I dabble in photography and determine large , high - timbre prints are the best ways to enjoy a outstanding exposure . While full - page borderless looks good , a posting - sizing mark can be a collector’s item worth set up .
To immortalise a moment as artwork , I wantlab - timbre prints that require the best exposure printers uncommitted . That ’s where the Epson SureColor P900 shines . It ’s a wide - format printing machine that features a professional 10 - color ink system for exceptional dynamic compass and preciseness color .
If you ’re a lensman or photo partisan , you ’ll need to learn more about this printer ’s capability , timbre , and media handling to help decide if there ’s enough economic value to justify the expense .
Specs
Design
Epson gave the SureColor P900 a premium , bootleg finish . It looks cracking but gather up dust quickly and scratch up easily . I keep a micro - fiber material nearby for frequent cleansing of the surface panel .
The SureColor P900 is a pressman turgid enough to swallow bill sticker - size paper up to 17 by 22 inches and an end product bin that can hold such a large mark . That mean you need a sizable space to use this pressman .
While the unopened footprint is just 24.2 by 14.5 inch , the production bin expands the distance to as foresighted as 35.6 inches for print longsighted mainsheet . Epson recommends 16 inch of headroom at the back when using the front feed . The SureColor P900 stands just 7.8 inch high when the main rearward paper tray is closed . When it ’s open for large photographic print , the height increases to 20 inches .
However , the benefits could be worth the space requirement . The manual front medium tray can accept theme up to 1.5 mm thick . That means you may impress on specialty newspaper heavier than most cardstock .
To manage this versatile printer , Epson added an adjustable 4.3 - inch color touch screen that tilts up from horizontal 50 degree for well-situated viewing while seated or standing .
Printing performance
This is a photographer ’s printer , designed for lab - quality prints in the convenience of your own family or post . It can print on a variety of media ranging from popular small exposure size like 3.5 x 5 , 4 x 6 , 5 x7 , and 8 x 10 , to borderless 8.5 x 11 and 11 x 14 received paper , all the way up to poster - size of it sheets at 11 x 17 , 13 x 19 , 16 x 20 , and 17 x 22 inch .
The quality is phenomenal . Epson ’s UltraChrome Pro10 pigment ink system go fast beyond the stock four colors used by most inkjet printer . With cyan , light cyan , vivid Battle of Magenta , lifelike easy Battle of Magenta , icteric , gray , light gray , reddish blue , photo blackness , and lustrelessness black , the SureColor P900 has a much more expressive palette of colour to select from to dependably revivify your preferred moments .
Skin tones , yellowness , and purples are notoriously challenging for printers , but the SureColor P900 plow unmanageable tones and ghost with easiness . True black and subtle shadows can also be hard for many printers but Epson includes two blacks and two grey to elaborate the range of mountains .
Fine detail and color fidelity are n’t as of import if you bank on an cheap telephone or compact camera for picture taking . Epson ’s six - ink EcoTank ET-8500might be all you need for casual home use , but you ’ll be determine to varsity letter - size prints and lose some of the asperity and wide dynamical compass that the SureColor P900 provides .
I was impressed with the result and pleasantly surprised by the speed . The SureColor P900 can output a full - page photographic mark in about a mo and a half . A 13 x 19 photo takes less than two and a one-half minute .
rough drawing and standard calibre are very good , losing only a bit of fine point . The best quality mode takes longer but makes a departure when publish the sharpest , mellow - declaration pic . colour faithfulness is n’t impact by the resoluteness and received prints were good enough for most pictures .
While pictures are the SureColor P900 ’s specialty , colour written document prints are also brilliant . Gradations are smooth , text is nipping , and graphics are sharp . The good office printers are optimise for productivityand are substantially suitable to text - impenetrable workloads , but this wide - format Epson printer accept media that an all - in - one ca n’t .
The Epson SureColor P900 ’s operation was quite reliable when using the main rear paper tray . I adjudicate a variety of newspaper types and size , yet prints consistently rolled through with great quality and surprising speed .
Special features
The Epson SureColor P900 is quite various in terms of the medium it bear . I did n’t test the optional $ 250 roll adapter but it concur 17 - in rolls with two- or three - inch core up to 10 feet long . That means farseeing banners are potential with this adapter .
The printing machine ’s front media tray accept very dense paper with a direct course that prevents curling . The front medium tray pulls newspaper through the printer and out of the back in a manual process that try out to be fussy and error - prone .
The big color touch screen guided me somewhat but it was still confusing . I pulled the front feeder out until it go down and locked . Then I cautiously aligned the paper with an etched line on the media tray .
The SureColor P900 teach me to push the bird feeder back in , and this is where I first consort into problems . At the first click , the blind pass on me program line to go forward . When I did , the last in did n’t feed correctly , leaving an overprint followed by an unprinted molding .
I ’m normally very tech - savvy and detail - orient but I did n’t notice that the media tray should be loaded with the front of the pressman before proceeding with impression . With that mystery solve , the overprint and border were no longer a job .
I also had to deepen pressman options to thick composition before using cardstock . When printing on expensive newspaper publisher , it ’s a good thought to triple - stoppage circumstance to ensure everything work as expect .
When the paper successfully charge , the sensitive tray is the good option for stocky paper , accepting cardstock up to 1.5 mm thick while keeping it flat and smooth during the print .
Software and compatibility
For such a declamatory , complex printer , setting up the Epson SureColor P900 was simple . The printer comes well - mob with plenty of cushioning , tape , and hang sheets to secure the parts and protect the shiny black surface .
The swelled colour touch screen channelise me to instal the 10 let in ink cartridges , alerted me to the 15 - minute ink priming fourth dimension , and helped me connect to Wi - Fi with no issues .
Epson ’s fluid Print Layout app found the printer quickly and I was ready for my first print in less than half an hr . I started with a full - varlet borderless photo , but the mobile app work with many paper size and types .
I load up a 17 x 22 sheet and hear a poster mark that come out smashing . I used an iPad , iPhone , and Android phone with no issues . Epson ’s screen background software works with Windows and macOS to provide even more controls and custom media eccentric .
Price
At $ 1,349 , the Epson SureColor P900 is expensive enough that it might only appeal to picture taking enthusiasts or businesses that involve large format prints . Epson volunteer a $ 200 rabbet , effectively lower the price to $ 1,149 .
Each ink magazine costs $ 44 , so a complete bent is a $ 440 investiture . The skillful news is the ink supply live on a longsighted clip . While many inkjet printing machine pickup hold 10 ml of ink or less , UltraChrome Pro10 cartridges take for 50 ml of ink . The SureColor P900 comes with 10 full cartridges supplying half a cubic decimeter ( about a quart ) of ink .
I was impressed by how many photograph I could print . After prim up the ink , the cartridges showed about a third of the total capacity left . I expected to see low ink warnings after a few 17 x 22 - inch prints . However , I printed the equivalent of 44 letter of the alphabet - sizing page with 100 % reporting before light Robert Gray was noticeably downcast , reaching 7 % . Standard gray dismiss to 10 % . The six colour and two blacks barely moved , showing 25 % to 30 % stay .
Since cartridge can be purchased individually , I only need to replenish what ’s broken , so ink costs are n’t the biggest business concern . okay nontextual matter report in gravid sheets can be several dollar mark per sheet .
Is the SureColor P900 right for you?
The SureColor P900 uses durable UltraChrome Pro10 ink that Epson forecast to last for hundreds of years in ideal condition . colour prints are place at up to 200 years while black - and - white can last for as long as 400 years in accelerated age exam .
As a unique professional tool that make photo into showpieces , the Epson SureColor P900 offer enceinte economic value for lensman . I ca n’t overstate how important on - demand prints are without waiting day for a photographic print shop or photo research lab to see the results . If there ’s an computer error , the print job is delay again .
There are otherphoto printers with great quality , include Epson ’s more affordable SureColor P700 that can print on media up to 13 in wide . Whilethe six - colour ink organization of the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500isn’t as refined and it only handles 8.5 x 11 - inch paper , it ’s a more low-priced alternative for bud photographers .
For casual , enthusiast employ , it ’s harder to apologise the disbursal and distance requirements . Still , there ’s great economic value in vex such sensational caliber on artistic creation paper in poster - size prints within minutes .
If you want more than a standard inkjet printing machine can deliver , Epson ’s Expression Photo XP-8800 is an inexpensive six - color pic printerthat makes mother wit for a home user .