Hands on: Epson Artisan 800 All-in-One Printer |
We recently got a chance to go hands on with Epson Artisan 800 All-in-One Printer. Just like the Epson WorkForce 600 All-in-One, it didn’t disappoint. The Artisan 800 is geared toward the more creative type of office. Designed to combine sleek styling with high performance. It has many of the same features, but with a creative slant. The Artisan 800 features built in wired and wireless networking, ultra fast print speeds (38 ppm), 6-color ink, a 7.8” touch panel, a 3.5” LCD screen, standalone photo capabilities, faded photo restorations, and a smart ink system. The Artisan 800 is smaller then the Epson WorkForce 600, which is nice as it can be tucked away a bit more conveniently.
Out of the box you get an ethernet cable, power cable, driver/software disc, user manuals, some sample paper, a small bit of phone cable and the necessary printer cartridges. No USB cable, but if you plan on using it wirelessly, that’s no big deal.
Setup was just as easy as the Epson WorkForce 600. For wireless, just plug the ethernet cable into the device and connect it o your router. You can also enter it manually if you like. Then once the software is installed, just disconnect the cable. Once that’s done, it takes about 5 minutes to charge the ink and you’re ready to go.
Using all of the 800’s features is easy thanks to the touch screen interface, though navigation is not as effortless as the Epson WorkForce 600. Having said that, it’s not too hard to figure out the buttons and find your way. The touchscreen panel can be pulled up at an angle and tucked away again making it easy to use. Navigation and the editing of your photos is easy thanks to the card reader and USB port. Just insert your card and you are good to go. If your card contains more then a thousand images, it will break it down into two groups of thumbnail photo sets. On the Workforce it was easy to find both groups. On this device I had trouble finding both, but like I said you figure it out easy enough and get to know the machine. You can also scan documents and save them directly to the memory card or USB drive, making it easy to transfer them anywhere.
There’s a compartment tucked away in the bottom where you load your standard printer paper, glossy photo paper and other types, which can be adjusted for all the paper sizes and envelopes. On the top of the unit is the automatic document feeder, capable of holding up to 30 pages for faxing or scanning. Below that is the flat bed scanner that will scan and can be used as a plain copier. The compartment that houses the ink cartridges is just below that. Loading and changing the cartridges is super easy.
I put the device through it’s paces and it’s fast, delivering quality in every department. The 800 prints photos on photo quality paper super nice and even has a faded photo restoration feature that will give new life to your old memories, essentially cleaning them up as if you had just taken the pic. Pictures are fast! Another interesting feature is that it prints CD’s if you have a printable disc. Just push a button and the CD tray slides out. Load in the CD, select the image and print. Just like that you have a custom CD with art on it.
I did mention that it is for the creative types. You can turn photos or drawings into coloring books, create personalized notepaper, even print lined paper should you have the need. Even create custom CD jewel case artwork to go with your custom CD. Some of the software included will help you make greeting cards, calendars etc.
Of course you have to love the Wi-Fi capabilities. You can do it all from anywhere in the house, so you get more done. The pricing isn’t bad at $299.99 for all the features and ease of use that you get. My only complaint is that the touchscreen navigation should be more intuitive.
My final word on the Artisan 800 is Go get one. If I had to choose between this and the Workforce 600, it would be a hard call. But both are worth the price. You get a ton of features for your money. Both will serve any home or small business extremely well. If you use your computer more creatively The Artisan is the one for you and should serve you well for a good long while.
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I have purchased 6 epson printers over the course of approximately 10 years. I have been pleased and am always looking to acquire more capabilities from my printers, because of the many responsibilities I have at home and at my church. However, I am not pleased with the last purchase. I upgraded my printer from the RX680 to the Artisan 800. I actually thought this was going to be an upgrade. However, the Artisan 800 just cost more with fax capabilities. The RX680 automatically comes with a Duplexer for two-sided copying, my memory cards are recognized by the printer and my computer, the print quality for photos is better with the RX 680. The Artisan specifically states that you can perform two-sided copies. Because this is an upgrade, I was under the impression that everything I need to perform an automatic two sided copy was included. Again, the specs on the system and box specifically states two-sided copies. The Artisan does not come with the duplexer. I had to purchase that separately and it was not immediately available. Therefore I lost a necessary function for a period of time and I had to spend more money. My memory cards are not recognized by my computer through the printer. The printer is the only thing that recognized my memory cards. There is limited space for paper in the paper tray. The two paper trays are actually just one tray. The photo tray on the top does not allow for 8X10 or 8 1/2 X11 paper. Therefore I must remove paper and load the paper I want to use and then reload the standard paper when I am finish with the special paper. With the rx680. I kept the standard paper in the front tray and loaded special paper in the rear tray. The Artisan is flimsy and cost more. The RX680 is more durable and cost less. The only thing the RX680 doesn’t have in fax capabilities, touch screen, and wifi. I think Epson over rated the Artisan and should definitely cut the prices for future sales and reimburse current owners a minimum of $150 dollars. In comparison the RX680 is a far better printer than the Artisan 800. The Artisan 800 is definitely over rated by Epson. At this point due to cost, lack of standard inclusion of the duplexer, flimsy paper tray, memory card limitations, and photo print quality, I would not recommend this printer to potential customers. I would definitely recommend the RX680, it is a far better quality product than the Artisan. Epson you missed it on this one.
Michelle
I have to agree with Michelle on all her points.
One positive I have to say is that if you’re purchasing it for CD/DVD printing, it has a built-in tray to hold and load that media (vs. the external tray you need to insert with all the prior models). This tray loads about twice as fast (or more), almost doubling the speed of printing on discs (the disc-load time is what used to take so long).
It’s for that reason alone that I’m probably keeping this model..
Not having the “manual” paper tray for custom paper sizes in the back is a big BIG mistake in my opinion on the design of this printer, and it seems it would have been an easy thing to put in the back where they have the optional duplexer hook up. Try printing a letter followed by an envelope… what a nuisance?!
a) print the letter
b) close the output guide
c) open the paper tray
d) remove the existing 8.5×11 paper
e) insert the envelope and adjust the hard-to-move paper guides
f) close the tray and print the envelope
g) repeat (c-f) to reload the regular letter paper
Guaranteed that the cheap-feeling plastic guides will break in no time…
If that’s a workflow that sounds familiar to you, make sure to buy an extended replacement plan!
I actually think the envelope printing is not that bad. Try this workaround if you want to just print one envelope after a letter. Put a #10 envelope on top of our paper stack in the paper holder face down towards the back on the far right side. When I use Word’s envelope printer from the tools menu it pulls the envelope up and prints it correctly and then I don’t have to pull the paper holder out again, it’s just ready for the next job.
I have a Artisian 800. It worked fine when I had a PC. I bought a MAC and now can’t get it to print anything but at about 25% on the bottom left of the printer paper. All settings appear corret. 6X4 & *X10’s, ssame problem. When I print to an HP 2200 it works fine.
I went to print an envelope and lost alot of time figuring this out. In the manual it says to refer to the Online information Center. Any idea where that might be? Great manual! No place did I find information about printing envelopes!!!!!
I read comments to figure it out and then played around for a while so I figured it out myself. I agree with the comments above but using the slide guides makes the envelopes come out more in line. Also went through a few envelopes finding the right orientation. Good luck general public. Signs of the times, bad manuals and disposable printers. I liked my Epson Photo R300 but it was programed to self destruct after a period of time and too expensive to send away to get fixed. Better designs please in the future.
Rob Eddy Camden, Maine