Epson Stylus Photo 875DC

The area where the 875DC really shined was in printing photographs. This is precisely what it was designed to do, and having seen the 870's output, we weren't surprised. The result of printing our test photo was exceptional. Colours were accurate and, on the sample Premium Glossy Photo Paper, the image looked much more life-like than other printers' efforts. Even in areas of low contrast, the 875DC managed to retain a high level of detail.

One final bonus offered by Epson's latest range is ten years' lightfastness when printing using its own branded Premium Glossy Photo Paper and Matte Paper. This opens up new possibilities, meaning you can hang your prints on walls without the colours fading rapidly.

Billed as a dedicated photo printer, and considering that the 875DC excels at this task, we weren't too worried about the long print times and relatively poor quality on plain paper. What was of more concern was the price tag of £271. Considering that the PhotoSmart P1100 costs just £255, has the extra parallel port interface and prints wonderfully on any paper type, the 875DC can't justify this extra cost. Unless your digital camera uses unusual media, or you just have to have edge-to-edge printing, the HP is the better buy.

Author: Jim Martin