On May 30, I demonstrated an ET8550 on a carefully prepared Pigment Ink set for archival photos on Jose Rodriguez's youtube podcast.
B&W printing using the standard ABW driver with Velvet Fine Art settings gives a slightly warm B&W output. This can be toned out using the provided tools. Keep in mind that the Matte Black, PhotoBlack and Gray ink is carbon based.
Using color mode it is slightly cooler reflecting Epson's choice of tonal choices on different modes.
The inkset was configued to allow the ET8550 to be still used decently with normal printing paper which is what it's raison d'etre is. A daya to day printer with escapes into the world of printing.
Color printing is fantastic given its prices and features. Howver a custom profile needs to be used and I think that is obvious.
Does it nip at the heels of the true Epson photoprinters? It depends on the individual's needs. In REAL WORLD printing of normal images, I doubt most people on most photo forums will see the difference this and the K3 printers and possibly beyond. For some who push images into the seriously dark tonal ranges and with lots of careful gradations it will show its weakness. However I stress there is only a minute percentage of printer users who do this and they should continue to purchase their K3 or TRUE photoprinters.
I also showed that it is pointless to compare the or argue the differences between say the Canon pigment photo printers and the Epson ones. Flat out, if you want minimal gloss differential then Canon is easily superior. To the majority of users, if the machines are properly profiled, there is no real visual difference between the 3880-P800-P600- and the ET8550 and the Canon machines. Except gloss differential due to the ink choices in individual machines. The Older 3880 is superior to the generation that replaced it, since the newer generation chose to balance ink use rather than bias to the photo/light colors. The price paid is gloss differential. The other price paid is that the 3880 is superior to the P800 is a FADE TO WHITE test. Just barely. Again ONLY on a direct test for that will you barely notice the difference,...in images......highly doubt ANYBODY can see it. The newer models also tended to trade off one aspect for another. Kind of a zero sum game in the end. The Canon Pro-1000 does an excellent fade to white.
The ET8550 is an easily refillable machine more capable than you might think and it allows Pigment ARCHIVAL prints protecting against OZONE which even the newest OEM dyes while stronger than aftermarket still remain relatively weak at....OZONE compared to pigment. Those living with lots of diesel exhaust should take note of this aspect. I highly doubt Epson will want you to know of how the 8550 can be exploited.
One thing is that the ET8550 can post some great performance stats in the A-B B-A tables but to the trained eye besting the K3 machines but where it falls short the numbers don't tell you. So do you trust your eyes or cling to the numbers. Hmmm......
Ohn why the ET8550 - It has Matte Black and PhotoBlack AND it has a GRAY channel. Gray is vitally important in photo pigment ink printing. All the other CMYK I never bothered with as through the years (15 or so) 6 color and 4 color conversions to pigment left a lot to be desired ( suck) and left a lot to be desired. I think Epson brought this machine out hoping people like me did not catch on to the potential. Well it closes 15 year the quest to turn an inexpensive dye ink printer to a pigment printer. Well, that chapter is now closed but it is no longer inexpensive but it is done.
And finally, you have a photoprinter now and looking for an upgrade. Learn color management or get a print calibration system, Done that? Learn to edit photos better. Printers for a long time were much more capable than than the people using them. Want fantastic B&W, you need to use learn to edit or use specialized B&W edit software. The standard drivers do not do justice to this art.
Bye.
B&W printing using the standard ABW driver with Velvet Fine Art settings gives a slightly warm B&W output. This can be toned out using the provided tools. Keep in mind that the Matte Black, PhotoBlack and Gray ink is carbon based.
Using color mode it is slightly cooler reflecting Epson's choice of tonal choices on different modes.
The inkset was configued to allow the ET8550 to be still used decently with normal printing paper which is what it's raison d'etre is. A daya to day printer with escapes into the world of printing.
Color printing is fantastic given its prices and features. Howver a custom profile needs to be used and I think that is obvious.
Does it nip at the heels of the true Epson photoprinters? It depends on the individual's needs. In REAL WORLD printing of normal images, I doubt most people on most photo forums will see the difference this and the K3 printers and possibly beyond. For some who push images into the seriously dark tonal ranges and with lots of careful gradations it will show its weakness. However I stress there is only a minute percentage of printer users who do this and they should continue to purchase their K3 or TRUE photoprinters.
I also showed that it is pointless to compare the or argue the differences between say the Canon pigment photo printers and the Epson ones. Flat out, if you want minimal gloss differential then Canon is easily superior. To the majority of users, if the machines are properly profiled, there is no real visual difference between the 3880-P800-P600- and the ET8550 and the Canon machines. Except gloss differential due to the ink choices in individual machines. The Older 3880 is superior to the generation that replaced it, since the newer generation chose to balance ink use rather than bias to the photo/light colors. The price paid is gloss differential. The other price paid is that the 3880 is superior to the P800 is a FADE TO WHITE test. Just barely. Again ONLY on a direct test for that will you barely notice the difference,...in images......highly doubt ANYBODY can see it. The newer models also tended to trade off one aspect for another. Kind of a zero sum game in the end. The Canon Pro-1000 does an excellent fade to white.
The ET8550 is an easily refillable machine more capable than you might think and it allows Pigment ARCHIVAL prints protecting against OZONE which even the newest OEM dyes while stronger than aftermarket still remain relatively weak at....OZONE compared to pigment. Those living with lots of diesel exhaust should take note of this aspect. I highly doubt Epson will want you to know of how the 8550 can be exploited.
One thing is that the ET8550 can post some great performance stats in the A-B B-A tables but to the trained eye besting the K3 machines but where it falls short the numbers don't tell you. So do you trust your eyes or cling to the numbers. Hmmm......
Ohn why the ET8550 - It has Matte Black and PhotoBlack AND it has a GRAY channel. Gray is vitally important in photo pigment ink printing. All the other CMYK I never bothered with as through the years (15 or so) 6 color and 4 color conversions to pigment left a lot to be desired ( suck) and left a lot to be desired. I think Epson brought this machine out hoping people like me did not catch on to the potential. Well it closes 15 year the quest to turn an inexpensive dye ink printer to a pigment printer. Well, that chapter is now closed but it is no longer inexpensive but it is done.
And finally, you have a photoprinter now and looking for an upgrade. Learn color management or get a print calibration system, Done that? Learn to edit photos better. Printers for a long time were much more capable than than the people using them. Want fantastic B&W, you need to use learn to edit or use specialized B&W edit software. The standard drivers do not do justice to this art.
Bye.
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