Epson Stylus Photo R3000: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the Epson Stylus Photo R3000 right for you?

The Stylus Photo R3000 replaced the R2880 in 2011 and fixed its biggest annoyance by switching between photo and matte black automatically, and it added Wi-Fi, Ethernet and larger 157 cartridges. It remained the favourite A3+ pigment printer until the SureColor P600 arrived and many are still producing exhibition prints. Head clogs after idle periods and the waste pad counter are the usual reasons it ends up in a repair shop.

Best for: Photographers running a respected A3+ pigment printer from 2011

Setting up the Epson Stylus Photo R3000

Install the archived driver from epson.com/support and connect via Ethernet or 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi from the small LCD. Use Epson Print Layout or Lightroom with Epson ICC profiles. Feed fine-art paper through the front straight path with the output tray extended.

1. Unbox and prepare. Remove every piece of shipping tape and packing material, install the ink cartridges, and load paper in the tray.
2. Join your Wi-Fi. Keep the printer close to the router for setup. Most printers only connect to the 2.4GHz band, so if your router broadcasts one merged network name you may need to split the bands temporarily. See our Wi-Fi guide if it will not join.
3. Install the setup app. Use Epson's official app rather than a driver you found on a search result — third-party driver sites are the most common source of printer malware.
4. Add the printer. On Windows 11: Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners › Add device. On macOS: System Settings › Printers & Scanners › Add Printer.
5. Print a test page and run a scan if this is an all-in-one, so you find any problem now rather than when you are in a hurry.

Ink, toner and supplies

The Epson Stylus Photo R3000 uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• Epson 157 UltraChrome K3 cartridges (9 colours including Photo Black and Matte Black)

High-yield (XL) versions almost always cost less per page if you print regularly. On third-party ink and toner, read our honest assessment first, and note that some manufacturers push firmware that rejects non-original chips.

Full specifications