Epson L850

Key Features of the Epson L850:
1. Printing Technology:
Inkjet Printer: Utilizes Epson’s Micro Piezo printhead technology for delivering high-quality, sharp photo prints with vivid colors and precise details.
EcoTank System: The L850 comes with refillable ink tanks instead of cartridges, which significantly reduces printing costs and waste. It supports 6-color ink printing (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Light Cyan, and Light Magenta), offering excellent color accuracy and vibrant prints.
Print Speed:
Photos: 12 seconds for a 10×15 cm borderless photo.
Documents: Print speeds of 5 pages per minute (ppm) for black and 4.8 ppm for color.
These speeds are reasonable, but the L850’s strength lies in photo printing rather than document printing.
Print Resolution: 5760 x 1440 dpi, ensuring high-resolution, crisp, and detailed prints for photos and documents alike.
2. Photo Printing:
Borderless Photo Printing: The L850 is capable of printing borderless photos up to A4 size, making it ideal for photo albums, portfolios, and posters.
Direct CD/DVD Printing: Allows you to print directly onto printable CDs and DVDs, which is useful for photographers and businesses that want custom-labeled media.
Memory Card and USB Printing: You can print photos directly from a memory card or a USB flash drive, without needing to connect to a computer, which is convenient for quick photo printing.
3. Scanner and Copier:
Flatbed Scanner: The 1200 dpi resolution scanner ensures clear and accurate scans of photos and documents.
Copy Features: The L850 offers basic copying functions, suitable for general use. The copying speed matches the print speed (approx. 5 pages per minute for black and 4.8 for color).
4. Ink and Cost Efficiency:
EcoTank System: The L850 comes with 6 high-capacity ink bottles (C, M, Y, K, LC, LM), each designed to last much longer than traditional cartridges. This significantly reduces the cost per print, especially for color photos and high-quality documents.
Ultra-low Cost per Photo: With its refillable tanks, the L850 is very cost-effective for high-volume photo printing. Epson claims that a full set of ink bottles can print up to 1,800 10×15 cm photos.
5. Connectivity:
USB Connectivity Only: Unlike some other EcoTank models, the L850 lacks wireless connectivity options like Wi-Fi or Ethernet, meaning it must be connected directly to a computer via USB for most printing tasks.
Direct Printing: As mentioned, it allows for direct photo printing from memory cards or USB drives.
6. Paper Handling:
Paper Sizes Supported: The printer supports a wide range of paper sizes, including A4, A5, A6, B5, and legal-sized paper, as well as various photo paper sizes like 4×6 inches and 5×7 inches.
Paper Capacity: The printer has a 100-sheet paper input tray and a 20-sheet photo paper tray, providing flexibility for handling both regular and photo paper.
Media Types: The L850 can print on a variety of media, including glossy photo paper, matte paper, envelopes, and CDs/DVDs.
7. Design and User Interface:
Compact Design: The L850 has a relatively compact footprint for a photo printer, making it a good choice for home offices or small studios where space is limited.
2.7-inch LCD Screen: The printer features a 2.7-inch color LCD display, which makes it easy to navigate through settings and manage photo prints directly from memory cards or USB devices without needing a computer.
8. Energy Efficiency:
Low Power Consumption: The L850 is energy-efficient, consuming 13 watts during operation and just 1.6 watts in sleep mode, making it environmentally friendly and cost-efficient to run.
9. Software and Compatibility:
Epson Easy Photo Print: Comes with Epson’s Easy Photo Print software, allowing users to edit, enhance, and print photos quickly and easily.
Supported Operating Systems: Compatible with both Windows and macOS operating systems, but you need to connect via USB.
Summary:
The Epson L850 is an ideal printer for users who prioritize high-quality photo printing and need the ability to print large volumes at a low cost. Its 6-color ink system, borderless printing, and direct CD/DVD printing capabilities make it a versatile choice for photographers, photo studios, and businesses that need professional-grade prints. The EcoTank system drastically reduces printing costs, making it economical for high-volume photo and document printing.

However, its lack of wireless connectivity and focus on USB connections may be limiting for users who prefer mobile or network printing. If your primary need is photo printing and you don’t require Wi-Fi, the L850 is an excellent choice