Epson Stylus Photo 1500W A3+ WiFi Printer Review

Features
Handling
Performance
Verdict
Specification



The Epson Stylus Photo 1500W is an A3+ photo printer with 6-colour ink cartridges and high resolution printing designed for quality photo prints, with the added convenience of built in Wi-Fi networking. It's also known as the Artisan 1430 in some markets.

Epson Stylus Photo 1500W Features

Designed for photo enthusiasts, the Epson Stylus Photo 1500W can print from anywhere with built in Wi-Fi support. The print can even print from iPhones and iPads using Epson's free iPrint app. The Epson Stylus Photo 1500W prints on glossy paper, plain paper, envelopes, iron-on transfers plus CDs and DVDs. Standard 4 x 6 inch (10 x 15cm) photos all the way up to panoramic and A3+ prints are supported.

The 1500W uses Epson’s Claria 6-colour, dye-based ink-set to achieve vivid and long-lasting results with a glossy finish. The resolution reaches up to 5760 x 1440dpi thanks to a small 1.5pl droplet size, so should provide high-quality prints with fine detail and smooth tonal gradations.


Epson Stylus 1500W Inks

With 6 ink cartridges - made up of 5 colours and 1 black, the printer uses OWL ink with just 11ml in each cartridge. The replacement cartridges cost £14.21 from Epson - a total of £85.26 if you need to replace all 6 with genuine Epson inks!

Key Features

• A3+ printer
• Print from anywhere: Wireless connectivity
• Versatile: Print on CDs, envelopes and more
• Vivid colours: Epson Claria Ink, 6 cartridges
• PictBridge™ support: Print directly from digital cameras
• 5,760 x 1,440 DPI
• Smooth gradations: 1.5pl minimum droplet size
• Borderless printing
• Wireless printing from phone
• USB 2.0

Epson Stylus Photo 1500W Handling

During setup it's possible to choose whether you are using a USB cable or wireless, if choosing wireless you can choose "1st setup" or "adding another computer". This means you can setup the printer without the need for a USB cable, which is handy, as one isn't provided in the box.


Epson Stylus 1500W Buttons

Wireless setup - 1st setup is easy to perform using the quick connect Wi-Fi button on the printer and wireless router, you simply press the button on the router, then press the button for three seconds on the printer. The Epson install software guides you through this process on screen, and when you're setup you can print a test page to make sure it's working correctly.

At the front is a paper feed drop down flap, where you can also place the CD/DVD tray for printing on compatible discs.

Epson Stylus Photo 1500W Performance

The printer has a good number of options and settings in the printer control screens on the computer, however the print preview screen is beginning to look dated, and on our computer didn't automatically pop up to the front of the screen, meaning it was easy to miss it, delaying the print from starting.

Print Speeds: Printing a large 36mp image on A3 with the photo fit to A3 (borderless), gives a print at 445ppi, and this takes roughly 8 minutes to print, using the highest quality settings available in the printers settings. A full page (borderless) photo print on A4 takes roughly 4-5 minutes at the highest quality settings.

Colour reproduction - these images show colour reproduction:

Epson 1500W Prints Colour Reproduction


Epson 1500W Prints Black and White / Colour Reproduction


Epson 1500W Prints Colour Reproduction

Epson Stylus Photo 1500W / Artisan 1430 Sample Photos

These images have been scanned at 600dpi to show the detail in the prints, although these scans are slightly muted in colour in comparison to the true prints. The prints are bright, saturated and quite contrasty, giving punchy prints.

Value For Money

The Epson Stylus Photo 1500W is available for around £249 if you shop around. Alternative A3 printers include the Canon Pixma IX6550 available for £159 with 5 ink tanks, or the next step up would be the Canon Pixma Pro-100 with 8 ink tanks, available for around £349.

Epson Stylus Photo 1500W Verdict

The Epson Stylus Photo 1500W is well suited to anyone who is interested in printing high quality glossy prints at sizes up to A3 or bigger. There aren't a massive selection of A3 photo printers available at this price point, with models coming in at much cheaper with less ink colours, or quite a lot more expensive for better black and white printing. However with small ink cartridges it could quickly add up if you plan to print a lot of A3 colour photos, as a fresh set will set you back around £85. The printer has good Wi-Fi connectivity that is easy to setup, and it didn't mind printing large 36 megapixel photos from Photoshop.

Epson Stylus Photo 1500W Pros

Easy Wi-Fi setup
CD printing tray
High quality colour prints
Decent black and white reproduction considering it doesn't have dedicated black/grey inks *

Epson Stylus Photo 1500W Cons

Small ink cartridges - particularly if you plan on printing a lot of A3
12 month warranty
Expensive for a full set of ink (~£85)
*Black and white prints have a slight colour cast

FEATURES
HANDLING
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY
VERDICT

Epson Stylus Photo 1500W / Artisan 1430 Specifications

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