Kodak EasyShare 3 AIO Photo Printer Review

Written by: Rebecca Scudder • Edited by: Michele McDonough
Updated Jun 11, 2009 • Related Guides: Ink Cartridges

Kodak has tried to start a revolution in the budget photo printer market. They started a product line of EasyShare printers which all use the same ink cartridges, and charge 2/3rds or less for the cartridges than comparable ones from rival printer companies. The ESP 3 is the low end model.

Kodak ESP 3

The Kodak EasyShare 3 multifunction photo printer, or the ESP 3, is the low end model in a recent photo printer produ ct line from Kodak. Kodak looked at the photo printer market, and determined that photo printers - and printers in general – were sold at low prices, sometimes under cost, and that manufacturers made their money supplying proprietary ink for the printers, at what many consumers considered exorbitant prices. They decided to bring out a line of printers that would start out at somewhat higher prices, and have much lower ink costs, contributing to a total lower cost of ownership.

Cost, connectivity, and compatibility
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Kodak's ESP 3 MSRP is $129.99. Online, it is available from $99 to $149. Included is the printer, adapter, black and color cartridges, and a paper pack.

It comes with a USB port and a device port for Pictbridge cameras, and it can read most memory cards. It can also support Bluetooth enabled imaging devices, although that needs an optional $49 device. Be aware it does not come with a USB cable. Frustratingly, most USB devices no longer come with a USB cable included. You will want to make sure you have one or purchase one when you buy your printer.

The ESP 3 has a one year warranty on the printer and the print head, or thirteen months from the date of manufacture. It also offers the same warranty on its ink cartridges.

It needs nearly half a gigabyte driver and software space, per a user, and can run on Windows XP (SP2), Vista, and Mac OSX 10.4.8 and above. According to this thread at Ubuntu forums, there are no current plans for Linux support for Kodak products. Software updates are available from the Kodak web site.

Features
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Kodak has made this an All-In-One printer, which in this case means it can copy and scan up to 8.5 x 11 inch documents, as well as print on plain paper and photo paper. It can print documents up to 8.5 x 14 inches. There is no display on the printer. It can do photo image enhancement. The printer can print at 100%, shrink to fit, fill the page, and mirror.

The ESP 3 can print in draft up to 29 ppm, and copy and scan are approximately the same. 4 x 6 inch photos take about 30 seconds to print, although a user commented it took nearly a minute for the photo paper to load. It can make up to nine copies at a time.

The included EasyShare software is optimized for genuine Kodak photo papers. It also has scan to file, and OCR support for documents.

The print tray can hold 100 sheets of plain paper, from 4 x 6 inches to 8.5 x 14 inches, or 30 sheets of photo paper. It will print on plain and coated paper, photo paper, iron on media, transparencies and label media, and greeting cards. It auto detects when you are using Kodak photo paper.

It weighs just over 13 pounds, and measures about 17 x 12 x 7 inches.

The two cartridge system uses plain black ink, and five colors in the color cartridge. These are cyan, magenta, yellow, photo black, and a clear coat applied after the pigment color is printed.

Next: Read on to find out about the cost of supplies and our overall recommendation for the ESP 3

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Martin Hussey Dec 13, 2010 2:34 PM

Kodak ESP-3 AiO

I got two of these printers for our kids when they started college. I can say that it WAS NOT WORTH IT! Kodak should be embarrassed with all the issues. aka: low ink messages with new cartridges!

Debbie Oct 24, 2010 2:13 AM

Kodak is ripping us off

What others are saying here is absolutely TRUE! I recently replaced both cartridges even though I had not printed anything in color, and then after printing less then 30 pages it's telling me both cartridges are empty and need to be replaced! I didn't print anything in color and it should give me far more then 30 pages, as it was only text no images! There's no savings in that! They should be sued for ripping the public off with false advertising!

I will be getting a new printer and going back to HP as as I've had much better luck with them!

Marshall Aug 10, 2010 7:49 AM

THE BIG LIE

Kodak is advertising the ink savings, one can achieve, using their new all in one printers.

This is an out right lie. This printer uses more ink. Although the individual ink tank does cost less, it by design hold a far less amount of ink than that of comparable models.

The printer calculates ink usage when there is none. The on-board software designed to monitor ink usage, actually by design waste ink. It calculates ink usage, even when you do not print a single page. It by design requires you to through out ink cartridges that still have usable ink in the cartridge. So it actually cost much more to operate. I now have a full color ink cartridge that, according to the software, needs to be replaced. I did not print one color document. But the printer now reads the color ink cartridge as empty. When it is in fact completely full!
This is not by mistake. There is no way Kodak could not have known this. As a mater of fact they fired one employee who would not have any part of this scam. This is out right false advertising, and fraud on the American public.

Kodak should be prosecuted for out right fraudulent misrepresentation of a product, that does not in any way perform as advertised. It actually does the exact opposite.
What ever happened to truth in advertising?

To bad Kodak you had a chance to do it right and you screwed it up in the name of profits. Shame on you!

Now!
I will never buy another product of any kind that has the Kodak name on it, or in it.

Former Kodak customer.

Rebecca Scudder Aug 9, 2010 8:00 PM

Kodak ink tricks

Hi Sarah,
Thanks for letting people know the ink problems you are having with your Kodak printer. The more users are vocal about problems, the more likely it is that Kodak may do something, And even if they never do, your warning may help other people in their decision whether they should buy the printer.
Rebecca

sarah-garcia@comcast.net Aug 9, 2010 7:36 PM

print a Blk and Wht doc or copy anything if the Black Ink is FULL and the color Ink is out

I think is such a crap printer I cant beleive i bought this printer thinking i would save money like advertising all over the place says. its so true you cant choose to print with black only - once your black or color is out you automatically have to replace both - what a frekin waste of my money. and kodak is supposed to be a brand you can trust (so much for their word of savings) UGH. i would love some free cartridges from them for the inconvenience

Rebecca Scudder Feb 21, 2010 3:51 PM

Kodak Ink Cartridges

Hi Kina,
Thanks for letting us know about an additional issue with the Kodak Ink cartridges. As more information comes in, the evidence is showing their innovative ink cartridges do not give the savings Kodak promised.
Rebecca

Kina Mikesell Feb 16, 2010 6:25 PM

Ink cartridges

ESP -3 You CANNOT print a Blk and Wht doc or copy anything if the Black Ink is FULL and the color Ink is out. HOW stupid is that ..POOR design, that the options donot allow this to be an override option to print only blk/wht with a full Blk Ink cartridge, and not have a color cartridge at all.....

Marshall Dec 18, 2009 10:43 AM

This printer works OK. the quality of the print is OK. But the idea of saving money on ink is rubbish. Although the ink cost less it only hold half of the ink so you are replacing the ink much more frequently.

Kodak EasyShare 3 AIO Photo Printer Review

Kodak ESP 3

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