Rating: 
Summary: yep, it was worth every penny...
Review: ...I recently got in the market for a high-quality color printer after wanting a way to print out some of the photographs I've been doing. Most of my work is displayed on the web, but it's nice to have some large photos to put up around the house. I'm printing from 4x5" and 2x3" negatives, and I wanted something that would let me print put very large photos without spending 1k+ on a "wide carriage" printer. My previous inkjet was a BJC-600, which is a total piece of junk compared to the 1280. Not much help when doing comparisons. The Epson can easily be cajoled into doing a nice 26"x24" print without too much effort (two carefully-aligned 13" prints), and the image quality is stunning. Most of the images I've printed out so far have been B&W, and the prints are awesome at showing off all the tonality of the original negatives. It's not all perfect, and I wish the printer manufacturers did a better job of emphasizing the drawbacks. The prints simply aren't going to be as permanent as a "real photo print"; the inks fade and color shift over time if they're exposed to air, and from what I can tell this fading takes place much more quickly than a standard B&W photo print would in the same environment. It's not the end of the world, but it is a drag. The cost of printing is high, especially given the cost of ink cartridges and how quickly they're used up. Frankly, I almost think it would be cheaper to do 8"x10" or larger B&W photo prints (not considering labor), and the upfront costs for equipment would be cheaper as well. (Color's a different story, of course, and the 1280 would win hands-down.) Another thing to keep in mind is that generating a high quality print isn't a click-n-go operation, and I doubt if it ever will be. You need to carefully consider the quality of the source material, and realize that what is printed won't match 100% what you see on the monitor without doing a lot of tweaking. Obviously this all depends on how nice you want the final product to appear... but it can take many hours to get the results you really want. 2880dpi is just a waste of ink as far as I can tell. It doesn't look any different than 1440, tho I haven't taken a microscope to the print (and if I have to do this to see a difference then it doesn't actually matter). The only other problem I've run into was getting 13" borderless prints appears to be impossible without using their software. (I run Linux only, so I have no way to use their printer programs.) There always seems to be a .12" white border on either the left or right sides. It works fine on smaller sizes which is what most people will be using, but it's a little annoying that it doesn't easily work at 13" as well. Again, this is only a problem if not using their software, as supposedly it works fine with their print package. Have I compared it to anyone else's products? Nope. I don't believe anyone else is selling a 13" printer of the same image quality that also accepts roll paper in the same price class. Having the ability to use roll paper opens up a lot of possibilities for larger prints and other odd sizes, so it's a big advantage for my purposes; that and the 13" carriage were the main reasons I chose the 1280. I haven't tried it with text or any other uses, as I have a faster laser printer for that type of stuff. But for a photo printer, I think this is a very fine choice indeed. There are cheaper alternatives, and you'll want to think about your priorities before buying--I can't honestly say if the image quality is particularly better or worse than the competitors, for example, and that may be your primary concern. But I can definitely say that it's better than what I need for my own purposes.
Rating:
Summary: sublimation??
Review: 100 times better than the old 3000. BEST IN THE PRINT SIZE IT WILL ALLOW.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: After several months of research I decided to purchase Epson's Sytlus Photo 1280 printer. If you want photographic quality prints this IS the printer to buy. I have tried printing from several sources, notably pictures taken with my digital camera,
and the color match is perfect. Both Epsons includes software 'Film Factory' and Adobe Photoshop Elements have more that enough features to satisfy mosts users. Setup and installation was easy and flawless. This is my second Epson printer ( the first still works great but I needed a quality photo printer as well ) Amazon.com responded to an email I sent concerning promised delivery by Dec 24th within hours! And they came thru with flying colors ( no pun intended ). While product selection is always important, so is WHERE you make your purchase. Both Epson's and Amazon.com's support can't be beat!
Rating:
Summary: and im picky...
Review: As an architectue student, i am very picky about what I present to my professors, employers, and clients. Throughout my educational career I have used the several 11 x 17 Printers... the HP 1120, Hp 1220, and the HP 2500. These printers combined to not come close to the quality of the Epson 1280. This is perhaps the best purchase for my computer I have yet to make... It spits out image after image with out flaw... perhaps the only flaw to the printer is its speed... but heck... ill sacrifice printing speed for quality any day!
Rating:
Summary: Perfect photos for pro photographer!
Review: I am a comercial photographer with very high standards. My photos generally appear in high quality print or magazines. The printer I purchased had to measure up to that quality and it has. Even I felt it overwhelmed my expectations. I had some idea what to expect based on reviews and opinions I had read and heard but it exceeded all of what had been said. Good job Epson! The ink is very expensive and that is my only gripe about this printer. A Continous Inking System will solve that.
Rating: 
Summary: Stunning for the price
Review: I am a commercial architectural photographer working with 80mb+ files. My results using the Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper are quite good. I have printed up to 11x14 as well as borderless 8x10. The printer holds without compromise both the highlight and shadow detail. The one area that is in need of improvement is in gradients. The transition gradient on walls etc is a bit harsh with no even flow. It tends to jump from one tone to another. I have found no difference between the 2800dpi and 1400dpi settings, even when I magnify the prints. If you are serious about color I would suggest getting an ICC profile program to keep the color consistent with your monitor, it will save you countless hours of color balancing the printer.
I have used this printer for about 6 months now and there are currently other better Epson printers on then market, although if you are on a budget this one will do the job.
Rating: 
Summary: everyone else's is better than mine...
Review: i am a design student and bought the 1280 because i could print 11X17's on it. i have had problems with faint horizontal lines and leaking cartridges, jammed heads just after i finished cleaning them, etc. i have a friend at school who also uses this model, and the same epson inks and epson paper as i do, and her print quality is much better than mine. the problems i've had come and go, and when i've gotten fed up, and called epson to replace it (within my warranty period) they wouldn't, saying it's the usb port that is the problem (i haven't had any other problems with the usb port on any other electronics). like i said, it usually works well, but it seems like when i need it the most, it fails for me. i wouldn't purchase it again.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Printer!
Review: I am a graphic designer and have previously owned few printers past year. This printer satisfied me the most amongst others with my needs of a printer. Although quality of the printed images are fabulous, the speed can be a little faster. The size is not too small, not to big. Just perfect! This printer i believe is a good investment for those who need excellent quality print jobs.
Rating:
Summary: I have printed over 7000 11x17 prints
Review: I bought this printer 1280 about a year ago for a profesional use, I sell prints of my artworks mostly 11x17s and 8x10... So I bought niagara ink flow system ... , it comes with separate ink bottles (6 of them) which sits next to the printer and bottles attachted to the cartriges with tubes. I did save about $2000 on inks within 4 months, I normally spend $1000 plus a month on regular epson cartridges I use 2 a day which gives me 45 to 50 11x14 prints. So this was a great relief only bad thing was that the quality declined, generation inks from mediastreet was no match the actual epson inks. If you going to use high wolume printing DO NOT BUY a printer that has no individual color cartridges it is simply pain to throw away the whole cartridge when you only run out of magenta. Wait for the Epson 2200 coming end of july 7 individual colors with 80 years lightfastness, perfect for photographers and artist who produce prints from their originals, I will be the first one inline to get one.From amazon.com if they sell it.
Rating:
Summary: Great Printer
Review: I bought this printer about a month ago and it is without a doubt the best printer I have ever owned.
I have printed my photos on a variety of paper including Epson Colorlife, heavyweight matte, and my favourite paper is Lumijet Classic Velour. All of the papers produce excellent results but the Colorlife paper is the most 'photo realistic' and the Lumijet makes the photos look like [quality] art prints.
I don't think it is noisy(not as noisy as my HP's), but it is really an ink pig.
This printer is probably the best value on the market.
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