Sponsored Links

Epson Artisan 800

*Est. $300

Reviewed July 2009
Epson Artisan 800

pros
  • Good photo prints
  • 7.8-inch tilting LCD screen
  • Compact, lightweight
  • Wi-Fi, Ethernet options
  • Fax built in
cons
  • Subpar text printing
  • Poor build quality
  • Reported software problems
  • Small paper tray
 
 
Where to Buy
  • Epson

    for $149.99

  • Mwave.com

    for $299.99

  • BuyDig.com

    for $264.00

 
 
 

Reviews generally say that the Epson Artisan 800 is a good choice as a multifunction inkjet printer for photo buffs, but that it's less appropriate for an office because document printing isn't great and the main paper tray holds just 120 pages. There's a huge 7.8-inch tilting touch screen for viewing and editing photos, along with both Wi-Fi and Ethernet networking capability, plus the usual for an all-in-one: a copier, fax and scanner. While the Epson Artisan 800 weighs just 32 pounds, some reviews say that's because there's too much plastic -- some even call it "flimsy." Some reviewers describe the software as "buggy." Among photocentric multifunction printers, reviews are generally best for the Canon Pixma MP980 (*Est. $300), especially if you print a lot of black-and-white photos.

We found the best reviews at PCMag.com and ConsumerReports.org. Both do a lot of testing and make it simple to see how a printer rates against others. We also found thorough, credible coverage at Macworld. Reviews at CNET and DigitalTrends.com are the harshest about the Epson Artisan 800's build quality. Most of the most negative owner reviews at Amazon.com are from people who received a defective unit.

Where To Buy
 
 
Featured StoresStore RatingNotesTotal Price
EpsonEpson rated 4.50 (86 reviews)86 store reviewsIn Stock. $149.99
Mwave.comMwave.com rated 4.50 (1175 reviews)1175 store reviewsIn Stock. $299.99
BuyDig.comBuyDig.com rated 4.50 (7762 reviews)7762 store reviewsIn Stock. *Circle of excellence award winner* Enjoy secure online shopping, great prices, fast shipping & award wining customer service when you shop at buydig.com.$264.00
 
 
 

Our Sources

1. PCMag.com

M. David Stone rates the Epson Artisan 800 as "very good" and says it'll suffice for light office use, although text quality is not as impressive as photo reproduction. It can print on discs, too, and can connect wirelessly.

Review: Epson Artisan 800, M. David Stone, Dec. 4, 2008

2. ConsumerReports.org

The Epson Artisan 800 is among the approximately 40 multifunction printers that ConsumerReports.org tests and lists in a rankings chart. There is also a brief review. However, a subscription is required to see the coverage.

Review: All-In-One Printer Ratings, Editors of ConsumerReports.org

3. CNET

Justin Yu's evaluation of the Epson Artisan 800 is a little harsher than most reviews. Yu says the Epson Artisan 800 is fast and provides good prints, but he also cites "poor build quality and error-prone software." About 30 owner reviews here score it higher overall.

Review: Epson Artisan 800, Justin Yu, Nov. 6, 2008

4. Macworld

Macworld tests heavily (publishing those lab results) and awards the Epson Artisan 800 a score of four out of five. Reviewer James Galbraith likes the 7.8-inch touch screen and the photo prints, but he says the text prints and wireless scanning leave something to be desired.

Review: Review: Epson Artisan 800, James Galbraith, Oct. 30, 2008

5. DigitalTrends.com

DigitalTrends.com doesn't review enough printers to make the Editors' Choice award it gives the Epson Artisan 800 especially meaningful, but it's a competent review otherwise. Most of the review is complimentary, but text quality, flimsy plastic parts and expensive ink get panned.

Review: Epson Artisan 800 Review, Michael Brown, Jan. 13, 2009

6. About.com

About.com's Peter Piazza gives the Epson Artisan 800 4.5 out of five stars (he gives many printers the same score). Piazza says that there's good print quality, especially on photos, and that "its large and tiltable LCD made photo editing a snap." (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

Review: Epson Artisan 800 All-In-One InkJet Printer, Peter Piazza

7. Amazon.com

More than 130 owner reviews combine to give the Epson Artisan 800 a good overall score, with about 25 percent rating it below average. Most of the negative reviews concern units that were defective right out of the box, and several say the replacements were defective as well.

Review: Epson Artisan 800 Wireless Photo All-in-One Printer, Contributors to Amazon.com

Multifunction Printers Runners Up:

Canon Pixma MX7600 *Est. $400

3 picks including: Amazon.com, PC Pro…

Epson Artisan 800 *Est. $300

3 picks including: About.com, Amazon.com…

HP Photosmart C6380 *Est. $200

3 picks including: Amazon.com, PC World…

HP OfficeJet Pro 8500 *Est. $250

3 picks including: Amazon.com, PC Advisor…

HP Officejet Pro L7680 *Est. $250

2 picks including: Amazon.com, PC World…

HP Officejet J4680 *Est. $125

2 picks including: Amazon.com, HardwareCentral.com…

     
 
image
Canon PIXMA MX7600 Office All-in-One Printer
Buy from Amazon.com
from Amazon.com
New: $299.95   
In Stock.
Average Customer Review:  
 
 
 
 
     
 
image
Epson Artisan 800 Wireless Photo All-in-One Printer (Black)(C11CA29201)
Buy from Amazon.com
from Amazon.com
New: $149.79   
In Stock.
Average Customer Review:  
 
 
 
 
     
 
image
HP Photosmart C6380 All-in-One Printer
Buy from Amazon.com
from Amazon.com
New: Too low to display   
In Stock.
Average Customer Review:  
 
 
 
 
     
 
image
HP Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless All-In-One Printer
Buy from Amazon.com
from Amazon.com
New: Too low to display   
In Stock.
Average Customer Review:  
 
 
 
 
     
 
image
HP OfficeJet J4680 All-in-One Wireless Printer
Buy from Amazon.com
from Amazon.com
New: Too low to display   
In Stock.
Average Customer Review:  
 
 
 
 
Sponsored Links

Back to top