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Why Choose Between Great Photos and Crisp Text?

We test 16 ink jets and find models that do it all at the right price.

By Dan Littman, PCW Print   

Text Photos & Graphics

Because output quality can vary from printer to printer, nuances in shading, color, and text quality can mean the difference between an excellent all-around printer and one that's only adequate. Below we compare output samples from 4 of the 16 ink jet printers we tested for this roundup.

HP Cp1160: This printer's $399 price may have kept it off the chart, but its output for text, photos, and graphics was by far the best. Multisized fonts appear sharp, even at small sizes. The pilot's eyes and owl's feathers show an impressive amount of detail.

Epson C80: Even though it earned a score just below the Cp1160's, this model's realistic details and shading in photos make it a great bet for penny-pinching photogs. We weren't as impressed with the pale, rough text on our page of multisized fonts.

Canon S600: Photos looked generally good, with lifelike flesh tones and realistic highlights and shadows. Clean, attractive text also caught our eye. We did, however, notice a grainy effect on photos and a slight halo on the pilot's helmet.

Lexmark Z43: Text is what this Lexmark handles best. The unit also excelled at color graphics, where output was realistic and detailed. But as the grainy photo shows, this inexpensive model does not perform as strongly on photo printing.

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