Epson Stylus C60

Home users are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing an inkjet printer, but the Stylus C60 boasts a winning combination of quality and affordability which Epson hopes will pull it clear of the crowd.

A clear and easy-to-follow setup poster is included which breaks the installation into a simple step-by-step affair. Once the CD-ROM is inserted, a series of video clips shows how to set things up. Actually seeing the setup is better than a poster but having the option between the two is better still.

The choice of parallel and USB connections means owners of relatively old PCs can use the C60, as well as Mac owners who are after a cheap colour printer.

The performance of the C60 is good, both in terms of speed and quality. It pumps out two and half pages of black text per minute and just under two pages per minute when simple colour graphics are mixed in.

Printing A4 photos is always a long process, but producing one picture every three and a half minutes is very respectable for a printer at this price. There is room for improvement on text quality at the standard level but the letters are suitably crisp on higher settings.

For photos, the colour reproduction is very good and pictures come out detailed, clear and vibrant. It looks a good prospect for digital camera owners, and the inclusion of Epson's proprietary photo enhancing software reinforces that idea.

The C60 uses a two-cartridge system, one for black and one for the three-coloured inks. Both are installed simultaneously. This system can lead to wastage when one of the colours runs out, as all three have to be replaced. It could end up being more expensive than a model with separate tanks, where each colour is replaced individually. If you only print in colour every so often though, it's not a major problem.

As far as inkjet printers go, the Epson Stylus C60 is true to its claims and offers good quality at a reasonable price. It's a good all-rounder for home users, but it's just one of many printers on the market that can make the same claim.

Contact
Epson: 01442 227275 www.epson.co.uk

ALSO CONSIDER

HP Deskjet 960C
A quality home inkjet.
£150 ****
Computeractive, Issue 98.

See also:

Epson Stylus C42UX

The Stylus C42UX is basic, but it's compact and good value for money.  02 Sep 2002

Lexmark Z65

Ease of use and automatic cartridge alignment make the Z65 an attractive buy.  27 Aug 2002

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