Stylus Photo
Stylus Photo is Epson's six-ink photo line: seven printers and all-in-ones that print through six individual Claria dye cartridges — black, cyan, magenta, yellow, and the two light inks that smooth photographic gradients. Six of the seven models share the 78 (T078120) family; the wide-format Stylus Photo 1400 stands apart on the 79 (T079120) family, where every cartridge is high capacity. No other Claria generation fits these printers, however similar the cartridges look on a shelf.
The 78 shelf covers the Stylus Photo R260, Stylus Photo R280 and Stylus Photo R380 printers and the Stylus Photo RX580, Stylus Photo RX595 and Stylus Photo RX680 all-in-ones. Epson also documents a high-capacity 77 tier for the same six printers; the shelf stocked in this store is the 78 family listed below, in singles and full sets. Epson publishes no official yield table for the 78 family, and this page prints none rather than estimate one. The 1400's 79 family is the opposite case — every position is high capacity, black rated up to 470 pages and each color up to 810. On both families the light inks do real work: they carry the pale ends of a photograph where full-strength dots would show, and the printer pauses the moment any one of its six positions is expended.
Popular ink cartridges for Stylus Photo printers
Which cartridge should you buy?
Buy by position and by code. A six-position printer with one empty slot prints nothing, so the full sets on each model page exist for a reason: a Set of 6 resets the whole shelf in one box, and the larger stock-up sets suit printers that run photographs regularly. Singles are for the position that actually ran low — on a photo printer that is often a light ink, not a primary color. Where a listing's color name and its code ever disagree, the code is the truth: match the T-code on the cartridge you are removing. Your model page carries its six exact codes.
Chip, ink and everyday use
Photo printing draws the six Claria dye positions down at different rates — the light inks serve the pale gradient ends, so they can empty on a schedule that surprises owners used to four-cartridge machines. Every cartridge here carries a new compatible chip, so levels report as they should on whichever model you own. Keep a sealed shelf spare, stored out of direct light, rather than reordering after the warning appears: the pause comes mid-print more often than at a convenient moment. Every compatible cartridge on this page is covered by a lifetime warranty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep printing when one cartridge is empty?
No. These printers pause when any single position is expended — that is the six-ink design working as intended, protecting the print head and the print. Replace the empty position and the printer resumes.
Are the light cyan and light magenta cartridges optional?
No. The light inks are working positions, not extras: they lay down the pale tones of a photograph where full-strength cyan or magenta dots would grain. A Stylus Photo printer needs all six positions filled.
Does the Stylus Photo 1400 take the same cartridges as the R280?
No. The 1400 is the line's 79-family printer — six high-capacity cartridges — while the R280 belongs to the 78 family. The two Claria generations do not fit each other's printers.
Is there a page yield for the 78 cartridges?
Epson never published an official yield table for the 78 family, so no figure is printed here. The 79 family used by the 1400 does carry published ratings — up to 470 pages for black and up to 810 for each color.
Stylus Photo models
The seven Stylus Photo models that carry products in this store.