Setting up the EPSON R2400 printer

I hope you found the video review section informative, from here on we are back to the usual photo-i interactive review. I have followed the Quick start guide (English version) to the letter and installed the printer drivers and bundled software.

For this review I will be using the Firewire port, although the printer also has a USB 2.0 port you should not connect two cables to the printer - "use one or the other". Having said that, I have two computers and have successfully connected other printers (and scanners) using a USB connection on one and Firewire connection on the other, I haven't tested this out with the R2400 (yet). I am using Windows XP (home edition) on a Pentium 3.2ghz with 1.00 gb of RAM. You can connect the printer up to the computer at this stage, but do not turn the printer power on yet, you will be prompted to do so.

The installation CD auto runs the installation interface, you are prompted to quit all other applications. I have selected Easy install, although you can select a Custom install and choose the software applications you want. The entire installation process took 14 minutes 35 seconds and I did have a couple of problems en-route.

Easy Install	or Custom Install
You are prompted to connect and turn On	One small glitch (four in total)
The product failed to be recognised	Change of mind , Installation was successful
Good news	Now re-boot your computer

Although the quick start guide tells you that you can connect the printer cable in stage 4, the actual installation process tells you to connect the printer half way through. I encountered a small problem in the installation process, the CD seemed to have lost track of where the files were and I had several instances of being prompted to insert Disk 1, I had to browse through the folders in order to find the file that was being requested. Despite a message saying the product failed to be recognised, the printer driver and software all installed correctly (in the end). Now re-boot the computer to register all the components with your system.

Just to make sure everything is OK, I have just opened the Windows XP control panel and checked the R2400 printer by printing a test page using plain paper. This has printed OK, but the black text is a dark grey rather than a deep black. Hmmm.

Plain paper on the Epson R2400	Plain paper on the Canon i965
The 8 ink status - the review is now under way

Next page - First prints