Epson Stylus Photo R1900 review

Performance
Since we're dealing with a new ink set, it's hard to compare the difference that Radiance Technology makes, but we can say that the Stylus Photo R1900 has a very wide colour gamut and did a great job of printing colours that can often give inkjets trouble, such as deep purples and some shades of blue. Plus, as you might expect, the orange ink can help with oranges and some darker shades of yellow.

We did notice that transitions from one colour to the next were very smooth for an inkjet printer. This is especially noteworthy in out-of-focus areas, which can often result in stair-step bands rather than smooth transitions. However, we saw the same thing in the Pro 3800, which didn't include Radiance Technology, so it seems like Epson is lumping a number of different things under the same moniker. When Epson introduced the Pro 3800, it said that its smoother transitions were the result of better screening algorithms. Either way, the prints are quite nice.

While Wilhelm Imaging Research hasn't yet tested the R1900 to see how long its prints will last, Epson's pigment-based printers usually score quite well on his tests. The R1800's prints had a permanence rating of 104 years on Epson's Premium Glossy Photo paper when displayed framed under glass (and not even UV-coated glass at that). Suffice it to say, you should be able to expect prints that will last you a long, long time, especially if you store them in a dark place, such as a photo album.

While not particularly fast as a document printer, the R1900 prints at a decent speed for photos. We were able to print a bordered 254x203mm (10x8-inch) photo on A4 paper in about 3 minutes 28 seconds with the printer -- instead of Photoshop -- determining colours, quality set to Best -- the top setting, high speed turned off, and the printer's Auto Photo Enhance feature turned on.

That might not seem very fast, but everything is stacked against the printer in that situation. We must say, though, that the driver did a very nice job of removing the rather yellow cast of the photo we threw its way. With high speed turned on, Photo Enhance off, and quality notched down to Photo, we were able to print the same photo in 1 minute 29 seconds. Letting Photoshop determine colours, using the excellent printer profiles that Epson provides, brought that time down to 1 minute 21 seconds, though if you have an extremely fast computer, you may get even better results.

Conclusion
Epson's Stylus Photo R1900 is definitely a worthy follow-up to the R1800, though it's hard to say if it warrants a step up for R1800 owners. If you print a lot of portraits, you may appreciate the subtle skin-tone enhancements that the orange ink provides. While it's hard to notice at a glance, it becomes noticeable in side-by-side comparisons. If you regularly notice banding in your prints, the R1900's smoother transitions could seal the deal for you -- we know they would for us.

However, if cost is a big issue and you don't mind dye inks, or giving up the roll-feed option, Epson's Stylus Photo 1400 makes very nice prints, though it doesn't have quite as silky-smooth colour transitions as the R1900.

Additional editing by Shannon Doubleday