. We re-created our test file as an Acrobat file, but the 925's PDF output suffered the same sorts of problems as those printed from the AI file.
Inkjet printer quality
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The Epson also flunked our speed tests. When printing text, the Epson 925 averaged 1.5 pages per minute (ppm), and on an 8x10 photo, it averaged 7.1 minutes per page printing at the highest-quality setting. Considering that the fastest inkjets we test do about 6ppm to 7ppm on text and about 2 minutes per page on photos, these speeds are downright disgraceful. We recognize that photo printers often run more slowly than regular inkjets. But as the performance chart shows, even among other photo printers, the Epson's print speeds are subpar.
| Inkjet printer text speed Pages per minute (longer bars indicate better performance) | ||||||||
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| Inkjet printer color photo speed Minutes to print a color photograph (shorter bars indicate better performance) | ||||||||
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The Epson reps we spoke with stress that the Stylus Photo 925 is first and foremost a photo printer and suggested that text and graphics aren't as vital as print quality. We agree that text and graphics aren't as important as photo quality, but we believe that they're still important in any decent inkjet, particularly since many budget-limited independent photographers (such as freelancers and hobbyists) may want their consumer-priced photo printer to cover all the bases. While wealthier photographers might want both a photo and a laser printer, these photographers will probably pursue an even more expensive photo printer with more impressive photo output, such as the Epson Stylus Photo 2200.
To add insult to injury, the Epson's ink consumption was slightly high. According to our drain tests, black ink costs about 7.5 cents per page (most inkjets we've tested run about 3 cents per page), and color ink will set you back about 27 cents per page, which is slightly above average. Even though the printer's price matches that of its competitors, the amount of consumables used determines how much money you'll spend over the life of the printer. In this regard, these stats don't look too hot.
Epson backs the printer with an industry-standard, one-year warranty. You can contact automated tech support via a toll-free number for the length of the warranty. To speak with a representative, toll number available (Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT). Epson's Web site also offers driver downloads, troubleshooting FAQs, and online documentation.
One manual gives you detailed information on how to load specialty paper (the printer comes with two plastic, paper-towel-holder-like attachments for printing on rolls of photo paper) and how to print directly from removable media or a digital camera without using a computer. The second manual--really a quick-reference booklet--contains abridged printing information such as how to navigate the printer's LCD control panel.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 User Rating: 
6/10
great and awful
Pros: great photo quality, reasonable speed
Cons: ink clogs, waste lots of ink
User Rating: 
3/10
Very disappointing
Pros: Image quality good, when it works
Cons: Wasting ink and roller paper
User Rating: 
4/10
very good photos
Pros: great as a partner to a higher end digital camera
Cons: yeah, it is slow, but what are you doing, working in some dull as ditchwater office, or anticipating another great photo?
User Rating: 3/10
Print Head Clogs, Cleaning Wastes Ink
Pros: Photo quality OK, not great.
Cons: Printhead clogs during periods of non-use (> one week). It takes about four cleaning cycles to restore quality. This wastes a half cartridge of ink. Also, poorer detail than comparable HP. A friend & I tested a photo from each of our cameras on ea
User Rating: 
1/10
ink guzzler, heads always clogged, uses color ink when printing black ugh!
Pros: None that I can detect
Cons: Noisy! Paper feed jams Suck ink like a turkey baster! Heads clogged ALL the time and need 3 to 5 cleanings to get the thing printing. I almost always print in black ink. Epson mixes color ink with with black to get black. Go figure?? I don't want to b
User Rating: 
7/10
Don't listen to those boneheads
Pros: This is an EXCELLENT product. I'm not sure why people are having so many troubles. I bought a brand new 925 in August 2003 at $150 bucks and just recently a refurbished one for under $50 bucks. Have not had any troubles with either one. For starters..
Cons: Yes..it is slow. But its a photo printer. What do you expect?
User Rating: 
2/10
Ink costs will bankrupt you
Pros: Built-in media card reader.
Cons: This printer sucks. Literally. It sucks ink so fast it will make your head spin and your wallet a lot lighter. I've had this printer for about a year. I tried to like it. I really did. My wife was not keen on me buying it, so I had to justify it in my min
User Rating: 3/10
If you print less than 1 photo a month, forget this printer
Pros: Nice prints
Cons: The ink cartridges needs lots of cleaning to get good quality, and when you really need to print, it's clogged. After 1 year of non-usage, yellow has stopped printing totally. This is the worst crap I've ever bought. Unfortunately the warranty has run out
User Rating: 1/10
ABSOLUTE PIECE OF SH$T
Pros: Good quality
Cons: The "Ink Monitor" software it uses is a lie designed to rip off consumers. I printed out 50 pages of PURE "black and white" powerpoint slides. It ran through about $20(US) in COLOR INK!!! The Ink monitor is a lying piece of crap. Even though the cartridge
User Rating: 6/10
Drinks Ink like an SUV guzzzles gas
Pros: software package is relatively decent; color rendition is good on Epson paper; roll cutter nice. ink monitor shows rate of consumption
Cons: thirsty little beast! Ink monitor shows FAST rate of consumption - I got only about a dozen 4*6 prints out of a new Epson ink cartridge - either it was not filled, or the printer guzzles ink. Printing is slow.
User Rating: 1/10
The Worst Printer i ever owned
Pros: Its and Epson
Cons: Pretty much everything else. It clogs up after every third print, I have 2 other epsons, i dont have nearly as many problems. This is the biggest piece of junk i have ever seen. Oh before i forget, dont bother using the roll paper, i refuses to lay flat
User Rating: 2/10
Broken after 13 months!!
Pros: My family & I together have owned at least 20 different Epson products. This dates back to an old Dot Matrix wide carriage! Normally very reliable products! When it was working it was a great printer.
Cons: The printer broke after only 13 months and I am not a heavy user. Of course, it's cheaper to replace than to repair it!
User Rating: 7/10
Too costly and slow to operate.
Pros: I like the flexability this printer offers. Roll paper, paper cutter,borderless printing, operating without computer direct from camera or memory card. As far as I am concerned photos are of photo lab quality and colours are true to form.
Cons: Cost to operate is out of this world...very costly. I average 72 4x6 prints on Epson Glossy Photo paper per colour cartridge. Including the cost of the paper this works out to be over .50 cents per print. Better to go to the photo lab. Secondly it produ
User Rating: 4/10
Used more ink cleaning than I printed
Pros: Great quality 4x6 photos with roll paper
Cons: Black nozzle becomes clogged almost daily, requiring print nozzle cleaning that uses color ink as well. If one color runs out of the tank, the printer is unusable until you get a new cartrige, and then waste it all over again by only printing black.
User Rating: 4/10
buy an hp any model
Pros: it prints a few good photos when it do's print
Cons: use's way to much ink . the print heads are always glogging up and it is very very slowwwww
User Rating: 
8/10
Negative Review is Truly Undeserved!
Pros: Outstanding output. Extremely easy to use. I've tried many photo printers and am convinced that Epson makes the best printers. This 925 is an upgrade from the 820 which I was also very happy with. The 925 has more features. The output of the 925 is as goo
Cons: Could be faster, but is that really important? Uses a lot of ink but the pictures look better than others with more economical ink use.
User Rating: 1/10
Worst Printer I have ever owned
Pros: roll photo paper, media inputs
Cons: Quality is terrible. I have to clean the heads after each print job. Many files too big.
User Rating: 3/10
crap, broke down the first day.
Pros:
Cons: kept printing ink with jammed paper, paper roll cutter broke after 3rd picture.
User Rating: 8/10
The truth? An oustanding photo printer!
Pros: I am shocked by the other reviews which question this printer! I love this thing! I am a semi-pro photographer of dog performance activities, and I pump a lot of photo paper through a printer. Well... I just now finished a batch of 4x6" prints from ro
Cons: Not the very best for conventional text printing, but it does a good enough job. Look at it this way: how many times have you complained about photo printing on your other brand of printer but tolerated it? Well, it's the other way around here. I love
User Rating: 2/10
epson stylus 925 useless
Pros: good quality pictures back when it worked, (I've had it a little over a year)
Cons: I am getting black splotches on my prints which I can not get rid of. Ink drains out when not in use to a large cotton filled well on bottom of printer.They must have expected this to happen for them to incorperate it into the design. VERY SMALL cartridge
User Rating: 6/10
Good Printer for Starting Photographers
Pros: Its a Great Photo Printer if your a starting Digital Photographer, it has good Quailty.
Cons: Too Slow when you turn on the printer, and takes to long for the printer to warm up. Inks are pricey.
User Rating: 4/10
Too slow, too expensive, uses too much ink
Pros:
Cons:
User Rating: 3/10
below par
Pros:
Cons:
User Rating: 
9/10
Awesome printer!!!
Pros:
Cons:
