Important Printer Buying Tip: ALWAYS check for the ink cartridge prices before you purchase a
printer. Why? Sometimes cheaper printers end up costing more because its
ink cartridges may be way expensive. You should calculate the "cost of
ownership" per month. The math is simple: (number of prints per month)
times (cost of the cartridge) divided by (the yield of the cartridge).
Yield is the number of pages that can be printed with one particular
cartridge.
For example, assume that average home user prints 150 black pages per
month using a black cartridge that yields 200 pages and costs $28. The
monthly "cost of ownership" is (150 pages) x ($28) = $21
200 pages
Also look at the printer ink alternatives; besides the
original manufacturer's cartridges (OEMs), you may have the selection of
remanufactured cartridges, compatible ink cartridges, and ink refill kits.
Below is the list of Epson R340 compatible printer
ink cartridges:
OEM #: T048120 Color: Black Yield: 630 pages
MSRP: Our Price: $6.85 Your Savings:$11.14 (61.92%)
3 or more: $5.95 ea.
OEM #: T048220 Color: Cyan Yield: 430 pages
MSRP: Our Price: $6.85 Your Savings:$6.14 (47.27%)
3 or more: $5.95 ea.
OEM #: T048320 Color: Magenta Yield: 430 pages
MSRP: Our Price: $6.85 Your Savings:$6.14 (47.27%)
3 or more: $5.95 ea.
OEM #: T048420 Color: Yellow Yield: 430 pages
MSRP: Our Price: $6.85 Your Savings:$6.14 (47.27%)
3 or more: $5.95 ea.
OEM #: T048520 Color: Light Cyan Yield: 430 pages
MSRP: Our Price: $6.85 Your Savings:$6.14 (47.27%)
Minimum system requirements: Apple MacOS X
10.2.x or later
ProductDescription for Epson Stylus
Photo R340 (From the Manufacturer, Epson)
It's very easy to get great frame-ready photos directly from
memory card or digital camera. Epson Stylus Photo R340 lets you
select, crop and print your favorite photos without ever turning
on your PC. Its built-in premium photo viewer, so you can see
every brilliant detail before you choose to print.
It's all right at your fingertips with the Epson Stylus Photo
R340. Create a customized CD as a gift or party favor. Or, print
stunning photos to place on the mantle or in the family album.
Whatever you do, your projects are sure to impress, thanks to
remarkable resolution and vibrant six-color photo ink.
What's in the Box:
Epson Stylus Photo R340 inkjet printer, cyan printer ink
cartridge (T048220), light cyan printer ink cartridge (T048520),
magenta printer ink cartridge (T048320), light magenta printer
ink cartridge (T048620), yellow printer ink cartridge (T048420),
black printer ink cartridge (T048120), CD print tray and
software, printer documentation, CD-ROM containing printer
drivers & software (Windows and Macintosh)
Epson R340 Street Price: $176.99 - $242.00
PCMAGAZINE.com Editors' review: All those familiar with the Epson Stylus Photo R220
need to know about the Epson Stylus Photo R340 printer ($200
street) is that it's effectively the same printer gussied up
with photo-related features and costs twice as much. Print speed
and output quality are nearly identical, and both let you print
directly on a printable optical disc, so you don't need paste-on
labels. More importantly, both are best used as second printers
primarily for photos. They can function as single, all-purpose
home printers, but only if you don't mind waiting for output.
The Epson R340 is slightly larger than the Epson R220, at 8.6 by
19.6 by 10.4 inches (HWD), but is essentially an R220 clone. To
set up the printer, you insert the six ink cartridges—cyan,
yellow, magenta, black, light-cyan, and light-magenta—load
paper, run the automated installation routine, and plug in the
USB cable. Input capacity is the same for both printers too, at
120 sheets—but what is acceptable paper capacity in a $100
printer feels skimpy at $200.
On our photo-printing tests, the Epson R340 printer averaged 2
minutes for each 4-by-6 photo and 4:06 for 8-by-10s, essentially
tying the R220. The 8250 averaged 1:07 for 4-by-6s and 2:46 for
8-by-10s.
The R340's output quality was good for text and graphics, and
very good for photos. But these ratings are lower overall than
those of the Photosmart 8250. The text rating is also slightly
lower than what the R220 earned, but the text output for the
R220 and R340 is very similar.
Graphics showed only minor flaws, including banding in one image
in default mode and a tendency to lose thin lines. The output is
certainly good enough for internal business use, and marginally
good enough to give a client when you need to project a
professional image.
The combination of output quality, photo-related features,
waterproof output, and the ability to print on printable optical
discs makes the R340 worth considering. But be sure to take a
look at the HP Photosmart 8250, as it has somewhat
better-looking output and much faster speed.
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