Two years ago I had decided that my old computer printer was about due for recycling. I wanted a printer that could be many things in one, specifically a printer with the ability to print labels directly on to printable CD+R discs for the video work I do. This necessity limited my choices at the time, especially since I was in the market for something nearby in town and didn't need to be ordered online. A visit to a local CompuUSA store was what I needed. I didn't have much more than a couple hundred to spend on a printer, and so when I found the Epson Stylus Photo RX580, I was happy. It cost around $250 at the time of purchase in 2008, and it had many of the features I was looking for. In comparison to the price of other printers for sale that could print directly to CDs and DVDs, it was about $50 to $100 cheaper. It handles printing onto discs fairly well, having come with a small program on a disc that allows for editing labels for printing, although this program can also be downloaded from the Epson website.

As far as regular printing goes, for simple documents the printer is fast, if a little bit noisy. It is an inkjet printer and can occasional require cleaning of the heads, which I have had to do a handful of times since owning it, though the process is straightforward and simple and can be done with a few button presses. The only real downside to the printer is that it uses quite a bit of ink over a course of about three months of regular printing, and the device makes use of six different ink cartridges to print. A replacement set of all six can be quite expensive, around $70, while each individual cartridge might cost around $12 each. This can get pricey if you do a lot of printing, and I have resorted to using generic cartridges, not name brand from Epson, in my printer, which the manufacturer warns against, but honestly the printer handles the generic cartridges without problem and they can be $30 cheaper for the entire set.

The printer prints photos quite nicely, although the ink might take some extra time to dry, and so the pictures should be set aside for a few minutes to avoid smudging. The printer has several card slots for loading memory cards from various devices, and photos can be printed directly from the cards. The LCD status screen is brilliant and easy to maneuver through the various menus for the device. The printer does not have the ability to scan or copy documents, as it is simply a printer and card reading device. However, if you are looking for a reliable printer that can print directly to discs and print directly from memory cards, this is the printer for you. It is recommended, however, that the user locate a reliable source of generic compatible ink cartridges for the printer if there will be heavy usage of the device. Newer models might be more conservative with the ink consumption.