| Print, scan and fax with a single | | | | particularly clean black text on plain paper. |
| inkjet-based machine. The DX7000F scans well | | | | The printer's Draft setting produced faint, |
| but makes slow prints, scans and copies, and | | | | striped characters, so we ran our 50-page |
| has no ADF for fax and is commonly available | | | | draft test using Text mode, which was slow. |
| for a little over £100. | | | | The colours in graphics on plain paper were |
| | | | solid and streak-free using the Text & |
| Although it's fairly common for mono laser | | | | Image setting, but also dull and |
| multifunction devices, or MFDs, such as OKI's | | | | under-saturated. Colours in photos seemed a |
| B2540 MFP to send and receive faxes, this | | | | little warmer, but skin tones were a little |
| feature is rarely found on an inkjet model. | | | | too cool for a flattering portrait shot. |
| Epson's Stylus DX7000F has a built-in fax | | | | |
| modem, but is otherwise a fairly typical | | | | Fortunately, the DX7000F's scanner was more |
| inkjet MFD. | | | | impressive. It captured sharply focused |
| | | | images, recording plenty of detail from both |
| The DX7000F uses four separate ink cartridges | | | | very light and very dark areas. Colours were |
| with the black T0711 containing 7.4ml of ink | | | | accurate, too, but it was slow at high |
| and the three colour cartridges T0712, 713 | | | | resolutions. Our 1,200dpi (dots per inch) |
| & 714 containing 5.5ml each. These | | | | test scan of a 6x4-inch photograph took over |
| cartridges have been used in previous Epson | | | | three minutes, two or three times longer than |
| models and are readily available from Epson | | | | we'd expect. |
| direct, your local retailer or from an online | | | | |
| discounter like Cartcon. | | | | The DX7000F doesn't have an automatic |
| | | | document feeder (ADF), so you have to load |
| Further savings can be made by purchasing the | | | | each page of a long fax and make copies one |
| Epson Multipack, T0715 or by using compatible | | | | page at a time. This is a pain, and makes the |
| cartridges from a reliable third party | | | | DX7000F an unconvincing fax device, |
| manufacturer. | | | | particularly when you could buy other MFD's |
| | | | which include this function. |
| Epson's setup program adds drivers for the | | | | |
| print and scan functions, and offers a range | | | | Overall this machine does some things well |
| of optional software such as Creativity | | | | but other functions perform well below the |
| Suite, which allows very basic photo editing. | | | | level one would expect from a major |
| We found it simple to get the MFD up and | | | | manufacturer and with many other devices from |
| running. | | | | other well known brands available at below |
| | | | this price level, the Dx7000F is probably |
| Epson's print driver offers a choice of five | | | | best avoided. |
| quality settings, but none of them produced | | | | |