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Like most peripherals, printers have come a long way since those early days when monochrome and dot matrix were the accepted standard. Now we can take our pick from monochrome or colour lasers, all-in-one (multifunction) devices, basic inkjet or specific photo printers with additional functionality built in. The Epson Stylus Photo RX420 could really be said to bridge two of this categories. From its title, this device obviously falls into the photo printer camp yet it also has the capability to scan and copy photographs which places it in the all-in-one group.

Adopting the familiar bread bin design concept, the RX420 measures a compact 432 x 337 x 170mm (W x D x H) without its input and output paper trays being extended. Epson has gone with the separate colour cartridges approach. By using separate cartridges, it means there should be less ink wastage, and therefore cheaper running costs, as you can just replace each cartridge as necessary. The four cartridges, covering red, blue, yellow and black, will need to be inserted with the power turned on. Ink charging, with some diagnostic checking, will then occur and you can then proceed to use the device.

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Note at this stage that no connection has been made to the computer. In fact the USB port on the printer is concealed beneath a sticker containing a warning that the provided software must be installed before any connection is made.

While setting up the printer was quick and easy, the software was a different experience. There are a total of 14 modules that you need to work through. As several of these require a mouse click you do have to stay near the computer rather than get on with other tasks. At one point you are given a warning not to interrupt the installation process but you are then forced to ignore this instruction. As part of the installation, the computer attempts to check for the port the printer will be using. However as there is no physical connection, this task can not be completed causing a hold up in the installation. The only way out of this impasse is to click the cancel button thus allowing the process to proceed. Eventually you reach the end of the installation and will need to restart the computer.

Many, but not all, of the tasks that the printer is capable of fulfilling can be carried out without any intervention by the computer, which could be a Windows PC or Mac, quite easily. Images can be placed of the flatbed scanner and printed out. Options are available to switch between monochrome and colour, A4 and 10x15 paper sizes, plain and photo paper plus select the number of copies to be produced. You could also insert a memory card and print all its images individually or collectively on an index sheet.

Bringing the computer into the equation adds extra functionality to your print capabilities. For example you can view images stored on a memory card without printing an index sheet. You can also use your images as part of a calendar or greetings card. Ink levels can be monitored and maintenance carried out.

A Smart Panel module gives access to various tasks that have been categorised as Photo, Document, Project and Sharing. When appropriate this panel, which can be reduced to a floating task bar, will link to other software utilities provided by Epson. If you need to enhance an image, create some additional effects, send as an email or work on a specific project then any images required can be automatically transferred to Arcsoft's PhotoImpression 5 program. Other utilities available can be used to add a frame to an image, transfer photos to the Web and organise your images for quick printing.

As this printer will be used mainly for printing photos, the use of speed is perhaps no so vital. Even so I was reasonably impressed by the timings I achieved. An A4 image on plain paper took 4 minutes 24 seconds while a 100 x 150mm image using photo paper was completed in 1 minute 50 seconds. Adding a "Fit to Page" option to reduce a 126 x 174mm original to 100 150mm increased the time to 3 minutes 17 seconds. All timings started the moment I pressed the Print button and finished as the paper was ejecting.

A photo printer capable of producing up to 5760 dpi and a 1200 x 2400 dpi scanner for around £129 is well worth considering. Throw in Epson quality and card reading capabilities and you have a bargain.