Top critical review
1.0 out of 5 starsBad Out of the Box
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2018
Did not print properly right out of the box. I ran alignment after alignment and each subsequent page just got worse. I finally got to a point where I thought it would be acceptable if I slowed the printing speed down with high quality settings. Then, I tried to print a photo and the black ink just blotched all over the photo, and this was after a dozen alignment pages a few nozzle checks and a couple of head cleanings. I waited until the next day to call Epson about it, the tech did not listen to my observations, he just kept following his stupid script. He made me do nozzle check and head cleaning two times each, with no change in performance. It shouldn't be this hard to get this up and running properly. Also, quiet mode does nothing to improve the clunky sounds this thing makes. For what I paid for this printer, I would have expected better and quieter performance right out of the box. I've had an Epson RX-560 and RX-580 over past years, and they both worked pretty well, probably my RX-560 was the best photo printer I've ever had. I guess it's time to give up on Epson. I didn't want to buy Canon, but every time I set them up for the guys at work, the Canons always produce great photos. I wanted the XP-960 for the large format and CD printing ability, I always have liked Epson's CD print utility, it reminds me a lot of the old EZ CD Creator utility back in the early 2000's., It's very easy to use compared to Canon's "garden" software, which is a nightmare to use. Anyway, back the support guy on the phone, he told me to let it rest for a day, and then run the alignments again and then call them again if it doesn't improve! That was the most ridiculous thing I've heard as of late! How is letting it sit for 24 hours and running the same re-alignments over again going to help when I just did it? I ran all the same tests myself the day before I called Epson. I'm not a dummy when it comes to printer setup, I've done dozens of them over the years for both work, home, friends and acquaintances As an engineer, I think I know a few things about printers, I've set up everything from photocopiers for business to laser jet printers for the office environment and quite a few bubble jet and inkjet printers over the last 20 years and other than a frustrating HP one time, this has got to be one of the more frustrating printers I've dealt with, not to mention that the stupid HUGE automated door on the front gets in the way of the dinky, flimsy paper trays you can't get any paper in. I told the guy, if this is what the Epson product is going to be right out of the box, then I don't want it, I'm sending it back. I figure, if it's going to give me this kind of trouble brand new, then what surprises is it going to have for me down the road? Guess I'm still on the hunt for an affordable large format printer that can print on CDs. If they would have spent more time designing the printing section of this printer properly and less time on the stupid automated doors and whirring gizmos on this thing, I think they might have a better product, but it sucks. I will reconnect my old RX-580, it prints badly, but at least I understand why, it's several years old and is done. But, there's no excuse for a new printer to act like an old one! By the way, there are no sample papers with this printer like Epson product in the past. The support guy asked me if I had Epson paper, and I told him, how could I if they don't see fit to include anything in the box any more? Besides, a printer should be able to print on whatever you stick in it. By the way, I almost forgot, when I went to put paper in the rear paper feeder, it sucked the whole lot into the printer! None of my older Epsons ever did that! What a mess this thing is!
