For the 25+ icc printer paper profiles I've made for this printer, contact me via Northlight Images [ www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/ ] If you'd like to make a small donation, I have a Kofi page: "Buy me a coffee" ko-fi.com/keithcooper
Many thanks for taking the time to do this - and in fact, all your other reviews. With a change in circumstances I've elected to start printing my photos at home (with no intention of selling them, but I do want good quality prints) and have been looking at several printers, one of which is this, courtesy of your quite comprehensive review. I really enjoy that you deliver the information with authority, intelligence, and professionalism. I have a lot of learning ahead of me by the look of it, but thanks to your channel as a resource, I feel that the path I walk will be a lot smoother than otherwise.
Thanks - for detail though, do check the main [written] reviews as well. Each one also indexes all the videos/articles related to a specific printer See www.northlight-images.co.uk/photography-articles-and-reviews/printing-paper-reviews-articles/
Beautiful photo and great panoramic view. I have an Epson ET-8550, and straight out of it's box everything just went perfect. This included software set-up, Wi-Fi connection -also linking to my phone. There wasn't 1 blip. Hight five to Epson for a great machine. I know it's off topic but I was 10hrs trying to configure a HP T630, incl. 4 calls to support. 5 software D/L's and it kept losing it's Wi-Fi connection. When it runs out of paper you have to reboot the printer. 80grm papers get caught in the output slot, and get crunched in the machine! It won't sw off -have to pull out the mains plug!
Gentleman, you're the one convincing me to buy the ET-8550. Have been following your reviews for this model, including the VS one with the Canon Pro 700. Had the ET-3750 for some years (still having it, it's very economical and reliable, lots of office functions, but loud) and there is a huge gap between the photoprinting capabilities of the the two. I'm a Moderate Deutan (Color Blindness condition). I see colours well enough, but I'm having some issues with some of the Isihara Cards. You've helped me choosing the right printer. There is a visible quality improvement on the ET-8550 and I love it. I need to print different icons, I'm planning on taking photos os some icons in Greece, then print them. I'm still learning what's with the ICC profiles. I got today a very bad result because I've used one of the Epson installed profiles. I just hope on long time it's as reliable as the older sibling. As for the inks one kit of six is around 85-90£. Not cheap, but there it goes the compromise between quality and economy. Thanks again and keep going!
a very big thank you for everything you have done so far! ... remembered to touch the ... made my day // one of the reasons why i wait for every new video so much
Keith cheers for latest update!!! Received my 8550 just 2 days ago and have been giving it an intensive printing test workout, both coloured and and b&w . Trying different paper stocks I must say both the people whom have seen the prints and myself are pretty blown away by the print quality. I was a bit hesitate given the limited ink colors initially, but I can say that worry has been put to rest. I believe if you are considering upgrading to this model, I would not hesitate. I have not tried any thicker gauge stock as yet....will wait and see what Keith thinks with his informative reviews. Once again Keith thanks for your updates and hard work you put into your reviews. Man From Down Under!!!
Yes, the paper feeding needs care, so I''d want to experiment more with some shorter ones - or images with nothing much in them so as to be able to re-feed the same sheet for testing
@@KeithCooper just purchased some of the 275 lustre. Ive been outsourcing my files of late as my current project is 500mm in length so this is music to my ears and saved me investing in the sc900!
If you've not seen it, do check the main [written] review, there are more notes about custom paper sizes in it www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
@@KeithCooper just received my 275 from fotospeed its a beautiful paper i must say! Keith did you find drying times with this paper and printer were quite long?
I bought this printer a couple of weeks ago based on your videos to replace my malfunctioning Canon PIXMA Pro 9000. Thanks! Since then I have printed one A4 print and one A3 print, both of sunsets and am very impressed with the result on Glossy paper. But after watching this video I thought about a couple of stitched sunset panoramas I had done a little while ago. So I had a look around for any 13" Epson rolls of photo paper and was lucky to find a semi gloss roll x 10m long here in Perth so I ordered it and it arrived today. So I cut it to be big enough to cover the 50.5" print size and rolled the piece the opposite way to the curl and left it for an hour or so. The pic was made up of stitching 3 photos together of a Waikiki sunset on the 10th January, 2022. It came out fine! I was so impressed. The size was 13"x50.5" with a small white border all the way round. I used Corel PaintShop Pro 2020 to set up the print and printer. Now all I have to do is find the best way to mount the photo. Any ideas please? In the enclosed literature they suggest it be covered in glass to preserve the ink finish but I'm not sure that is practical with the 50.5" width.
Glad it worked for you! Panoramics are not easy to mount - you may be able to get acrylic to cover. Find a local picture framers and see what they say. I've also had pictures this size laminated onto foamboard and then put into a custom frame The lamination was done at a local sign-making business
Thank you for taking the time to video your review on this printer, I’m considering buying one. Also thank you for offering the icc profiles you made for the paper, for downloading, non commercial use. Kind regards Gary, Western Australia, Perth 😊
amazing! been watching your videos to learn to use my et 8550, and man have I learnt a lot form you. thankyou for your time and effort here. ill try find the written reviews so I can get good options for printing media for this printer.
@@KeithCooper of course, take your time. I'm quite sure there are a lot of people very interested in your amazing and extremely high professional review to wait a little bit.
I had some A3 photo paper bought cheap years ago. I don’t have profiles for it but I stuck three sheets together and made a print 1240 mm x 297. I use the profile Epsom premium glossy. The photograph is taken years ago on my old iPhone 4 on a panorama. I set the size in Photoshop and posted the photo on top of that on another layer. It printed pretty good for such an old iPhone and cheap photo paper. Of course I made sure to use good tape, so none of the residue got stuck on the rollers. If I make a panorama, I really like as a test I’ll buy some good wallpaper, but as you say 13 inch wallpaper is not easy to find but fotospeed do have profiles..
Glad it was helpful! If you've not seen it, have a look at the main [written] review. It has links to all of my 8550 related articles/videos www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
Thanks Keith. Look forward to seeing more reviews on this one. Really interested in B&W prints with this one. I’m retiring in Japan by October and won’t be able to ship my P600. Not sure if I’ll switch to Canon ? BTW, I purchased the new M1 MacMini 16gb / 512 version also same for MacBook Pro (same config). The point is I took your advise and reloaded drivers and got the Epson Print software. Although limited adjustments, it seemed to fix my P600 issues. Also purchased Luminar 4 and AI. I’ll see if i have better success with the new cpu’s. Keep’em rolling!
Thanks - if you've not seen it, do check the main [written] review www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/ It has links to all my 8550 related info/videos
@@KeithCooper I managed to pick the printer up here in Aus for $990 delivered and bagged an extra years warranty. I have only run a few shots on 170gm A4 matte through it at the moment but once I have the thing in full swing I'll be returning to your channel!
Thank you Keith. Looking forward to more of your opinions on this printer. Would you possibly be able to show how this prints on 12" x 12" 80lb cardstock? I know a lot of paper crafters are wanting to know this. There's a lot of buzz about this printer. Thanks Kim
Yes, I will be looking at greeting card printing - it will however not be plain card perhaps other than to show how bad the print quality is ;-) See this for the key issues: ruclips.net/video/yHy9zt4rI_o/видео.html Any card that works really needs to be for inkjet printing for anything much more than plain text. The difference between the XP-15000 and the 8550 is in the presence of a matte black ink which may give better black text reproduction for some media settings. BTW I should note that I don't precisely know what the non-US equivalent of "80lb cardstock" is - I only have UK sourced cards - we measure stuff in gsm
Thanks Keith. I don't really care how the text is on cardstock. I would be using it to print digital images on cardstock for paper crafting. Of course I will also use it to print photos, mostly black.and white. Looking forward to the next episode!
It's likely to be very similar to the XP-15000 in that video - largely dependent on getting the right card. That said B&W printing is generally a weak area for any dye based printer - I'll look at some but that is going to very paper dependent. For photos, true B&W (i.e. no colour tints/casts) is the harshest of tests and the main reason I print my own work (i.e. paying work) with pigment ink based printers
Thank you for sharing this information. I'm attempting to follow your steps, and I had success the first time when printing something around 10" x 25". I'm now attempting to print 13 x 44". I have the custom paper setting in photoshop and in the printer. When I attempt to print, the paper won't feed and I get a message that the print is complete. No other messages or errors. Do you have any suggestions or know what I may be doing wrong? Edit - I think I've already figured out the problem. The custom size needs to be set to 12.95", which is actually the maximum width. It is now printing.
Try setting the custom size to fractionally below 13" [12.98?] I believe there is a bug in the printer PPD file [it's what specifies the printer capabilities]
Thanks! It's been 40 years since I played - Off-spin and 2nd slip - both helped minimise the walk at the end of an over - one place never to position me was in the outfield, I've never been able to throw any distance...
My printer arrived a few hours ago. It is currently in my hallway begging to be unpacked. I’m intimidated by it so I’m watching your videos to ease into it….. I’ve NEVER EVER allowed myself a good printer which, I have discovered, keeps my creative self in the closet.
Hope it goes well! If it helps, do note that the real detail (and links to everything 8550 related I've done) are in my main [written] review: www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
Thanks for sharing this video. Is there a way to continuous print on a roll with this printer? I own one as well, but I use mine for sublimation. Also, it seems that it can only print 1 sheet at a time, is that correct?
Can you show a detail camera view of how you open set the rear of the printer to print from behind for longer lenghts? I have an et8550 2 yr old and there is no good instructions(even from the printer menu) showing clearly how to open the back and setup to ready for print. I also am hoping I can print longer then 800mm say even 900-1000mm in lenght. Thanks.
See the main [written] review for detail and links to all my 8500/8550 articles/videos www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/ See the video about printing on board as well
Thank you so much for sharing. My Epson Eco Tank 8550 is arrived today... Can I also print small formats, like 15cm / 10 cm wth this printer ? Is it difficult ? Thanks. (not unboxed yet). Greetings form Belgium.
No, not easily... in a small text box like this ;-) Have a read of the main [written] review - it links to all my 8550 info www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
Hello Keith, greetings from Peru, I want to ask you about the Epson L8180 (ET 8550) I want to print on 33 x 70 cm cardboard, the actual printing area will be 31.4 cm x 63, what I plan to make are copies of covers or covers for vinyl records, until now I have been sending them to be printed with a laser, but I want to do it myself on an ink printer. Can you tell me what type of cardstock paper is best suited to do this? It should be a low shine like satin, I think they call it LUSTER?
I'm afraid you will have to check with local paper suppliers for a paper/card coated for inkjet use - I'd have difficulties with suggestion here, yet alone suggestions for a third of the way round the world ;-) The key is getting a suitably coated media - for aqueous inkjet use
They originally decided to market this as a much more general printer. It's why of all printers I've tested in the last few years, it most surpassed my expectations.
I know it's been a year, but could you have fed the paper through the back of the printer, so it would keep it flat, as if it was a thicker stock? Thank you :)
Thanks for the informative video. You got me up and running, but only issue I have now is when printing from Photoshop 2023, whether letting printer handle color management or using the Epson installed color profile through photoshop, printer will spit the print out extremely quick as if it is a low quality print setting. I have this issue even when printing smaller 4x6 or 8x10 images through Photoshop. I always have to use the Epson Smart Photo+ application, which is not preferred. Any pointers?
Hey Keith, thanks for all the amazing videos. You just inspired me to purchase a roll of this Fotospeed paper, including the £30 shipping from UK to Australia (but there just didn't seem to be many other options, especially 13" rolls with custom ICC profile settings available). But for the time being I'll experiment with a roll of the Epson Semigloss 13". One question I had thou - you mention that the printer doesn't do edge-to-edge printing with this size paper, is that something particular about the extended panorama roll size? Because all the marketing and specs on the printer seem to claim it does edge-to-edge / bodiless printing up to A3+ size paper - so that is the same width as a 13" roll. When you say borderless only available on certain types/sizes of paper, could you please elaborate/explain?
Unfortunately the custom page size required turns off any borderless option. It does borderless, but only for a number of pre-defined sizes [see in the printer driver or EPL when you select paper size] Do check the info in the main [written] review as well www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/ If you need the profiles listed in it, just email me at Northlight
@@KeithCooper Thanks for your reply. Ok, good to know. What is the border that it imposes on the print / what should we be setting as the mm width of the image file?
And sorry, one more question, which I realise from some research may be opening a can of worms and requiring some more serious study/research, but is there a simple answer to what the pixels/inch settings should be (I am working with DJI drone files which seem to be huge in size, 1000+mm width but only 72 pixels/inch, so presumably I reduce the size and increase the resolution?
Is this ink water resistant ? i am looking for a printer for printing CD Jewelcase booklets and the print can not smudge in any way, i dont really know what printer i am looking for, the paper should be around 130-140g i believe. Thanks..
Ah... What's 'water resistant'? Depending on this, no ink-jet printer really qualifies - or maybe lots do This printer is unlikely to be particularly better or worse - finding the right paper matters. Depending on the paper and the print content, a laser printer may be better
@@KeithCooper I have a couple of laser printers but none of them prints any good graphics in my opinion. I also have a HP Designjet 500 42" that i am thinking about getting a good paper roll for my need, a glossy paper that smudge as little as possible, to bad it only runs under Windows 7 maximum and its not easy to find a good ways when it comes to modern software to print high quality photos.. so i dont know..
Thanks for this review Keith! I'm looking for a printer that can handle thick card stock (24 pt). Would this be your recommended printer or would you suggest something else? It needs to be inkjet (not laser) and pigment based inks too. Thanks.
Ah - I don't actually know what 24pt card stock is? Is this a US measurement? The 8550 specifies thickness for the rear card feed in mm. However my more immediate concern is that whenever I hear of 'card stock' mentioned, it's a media type meant for commercial print, and generally gives poor results with any desktop inkjet printer. The 8550 is also only pigment black - the other inks are dyes.
Thanks for this Keith. Yes I’m using a US standard. if you're wondering how thick 24 pt card stock is, then you just need to move the decimal over 3 spots to the left. 0.024 mil. 12pt card stock, or .012 mil 14pt card stock, or .014 mil 16pt card stock, or .016 mil In the U.S., card stock thickness is usually measured in points or mils which is the thickness of the sheet in thousandths of an inch. For example, a 10 pt. card is 0.010 in (0.254 mm) thick (roughly corresponding to a weight of 250 g/m2), and 12 pt. is 0.012 in (0.3048 mm I need an all pigment ink machine to print card stock that is thicker than your average Christmas card. Cheers.
Thanks for that, all machines I get to see have thicknesses in mm or gsm paper weights. Nearest I've tested to what you wanted is the WF-C8690 www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-wf-c8690-printer-review/
Great article Keith! As an ink formulator I appreciate the details on the printing side. Btw is there a way to print single colors on any inkjet machines that you’re aware of? I wonder if this is possible with the right color profiling software? Thank you again.
there's an adapter in the back that will give infinite* width when you feed it from the rear, not the rear tray. i've been trying to find out if anyone has done it before it try it.
No - there is a maximum page length specified internally by the printer. Any adapter would need to be home-built - it might well improve feeding of such long sheets though
Great photo. Was it taken using a tiltshift, or did you move the camera on the tripod? Look forward to the written review as the Epson is on my shortlist with the Canon G550.
What tripod? ;-) A hand held multishot sweep with the camera (5Ds) in portrait mode (EF 24-70 2.8L). Stitched with AutoPano Giga. Initially produced for printing much larger (for my next large format printer review). The full review will be a while yet, but if you've any specific questions, email me at Northlight.
@@KeithCooper Great work,, some software I will have to look into in due course. Thank you for being so approachable, out of respect I'll wait for the full review as I'm not planning on buying until my current ink supplies are used up, which may be longer than the full review takes. If there is anything after reading that, I'll drop you an email :)
nice vid. couple questions... although i understand and agree with yer logic of res for big prints, what is the disadvantage of maxing out res? should take same qty ink, right? just slower? good paper is expensive, so why not wait a few mins for max res? also, u obv r super experienced, so u prob r best to answer this... have you ever used heat lamp or hot air to speed up drying? do u think that would create wrinkles or mess up colors?
The quality setting is always a matter of testing for any particular printer and paper combo. The very highest settings are not always better, and in B&W I've seen good printers where it should be avoided on some paper types. With this paper and printer there were minimal differences, but that is not always so. It's driven by what the prints look like not by the numbers. As to drying I leave prints out over night before sending out. The closest to active drying I do is leave some profiling targets on the top of my monitors
Hello Keith, Your printer is set at "rear paper feeder"@4:24 on your screen. So epson still can detect the front load and print automatically or demand you print from the back? (incase error and you had to switch to front). You did not show if this may have occurred. let me know. Thanks.
Good evening sir . Because you are the best answer to questions, I have several questions about the Epson sc f570 A1 printer. I know it specializes in sublimation. But does it also print well on canvas? And professional photo paper of good quality? Also, what is the maximum thickness of the paper? What is the maximum length for panoramic printing? Thank you so much
Thank you Keith for this video. As someone who wants to start printing my own work rather than a lab, i have been looking at either this ET-8550 or the Canon pro 300 and can't quite decide. My usual output is to matte or lustre papers so how does the ET-8550 compare in quality terms with the Canon? I am rather taken with the ET-8550's ink costs but unsure in quality terms. any help you can give will be gratefully received.
I'll come back to this when I get the main (written) review done, but whilst I never do specific comparisons between brands, I can say that the key differences are those described in my pigment vs dyes video. Note that if you print B&W very much then from my own POV, pigments are the best choice.
I don't know the minimum width on that feed for the 8550 A bigger issues is just what is 'card stock'? - any such description suggests it's not ink-jet media, therefore of very variable print quality
I have another important question. Does the warranty include the part responsible for the inkjet (print head)? Because this part is the most sensitive in the printer and more prone to damage. What are the detergents that can be used to clean or maintain it, and what are your recommendations for maintaining it? Finally, can it be replaced in case of damage? From where? And what is the price?I wish I could make a video dedicated to this, thank you.
The print head is not a user replaceable part. Warranty covers defects, not rough use - this is a consumer product, not a commercial production printer. All related videos/articles are referenced at: See: www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
Hello Keth again, epson tells me rear printer feeding can only print up to 20in lenght and yet I think you can print longer then 800mm. Is this possible?
Can you advise me on the best method for measuring and cutting paper from a roll. The first edge is Naturally Square, Straight and True but how on earth do I get the second edge and all other cuts to be at the same perfectly square 90 Degree angle without damaging the paper?
@@KeithCooper Thank you Keith, I somehow thought there would be a helluva lot more to it than that such as protecting the surface and all that jazz but thanks for letting me know.
With a good square and a cutting mat the surface should be no problem at all - just keep fingerprints off it ;-) As with many things, the right tools help ;-)
I just bought one et 8550 myself to use for printing battle maps for rpg.... But I feel my prints look flat and boring 😨 What paper should I use and what settings should I be aware of?
I'm confused. Is this something the epson is normally able to do in a setting or something I have to set up to do. I am very new to this and looking to get into printing my own photos like panoramic images. When I am looking at the specs says 13" x19" which is confusing me. Obviously you are printing it but just wondering if I need software specific to allow me to do this
Check that the custom page size is not too wide. I recall issues with it being 12.98 inch rather than 13" This is covered in the main [written] review IIRC www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
No - the max definable length on my Mac is 1.2 metres Banner printing may be possible on windows, but you will need to read the manual - I've not used a win PC for decades
No, I don't believe borderless is supported on custom page sizes - I don't have this printer here any more to check for certain, but borderless support is always restricted (it's a surefire way of making a mess in printers if used very often)
I would have a question regarding print quality, it is sufficient for selling callendars (at local level)? I am thinking about A4 callendars, i do not need the best possible output results, but at least acceptable, i am considering to buy Canon G550, how it is this epson in comparison with that Canon (regarding print quallity results)?
The G550 in comparison is slow. Different league in print quality - not remotely a comparable printer This one I'd use for prints on my wall (with the right paper profiles and good media] The G550 much less so - aimed at quite different markets Read the actual reviews if you've not seen them www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/ www.northlight-images.co.uk/canon-g550-printer-review/
@@KeithCooper Thank you you helped me a lot, i already read your article about Canon (and it did not convince me about Canon qualities for my purposes), i am heading now to read your article about Epson 8550, but i feel that that printer will be right for me (or at least much better). Thank you again, you are doing a great work. 👍
Hi Kieth Following your instructions my et8550 won't print I am setting a custom size of 13x26 inches from my graphics software After loading the paper from the rear feed,,then going to print, the printer makes a sound and then it says printing complete on the display and it never pulls the paper in Any help would be greatly appreciated
Does the custom size need setting to very slightly under 13" width? IIRC 12.96 worked ...see the main [written] review www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
Hi, I’m printing with Lightroom, can the ET8550 print panoramics up to 10 feet long? I’ve been using a P700 but I need ecotanks because the ink cost is killing me. Thanks
Don't know about lightroom, but not with the normal driver See here www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/ You need a more expensive printer like the P5000 - lower ink costs...
Grey often does go down fastest, but it depends on the type of images. There is nothing wrong - the printer uses ink to print like any other, If grey goes down really quick, then the printer might be faulty...
It off a roll of either Epson Premium Luster or glossy photo IIRC [it was a while ago] Epson do a few 13" roll papers, as does Fotospeed and a few other suppliers.
I'll be testing the rear feed with posterboard. Note that quite a few media types are not supported via that rear feed. I'll be looking at this in the review. As for profiling, I print ~3k patch targets and measure with an i1iSis for profile creation with i1Profiler - see any of my written reviews for full details.
Yes, getting the screen calibrated and at the right brightness is a real help for printing. I have a colour management playlist bringing all that sort of stuff together.
try setting a different custom paper size - I recall some experimenting needed with the width - also I'm using Photoshop CS6 on and oldish Macbook, so things may need tweaking.
Hi Keith, I'v tried printing a long Panorama photo from the rear tray as per your video but it keeps printing from cassette 2. I'm using Lightroom classic and I have the size set up on my laptop and printer, any ideas why this is happening.
I recall hearing of this from someone else. This was their suggestion. "set cassettes 1 & 2 to sizes not used and rear feeder to required size then it prints ok
I had issue where printer would say printing and then preening complete, but was not pulling paper from any of the trays. What fixed for me was changing my custom printer settings on computer from 13" to 12.95" since this is the maximum size allowed in the printer settings on the unit is 12.95". Maybe this will help you too.
I cut down some 24inch roll paper(Cold Press Natural) to use in my new ET-8550. Not sure why the printer would not accept a custom size using 13x13 or any other length cut to 13 wide. The printer would accept the print job, run through a print cycle announce the print job had finished while the paper was still in the input tray. I struggled all day to try and figure it out. Pre cut sheets of 13X19 printed just fine along with other standard sizes. The printer would not even take a custom 13X19 size. After digging around I discovered I had to set the printer to 12.95" width for it to accept the paper to print. How strange is that? Must be a rounding issue converting from inches to mm. I should measure some factory 13" paper to see if it is actually 13 inches and not something close. I'm all for us yanks to get on the metric system like the rest of the world.
I believe it's actually an error in the printer PPD file. However, editing PPD files is not a trivial matter. The problem is mentioned in the main [written] review: www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/ Whilst I can update/edit/refine the written reviews, these videos are unfortunately stuck as published... If I get an 8550 back again for testing I'll look into this in more detail.
Are you aware of any other printer that can print A3+ up to 2m or longer ? I don't really need a photo printer but a cheap printer that can print A3 roll and has CISS build in.
Well, I would normally use it for these videos, so as to make it easier for a wider number of people to follow ;-) Personally I only ever print from Photoshop (I dislike Lightroom) The problem in this instance is that there is currently a bug in my install of EPL 1.5.6 which does not allow the setting of the custom paper size for the 8550. Rather than not do the video, I prefer to trust people can work it out for their own software (or ask). AirPrint is an Apple print system that doesn't need specific drivers - I only mention it because it can cause problems for Mac users, and I use Macs ;-) One of my other reasons for preferring EPL (if possible) is that it's almost the same for PC users, thereby enabling me to continue not having a Win PC in the house ;-)
The EPL issue is an odd one - I've asked Epson and hope to have more info next week. I used it for the previous video with A3+ and it worked just fine. I used it as well for pano printing with the other Epson printers I looked at recently...
@@KeithCooper Hi ! i've contact epson Sav...My god...they dont want to know my problem. Now, i've print with PPD photo paper. What is your advise for photo paper? model? Thanks a lot !
@@KeithCooper Amazing ! i'm going to buy this (ok for deliver at france;) ) Do you know where i can to buy adhesive vinyl glossy and mat in 13" ? i dont find this :/
I get asked about vinyl a lot, but have not tried any (I had some sent, but it was awful - the ink never dried) I've seen some advertised on Amazon as being suitable, but I've never had any to test (it costs too much and I've no use for it).
Do you get the "pizza cutter" marks down your prints?(from the roller guide at the front)I've had them in the past on cheaper printers and never worried about them but I've just bought one of these printers to use to make money and am getting the marks on my prints and didn't know if its a thing or should I take the machine back? Thanks.
I didn't see them on the printer I tested, but others have. If it is marking on an Epson paper then I'd suggest contacting Epson On third party papers it much more depends on the paper
hello, could you tell me the maximum length that it prints, there is a similar one that prints up to 2 meters in length, this one can also, and as it is aimed at photography if I can also print documents, thank you...
It depends - some printer specs show printing up to 2m Not on the Mac I tested it on though - this is mentioned in the actual [written] review. You need to check the detailed specs on Epson sites - note that the level of detail in these varies by country
Hi Keith. I am looking for ink printer which can give me High Quality Prints( mostly colored) on Cotton Canvas for selling on online stores. I looked your video of Eps 8550 would you recommend me this printer .Please suggest me a good printer
13" is not wide enough for canvas (well not for my liking) It also depends on the quality needed - you may need to varnish/coat it as well For myself I'd not want a printer narrower than 24" with roll support The epson P6000 is a reasonable starting point, although I'd prefer a P7000 or the newer P7500 I'm sure people use printers like this one, but whilst I might print the odd sheet of canvas in a video to show it's possible, that doesn't mean I'd ever recommend it for canvas, and certainly not for selling prints. You said 'high quality' - that costs ;-)
@@KeithCooper Thanks Keith ! It really help ed me to understand for High Quality Canvas Prints. But here For start i was looking to sell unframed Canvas Prints till the size of 12*16 inches and price i will be getting will be quite nominal. I am doubtful that as Esp SC P series use pigment inks & there cost of A3+ print would be much higher that Ink tank printers Like ET8550. Please suggest if i can go for ink tank printer for canvas print with medium quality or its totally no option. Although investment is not a problem on good printer in future or today but now i am doubtful of return on smaller prints because of higher cost of printing on Esp SC P series. Can u tell me the approx cost of printing on Esp Sc P7000/7500/800 series and Ink tank 8550 .
Ah, I can't help with the economics of selling canvas, but the 8550 might well suffice at the cheaper end of the market. It will depend on the actual canvas though and you'll need to consider colour management/profiling. I've not yet fully tested canvas though, but will have a look at it in the near future.
No - I don't off hand know of any desktop printer which does borderless custom print sizes. Remember, this is not a printer natively supporting roll paper. Larger roll printers (like the P7000 and P7500 I looked at) usually do borderless on roll, with the ends cut off by the cutter. I'm not sure about the P900/P700
Ah maybe yes - so I’m guessing the 2m x 13” is still possible but obviously just without the border. Would that work with both the rear paper feed and the rear flat feed do you know? Thanks again
@@Clue83 No, just checked the 8550 driver and the maximum length for a custom page is 1200mm (at least on the Mac) So, no 2 metre prints - not unless you know how to hack printer PPD files (I've not tried this with the 8550) I do note that the border size can be set to 0mm, but that rarely works well, given the printer is not designed for roll paper. Don't have it here any more - I may be getting one again from Epson, but not anytime soon.
several minutes - not quick at highest quality. This info is in the written review with the printer specs, but unfortunately I've not been able to get it finished yet
why didn't you find a huge piece of cardboard to lean the single sheet against it...something oversized that would sit on the printer housing... your making a huge production out of a simple problem solve... just my personal observation
The paper is on 13" roll paper and 800mm long :-) Even though relatively few people still use inches here [or most the world for that matter] roll paper like this is still sold as "13 inch"
@@KeithCooper Ah, that makes sense...I'm US and, luckily, a carpenter by trade so metric is a taste I'm acquiring, although 25.4 mm per inch is a little much to do precise conversions in my poor head. I know, we're backward...it would be different if the American Revolution had failed. ;0) PS...I do love your vids.
Thanks... I'm old enough to guestimate in feet and inches, but do any calculation in metric. If you want really tricky stuff to work in, see the system of money we had up until 1971... How to combine base 10, base 20 and base 12... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimal_Day
For the 25+ icc printer paper profiles I've made for this printer, contact me via Northlight Images [ www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/ ]
If you'd like to make a small donation, I have a Kofi page: "Buy me a coffee" ko-fi.com/keithcooper
Thanks - just ordered this printer and the ability to do panoramic prints is a massive bonus
Just take care that you have enough space for the paper to feed smoothly.
It worked in the example here though...
Awesome!!! Thank you so much for sharing Mr Keith!!!
Glad you enjoyed it
Many thanks for taking the time to do this - and in fact, all your other reviews. With a change in circumstances I've elected to start printing my photos at home (with no intention of selling them, but I do want good quality prints) and have been looking at several printers, one of which is this, courtesy of your quite comprehensive review. I really enjoy that you deliver the information with authority, intelligence, and professionalism. I have a lot of learning ahead of me by the look of it, but thanks to your channel as a resource, I feel that the path I walk will be a lot smoother than otherwise.
Thanks - for detail though, do check the main [written] reviews as well. Each one also indexes all the videos/articles related to a specific printer
See www.northlight-images.co.uk/photography-articles-and-reviews/printing-paper-reviews-articles/
@@KeithCooper I most surely will, Keith. Thanks again.
Love the print and love your reviews. I am learning so much about my 8550 because of you.
Thanks!
Beautiful photo and great panoramic view. I have an Epson ET-8550, and straight out of it's box everything just went perfect. This included software set-up, Wi-Fi connection -also linking to my phone. There wasn't 1 blip. Hight five to Epson for a great machine. I know it's off topic but I was 10hrs trying to configure a HP T630, incl. 4 calls to support. 5 software D/L's and it kept losing it's Wi-Fi connection. When it runs out of paper you have to reboot the printer. 80grm papers get caught in the output slot, and get crunched in the machine! It won't sw off -have to pull out the mains plug!
Thanks - glad it's working so well for you!
Gentleman, you're the one convincing me to buy the ET-8550. Have been following your reviews for this model, including the VS one with the Canon Pro 700. Had the ET-3750 for some years (still having it, it's very economical and reliable, lots of office functions, but loud) and there is a huge gap between the photoprinting capabilities of the the two. I'm a Moderate Deutan (Color Blindness condition). I see colours well enough, but I'm having some issues with some of the Isihara Cards. You've helped me choosing the right printer. There is a visible quality improvement on the ET-8550 and I love it. I need to print different icons, I'm planning on taking photos os some icons in Greece, then print them. I'm still learning what's with the ICC profiles. I got today a very bad result because I've used one of the Epson installed profiles. I just hope on long time it's as reliable as the older sibling. As for the inks one kit of six is around 85-90£. Not cheap, but there it goes the compromise between quality and economy. Thanks again and keep going!
Thanks - glad it's of help!
a very big thank you for everything you have done so far! ... remembered to touch the ... made my day // one of the reasons why i wait for every new video so much
Thanks - glad they are of interest!
Keith cheers for latest update!!!
Received my 8550 just 2 days ago and have been giving it an intensive printing test workout, both coloured and and b&w . Trying different paper stocks I must say both the people whom have seen the prints and myself are pretty blown away by the print quality.
I was a bit hesitate given the limited ink colors initially, but I can say that worry has been put to rest. I believe if you are considering upgrading to this model, I would not hesitate.
I have not tried any thicker gauge stock as yet....will wait and see what Keith thinks with his informative reviews.
Once again Keith thanks for your updates and hard work you put into your reviews.
Man From Down Under!!!
Thanks, it's a good printer!
A real interest of what this ET-8550 can do, and a nice view you took too!
Thanks!
Absolutely love the printer and the cost of ink. I had no idea it printed panos!!!!! Thank you Keith!
Yes, the paper feeding needs care, so I''d want to experiment more with some shorter ones - or images with nothing much in them so as to be able to re-feed the same sheet for testing
@@KeithCooper just purchased some of the 275 lustre. Ive been outsourcing my files of late as my current project is 500mm in length so this is music to my ears and saved me investing in the sc900!
If you've not seen it, do check the main [written] review, there are more notes about custom paper sizes in it
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
@@KeithCooper great help as always, thank you Keith. Have a good weekend.
@@KeithCooper just received my 275 from fotospeed its a beautiful paper i must say! Keith did you find drying times with this paper and printer were quite long?
Nice catch! 😄 A true pro with reflexes triggered by the printer spooling sound
Ah, too many years of printer testing ;-)
I bought this printer a couple of weeks ago based on your videos to replace my malfunctioning Canon PIXMA Pro 9000. Thanks!
Since then I have printed one A4 print and one A3 print, both of sunsets and am very impressed with the result on Glossy paper.
But after watching this video I thought about a couple of stitched sunset panoramas I had done a little while ago. So I had a look
around for any 13" Epson rolls of photo paper and was lucky to find a semi gloss roll x 10m long here in Perth so I ordered it and it arrived today.
So I cut it to be big enough to cover the 50.5" print size and rolled the piece the opposite way to the curl and left it for an hour or so.
The pic was made up of stitching 3 photos together of a Waikiki sunset on the 10th January, 2022.
It came out fine! I was so impressed. The size was 13"x50.5" with a small white border all the way round.
I used Corel PaintShop Pro 2020 to set up the print and printer.
Now all I have to do is find the best way to mount the photo.
Any ideas please?
In the enclosed literature they suggest it be covered in glass to preserve the ink finish but I'm not sure that is practical with the 50.5" width.
Glad it worked for you!
Panoramics are not easy to mount - you may be able to get acrylic to cover. Find a local picture framers and see what they say.
I've also had pictures this size laminated onto foamboard and then put into a custom frame
The lamination was done at a local sign-making business
@@KeithCooper Thanks for those suggestions Keith - I'll see what I can find out.
I'll do a short video about this - thanks for the question!
Thank you for taking the time to video your review on this printer, I’m considering buying one. Also thank you for offering the icc profiles you made for the paper, for downloading, non commercial use. Kind regards Gary, Western Australia, Perth 😊
Glad it was helpful! - I've still not been able to confirm if the data inside the profiles is relevant to a PC user
@@KeithCooper thank you for your reply.
I have no idea 😊.
amazing! been watching your videos to learn to use my et 8550, and man have I learnt a lot form you. thankyou for your time and effort here. ill try find the written reviews so I can get good options for printing media for this printer.
Thanks
All the 8550 info is listed at
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
Cool. I never thought of printing that size. Thanks for showing. Following.
Thanks - They can look impressive with the right image
Thank you Keith! Waiting for the full review, as this printer seems to be very good option for the amateurs
Thanks - it will be a while yet, due to unforeseen family commitments, but I will be adding a few more videos in the meantime.
@@KeithCooper of course, take your time. I'm quite sure there are a lot of people very interested in your amazing and extremely high professional review to wait a little bit.
I had some A3 photo paper bought cheap years ago. I don’t have profiles for it but I stuck three sheets together and made a print 1240 mm x 297. I use the profile Epsom premium glossy. The photograph is taken years ago on my old iPhone 4 on a panorama. I set the size in Photoshop and posted the photo on top of that on another layer. It printed pretty good for such an old iPhone and cheap photo paper. Of course I made sure to use good tape, so none of the residue got stuck on the rollers. If I make a panorama, I really like as a test I’ll buy some good wallpaper, but as you say 13 inch wallpaper is not easy to find but fotospeed do have profiles..
Yes, a usable option, but as you say, the taping needs care.
Thanks ! you really help me chose the right printer :-) I love your reviews
Thanks!
Thank you so much
Thanks
Great video. Thanks for sharing how to get the most out of my printer!!
Glad it was helpful!
If you've not seen it, have a look at the main [written] review. It has links to all of my 8550 related articles/videos
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
Thanks Keith. Look forward to seeing more reviews on this one. Really interested in B&W prints with this one. I’m retiring in Japan by October and won’t be able to ship my P600. Not sure if I’ll switch to Canon ? BTW, I purchased the new M1 MacMini 16gb / 512 version also same for MacBook Pro (same config). The point is I took your advise and reloaded drivers and got the Epson Print software. Although limited adjustments, it seemed to fix my P600 issues. Also purchased Luminar 4 and AI. I’ll see if i have better success with the new cpu’s. Keep’em rolling!
So I guess I’m no longer gun shy of Epson.
It’s beautiful!
Thanks
Very helpful, thank you. I am fairly sure this is the printer I will buy in the next few weeks.
Glad it was helpful!
Great image & great work. This is absolutely an advertisement for this printer - off to purchase one now!
Thanks - if you've not seen it, do check the main [written] review
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
It has links to all my 8550 related info/videos
@@KeithCooper I managed to pick the printer up here in Aus for $990 delivered and bagged an extra years warranty. I have only run a few shots on 170gm A4 matte through it at the moment but once I have the thing in full swing I'll be returning to your channel!
Thank you Keith. Looking forward to more of your opinions on this printer. Would you possibly be able to show how this prints on 12" x 12" 80lb cardstock? I know a lot of paper crafters are wanting to know this. There's a lot of buzz about this printer. Thanks Kim
Yes, I will be looking at greeting card printing - it will however not be plain card perhaps other than to show how bad the print quality is ;-)
See this for the key issues:
ruclips.net/video/yHy9zt4rI_o/видео.html
Any card that works really needs to be for inkjet printing for anything much more than plain text.
The difference between the XP-15000 and the 8550 is in the presence of a matte black ink which may give better black text reproduction for some media settings.
BTW I should note that I don't precisely know what the non-US equivalent of "80lb cardstock" is - I only have UK sourced cards - we measure stuff in gsm
Thanks Keith. I don't really care how the text is on cardstock. I would be using it to print digital images on cardstock for paper crafting. Of course I will also use it to print photos, mostly black.and white. Looking forward to the next episode!
It's likely to be very similar to the XP-15000 in that video - largely dependent on getting the right card.
That said B&W printing is generally a weak area for any dye based printer - I'll look at some but that is going to very paper dependent.
For photos, true B&W (i.e. no colour tints/casts) is the harshest of tests and the main reason I print my own work (i.e. paying work) with pigment ink based printers
Thank you for sharing this information. I'm attempting to follow your steps, and I had success the first time when printing something around 10" x 25". I'm now attempting to print 13 x 44". I have the custom paper setting in photoshop and in the printer. When I attempt to print, the paper won't feed and I get a message that the print is complete. No other messages or errors. Do you have any suggestions or know what I may be doing wrong?
Edit - I think I've already figured out the problem. The custom size needs to be set to 12.95", which is actually the maximum width. It is now printing.
Try setting the custom size to fractionally below 13" [12.98?] I believe there is a bug in the printer PPD file [it's what specifies the printer capabilities]
Good catch Keith at the end of the print....we'll put you in the cricket team 😀
Thanks!
It's been 40 years since I played - Off-spin and 2nd slip - both helped minimise the walk at the end of an over - one place never to position me was in the outfield, I've never been able to throw any distance...
My printer arrived a few hours ago. It is currently in my hallway begging to be unpacked. I’m intimidated by it so I’m watching your videos to ease into it….. I’ve NEVER EVER allowed myself a good printer which, I have discovered, keeps my creative self in the closet.
Hope it goes well!
If it helps, do note that the real detail (and links to everything 8550 related I've done) are in my main [written] review:
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
Thanks for sharing this video. Is there a way to continuous print on a roll with this printer? I own one as well, but I use mine for sublimation. Also, it seems that it can only print 1 sheet at a time, is that correct?
Great work,thanks
Thank you so much, excelente videos
Thanks - glad they are of interest
Olfa cutters are excellent for cutting size from rolled paper. Originally designed for cutting fabrics (sewing/crafts).
Thanks
really helpful video dude, thanks, greatly.
Glad it helped!
Can you show a detail camera view of how you open set the rear of the printer to print from behind for longer lenghts? I have an et8550 2 yr old and there is no good instructions(even from the printer menu) showing clearly how to open the back and setup to ready for print. I also am hoping I can print longer then 800mm say even 900-1000mm in lenght. Thanks.
See the main [written] review for detail and links to all my 8500/8550 articles/videos
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
See the video about printing on board as well
Muy útil, muy ilustrativo, muchas gracias
Glad it's of interest
Thank you so much for sharing. My Epson Eco Tank 8550 is arrived today... Can I also print small formats, like 15cm / 10 cm wth this printer ? Is it difficult ? Thanks. (not unboxed yet). Greetings form Belgium.
Yes - If you've not seen them, do check the main [written] review as well - far more detail
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
Thanks for your great videos!
Thanks!
Can you please show a first time printer what setting you need in Photoshop and Epson et 8085 . Thanking you.
No, not easily... in a small text box like this ;-)
Have a read of the main [written] review - it links to all my 8550 info
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
Hello Keith, greetings from Peru, I want to ask you about the Epson L8180 (ET 8550) I want to print on 33 x 70 cm cardboard, the actual printing area will be 31.4 cm x 63, what I plan to make are copies of covers or covers for vinyl records, until now I have been sending them to be printed with a laser, but I want to do it myself on an ink printer. Can you tell me what type of cardstock paper is best suited to do this? It should be a low shine like satin, I think they call it LUSTER?
I'm afraid you will have to check with local paper suppliers for a paper/card coated for inkjet use - I'd have difficulties with suggestion here, yet alone suggestions for a third of the way round the world ;-)
The key is getting a suitably coated media - for aqueous inkjet use
why am i only finding out about this now 😍 epson dont even mention this
They originally decided to market this as a much more general printer. It's why of all printers I've tested in the last few years, it most surpassed my expectations.
Great videa, thanks a lot
Glad it helped
I know it's been a year, but could you have fed the paper through the back of the printer, so it would keep it flat, as if it was a thicker stock? Thank you :)
That's an option I believe, but I never tried it. The rear feed is a bit fiddly to set up, but if you have the space it could work well.
Thanks for the informative video. You got me up and running, but only issue I have now is when printing from Photoshop 2023, whether letting printer handle color management or using the Epson installed color profile through photoshop, printer will spit the print out extremely quick as if it is a low quality print setting. I have this issue even when printing smaller 4x6 or 8x10 images through Photoshop. I always have to use the Epson Smart Photo+ application, which is not preferred. Any pointers?
Use EPL [Epson Print Layout] vastly better than the Photo+ application
Can install to be directly called from in Photoshop
Hey Keith, thanks for all the amazing videos. You just inspired me to purchase a roll of this Fotospeed paper, including the £30 shipping from UK to Australia (but there just didn't seem to be many other options, especially 13" rolls with custom ICC profile settings available). But for the time being I'll experiment with a roll of the Epson Semigloss 13". One question I had thou - you mention that the printer doesn't do edge-to-edge printing with this size paper, is that something particular about the extended panorama roll size? Because all the marketing and specs on the printer seem to claim it does edge-to-edge / bodiless printing up to A3+ size paper - so that is the same width as a 13" roll. When you say borderless only available on certain types/sizes of paper, could you please elaborate/explain?
Unfortunately the custom page size required turns off any borderless option.
It does borderless, but only for a number of pre-defined sizes [see in the printer driver or EPL when you select paper size]
Do check the info in the main [written] review as well
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
If you need the profiles listed in it, just email me at Northlight
@@KeithCooper Thanks for your reply. Ok, good to know. What is the border that it imposes on the print / what should we be setting as the mm width of the image file?
And sorry, one more question, which I realise from some research may be opening a can of worms and requiring some more serious study/research, but is there a simple answer to what the pixels/inch settings should be (I am working with DJI drone files which seem to be huge in size, 1000+mm width but only 72 pixels/inch, so presumably I reduce the size and increase the resolution?
yes, 72 is screen - minimum of 300 I'd suggest
Border - whatever you need a minimum should appear when setting a custom size
Kevin, does Epson make a printer for 20”? If not. What do you recommend?
Kevin? ;-)
Nobody does 20" AFAIK
For 24" P6500, P7500.
Depends entirely on what you want it for and budget...
Is this ink water resistant ? i am looking for a printer for printing CD Jewelcase booklets and the print can not smudge in any way, i dont really know what printer i am looking for, the paper should be around 130-140g i believe. Thanks..
Ah... What's 'water resistant'?
Depending on this, no ink-jet printer really qualifies - or maybe lots do
This printer is unlikely to be particularly better or worse - finding the right paper matters. Depending on the paper and the print content, a laser printer may be better
@@KeithCooper I have a couple of laser printers but none of them prints any good graphics in my opinion. I also have a HP Designjet 500 42" that i am thinking about getting a good paper roll for my need, a glossy paper that smudge as little as possible, to bad it only runs under Windows 7 maximum and its not easy to find a good ways when it comes to modern software to print high quality photos.. so i dont know..
Thanks for this review Keith! I'm looking for a printer that can handle thick card stock (24 pt). Would this be your recommended printer or would you suggest something else? It needs to be inkjet (not laser) and pigment based inks too. Thanks.
Ah - I don't actually know what 24pt card stock is? Is this a US measurement?
The 8550 specifies thickness for the rear card feed in mm.
However my more immediate concern is that whenever I hear of 'card stock' mentioned, it's a media type meant for commercial print, and generally gives poor results with any desktop inkjet printer.
The 8550 is also only pigment black - the other inks are dyes.
Thanks for this Keith. Yes I’m using a US standard. if you're wondering how thick 24 pt card stock is, then you just need to move the decimal over 3 spots to the left. 0.024 mil.
12pt card stock, or .012 mil
14pt card stock, or .014 mil
16pt card stock, or .016 mil
In the U.S., card stock thickness is usually measured in points or mils which is the thickness of the sheet in thousandths of an inch. For example, a 10 pt. card is 0.010 in (0.254 mm) thick (roughly corresponding to a weight of 250 g/m2), and 12 pt. is 0.012 in (0.3048 mm
I need an all pigment ink machine to print card stock that is thicker than your average Christmas card. Cheers.
Thanks for that, all machines I get to see have thicknesses in mm or gsm paper weights.
Nearest I've tested to what you wanted is the WF-C8690
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-wf-c8690-printer-review/
That’s great! Thanks Keith!! All the best!
Great article Keith! As an ink formulator I appreciate the details on the printing side. Btw is there a way to print single colors on any inkjet machines that you’re aware of? I wonder if this is possible with the right color profiling software? Thank you again.
there's an adapter in the back that will give infinite* width when you feed it from the rear, not the rear tray. i've been trying to find out if anyone has done it before it try it.
No - there is a maximum page length specified internally by the printer.
Any adapter would need to be home-built - it might well improve feeding of such long sheets though
Great photo. Was it taken using a tiltshift, or did you move the camera on the tripod?
Look forward to the written review as the Epson is on my shortlist with the Canon G550.
What tripod? ;-) A hand held multishot sweep with the camera (5Ds) in portrait mode (EF 24-70 2.8L). Stitched with AutoPano Giga. Initially produced for printing much larger (for my next large format printer review).
The full review will be a while yet, but if you've any specific questions, email me at Northlight.
@@KeithCooper Great work,, some software I will have to look into in due course.
Thank you for being so approachable, out of respect I'll wait for the full review as I'm not planning on buying until my current ink supplies are used up, which may be longer than the full review takes. If there is anything after reading that, I'll drop you an email :)
I should have also noted that it is a cylindrical projection, since it goes well beyond a normal 'wide angle' rectilinear projection
nice vid. couple questions... although i understand and agree with yer logic of res for big prints, what is the disadvantage of maxing out res? should take same qty ink, right? just slower? good paper is expensive, so why not wait a few mins for max res?
also, u obv r super experienced, so u prob r best to answer this... have you ever used heat lamp or hot air to speed up drying? do u think that would create wrinkles or mess up colors?
The quality setting is always a matter of testing for any particular printer and paper combo. The very highest settings are not always better, and in B&W I've seen good printers where it should be avoided on some paper types. With this paper and printer there were minimal differences, but that is not always so.
It's driven by what the prints look like not by the numbers.
As to drying I leave prints out over night before sending out. The closest to active drying I do is leave some profiling targets on the top of my monitors
HI Kieth , been enjoying your advice of late, since I purchased an 8550. How would you print a square photograph on the 8550?? say 8 in. x 8 in??
Thanks
On an A4 sheet and run it through my paper trimmer when dry
Hello Keith, Your printer is set at "rear paper feeder"@4:24 on your screen. So epson still can detect the front load and print automatically or demand you print from the back? (incase error and you had to switch to front). You did not show if this may have occurred. let me know. Thanks.
It worked fine - see links in other answers
Hi Keith,
I was wondering if your printer is connected to WLAN or wifi when you are printing 13"x 800mm. thanks
IIRC, all my testing of this printer was using the printer on our wireless network
@@KeithCooper thank you! I was having issues with it printing from Photoshop but was able to print from another software. I appreciate you responding.
Good evening sir . Because you are the best answer to questions, I have several questions about the Epson sc f570 A1 printer. I know it specializes in sublimation. But does it also print well on canvas? And professional photo paper of good quality? Also, what is the maximum thickness of the paper? What is the maximum length for panoramic printing? Thank you so much
Sorry - not a printer I've tested. I'd have to ask one of my contacts at Epson! ;-)
@@KeithCooper Thank you sir
Thank you Keith for this video. As someone who wants to start printing my own work rather than a lab, i have been looking at either this ET-8550 or the Canon pro 300 and can't quite decide. My usual output is to matte or lustre papers so how does the ET-8550 compare in quality terms with the Canon? I am rather taken with the ET-8550's ink costs but unsure in quality terms. any help you can give will be gratefully received.
I'll come back to this when I get the main (written) review done, but whilst I never do specific comparisons between brands, I can say that the key differences are those described in my pigment vs dyes video.
Note that if you print B&W very much then from my own POV, pigments are the best choice.
Hi Keith, can I print on card stock paper 300gsm thickness that is size 6 inches by 22 inches by using the back manual feed? Thanks for your advice.
I don't know the minimum width on that feed for the 8550
A bigger issues is just what is 'card stock'? - any such description suggests it's not ink-jet media, therefore of very variable print quality
I have another important question. Does the warranty include the part responsible for the inkjet (print head)? Because this part is the most sensitive in the printer and more prone to damage. What are the detergents that can be used to clean or maintain it, and what are your recommendations for maintaining it? Finally, can it be replaced in case of damage? From where? And what is the price?I wish I could make a video dedicated to this, thank you.
The print head is not a user replaceable part.
Warranty covers defects, not rough use - this is a consumer product, not a commercial production printer.
All related videos/articles are referenced at:
See: www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
@@KeithCooper thank you
Hello Keth again, epson tells me rear printer feeding can only print up to 20in lenght and yet I think you can print longer then 800mm. Is this possible?
The custom size setting for media goes to 1200mm on my Mac
looking to buy koala 32# paper have you a profile for that? Love the price(13X19 double sided matte)
Not a brand I've ever come across I'm afraid
Can you advise me on the best method for measuring and cutting paper from a roll. The first edge is Naturally Square, Straight and True but how on earth do I get the second edge and all other cuts to be at the same perfectly square 90 Degree angle without damaging the paper?
Actually the first edge is NOT necessarily true...
You just need a good 'T square' and a suitable surface to work on
@@KeithCooper Thank you Keith, I somehow thought there would be a helluva lot more to it than that such as protecting the surface and all that jazz but thanks for letting me know.
With a good square and a cutting mat the surface should be no problem at all - just keep fingerprints off it ;-)
As with many things, the right tools help ;-)
I just bought one et 8550 myself to use for printing battle maps for rpg....
But I feel my prints look flat and boring 😨
What paper should I use and what settings should I be aware of?
Ah - read the main [written] review for a discussion about paper types and settings
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
I'm confused. Is this something the epson is normally able to do in a setting or something I have to set up to do. I am very new to this and looking to get into printing my own photos like panoramic images. When I am looking at the specs says 13" x19" which is confusing me. Obviously you are printing it but just wondering if I need software specific to allow me to do this
Have a read of the full review - covers a lot more of this
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
I’m thinking to make stickers with this printer !
Only if you find media designed for normal inkjet use...
Get the wrong sort and the ink will not dry properly or will rub off.
My ET-8550 will not print 13”x 30”, it will say “printing…” and then time out and not even feed the paper through. Any advice on how to resolve this?
Check that the custom page size is not too wide. I recall issues with it being 12.98 inch rather than 13"
This is covered in the main [written] review IIRC
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
Hi Keith, can i print 30cm x 300cm images with ET-8550?
No - the max definable length on my Mac is 1.2 metres
Banner printing may be possible on windows, but you will need to read the manual - I've not used a win PC for decades
@@KeithCooper ah okey, thank you so much Keith!
Hello, it is possible to run in epson et-18100 the same paper? Thank you
Yes - see the main review
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-18100-printer-review/
@@KeithCooper thank you very much... coffee coming soon 🫡
Can you print borberless with this size of print with the ET-8550?
No, I don't believe borderless is supported on custom page sizes - I don't have this printer here any more to check for certain, but borderless support is always restricted (it's a surefire way of making a mess in printers if used very often)
I would have a question regarding print quality, it is sufficient for selling callendars (at local level)? I am thinking about A4 callendars, i do not need the best possible output results, but at least acceptable, i am considering to buy Canon G550, how it is this epson in comparison with that Canon (regarding print quallity results)?
The G550 in comparison is slow. Different league in print quality - not remotely a comparable printer
This one I'd use for prints on my wall (with the right paper profiles and good media] The G550 much less so - aimed at quite different markets
Read the actual reviews if you've not seen them
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
www.northlight-images.co.uk/canon-g550-printer-review/
@@KeithCooper Thank you you helped me a lot, i already read your article about Canon (and it did not convince me about Canon qualities for my purposes), i am heading now to read your article about Epson 8550, but i feel that that printer will be right for me (or at least much better). Thank you again, you are doing a great work. 👍
Hi Kieth Following your instructions my et8550 won't print I am setting a custom size of 13x26 inches from my graphics software After loading the paper from the rear feed,,then going to print, the printer makes a sound and then it says printing complete on the display and it never pulls the paper in Any help would be greatly appreciated
Does the custom size need setting to very slightly under 13" width?
IIRC 12.96 worked ...see the main [written] review
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
@@KeithCooper Yes, i set it a little under 13" and it worked Thank you very much for your reply. Merry Christmas!!!
Hi, I’m printing with Lightroom, can the ET8550 print panoramics up to 10 feet long? I’ve been using a P700 but I need ecotanks because the ink cost is killing me. Thanks
Don't know about lightroom, but not with the normal driver
See here
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
You need a more expensive printer like the P5000 - lower ink costs...
In your video you are printing a panoramic, I just wondered if you knew what length it would print up to or what is the largest you’ve printed?
Yes - it's in the main [written] review...
Varies by system
hello can you please help me my inks runs so fast ,, much on grey ink ,,what can i do
Grey often does go down fastest, but it depends on the type of images.
There is nothing wrong - the printer uses ink to print like any other, If grey goes down really quick, then the printer might be faulty...
@@KeithCooper thank you so much ,, how many A4 photos can the full tanks print ,, because i printed few , and did the refill again?
No idea - far more than I wanted to do with my testing ;-)
The ink is a small part of the print costs...
What paper is the 13inch x 800mm I can't find it
It off a roll of either Epson Premium Luster or glossy photo IIRC [it was a while ago]
Epson do a few 13" roll papers, as does Fotospeed and a few other suppliers.
Do you share access to your custom page sizes? New to printing and need some support in paper configurations.
They are settings on my computer - nothing to actually share I'm afraid
Should be in the printer driver - or try Epson Print Layout software
@@KeithCooper What about the .icc? Do you have a set of templates for these available?
Templates?
icc profiles are files installed on your system for each paper used.
See the main written review - that is where all the details are...
@@KeithCooper oh I thought you mentioned you created some for particular prints, I misunderstood. thanks!
Yes, I have made some profiles for some particular papers - see the main [written] review for details
I saw you can take the back off and feed it flat through instead of holding the paper. How do you create a color profile for your printer?
I'll be testing the rear feed with posterboard. Note that quite a few media types are not supported via that rear feed. I'll be looking at this in the review.
As for profiling, I print ~3k patch targets and measure with an i1iSis for profile creation with i1Profiler - see any of my written reviews for full details.
@@KeithCooper I forgot I could do that. Thanks. I will try that to color calibrate it.
@@KeithCooper I only have the X-Rite i1Display Pro Plus. Still really cool. I can at least make the color better with my printer. thanks
Yes, getting the screen calibrated and at the right brightness is a real help for printing. I have a colour management playlist bringing all that sort of stuff together.
@@KeithCooper Found the playlist. Thanks.
Is there any difference between L8180 vs ET-8550.
I believe they are the same, but in different regions - check the specs on Epson sites for different countries (8550 for UK)
@@KeithCooper Thanks for the quick reply and clarification, they both seems ditto!
hi im trying to do this wide photo print but cant get the settings to do it, ive got photoshop and the same printer
try setting a different custom paper size - I recall some experimenting needed with the width - also I'm using Photoshop CS6 on and oldish Macbook, so things may need tweaking.
Hi Keith, I'v tried printing a long Panorama photo from the rear tray as per your video but it keeps printing from cassette 2. I'm using Lightroom classic and I have the size set up on my laptop and printer, any ideas why this is happening.
I recall hearing of this from someone else. This was their suggestion.
"set cassettes 1 & 2 to sizes not used and rear feeder to required size then it prints ok
@@KeithCooper Thanks Keith I will give that a try. Your videos have been really helpful 👍🏻
I had issue where printer would say printing and then preening complete, but was not pulling paper from any of the trays. What fixed for me was changing my custom printer settings on computer from 13" to 12.95" since this is the maximum size allowed in the printer settings on the unit is 12.95". Maybe this will help you too.
I cut down some 24inch roll paper(Cold Press Natural) to use in my new ET-8550. Not sure why the printer would not accept a custom size using 13x13 or any other length cut to 13 wide. The printer would accept the print job, run through a print cycle announce the print job had finished while the paper was still in the input tray. I struggled all day to try and figure it out. Pre cut sheets of 13X19 printed just fine along with other standard sizes. The printer would not even take a custom 13X19 size. After digging around I discovered I had to set the printer to 12.95" width for it to accept the paper to print. How strange is that? Must be a rounding issue converting from inches to mm. I should measure some factory 13" paper to see if it is actually 13 inches and not something close. I'm all for us yanks to get on the metric system like the rest of the world.
I believe it's actually an error in the printer PPD file. However, editing PPD files is not a trivial matter.
The problem is mentioned in the main [written] review:
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
Whilst I can update/edit/refine the written reviews, these videos are unfortunately stuck as published...
If I get an 8550 back again for testing I'll look into this in more detail.
The printer shows it can print 13” x 19”. Can it print longer than 19”?
Given the size of the print I'm holding, I'm going to say yes ;-)
Depending on software, the maximum is 200cm
Are you aware of any other printer that can print A3+ up to 2m or longer ? I don't really need a photo printer but a cheap printer that can print A3 roll and has CISS build in.
Nope - not a function I associate with cheap printers (remember I only really look at photo printing)
Why not use the Epson Print software for this? Also, what is air print?
Well, I would normally use it for these videos, so as to make it easier for a wider number of people to follow ;-)
Personally I only ever print from Photoshop (I dislike Lightroom)
The problem in this instance is that there is currently a bug in my install of EPL 1.5.6 which does not allow the setting of the custom paper size for the 8550. Rather than not do the video, I prefer to trust people can work it out for their own software (or ask).
AirPrint is an Apple print system that doesn't need specific drivers - I only mention it because it can cause problems for Mac users, and I use Macs ;-) One of my other reasons for preferring EPL (if possible) is that it's almost the same for PC users, thereby enabling me to continue not having a Win PC in the house ;-)
@@KeithCooper Oh. Ok great. I am on Mac also. Thanks for the update! You are so helpful with all your website and videos. I appreciate them greatly.
The EPL issue is an odd one - I've asked Epson and hope to have more info next week. I used it for the previous video with A3+ and it worked just fine. I used it as well for pano printing with the other Epson printers I looked at recently...
Hi keith ! i've a little problem : when i see, i've mark with dot on line on my print with this printer. do you know the problem?
It depends on the paper - the output rollers on some printers can mark some papers. If it is a new printer - contact Epson
@@KeithCooper Hi ! i've contact epson Sav...My god...they dont want to know my problem. Now, i've print with PPD photo paper. What is your advise for photo paper? model? Thanks a lot !
See any of the papers in my [written] review - of course they are all ones available in the UK, not necessarily anywhere else.
@@KeithCooper Amazing ! i'm going to buy this (ok for deliver at france;) ) Do you know where i can to buy adhesive vinyl glossy and mat in 13" ? i dont find this :/
I get asked about vinyl a lot, but have not tried any (I had some sent, but it was awful - the ink never dried)
I've seen some advertised on Amazon as being suitable, but I've never had any to test (it costs too much and I've no use for it).
Do you get the "pizza cutter" marks down your prints?(from the roller guide at the front)I've had them in the past on cheaper printers and never worried about them but I've just bought one of these printers to use to make money and am getting the marks on my prints and didn't know if its a thing or should I take the machine back? Thanks.
I didn't see them on the printer I tested, but others have.
If it is marking on an Epson paper then I'd suggest contacting Epson
On third party papers it much more depends on the paper
What printer is the best between this and the L8180?
I believe they are the same - just different model numbers in different regions
hello, could you tell me the maximum length that it prints, there is a similar one that prints up to 2 meters in length, this one can also, and as it is aimed at photography if I can also print documents, thank you...
It depends - some printer specs show printing up to 2m
Not on the Mac I tested it on though - this is mentioned in the actual [written] review.
You need to check the detailed specs on Epson sites - note that the level of detail in these varies by country
@@KeithCooper ok thanks, can i use this printer to print documents...
Of course - it's very much a consumer level printer, which happens to be able to make great photo prints (with the right ICC profiles)
@@KeithCooper ok which is name and size of paper, i assume it is A3+ in roll ,right? and where can i buy it, thanks...
That paper came from Fotospeed - 13" width is not so common in rolls.
Note that I only know of UK suppliers...
Hi Keith. I am looking for ink printer which can give me High Quality Prints( mostly colored) on Cotton Canvas for selling on online stores. I looked your video of Eps 8550 would you recommend me this printer .Please suggest me a good printer
13" is not wide enough for canvas (well not for my liking)
It also depends on the quality needed - you may need to varnish/coat it as well
For myself I'd not want a printer narrower than 24" with roll support
The epson P6000 is a reasonable starting point, although I'd prefer a P7000 or the newer P7500
I'm sure people use printers like this one, but whilst I might print the odd sheet of canvas in a video to show it's possible, that doesn't mean I'd ever recommend it for canvas, and certainly not for selling prints.
You said 'high quality' - that costs ;-)
@@KeithCooper Thanks Keith ! It really help ed me to understand for High Quality Canvas Prints. But here For start i was looking to sell unframed Canvas Prints till the size of 12*16 inches and price i will be getting will be quite nominal. I am doubtful that as Esp SC P series use pigment inks & there cost of A3+ print would be much higher that Ink tank printers Like ET8550. Please suggest if i can go for ink tank printer for canvas print with medium quality or its totally no option. Although investment is not a problem on good printer in future or today but now i am doubtful of return on smaller prints because of higher cost of printing on Esp SC P series. Can u tell me the approx cost of printing on Esp Sc P7000/7500/800 series and Ink tank 8550 .
Ah, I can't help with the economics of selling canvas, but the 8550 might well suffice at the cheaper end of the market. It will depend on the actual canvas though and you'll need to consider colour management/profiling.
I've not yet fully tested canvas though, but will have a look at it in the near future.
@@KeithCooper Thanks Keith for help
Can you lick the ink off after ?
No, I'll leave that to people using edible ink - Strangely enough, it's never something I test... ;-)
Will this print borderless 2m x 13 inch do you know?
No - I don't off hand know of any desktop printer which does borderless custom print sizes. Remember, this is not a printer natively supporting roll paper.
Larger roll printers (like the P7000 and P7500 I looked at) usually do borderless on roll, with the ends cut off by the cutter. I'm not sure about the P900/P700
Thanks it’s just on the marketing blurb/imagery it shows a borderless panorama being printed
@@Clue83 Ah - is that 'Double A4'? It's half an A2 sheet cut lengthways - a specific 'pano' print size, not a custom one IIRC
Ah maybe yes - so I’m guessing the 2m x 13” is still possible but obviously just without the border. Would that work with both the rear paper feed and the rear flat feed do you know? Thanks again
@@Clue83 No, just checked the 8550 driver and the maximum length for a custom page is 1200mm (at least on the Mac)
So, no 2 metre prints - not unless you know how to hack printer PPD files (I've not tried this with the 8550)
I do note that the border size can be set to 0mm, but that rarely works well, given the printer is not designed for roll paper.
Don't have it here any more - I may be getting one again from Epson, but not anytime soon.
Lets print our own WALLPAPER 😊
Ah, done that some time ago... On a 44" printer using a paper designed for it ;-)
plz tell me printing speed how long to a3+
several minutes - not quick at highest quality.
This info is in the written review with the printer specs, but unfortunately I've not been able to get it finished yet
How much is the roll paper?
No idea, you'll need to shop around locally...
This particular one came from FotoSpeed in the UK
fotospeed.com/pf-lustre-275.html
why didn't you find a huge piece of cardboard to lean the single sheet against it...something oversized that would sit on the printer housing...
your making a huge production out of a simple problem solve...
just my personal observation
Seems a fair idea - this is just showing it can be done and some of the potential issues.
I don't have the 8550 here any more to test more of this.
So right side up.
Yes, the paper doesn't print well otherwise...
...so funny. Why would you mix inches and metric in your title? Wouldn't it be better as 13" x32"? SMH...
The paper is on 13" roll paper and 800mm long :-)
Even though relatively few people still use inches here [or most the world for that matter] roll paper like this is still sold as "13 inch"
@@KeithCooper Ah, that makes sense...I'm US and, luckily, a carpenter by trade so metric is a taste I'm acquiring, although 25.4 mm per inch is a little much to do precise conversions in my poor head. I know, we're backward...it would be different if the American Revolution had failed. ;0) PS...I do love your vids.
Thanks... I'm old enough to guestimate in feet and inches, but do any calculation in metric.
If you want really tricky stuff to work in, see the system of money we had up until 1971...
How to combine base 10, base 20 and base 12...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimal_Day
When it to make print image 2 meters can it to make with 900 DPI ? Sorry my terrível english. Antônio, Brazil
Sending more resolution to the printer driver is not an issue.
However, the maximum page length when I tested it was under a metre.
@@KeithCooper Hi Mr Keith. I am so glad you send me all explication that printer about. Thanks you. Antonio, Brazil