The "Retro Game Reviews" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
[B][U]EPSON Stylus Photo R360 Printer[/U][/B]Printers have been around for a long time, though were generally given little though. Today though, rather than being good for a simple office document, photo printers enable you to bring your local picture developer services directly to you.
With digital camera's taking over from the no-longer common film camera, allowing you much more control over the photos you don’t want, an at-home photo printer is a perfect complement to fully enjoy your favourite photos.
Epson’s Stylus Photo R360 printer is one of many on the market today, but makes your photo printing even easier, because you don’t actually need to own a computer to use it.
See you later Jessops!
Being a photo printer, the need to pop on down to Jessops to get your prints done is long gone. You can purchase photo paper in a variety of sizes, that have a glossy surface, and provides a finished print that is indistinguishable from any printed in-store.
The printer also comes complete with a test pack of 10, 5 x 7 (13cm by 18cm), premium glossy photo paper, allowing you to print ten photos right away.
As easy as it is to print photos stored on your computer, using pre-installed software or the included Epson software, you can still print great photos with your computer turned off, thanks to the range of built-in connection options on the printer itself.
Print from a range of memory cards!
The printer comes with a built-in card reader, which will accept a range of popular memory card types, that allows you to use the LCD screen and buttons included to browse and select your photos, printing them there and then – with no need to upload them to your computer first.
However, if your printer is connected to a computer at the time, any memory card that you plug in to your printer will pop-up as being available via your computer, and becomes accessible in the same way as a CD, floppy or USB memory stick might be. This allows you to copy them over to you computers hard drive, so that you can keep a copy of your photos long-term, as well as edit them using any editing software you may have (such as MS Paint, Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, iPhoto, etc).
Print from your camera, via a USB cable!
If you’re not comfortable taking out a memory card, or your photos are stored on an internal (non-removable) memory card, you may be able to connect it to the front-facing USB connection on the printer, and print from your camera directly (if your camera supports it), either using your camera’s LCD and selection options, or the printers. This option also allows you to print photos from a mobile phone or PDA.
Print via your camera-phone, wirelessly!
The printer is capable of receiving photos directly from a camera phone or other device wirelessly, removing any need to worry about cables. All that is required is for you to select the wireless option on the printer and your phone, hold your phone towards the printers wireless receiver, and use your phones send function.
It is a shame that it seems you can’t use this function to copy any photos from your camera to a computer, in the same way you can when putting in a memory card.
Built-in photo options!
You don’t have to print out a photo ‘as-is’ from any of the above-mentioned connections. Epson’s printer includes a range of options, managed via the LCD screen and buttons available, that allows you to adjust the paper sizes, crop and select sections of your photos, remove ‘red-eye’, edit the brightness and contrast of the photo, and even ‘touch up’ your photos automatically. You can also add the date to your print that each photos was taken, and print in black and white.
While printing single photos is generally done, you can print multiple pictures on the same sheet of paper, either standard or photo-glossy. You can print up to 8 photos on an A4 sheet, or up to 80 as thumbnails.
Print directly to a printable CD / DVD!
You’ve been able to print to CD shaped labels for a while now, pealing them off and sticking them on to your CD / DVD, but Epson’s R360 removes the need for such a task. Using Printable CD’s or Printable DVD’s, means you can place them in to the printer via the included CD tray and print directly on to the surface of the disk, producing a high quality finish that can rival those printed professionally. This can be done via your computer, either using the provided Epson print CD software, or directly via the printers’ built-in features.
Using a computer will allow you to edit your final print much more so than using the printer directly, as you can first use a proper image editing package to create your desired picture, as well as use the text feature and built-in effects.
You can also print photos on to a CD / DVD surface directly using the above mentioned connection options, either selecting one photo to fill the whole area, four photos to fill a quarter each, or as eight / twelve photos circled around the surface as thumbnails. Out of the four options, the first leaves the least amount of unprinted area (using more ink), while the fourth leaves the most (using less).
Splitting up the coloured ink!
Older types of printer ink cartridges would come as whole units, containing separate ink colours all in one. If, while printing, you were to use up all your red, the ink cartridge would effectively be done with, which isn’t very cost effective.
Epson’s printer holds five colours (+ the standard black) within their own cartridge, so if red were to run out, you buy a new red, and that’s it. Each cartridge can also store more ink than the older types could, allowing them to last for a longer period of time. You can get individual replacement inks quite cheaply (£3.25 each from Amazon), making this type of ink storage very cost effective, compared to all-in-one colour inks.
You can keep an eye out on your ink cartridge levels via the built-in LCD, or on your computer, allowing you to prepare for the need to replace any.
Back-up from memory to an external device!
Copying your photos over to your computer via the memory card reader isn’t the only way to back-up your photos.
Using the built-in card reader and front-end USB connection, you can use the printers ‘back-up’ feature. By connecting an external storage device, such as a hard drive or CD / DVD burner, you can copy your photos (and videos) straight from your memory card to your storage device, again negating the need for a computer.
Overall rating!
I’d give this printer 9 / 10, or 95%, because I can’t really find anything that I don’t like about this printer. It is a little on the chunky side though, takes a few seconds longer to switch on and boot up than other printers, doesn’t come with a USB cable, and the software installation process takes a little while, but that doesn’t distract from the printers ability to print, whether connecting to a computer or as a stand-alone device.
This is a great device for people who own a digital camera and want to be able to print at home. The fact that you can print without a computer, as well as back-up photos to an external storage device means you don’t even need to own a computer to be able to snap, print and store digital photographs.
There have been no replies to this thread yet.
[B][U]EPSON Stylus Photo R360 Printer[/U][/B]Printers have been around for a long time, though were generally given little though. Today though, rather than being good for a simple office document, photo printers enable you to bring your local picture developer services directly to you.
With digital camera's taking over from the no-longer common film camera, allowing you much more control over the photos you don’t want, an at-home photo printer is a perfect complement to fully enjoy your favourite photos.
Epson’s Stylus Photo R360 printer is one of many on the market today, but makes your photo printing even easier, because you don’t actually need to own a computer to use it.
See you later Jessops!
Being a photo printer, the need to pop on down to Jessops to get your prints done is long gone. You can purchase photo paper in a variety of sizes, that have a glossy surface, and provides a finished print that is indistinguishable from any printed in-store.
The printer also comes complete with a test pack of 10, 5 x 7 (13cm by 18cm), premium glossy photo paper, allowing you to print ten photos right away.
As easy as it is to print photos stored on your computer, using pre-installed software or the included Epson software, you can still print great photos with your computer turned off, thanks to the range of built-in connection options on the printer itself.
Print from a range of memory cards!
The printer comes with a built-in card reader, which will accept a range of popular memory card types, that allows you to use the LCD screen and buttons included to browse and select your photos, printing them there and then – with no need to upload them to your computer first.
However, if your printer is connected to a computer at the time, any memory card that you plug in to your printer will pop-up as being available via your computer, and becomes accessible in the same way as a CD, floppy or USB memory stick might be. This allows you to copy them over to you computers hard drive, so that you can keep a copy of your photos long-term, as well as edit them using any editing software you may have (such as MS Paint, Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, iPhoto, etc).
Print from your camera, via a USB cable!
If you’re not comfortable taking out a memory card, or your photos are stored on an internal (non-removable) memory card, you may be able to connect it to the front-facing USB connection on the printer, and print from your camera directly (if your camera supports it), either using your camera’s LCD and selection options, or the printers. This option also allows you to print photos from a mobile phone or PDA.
Print via your camera-phone, wirelessly!
The printer is capable of receiving photos directly from a camera phone or other device wirelessly, removing any need to worry about cables. All that is required is for you to select the wireless option on the printer and your phone, hold your phone towards the printers wireless receiver, and use your phones send function.
It is a shame that it seems you can’t use this function to copy any photos from your camera to a computer, in the same way you can when putting in a memory card.
Built-in photo options!
You don’t have to print out a photo ‘as-is’ from any of the above-mentioned connections. Epson’s printer includes a range of options, managed via the LCD screen and buttons available, that allows you to adjust the paper sizes, crop and select sections of your photos, remove ‘red-eye’, edit the brightness and contrast of the photo, and even ‘touch up’ your photos automatically. You can also add the date to your print that each photos was taken, and print in black and white.
While printing single photos is generally done, you can print multiple pictures on the same sheet of paper, either standard or photo-glossy. You can print up to 8 photos on an A4 sheet, or up to 80 as thumbnails.
Print directly to a printable CD / DVD!
You’ve been able to print to CD shaped labels for a while now, pealing them off and sticking them on to your CD / DVD, but Epson’s R360 removes the need for such a task. Using Printable CD’s or Printable DVD’s, means you can place them in to the printer via the included CD tray and print directly on to the surface of the disk, producing a high quality finish that can rival those printed professionally. This can be done via your computer, either using the provided Epson print CD software, or directly via the printers’ built-in features.
Using a computer will allow you to edit your final print much more so than using the printer directly, as you can first use a proper image editing package to create your desired picture, as well as use the text feature and built-in effects.
You can also print photos on to a CD / DVD surface directly using the above mentioned connection options, either selecting one photo to fill the whole area, four photos to fill a quarter each, or as eight / twelve photos circled around the surface as thumbnails. Out of the four options, the first leaves the least amount of unprinted area (using more ink), while the fourth leaves the most (using less).
Splitting up the coloured ink!
Older types of printer ink cartridges would come as whole units, containing separate ink colours all in one. If, while printing, you were to use up all your red, the ink cartridge would effectively be done with, which isn’t very cost effective.
Epson’s printer holds five colours (+ the standard black) within their own cartridge, so if red were to run out, you buy a new red, and that’s it. Each cartridge can also store more ink than the older types could, allowing them to last for a longer period of time. You can get individual replacement inks quite cheaply (£3.25 each from Amazon), making this type of ink storage very cost effective, compared to all-in-one colour inks.
You can keep an eye out on your ink cartridge levels via the built-in LCD, or on your computer, allowing you to prepare for the need to replace any.
Back-up from memory to an external device!
Copying your photos over to your computer via the memory card reader isn’t the only way to back-up your photos.
Using the built-in card reader and front-end USB connection, you can use the printers ‘back-up’ feature. By connecting an external storage device, such as a hard drive or CD / DVD burner, you can copy your photos (and videos) straight from your memory card to your storage device, again negating the need for a computer.
Overall rating!
I’d give this printer 9 / 10, or 95%, because I can’t really find anything that I don’t like about this printer. It is a little on the chunky side though, takes a few seconds longer to switch on and boot up than other printers, doesn’t come with a USB cable, and the software installation process takes a little while, but that doesn’t distract from the printers ability to print, whether connecting to a computer or as a stand-alone device.
This is a great device for people who own a digital camera and want to be able to print at home. The fact that you can print without a computer, as well as back-up photos to an external storage device means you don’t even need to own a computer to be able to snap, print and store digital photographs.