Epson 79 Yellow Ink Cartridge (T079420)

'Industry standard' is misleading buyers

I informed Epson that these color cartridges produce NO WHERE NEAR the 810 color pages they advertise—even with LIGHT ink coverage—and that I felt they were misleading buyers. Typically, we use a mode...Read complete review

I informed Epson that these color cartridges produce NO WHERE NEAR the 810 color pages they advertise—even with LIGHT ink coverage—and that I felt they were misleading buyers. Typically, we use a moderate amount of ink coverage for marketing materials and documents which feature photography. Such was the example of work displayed on the Epson 1400 packaging when I decided to buy the printer.

It was explained to me that Epson—like other major printer manufacturers— subscribes to "ISO standards", a universal standardization system that identifies an "average" number of black and white or color pages. But it should be obvious to Epson, as it is to me, that the very nature and purpose of the Epson 1400 design excludes it from this universal standard. The Epson 1400 was designed for professional use and heavy ink coverage, including corner-to-corner ink coverage. That is NOT—I repeat—NOT the "average" type of output by other printers.

Epson disappoints me here. I bought the 1400 for business use and am using cartridges MUCH TOO QUICKLY. Epson would be irresponsible to continue the claim of 850 color pages, and I hope instead that they will take steps to identify a more accurate "average" for this type of printer.

The Epson Stylus Photo 1400 is an excellent printer, and the cartridges produce excellent color—just be prepared to spend more on cartridges.