Epson EcoTank ET-8550 A3 Print/Scan/Copy Wi-Fi Photo Printer, Black

I was very impressed with the Service I received from CameraWorld,I have a Mac Mini M1 running BigSur v11.6.1I spent a lot of time, learning about Monitor Calibration (important if you want great Prints)and ICC Profiles and making sure I had the latest Software and Firmware for the ET-8550,it was a frustrating time trying to find any relevant downloads,but I discovered that in the initial SW Installation Folder, inside the Applications Folderthere is an Epson Firmware Updater,and after running this, and installing the newer FW + SW,I could now run the Epson Print Layout Application(previously this App could not detect the ET-8550)I performed my 1st Photo Print today on Epson Photo Quality Inkjet Paper,Outstanding result,My advice is, if you're new to ... MoreI was very impressed with the Service I received from CameraWorld,I have a Mac Mini M1 running BigSur v11.6.1I spent a lot of time, learning about Monitor Calibration (important if you want great Prints)and ICC Profiles and making sure I had the latest Software and Firmware for the ET-8550,it was a frustrating time trying to find any relevant downloads,but I discovered that in the initial SW Installation Folder, inside the Applications Folderthere is an Epson Firmware Updater,and after running this, and installing the newer FW + SW,I could now run the Epson Print Layout Application(previously this App could not detect the ET-8550)I performed my 1st Photo Print today on Epson Photo Quality Inkjet Paper,Outstanding result,My advice is, if you're new to this, Start off using Epson Paper to learn more about ICC Profiles and how to use them, (ICC profiles are kinda like Witchcraft)I hope this helps.

Disappointing photo quality

I take and print photographs for my own pleasure and I use a Nikon DSLR with several lenses. I use mainly Lightroom for photo editing and printing. I had a very old HP photo printer which produced fantastic prints when it was new but latterly print quality reduced and then it died altogether - my opportunity to buy a nice new photo printer. Reading reviews, I was attracted by the eco tank system, accepting that colour gamut was a little limited and decided to buy the ET 8550. Setting up and ink filling was a breeze using the phone app and the printer was ready to use in very little time although I was surprised about how much ink it used to prime itself. I expect this was due to filling all the tubes to get the ink to the print heads but it's not serious since ... MoreI take and print photographs for my own pleasure and I use a Nikon DSLR with several lenses. I use mainly Lightroom for photo editing and printing. I had a very old HP photo printer which produced fantastic prints when it was new but latterly print quality reduced and then it died altogether - my opportunity to buy a nice new photo printer. Reading reviews, I was attracted by the eco tank system, accepting that colour gamut was a little limited and decided to buy the ET 8550. Setting up and ink filling was a breeze using the phone app and the printer was ready to use in very little time although I was surprised about how much ink it used to prime itself. I expect this was due to filling all the tubes to get the ink to the print heads but it's not serious since compared with buying cartridges, the ink is very cheap.My first photo print was disappointing but I didn't have any Epson paper so I was not surprised. I did have some Permajet paper so I downloaded the ICC file for the 8550 for that paper and tried that - not good. So I bought some Epson paper and tried that - much the same as the permajet print.At this point I contacted Epson support and they asked about monitor calibration. My 2 x 27" Dell monitors have been calibrated but some time ago so I bought a datacolour Spyderx Pro - no better. The monitors are old so I bought two new 27" 4K monitors which are well regarded for photo editing. After calibrating, careful setting up, using Epson paper and allowing the printer to control colour, prints were no better.Prints from this printer are not bad if you view them in isolation although they are not 'vibrant' as the reviews claim, and if you compare colours with the screen (and reality) they are not good. For example, there is a subtle blue cast which makes the prints look dull and uninteresting. The beige of a sandy beach looks grey and flat. I have spent so much money trying to get good faithful colour prints and I am just very disappointed with the result.

Economical to run. Excellent print quality.

The quality of the prints from this A3 printer are excellent. I use it for both day to day admin tasks and for printing computer generated artwork and photography. The integrated tank system makes it a very economical option to use ( as does the double sided print facility ) and quickly offsets the initial purchase price. Installing and re-filling inks is very quick and easy with no mess at all. The design is compact and stylish and sits comfortably on my work space. I am very pleased I bought this printer and thoroughly recommend it.

Epson ET-8550, Very capable.

The results from this printer are stunning. I've printed A3 and A3+ images and the combination of the dye inks on a good gloss paper produce fantastic results. The colours have a luxurious depth to them and are as detailed as you could wish for.The ability for this printer to also copy and scan should not be underrated as I have managed to scan some ageing older photographs and bring them back to life in photoshop and reprint them, often larger than the original.Overall very pleased with output and also the size and form. It is sleek and doesn't overpower my desk.The ongoing ink costs are also very competitive compared to the pigment based inks for more expensive printers. And the versatility of having ink tanks over cartridges is great. Having printed nearly ... MoreThe results from this printer are stunning. I've printed A3 and A3+ images and the combination of the dye inks on a good gloss paper produce fantastic results. The colours have a luxurious depth to them and are as detailed as you could wish for.The ability for this printer to also copy and scan should not be underrated as I have managed to scan some ageing older photographs and bring them back to life in photoshop and reprint them, often larger than the original.Overall very pleased with output and also the size and form. It is sleek and doesn't overpower my desk.The ongoing ink costs are also very competitive compared to the pigment based inks for more expensive printers. And the versatility of having ink tanks over cartridges is great. Having printed nearly a 100 images / documents I think it going to be a long while before the tanks will need their original inks topping up.The only reason it gets 4/5 stars is when printing from Lightroom although the image looks perfectly centred the output has a slightly smaller right hand border which was fixed by manually by adjusting in Lightroom. Maybe a user error or software quirk. Easily adjustable once you know how to adjust manually and only a minor annoyance.

Epson EcoTank ET-8550 Printer

I bought this printer primarily to print on 300gsm greeting card stock and printable DVDs. It does both without any problems. Quality is very good, although I do not print photos so this is not something I concern myself with. My only criticism so far are the feed trays. The main tray feels very flimsy and has to be removed to be refilled so you can't top it up during printing. The DVD tray has to be installed separately and is quite difficult to fit as you have to push it in with some force, not knowing how far it should go in and if you're going to damage anything. The small stock tray is also separate and fiddly to use.

Excellent

I choose this printer because I was looking for a cost-effective way of printing photos and this seemed to fit the bill. It will print up to A3+, there 3 paper trays one for normal office paper, one for cd printing, and a top feed for photographic paper. Normal office printing is very good, photo printing is excellent for an eco-tank printer, black and white photo printing is amazing. There are 6 ink tanks two blacks, cyan magenta, yellow, and grey a full set of ink 70ml bottles comes with the printer, no cartridges to change just top up with ink. Very cost-effective when printing large photos. And it has a built-in document scanner which makes it even more useful, an all-around good printer. At the highest quality, it does not print that fast, there are faster ... MoreI choose this printer because I was looking for a cost-effective way of printing photos and this seemed to fit the bill. It will print up to A3+, there 3 paper trays one for normal office paper, one for cd printing, and a top feed for photographic paper. Normal office printing is very good, photo printing is excellent for an eco-tank printer, black and white photo printing is amazing. There are 6 ink tanks two blacks, cyan magenta, yellow, and grey a full set of ink 70ml bottles comes with the printer, no cartridges to change just top up with ink. Very cost-effective when printing large photos. And it has a built-in document scanner which makes it even more useful, an all-around good printer. At the highest quality, it does not print that fast, there are faster printers but if it's quality you are after then this printer works well

Excellent Printer but......

An excellent printer but...No way to turn of firmware upgrades and it just keeps pestering one until you give in. Will designers please not pester customers for any reason.The user interface was designed by children eg if you go to turn off the printer it has usually gone to sleep so you have to wake it up before you can turn it off, then you press the off button and the stupid screen says oh do you want to turn me off? to which you say yes I DO and eventually the printer grinds its way to off.If it has gone to sleep sending it a document to print does not wake it up, you have to walk to the printer wake it up then send the document!!!!!!!!There appears to be no quick way to change the printer settings for the duration determined by the user very annoying.And ... MoreAn excellent printer but...No way to turn of firmware upgrades and it just keeps pestering one until you give in. Will designers please not pester customers for any reason.The user interface was designed by children eg if you go to turn off the printer it has usually gone to sleep so you have to wake it up before you can turn it off, then you press the off button and the stupid screen says oh do you want to turn me off? to which you say yes I DO and eventually the printer grinds its way to off.If it has gone to sleep sending it a document to print does not wake it up, you have to walk to the printer wake it up then send the document!!!!!!!!There appears to be no quick way to change the printer settings for the duration determined by the user very annoying.And more..... such a pity that children were let loose on the design.

Quality, at a price, and at A3 size

Have been using for 2-3 months so far, so haven't replaced ink yet, but part of the selling point of this was that the refilling works out better over the long term. So initially a higher price for this printer, but total cost of ownership over 3-5 years should be good.The printing quality is very good - both for a small business and a teenager's occasional A3 printouts for art lessons. A3 paper loading, via a feed towards the back/top, is also easy.A4 paper tray doesn't hold a large number of sheets, and this is where jams can sometimes happen. Tilt-able screen to handle straightforward controls is a nice touch, and in general set-up (eg Wi-Fi connection) and menus both easy to use.Glad I've stuck with Epson, although their recycling process for old printer ... MoreHave been using for 2-3 months so far, so haven't replaced ink yet, but part of the selling point of this was that the refilling works out better over the long term. So initially a higher price for this printer, but total cost of ownership over 3-5 years should be good.The printing quality is very good - both for a small business and a teenager's occasional A3 printouts for art lessons. A3 paper loading, via a feed towards the back/top, is also easy.A4 paper tray doesn't hold a large number of sheets, and this is where jams can sometimes happen. Tilt-able screen to handle straightforward controls is a nice touch, and in general set-up (eg Wi-Fi connection) and menus both easy to use.Glad I've stuck with Epson, although their recycling process for old printer could be better.

Really good photo and general use printer

I am really pleased with this printer. Was looking for a good printer that would produce good photographs and could also handle general printing at a reasonable cost. Noted that Which had recommended the A4 version ET-8500 as its Best Printer for its economical printing costs. However, wanting the flexability of printing A3 photographs, I opted for the ET-8550.The advantage of this printer over other Epson EcoTank printers is it has 6 ink tanks compaired with the other 4 ink tank printers. It also facilitates the use of thicker printer materials than other printers in the range.

yes

Impressed with this printer so far although build quality could be more sturdy. Set up and connection to Mac, Ipad and Iphone were straightforward and they all communicate well. Ink tanks were easy to fill and print colours appear true. I will use the printer more for artwork than photographic but have tried both and am happy with the results. Not keen on the presets so am avoiding these. The rear feed tray is useful but you do need to turn the printer around to access it. Printing is single sheet only from the rear feed but quicker from all others. I have not had it long, yet, so no idea how it will stand the test of time, but ink cost is very low which was the main reason I bought it, along with its ability to print on thicker media.