Digital Camera Home > Kodak ESP 5250 All-in-One DeviceNEW & IMPROVED
Kodak ESP 5250
-- Third Time a Charm?
Editor
Review Date: Dec 2009
We initial reviewed Kodak's pigment-based all-in-one inclination in Dec 2007 after furloughed a Canal Pond facility in Rochester, N.Y. where a ink as great as cartridge complement was developed. We found a ink complement revolutionary, delivering long-lasting prints during cheap prices.
The printer, however, was another story. We essentially tested dual of a 5000 array printers as great as found both to be severely flawed, suffering juvenile firmware that crippled a inclination for anything yet straight duplicate as great as scanning.
We didn't get a hands upon a second era Kodak devices, yet after a briefing with Kodak's Tom Bentz, a third has arrived during a fort in a form of a $160 ESP 5250. We've been regulating it to imitation all for a integrate of weeks now.
Is a third time a charm? Let's find out.
FEATURES | Back to Contents
The categorical reason to consider a Kodak device continues to be a ink system. Using Kodak's 3 grades of coded paper as great as a pigmented four-color inking system, we can have cheap yet prolonged lasting prints. The ink assets have been considerable yet so have been a life ratings.
What's special about a ESP 5250 model is a wireless connectivity as great as vast 2.4-inch LCD, in all appreciated in stand-alone mode.
Like a $130 ESP 3250 (with a not as big LCD as great as no WiFi), it includes an SD tag reader. Kodak claims usually a singular percent of a marketplace uses CompactFlash cards so there isn't a CompactFlash slot. Also missing is a USB pier in front (for, say, a PictBridge tie or a Bluetooth adapter).
Oddly sufficient for a company that is responsible for so most tone negatives in a world, a 5250 additionally does not embody a clarity unit. So no movie scanning.
And whilst we competence expect to, we can't indicate to a mental recall tag in a tag reader.
Nor do a ESP printers imitation upon both sides of a sheet. Two-sided duplicate is a primer operation, only.
But they have been Energy Star certified, distinct a 5000 series, regulating reduction than a singular watt in sleep mode (which displays ink levels as great as vigilance strength) as great as usually 4.6 watts in standby.
The Box. Turn it upon a side to get a printer out.
SPECIFICATIONS | Back to Contents
Printing specifications include:
- Print speed: borderless Kodak Lab Quality 4x6 photos in as tiny as twenty-nine seconds; writings up to thirty pages per notation in black as great as twenty-nine pages per notation in tone (although tangible throughput upon genuine writings is substantially less)
- Print sizes: standard-size borderless photos up to 8.5x11; standard-size writings up to 8.5x14
- WiFi: built-in 802.11 b/g; wirelessly imitation cinema from your iPhone or iPod hold (see http://www.Kodak.com/go/picflick for some-more information)
- Supported Memory Card Formats: Secure Digital/Secure Digital High Capacity, Mini SD, Multimedia Card, Memory Stick/Memory Stick Pro
- Paper capacity: holds a limit of 100 sheets of twenty lbs. paper or twenty sheets imitation paper (minimum paper distance 4x6 to a limit paper distance 8.5x14)
- Display: 2.4 in. tone LCD
- Ink cartridge compatibility: Kodak Black Ink Cartridge (10 Series), Kodak Color Ink Cartridge (10 Series)
Scanning specifications include:
- CIS visual scanner, 1200 dpi during twenty-four bit
- Scan multiple cinema simultaneously as great as program will emanate separate picture files automatically
- Scan writings as great as photos up to 8.5x11.7
- Scan as great as edit your writings with visual character recognition
Copying specifications include:
- Copy speed: 30/29 cpm (black-color)
- One-touch tone duplicate yet a computer
- Copy writings or photos with a singular button
- 20 to 400 percent scaling or fit to page as great as have up to 99 copies during a time
General specifications include:
- Power consumption: Energy Star certified
- Dimensions [WxDxH]: 16.6 x 11.8 x 6.9
- Weight: 14.0 lbs.
- Connectivity: built in Wi-Fi, 802.11 b/g
- USB external pier (one in a back)
System Requirements are:
- All systems: 512-MB RAM, CD-ROM, USB port, 1.2GHz processor
- Windows: Windows 7/Vista/XP-Home (SP2+), Explorer 6+, 500-MB free tough hoop space
- Mac: OS X 1.4.8+, PowerPC G4, G5 or Intel-based Mac, 200-MB free tough hoop space
Warranties, that require proof of purchase, include:
- Product: One year from squeeze or 13 months from date of manufacture
- Print Head: One year from squeeze or 13 months from date of manufacture
- Ink Cartridges: One year from purchase
IN THE BOX | Back to Contents
The sell box includes:
- Kodak ESP 5250 All-in-One Printer
- Kodak Black Ink Cartridge
- Kodak Color Ink Cartridge
- Paper Sample Pack
- Power supply
- Adapter cord
- Startup Guide
- User Guide
- Kodak All-in-One Printer Software
With a wireless printer we do not need a USB wire (one of a things we always inspire manufacturers to provide). But we do need a router.
And, you'll need paper. But not your typical swellable inkjet paper. Kodak creates 3 grades of imitation paper for this printer in various finishes as great as they have been all porous, not swellable.
You'll have a tough time finding generic porous writings (other than matte papers) as great as an even harder time regulating them (unless we have a ColorMunki to emanate ICC profiles for them given manufacturer profiles would most expected be formed upon dye-based inks, not Kodak's pigments).
So devise to buy Kodak ink as great as paper for this printer.
You'll additionally wish to download a PDF from a Kodak await page or during least bookmark a Web version. The support enclosed in a box doesn't go unequivocally far.
CONSUMABLES | Back to Contents
Ink options have been straightforward:
- Color Ink Cartridge: $14.99
- Black Ink Cartridge: $9.99
Alternately, we can buy them bundled:
- Color Ink & Black Ink Cartridge combo pack: $24.98
That's a convenience, not a discount.
Paper, upon a alternative hand, is a far some-more complicated proposition. Kodak has 3 grades of paper (you'll notice a disproportion in thickness) that operation from Ultra Premium Photo Paper to Premium Photo Paper to Photo Paper. These have been all coded upon a behind side so a printer knows yet being told what it's duplicate on.
In addition to a grade, a writings come in a accumulation of finishes. Ultra comes in High Gloss, Studio Gloss or Semi Gloss; Premium in Gloss or Matte; as great as Photo Paper in Gloss or Matte.
Sizes have been either 4x6 or 8.5x11. Quantities shift from packs of twenty sheets to 25, 50, 60 as great as 100 piece packs. Paper pack prices operation from $3.99 to $36.99.
A Premium Photo Value Pack includes 135 sheets of Premium Photo Paper as great as a singular Color Ink Cartridge for $19.99.
The 5250 can hoop solid paper from twenty to twenty-four lb., imitation paper up to 12 mil as great as 100 lb. tag stock. To imitation transparencies, have have have have have have make make use of of of of of of of of a inkjet accumulation with a white stripe. You should additionally have have have have have have make make use of of of of of of of of inkjet varieties of adhesive labels as great as iron-on transfers. Most customary envelopes have been compatible, too.
Henry Wilhelm has tested a 5250 as great as expelled a Print Permanence Ratings inform that estimates imitation life during over 300 years for any of a writings solely Ultra Premium in a Studio Gloss finish (which is incomparable than 264 years) when framed with a UV filter. When framed underneath potion a shortest rating is 120 years (Premium in Gloss) as great as longest 259 years (Ultra Premium in Semi Gloss).
Quality Logic has reported a Cost of Ink Per Page with a initial era 5000 array as great as second era ESP Kodak printers that have have have have have have make make use of of of of of of of of a same record as a 5250. Using ISO Yield Standards (for printed pages not photos), a inform shows Kodak printers during $0.069 as great as $0.068 a page. The successive closest competitor is Canon (MP520) during $0.089. The closest HP is a Photosmart C6280 during $0.097.
Most companies sell printers next price with a expectancy that profits will be warranted upon ink sales. Consumers tend to buy a least costly printer, subsequently angry about ink costs. So a strategy works.
Kodak's initial era printers were some-more costly than a competitors' printers, requiring a three-year investment to be some-more careful than a competition, yet this era is competitively priced. With reduce ink prices over a life of a printer, a Kodak approach, whilst unconventional, has a lot starting for it.
At a bunker, buying a set of tall fealty inks for a Canon MPs runs us about $60 compared to a Kodak $25. HP would argue we can get a gold paper/ink package that's competitive with Kodak. But not for $25. Big difference.
The genuine questions about a Kodak inkjets spin those of imitation peculiarity (especially compared to printers regulating some-more colors) as great as device functionality (particularly a firmware). We'll try those after detailing a installation.
INSTALLATION | Back to Contents
Installing a printer was a breeze, frankly. It took about 36 mins as great as it took that prolonged usually given we were scribbling unreadable records as great as receiving 42 photos for a unboxing gallery.
Kodak's support does indicate we to a setup video for a printer. Our aging CPUs had a tough time gripping up with a video, that seemed a tiny prolonged upon animation for a report imparted, so we skipped it. We figured if we got stuck, it would be great to refer to it for a second opinion. But we never got stuck.
Installation Video. Seven reels to get we going.
Unboxing. A bit overdone yet helpful.
That's given a designation beam booklet was unequivocally unequivocally clear. Kodak could have put some-more instructions upon any page, maybe even reducing it to a poster, yet we looked during a page branch as a respirating exercise. Read an instruction, do it, breath, spin a page.
Unboxing a Printer. Compared to a thirty lb. 5500, a fourteen lb. 5250 is a zephyr to unpack. Our box flaps didn't have a graphic, yet assumingly there is a spirit about how to slip a printer out of a box (by putting a box upon a side).
You can have have have have have have make make use of of of of of of of of a device similar to any printer continuous to a computer, of course, yet as an All-in-One printer, it can additionally be used yet a computer. You can duplicate writings (including prints), have prints from mental recall cards in a tag reader as great as indicate to your mechanism (wirelessly or via USB). You can not indicate to an SD card.
Our greatest complaint was finding a available place for it. Because it's wireless, we can put it anywhere it can find your network, as prolonged as it's near an electrical outlet. So your choices abound.
Movable tools have been hold in place during shipping with orange tape. The fasten is easy to find (look upon a behind as great as inside, too).
Connecting a Power. Powering upon a printer is next. The brick is continuous to an electrical opening with a unequivocally marked down energy cord. But a brick itself has a prolonged thin cable, so a net outcome is no inconvenience.
As a lightweight device with a imitation conduct doing during tall speed (delivering those twenty-nine pages per notation in color), we expected a 5250 to have a tiny noise. And whilst it is audible, it didn't unequivocally bother us.
Once we have power, we have been invited to name a language. There isn't a vast selection yet a options embody U.S. or International English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portugese or Dutch. You additionally set your region (some ink cartridges usually work in a tiny regions).
Print Head Installation. There have been great tiny notches upon all a packaged items so we know usually where to rip them. It's a great tiny hold we unequivocally most appreciate.
More importantly, a ethereal tools of a imitation conduct have been stable by orange plastic. Follow a designation beam to mislay any in sequence carefully. Then place a imitation conduct in to a carriage as great as press it firmly forward until it clicks underneath a gray latch in to place.
You do have to press flattering tough prior to we hear "a shrill snap," as a beam explains.
Cartridge Installation. The ink cartridges have been stable by an orange cosmetic cradle that comes off with a tiny effort. But they do click easily in to place.
If you've had a bad knowledge installing cartridges in alternative printers, you'll be gay with a Kodak experience. Along with Canon, nobody else creates it utterly as easy.
Calibrating a Printer. The LCD will discuss it we a printer has to be calibrated as great as what to do about it (press a Start button). The calibration picture is printed upon letter-sized solid paper.
Calibration. Just imitation a singular piece as great as you're calibrated.
As a calibration settlement is printed upon a singular sheet, it is assumingly additionally scanned. You do not have to bucket it in to a scanner when it's printed. It takes a integrate of mins (maybe three) as great as you're calibrated.
Connecting a Printer. Now you're eventually ready to discuss with a printer how we wish to bond it. That's not a same as joining a wire to it, though. Don't do that yet.
You have dual choices: set up a USB wire tie without delay to a singular mechanism or set up a wireless tie to your network. A third choice lets we defer a choice, so we can have have have have have have make make use of of of of of of of of it standalone right away.
If we name a USB connection, you'll be directed to cocktail a enclosed CD in to your mechanism to implement a software.
That includes Kodak AiO Home Center, that is utterly a bit reduction extensive upon a Mac than it is upon Windows. Both versions let we configure a printer, have have have have have have make make use of of of of of of of of it to indicate (through Home Center or your picture modifying software), perform upkeep (including uploading a diagnostic to Kodak) as great as sequence supplies. The Windows chronicle includes a record browser, modifying capacity as great as duplicate options.
You're afterwards educated to bond a USB wire (not supplied) to a printer.
If we name a Wireless connection, we have dual opposite methods of connecting. If you're regulating a WPS-enabled router, we name a WPS tie choice from a LCD menu as great as afterwards either a Push Button Configuration choice (in that we have dual mins to push a WPS symbol upon your router) or a Generate WPS PIN choice (in that we generate a PIN upon your router as great as come in it upon a printer).
Or, if you're similar to us as great as prefer to do things a primer way, we usually let a 5250 find your network as great as type in a password. The practical keypad is easy to use. And it unequivocally happens usually as fast. In a case, we're regulating a WEP password, that is a great understanding shorter than a WPS password, so there's a tiny consequence in regulating a WPS shortcuts above.
A successful tie is prior to long reported, with a vigilance strength as well.
The successive trick is to discuss it your computers upon a network about a 5250. Kodak's designation CD installs a motorist as great as plug-ins as great as Kodak AiO Home Center. It even prompts we upon a Mac to finish a designation in System Preferences, waiting for we to do so until it restarts. Very easily handled.
Software Installation. Just click.
Registration Reminder. A integrate of options.
Setup. Clear instructions upon what to do upon your doing system.
OS X Printer Browser. The installer waits for we to finish.
That's in all appreciated upon a home network where we have to repeat a designation upon any computer.
Date. All said as great as done, we were amused a integrate of days after to see a printer has a clock. We set a Date as great as Time yet we have no suspicion why.
INK CARTRIDGE | Back to Contents
Kodak's inking complement is opposite in multiform ways. Let's demeanour during usually how.
Black Cartridge. Bottom view.
It competence not demeanour similar to most from a outside, yet any cosmetic wrapped ink cartridge is essentially enclosed in Argon gas that is pumped in to a bag with a full cartridge prior to it's sealed. The Argon gas blocks contaminants from entering as great as cushions a cartridge, that will final up to eighteen months stored in a bag.
Under a paper tag with a tone report is a mylar tag that seals a top of a gray opening cap's opening system. It takes both labels to sign opposite evaporation. The opening top itself is welded to a black tank regulating tall speed quivering that melts it upon in a unequivocally accurate operation.
Color Cartridge. Well suspicion out.
Inside, a tank is filled by a vast felt that soaks up a ink. No poser there. Except it would appear to have it formidable to prep a ink by jolt a cartridge. While we do have to shake non-stabilized inks, Kodak's inks have been stable. You do not need to shake them.
Installing a Kodak ink cartridge in a printer is unequivocally a singular of a most appreciative experiences we've had. Just snap it in. It creates hit during 6 points to stabilise a cartridge as a imitation conduct fast moves over a sheet.
But a singular of a pet peeves about a imitation conduct designation process is usually how tough we have to press a ethereal imitation conduct to get it seated in a printer. How come is that? Again, it's a sidestep opposite a tall velocity during that a conduct will be traveling. It's secure, no disbelief about it.
On a 5250, there's a black target plaque that shows we where to push hard. A tiny light gray latch slips over a conduct when we do.
THE INK | Back to Contents
We've reported upon Kodak's singular colouring inks extensively, commencement with a product key announcements, given it's unequivocally a key to a system. So we'll summarize here.
They have been pigments not dyes, to proceed with. But they have been distinct alternative pigments given they have been utterly small. Kodak drew upon colouring harsh patents starting behind to a X-ray movie emulsion record to rise a miniscule twenty nanometer ink pigments with polymer binders. The X-ray plan was an try to replace a tone interlayer written to forestall tone decay that sparse as great most light with a colouring covering that would separate reduction light as great as thus avoid losing sharpness.
The exceptionally tiny distance of a pigments provides dual key benefits. First, given they separate reduction light, they yield a incomparable progression than normal distance pigments. Second, they enlarge imitation conduct reliability, clogging a nozzles reduction frequently. That's always been a complaint with Epson printers, that additionally have have have have have have make make use of of of of of of of of pigments.
The tone progression emanate is a treacherous one. Kodak essentially claims their colouring set has a incomparable progression than dye-based ink sets, not usually alternative pigments. But in a tests behind during a bunker, Canon's dyes exceeded a Kodak colouring gamut, as we reported in a 5300 review.
The Canon print, though, has a value of having been done with a tall fealty ink set (more colors). While a Kodak imitation relied upon a set of usually 3 tone inks as well as black, a Canon had a value of a set of 8 inks. As a former pressman, we can vouch for that explanation. And in fact, when we review a output of an HP three-ink imitation similar to those from a A626 we reviewed to a Kodak prints, a Kodak has deeper shadows as great as some-more contrast. No disbelief regulating a black ink helps Kodak here, too.
The not as big particles additionally improve gloss performance. In fact, a transparent ink in a tone cartridge is not a gloss optimizer (as we competence find in an Epson inkset). Instead, it's a polymer cloaking written to sign a ink in a porous writings Kodak uses.
Kodak's writings have been not a swellable sheets typically used with dye-based inks to encapsulate a tone in a gelatin layer. They have been porous sheets that suck in a liquid vehicle that delivers a pigments to a aspect of a sheet. The transparent cloak seals those pigments upon a paper as great as provides instant-dry handling. That slight tackiness we feel when we hold a imitation uninformed from a Kodak printer is that coating. It extends over a full width of a image, we noted, regardless of a printed picture size.
One of a some-more interesting stories in a growth of Kodak's pigments involves what they early observed as a haze that would form over a picture in a tiny places. The outcome was a result of successive drops of ink physically distorting a drops of ink that had been previously laid down upon a sheet. Light was being sparse by a distortion, combining a haze.
Because Kodak developed any part in a ink, it could optimize a formula to defeat this outcome rsther than than merely find a tiny compromise. There were most variables to operative this out, together with hue.
So is a record restricted to a three-hue set of inks? No, yet Kodak hasn't yet extended a record to a incomparable ink set.
THE PRINT HEAD | Back to Contents
Nothing, of course, is permanent. But what Kodak has completed in a imitation conduct will pass for permanent.
Ready to Go. Black (left) as great as tone cartridges installed in a imitation head.
The Kodak dump ejector is written so a heater will never be "attacked mechanically." To jump out a drop, a heater in a banishment cover is pulsed on, combining a fog burble in a ink. As a burble expands, aspect tension pulls a ink in to a droplet. After a heater is pulsed off, in most designs, a fog burble collapses onto a heater with poignant force, as great as over time will repairs a heater. In a Kodak design, a fog burble vents to a atmosphere, as great as a cover refills with ink. Fire it as most times as we like, a heating element remains untouched.
Firing a imitation conduct requires electricity as great as we were amused to clarity why Kodak determined a energy expenditure had to be 35 volts. In a tiny countries, special permits have been required to work equipment during voltages above 40. Keeping it during 35 volts meant it qualified as an appliance worldwide.
The imitation conduct quick-firing nozzles work during twenty-four kHz, given a foe runs in between 6 as great as 12 kHz. That delivers faster prints as great as unchanging laydown.
But it additionally illustrates how Kodak's carry out of a complete settlement -- ejectors, ink, media -- lets them optimize instead of compromise.
THE FIRMWARE | Back to Contents
Firmware has been a complaint with Kodak inkjets. The 5000 array was deplorable in that regard. The e.g. that still puzzles me is a proofsheet markup that let we name some-more images to imitation than a submit paper tray could hold paper for, that is no crime in itself. But given a printer itself mislaid track of what had been printed when a paper ran out, it meant we could never imitation some-more than a initial twenty selections -- as great as that usually if we remembered to bucket a paper tray first.
LCD. Straightforward selections have it easy to get ahead what we wish to do.
In a successive era inkjets, Kodak usually private a tiny of a complaint functions as great as introduced an LCD menu system. A integrate of functions were moved to a Home Center program (for Windows anyway) yet they were mostly omitted.
And that trend seems to continue with this generation. Why can't you, for example, indicate to a mental recall card? Other multifunction inclination manage. It usually hasn't been implemented upon a 5250.
And where did PictBridge as great as Bluetooth (with an discretionary adapter upon a PictBridge USB port, say) go? Not to mention disastrous scanning as great as CompactFlash compatibility.
Well, Kodak is quick to dump facilities a research shows have been tiny used. It saves a integrate of bucks. And that assumingly counts during a indicate of purchase.
While that does cut a price of a device itself, what we finish up with after a integrate of rounds of this is a reduction means device for a bit some-more income than a competition. Comparing this to a Canon MP980, for example, is no contest. The MP980 can do most more.
With a marked down functionality of a 5250, we didn't run in to deal-breaker firmware problems. But we did run in to a integrate of glitches. Previewing a imitation we were copying led to a double text agreement upon a LCD. We had previewed a duplicate as great as pulpy a OK button. We should have pulpy a Start button. Pressing a Back symbol let us try it again.
THE INTERFACE | Back to Contents
That tiny glitch competence leave we with a bad impression of a 5250's carry out panel, yet it's unequivocally a singular of a better interfaces upon a multifunction device that we've seen.
Control Panel. Well suspicion out.
The best interface we've seen is HP's hold screens. Not usually have been they hold screens, that avoids a nuisance of seeking for a right button, yet they additionally hoop some-more tasks (like scanning to a mental recall card) than a 5250. Despite that, we never get lost.
Having a successive best interface isn't similar to losing a Super Bowl, however. It's an glorious interface (providing we can find a task we need to do in it).
Kodak spent a tiny time minimizing a buttons as great as operative upon a layout to have it easy to use. And they've succeeded.
The four-way navigator with an OK symbol in a middle will be familiar to anyone who has used a digicam. Back as great as Home get we out of any jam. The Zoom as great as Rotate buttons have been convenient. And a Cancel as great as Start buttons have been self-explanatory.
The usually thing that threw us was a View as great as Print Photos choice when an SD tag is inserted. The settings (switching from 4x6 to 8x10, for example) were upon a same list of menu options as a options to View as great as Transfer a photos.
HOME CENTER SOFTWARE Back to Contents
To indicate to your computer, we have have have have have have make make use of of of of of of of of a Home Center software, that can be run standalone or by a plug-in.
There have been 3 categorical panels in Home Center: Select, Tools as great as Maintenance. Select connects to or displays a available ESP printer as great as shows a ink levels. Tools offers Scan to shift indicate settings, Home Center to shift Home Center's settings as great as Scan Application to indicate photos as great as documents. Maintenance includes Print Test Page, Printhead Alignment as great as Clean Printhead. You can additionally upload diagnostics to Kodak.
Select. Displays printer as great as ink levels.
Tools. Change settings as great as scan.
Maintenance. Test pae, alignment, cleaning as great as diagnostics.
The Home Center Scan Application dialog has dual tabs: Scan Settings as great as Adjustments. It's utterly elementary as great as clearly laid out, roughly a pleasure to have have have have have have make make use of of of of of of of of although energy users will find it a bit as great simple.
Scan Settings has 4 panels:
- The initial is Adjust Scan Settings, that gives we multiform types for automatic configuration (Color Picture, Black as great as White Picture, Color Document, Black as great as White Document) as great as a law setup (with Resolution as great as Output Color popups).
- The second is Picture, that lets we enable Automatically Detect Multiple Pictures (for saving as separate files) as great as Manually Select Area to Scan (which has a singular Free Form popup option).
- The third is Properties, that reports a indicate settings for Image Resolution, Size, Estimated File Size as great as Quality Prints Up To Size. That final is handy information.
- The fourth panel is a Scan Preview with buttons for Cancel, Preview, Scan as great as Scan All next Zoom In as great as a Zoom Out buttons.
Scan Settings. As elementary as it gets.
That's about as elementary as scanning gets. To complicate things, take a demeanour during a Adjustments tab. The fourth panel doesn't change, yet we have dual brand brand brand new panels to a left:
- Adjustments that request to a current picture can enable Kodak Perfect Touch with sliders for Brightness, Contrast as great as Saturation. There's additionally a popup to set 4 levels of Sharpening.
- You can additionally Convert to black as great as white, setting a threshold to establish that grays go that way, as great as we can Invert Colors.
Adjustments. Some flexibility, too.
The scanning program is severely simplified by a miss of any kind of movie scanning. That's no disbelief why a scanner's limit fortitude is 1200 dpi, although charity usually 24-bit scanner (8-bit channels) is a bit reduction exciting than a 48-bit scanning (16-bit channels) competitors offer. But again, a device usually scans reduction perfectionist contemplative element where a density operation of 2.0 is sufficient, so it's adequate.
USING THE 5250 Back to Contents
We used a 5250 for all for a integrate of weeks. Here's a inform of a experience.
Copy a Photo. Our a a single preferred exam imitation is an infant wearing pinkish upon a red sofa. No duplicate has ever usually duplicated a strange print, prisoner with a digicam as great as printed upon a Canon i9900 printer with tall fealty inks. But no all-in-one we've attempted has ever finished a poor job of it, either.
The closest compare was substantially a Canon MP980 yet it lengthened a picture a bit as great most to have certain it would bleed. The 5250 creates a comfortable imitation a bit cooler via as great as lightens a darkest tools of a cinema (like a hair). It's not upsetting yet it suffers in comparison.
Considering that there's no disastrous printing, imitation copying is flattering critical upon a 5250. We would have liked to see it spot-on accurate instead of ideally adequate.
Printing from Photoshop. The installer does not implement any ICC profiles for a 5250. So where we competence expect to discuss it Photoshop to conduct tone as great as name an ICC form for a ink set as great as paper we have been using, as we would with any alternative printer, tall finish or not, in this box we do it differently.
Printer Options. Basic imitation options in a driver.
Printer Options 2. Second page of options display where to shift Media Type.
That's no disbelief given Kodak has barcoded a behind of any piece of a imitation paper so a printer knows 1) a ink as great as 2) a paper. You unequivocally do not need a form in that case. And if you're regulating an duplicate that doesn't let we name a form (Apple's Pages comes to mind), this proceed is an advantage. You simply let a printer conduct color.
We printed utterly a integrate of images upon both matte as great as glossy sheets with in all glorious results, although we had issues with a matte prints.
First Prints. Our initial prints were from Photoshop. We'd usually taken a tiny natural light shots of a flower agreement with a D300 as great as opened a DNG record in to an uncompressed 34.9-MB picture that we recklessly threw during a 5250.
It choked, duplicate a great part of a darkest tools of a picture as a dithered monotone. Reducing a fortitude (to a lavish 300 dpi solved that problem).
When we discussed this with Kodak, we were told a emanate usually occurs upon PowerPC Macs using OS 10.4.11 as great as duplicate to a paper that is not Premium glossy or a third celebration imitation paper with a matte finish. That was us, duplicate upon dual Kodak matte papers.
The workaround is to name Other Photo Paper - Matte in a printer motorist underneath Media Type. A brand brand brand new printer motorist resolves a emanate yet it hasn't been expelled yet.
Our initial prints of a picture were upon lettersized Photo Paper matte as great as were pleasing. We after printed a same picture upon 4x6 Ultra Premium in High Gloss as great as were additionally gay with a rich tone rendition, fairly digest what we had concocted upon screen in Adobe Camera Raw. Pretty considerable for usually 4 tone inks.
Print from a Card Reader. The 2.5-inch LCD creates it easy to see what you're doing yet it can't paint a tone accurately. Our prints from an SD tag populated with images from an EasyShare One digicam were not bad during 4x6 sizes. But a blue sky was striated upon an 8x10 printed upon Kodak matte paper. Every 1/8 in. usually there was a fainter line of blue sky.
Again we incited to Kodak for an explanation. This time we were told to purify a imitation head. Considering it was a brand brand brand new imitation head, we didn't expect that to help yet it did. A bit. We a single after another to get lines during 1/8 as great as during 1/4 in. intervals via 8x10 prints upon Kodak matte papers.
We printed a same picture (11.4-MB when uncompressed) from Photoshop upon Premium Photo Paper in Gloss as great as did not see a striated sky. So we attempted it from Photoshop with a Premium Photo Paper matte in black as great as white as great as again saw a striated sky.
We never completely got absolved of them, unfortunately.
Black as great as White Printing. We used Premium Photo Paper in Matte to imitation a tiny images in black as great as white. Again we used Photoshop to emanate a black as great as white picture from tone captures with both a built-in Black as great as White authority as great as iCorrect EditLab.
Results were disappointing in dual respects. Even upon this reward sheet, a sky area was striated. And a tonal operation seemed abbreviated, given roughly a posterized outcome in a tiny areas of a image. Quite contrary to a outcome we were seeking for.
So it's not a black as great as white printer.
Document Printing. We printed a 20-page InDesign request in black only. Despite a simplicity, we were duplicate two-up so there was a great understanding of processing starting on. We hence didn't see anything similar to thirty pages per notation coming out of a 5250, yet as any page printed, we beheld a printer stopping as great as starting multiform times per page.
While we can substantially achieve thirty ppm in black as great as white with a page picture resident in a printer (the same page thirty times), in genuine life, expect a great understanding less. It took multiform mins to imitation a 20-page request upon 10 sheets of paper.
Book Printing. We reprinted a Pages book that we firm with a Unibind Photobook Creator. We hadn't been happy with a tone given Pages provides no tone government itself. The workaround is to export your plan as a PDF as great as imitation a PDF in an duplicate that does have tone management.
But wouldn't it be a lot easier, we thought, to imitation to a 5250, that can conduct tone all by itself with a barcoded paper? Sure.
And, in fact, it was not usually easier, yet a tone was most better. The usually locate was that all a Kodak paper has yellow erratic bars upon a back, that is not utterly tasteful in a book.
Address Labels. Once we stumbled across a bright suspicion of setting up a request for a 5250 regulating Page Setup, we were means to fairly imitation a mailing labels upon Avery 5161 labels. The 5161s have been written for laser printers yet they work excellent in an inkjet, too, where fuser feverishness isn't an issue.
We attempted to smear a ink upon a labels with a soppy finger, yet we couldn't do it.
Wireless Scanning. We scanned a black as great as white document, a tiny 3x2 imitation as great as a tiny prints, all wirelessly regulating Photoshop CS3. We accessed a Home Center dialog from a Import command.
Our black as great as white request came out fine. There's no choice to compress a record for wireless delivery (as there is upon a Canon MP980) yet it arrived fast as great as intact upon a computer. Very vast tone scans, however, take a prolonged time to arrive.
The tiny photo, however, exhibited a strange pattern, roughly as if it had been printed upon a singular of those linen-textured papers. It hadn't. It was printed upon a 204-dpi tone sub, with no visible dot settlement during all.
We asked Kodak about it as great as tech support's research done sense. "Your strange tone underling imitation was 200 dpi. Since this is reduce than your scanning fortitude of 300 dpi, we have been seeing an aliasing outcome any 3 indicate rows. If we were to indicate during a unequivocally tall fortitude (1200), we competence be means to zoom in as great as get a spirit during what your imitation pixels unequivocally demeanour similar to yet during 300 dpi, you're usually removing a incomparable settlement effect."
One reason that done clarity was given a scans of prints done upon a 5250 were perfect.
MAINTENANCE Back to Contents
Kodak claims a 5250 requires no upkeep alternative than cleaning a scanner potion as great as lid. It does counsel we to leave a printer plugged in to an AC opening or, if we have have have have have have make make use of of of of of of of of a energy strip, to leave a energy frame on. You should never energy off an inkjet with a energy frame anyway. You can easily overrule a imitation conduct parking routine that keeps it from clogging.
The printer does have upgradable firmware. New versions can be downloaded from a await page, that additionally includes instructions for installing a brand brand brand new firmware. You can find out what firmware chronicle your printer has by duplicate a Test Page from a Maintenance menu. The Windows chronicle of Home Center Software additionally checks for firmware updates when seeking for a own program updates.
The Maintenance page upon a LCD menu or Home Center Software additionally has an choice to Clean a Printhead as great as to Calibrate a Printer.
CONCLUSION Back to Contents
From a key of Kodak's pigment-based inkjets, we've been impressed with a concept. The finely ground pigments suited to a extensive paper grades as great as finishes all barcoded for identification by a printer promised a level of peculiarity as great as repeatability not usually gifted in a multifunction market.
The initial era hit a shelves with juvenile firmware that done most of a facilities nonfunctional. The second era private most of those features. And a third generation, of that a 5250 is a flagship, follows suit, obscure a price of a device.
So if we wish disastrous scanning, PictBridge, Bluetooth, a ability to indicate to an SD tag or thumbdrive or need a CompactFlash tag reader, you'll have to demeanour elsewhere.
What Kodak offers is assets upon consumables as great as a morality of duplicate to a pre-profiled device, let's call it. That unequivocally helps with an duplicate similar to Pages. And it doesn't unequivocally harm if we imitation from Photoshop.
And WiFi setup was between a easiest we've ever experienced. That's no tiny thing when we have to configure multiform computers.
We did run in to a number of problems testing a printer, yet roughly all of them were resolved to a satisfaction. The third time around competence not utterly be a appeal for Kodak, yet a inkjets have been eventually housebroken.