thebestcpu
Fan of Printing
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2024
- Messages
- 88
- Reaction score
- 53
- Points
- 50
- Printer Model
- Epson SC P900
I originally compiled this information for my understanding but thought it might also be helpful for other Epson P900 users.
The P900 offers multiple print quality output dpi settings and other options below that were evaluated for print speed. Options included in the speed testing were:
These tests did not include the Gloss Smoothing and Bottom Edge Print Priority options.
There is a 22x difference between the fastest and slowest option combinations and the various output dpi settings.
The graph below shows the relative print times for each setting. Print time scales with print size, so I used High Quality mode with BEO, FS, and FD enabled as the 100% baseline.
Key Takeaways
Upcoming Posts
The P900 offers multiple print quality output dpi settings and other options below that were evaluated for print speed. Options included in the speed testing were:
- BEO – Black Enhanced Overlay
- FD – Finest Detail
- FS – Fast Speed (bidirectional vs. unidirectional printing)
These tests did not include the Gloss Smoothing and Bottom Edge Print Priority options.
There is a 22x difference between the fastest and slowest option combinations and the various output dpi settings.
The graph below shows the relative print times for each setting. Print time scales with print size, so I used High Quality mode with BEO, FS, and FD enabled as the 100% baseline.
Key Takeaways
- High Quality (HQ) mode is slightly slower than Standard and Quality modes but offers better image optimization. This makes HQ a great tradeoff for me, with minimal extra print time.
- BEO (Black Enhanced Overlay) remains on for now. It enhances sheen and gloss smoothing, increasing overall ink usage by about 5% (particularly light gray ink). I’ll continue using it with Ultra Premium Luster Photo Paper until I assess its impact further.
- Finest Detail (FD) stays on. Print speed differences were negligible, and I’ll cover FD in more detail in a future post.
- Fast Speed (FS) stays off. Disabling FS doubles print time, but I haven't noticed a visible difference in output. I’ll explore this further when resolution tests in a future post.
- 5760x1440 dpi modes (Max Quality & Carbon Black) don’t appear to make a noticeable difference on Ultra Premium Luster Photo Paper for the images I print. However, they significantly increase print time. More details with resolution test results in a future post.
Upcoming Posts
- A deeper dive into Finest Detail (FD)
- Resolution tests, including Fast Speed (FS) and 5760x1440 dpi modes
