Source: Fuji Xerox 

When did Xerox first announce solid ink?
Xerox announced it's first solid ink printer in 1991, and its groundbreaking capabilities immediately won Editors' Choice Awards from PC Magazine, MacUser, and MacWorld. Successive solid ink products have won over 50 major awards. Now more than ever, businesses, schools, and other organizations are taking advantage of solid ink's unique color quality, speed, reliability, ease of use, and low cost.

Is solid ink print quality as good as color laser?
Yes. Unlike laser and liquid ink-jet printers, solid ink products produce consistent color quality page after page on almost any kind of media, including everything from inexpensive office paper to special letterhead, coated card stock, and transparencies.

Does solid ink print slower the more color you add to the page?
No. Due to its single-pass design, solid ink prints full-color at full speed.

Can solid ink print on both sides of the page?
Yes. Automatic two-sided printing is a fast and reliable feature of Xerox's solid ink products, because the duplex paper path is already built into the product.

Can I print transparencies with solid ink?
Xerox solid ink products are legendary for their bright colors, smooth gradients, and fast, easy, reliable transparency printing. And unlike some color lasers, there's no chance of having a sheet of transparency film melt onto a hot fuser roller because, with solid ink, there is no fuser.

How reliable is solid ink technology?
The elegantly simple design of a single-pass solid ink product allows it to have 60% fewer parts than the typical four-pass color laser. The secret is in the printhead, which is precisely engineered and calibrated to deliver full-page full-color prints in one pass through the product. Solid ink products have a shorter paper path, and do not have the cartridges, drums, belts, and rollers that make color lasers so complex.

Are the ink sticks safe to handle? Are they messy?
The resin-based solid ink sticks do not rub off on hands or clothing. Unlike liquid ink jet or laser toner, solid ink cannot leak or spill in the process of replenishing the ink supply.

Can I match the color output to my screen or to other color devices?
Matching what you see on your monitor or what you expect from your final production product can be tricky. But solid ink is especially good at it for three reasons: (1) Since solid ink products can print a wider range of colors than most color lasers, it is more likely to accurately render the target color. (2) Solid ink prints the same color consistently, page-to-page and job-to-job. (3) Extensive color management is built into every Xerox solid ink product and includes TekColor Automatic Color Correction, which intelligently optimizes the color of every element on the page

The Epson Stylus Photo R2880 was named "Printer of the Year" in the December "Gear of the Year 2009" issue of Mac|Life. The R2880 was chosen for its outstanding black-and-white print output and fine-art reproduction, as well as superior media flexibility.

"The Epson R2880 stands out among all other printers for its breathtaking tonal range in color prints and grayscale reproduction of black-and-white prints," said Jon Phillips, editorial director, Mac|Life magazine. "In addition, this printer supports a huge array of paper sizes and types, including roll support and fine art papers, making it an ideal printer choice for artists."

The R2880 is a professional printer designed for photographers who seek the highest-quality sellable photographic and fine art prints. Using the same core technology as the Epson Stylus Pro printer line, the 13-inch R2880 features Epson UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta ink technology and a high-performance print head for professional photographic output. The printer also features Radiance Technology, an innovation that smoothes color transitions and optimizes highlight and shadow detail.