I'm an amateur/hobby photographer who recently took an interest in printing some images. After dealing with some mixed results from local labs I'm considering buying my own printer. I've watched pretty much all your videos on the ET-18100 and ET-8550 and before coming across your youtube channel I had no idea about different ink types, media types, ICC profiles, gamut, rendering intent.. I really appreciate all the trouble you go through to test and review these printers in such depth. Your videos provide us a lot of value and I wish you all the success on YT!
@KeithCooper Жыл бұрын
Thanks - that's really kind of you to say
@robertnystrom289 Жыл бұрын
Great review, Keith! I suppose with most- I think I can say that- pictures destined for screen viewing, I suspect Epson marketing is trying to lower the price of entry as much as possible to entice more to actually print (again), and it looks to me like it succeeds at that. So, strip it down and see what happens. Nothing more frightening to the uninitiated than a $500+ bill for new ink cartridges. Come to think of it, I'm initiated and it's frightening to me. Cheers!
@KeithCooper Жыл бұрын
Thanks - it does what it does very well
@jefffenske1958 Жыл бұрын
Amazingly, you mentioned how some people have poor *color vision,* so wouldn't see a green tint in blacks. Apparently, that's quite common these days, and may be related to vitamin/mineral deficiencies, not just hereditary reasons. I've noticed that some photographers don't care about accurate color in the photography forums, and many only shoot in black and white. I suspect a lot of that may be because they have poor color vision, which may be easily fixed; though, *no one talks about that.* I understand that some shoot in black and white because they like that artistic style, and do have good color vision, which of course, is fine. And some may shoot and print in black and white because they don't want to mess with color management, or have failed in it. Thankfully, all Mac computers (don't know about others) seem to have fairly good color calibration from the get go now, making it easier.
@KeithCooper Жыл бұрын
It's interesting to note that for B&W it's still trickier to produce good B&W prints, from a technical POV. It's the main area where I can still easily find issues when dong reviews.
@johntaylor47077 ай бұрын
Hi Keith, I also had a 1290 great printer . I printed black and white as a colour print and I sightly change into sepia and with some papers it worked out well.
@KeithCooper7 ай бұрын
Yes - it could work well, but wasn't always very predictable in that respect
@johntaylor47077 ай бұрын
@@KeithCooper hi Keith, do you know how the E-T 18100 handle jessops matt paper please.
@KeithCooper7 ай бұрын
I don't know any of their branded papers See the actual review for the papers I did test and compare specs www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-18100-printer-review/ @@johntaylor4707
@moises_blАй бұрын
Is bether the epson p600-700 for black and white and for general? Thanks, good video!!!
@KeithCooperАй бұрын
Compared to the 18100 both much better
@rm2xy Жыл бұрын
As always a nice review, but no printer for me. Thanks Keith.
@KeithCooper Жыл бұрын
Thanks - yes a very specific usage
@andrearmstrong37157 ай бұрын
Great video, thanks for sharing. Is there any particular steps I need to take when adding more ink to the printer, or can I simply open the tank up and refill it without pressing any buttons/etc beforehand?
@KeithCooper7 ай бұрын
yes - you just refill. The ink will fill as much as needed, download.epson-europe.com/pub/download/6418/epson641815eu.pdf Page 101 - refilling
@andrearmstrong37157 ай бұрын
@@KeithCooper thanks, appreciate the quick response
@ViaFerrataCH3 ай бұрын
Great review thanks
@KeithCooper3 ай бұрын
Thanks!
@ViaFerrataCH3 ай бұрын
@@KeithCooperI am thinking of buying this one for my place in the Philippines, as I print mostly colour A4 to A3 glossy prints, the running costs seem much less than my Canon for a similar level of print quality with the right paper?
@KeithCooper3 ай бұрын
Yes - glossy, it does well
@lynsmith1096 Жыл бұрын
Good review Keith
@KeithCooper Жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@YukitaYou6 ай бұрын
I wonder which is better, the canon G550/G570 or epson L8050 if my main purpose is to print family photos up to A4 size? Thanks from Singapore and subscribed to your channel.
@KeithCooper6 ай бұрын
Do you use a Mac? If so, colour management is broken on the G550 Otherwise, see my written reviews for details and limitations. www.northlight-images.co.uk/canon-g550-printer-review/ www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-18100-printer-review/
@YukitaYou6 ай бұрын
@@KeithCooper Hi Keith, use windows all the time. I read both reviews and watched more of your youtube videos, I got the impression that Epson will be a better choice as in print better photo quality than cannon, although you did not directly compare and mention it. Am I right? Thanks. (Edit: I accidentally deleted the wrong message. So write the complete one)
@KeithCooper6 ай бұрын
Both these two have issues for me - non glossy prints on the the 18100 and no colour management on the Canon. That's just for me though. My wife's biggest complaint about the Canon was the tiny screen - almost impossible to use in dim light and far too small. From a general purpose use, the canon may be more flexible, but if you just want glossy photos, the Epson is excellent@@YukitaYou
@YukitaYou5 ай бұрын
Thanks Keith for your reply.
@user-xx4ib3oi5w3 ай бұрын
Excellent review Keith. You have covered it really well As I am now planning to buy a good photo printer with minimum cost of ink and I came across this vs canon G540 which both has 6 colors And I was wondering based on on your experience in colors and print quality and color presentation which of the both u felt was more satisfactory in your point of view. As it’s confusing and I don’t know which to choose. I would be really thankful if you help me in it. Thanks again.
@KeithCooper3 ай бұрын
Thanks I use Macs, so the Canon is somewhat ruled out by enforcing use of the AirPrint driver - no icc profiles. I managed a workaround in the review, but it's not ideal. The 18100 is fine as long as it's photo prints - see the main [written] review www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-18100-printer-review/
@user-xx4ib3oi5w3 ай бұрын
@@KeithCooper so by using AirPrint the photo colors won’t be as near as the original color image. Because I am amateur and ICC profiling is something new to me. So let’s say straight out of the box printing an image using AirPrint with canon and straight to the box using epson are there different in photo quality ?
@KeithCooper3 ай бұрын
AirPrint is of no use if any significant colour accuracy is required. That means that whilst you can use profiles on Windows systems just fine, colour management is effectively broken on Macs. That's a pity, since as a printer, those Canon printers are quite good. See any of the printing examples in my reviews.
@j8rtUfh3evz7 ай бұрын
I presume neither the ET-18100 nor ET-8550 have a roll paper feed? I'm hoping to "upgrade" from my R3000 with its PK/MK problem and I have some canvas rolls - I guess I'll have to flog them. I'm used to EcoTanks, just replaced a 2550 with a 2850 for home office functions.
@KeithCooper7 ай бұрын
Smallest with roll 'support' is the P700 8550 works fine with cut sheet canvas [from roll if need be] - see my main [written] review www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
@johnnyadrian7043 ай бұрын
Hi. Up to what thickness of paper can it print?
@KeithCooper3 ай бұрын
I've not seen any thicknesses in the specs - only a gsm range It does have some distinct limitations for some sorts of paper Se the main [written] review for a discussion on this and the papers that I did get to work www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-18100-printer-review/
@nthabiphetoe4923 ай бұрын
Hi Mt Keith Can this printer be converted to a Sublimation?
@KeithCooper3 ай бұрын
No idea - never tried such a thing I'm afraid
@swapnil0036 ай бұрын
Can i buy this for ocassional home prints on plain paper ( school home work work sheets with text).. And occasionally photo printing on glossy paper.
@KeithCooper6 ай бұрын
Yes, it will print plain paper, but it is meant as a photo printer See my main [written] review at www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-18100-printer-review/
@sheryllaudico39302 ай бұрын
Hi Keith! Which is better Epson L18050, Canon TC 20 or Canon Pro 300 for printing menu inserts (with food shots and using thicker paper)? Or do you have other recommendation? Must be economical also since it's for our own business use. Printing about 300 - 500 sheets quarterly.
@KeithCooper2 ай бұрын
The et-18100 is poor with thicker paper, tc-20 seems big for what you want, the pro-300 is a photo printer, good but ink is not cheap ET-8550 is more general purpose, but read my written reviews for proper info about them www.northlight-images.co.uk/photography-articles-and-reviews/printing-paper-reviews-articles/
@sheryllaudico39302 ай бұрын
@@KeithCooper Can you recommend a printer that matches what I need?
@KeithCooper2 ай бұрын
Not really - I have a longstanding policy of not recommending specific printers, in areas of business where I have little experience... Read the 8550 review and see if you think it would do? Remember I make the videos to supplement the main written reviews ;-)
@sheryllaudico39302 ай бұрын
@@KeithCooper Thank you so much!
@danielbeetsma6118 Жыл бұрын
@KeithCooper Dear Keith, thanks a ton for these excellent reviews. I have no doubt that this Epson produces awesome prints and it's on the top of my list. However, I'm in doubt if it fits my use case. I would love to print large photo's of stuff like my kids, and perhaps some nature photography, and hang em on the wall in the living room and the toilet and the hall and that sort of stuff. A little home museum from DSLR pictures ;-) Is this something this printer does good? I'm a bit worried that i would be making a mistake: buying a printer that isn't suited for my purpose. (But I wont be buying a Canon 200 pro for sure, im not willing to mess with those tiny expensive cartridges).
@KeithCooper Жыл бұрын
If you want A3+ [13x19] glossy photo prints, the ET-18100 is an excellent choice. Just not so good on thicker matt/art media
@danielbeetsma6118 Жыл бұрын
@@KeithCooper Thanks a ton for your time. I suppose the question I'm really trying to ask is: will Glossy be a good choice for my use case (photo's of kids on the walls). I really dont know how that will work out with reflections. I mean, if the stuff cannot be looked at when there's light coming off at an angle, that defies the purpose.
@KeithCooper Жыл бұрын
Semi-gloss or lustre might look better - both fine on the 18100 See: www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-18100-printer-review/
@danielbeetsma611810 ай бұрын
@@KeithCooper I bought the printer and just finished installing stuff tonight, it's sitting besides me. Straight from photoshop without any editing or knowing quite what I was doing with color spaces etc, printing right on 10x15 epson premium glossy - and it's just beautiful. There's the same sharpness and richness of color as on my (high end adobe RGB) monitor. I'm super, super happy with this printer. In a big part, I owe it to you. Can't wait to make my first A3 prints and see em in sunlight ;-) It's just so crisp and rich and sharp - the pictures are just perfect! Also I printed a little test version of an astrophotograhy project (72 hours exposure), with of course tons of black background. It's really black, not the dull grey that I feared. More than black enough to give off those deep space vibes. And the printer just..does everything. Installing was smooth, updating firmware too, filling the bottles was fast and fun - what a great printer. Love your work, will come back to your articles and videos lots of times in the future to finetune my skills, and do more with profiling and color spaces. See ya Keith. gr Daniel, Netherlands.
@KeithCooper10 ай бұрын
@@danielbeetsma6118 Excellent - glad to have helped!
@adriannasyraf35349 ай бұрын
does it have any skid marks from the roller that feeds the paper in? i got that issue on my HP printer whenever i print on glossy papers
@KeithCooper9 ай бұрын
Depends on the paper, but see the discussion about paper types in the main [written] review www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-18100-printer-review/
@Nicolas-qk4cg Жыл бұрын
Hi Keith, thanks for your video. Can I ask how many "rolls" Epson put in the paper feeder? (the piece that grab and put the sheet into the printer) In the previous model, the Epson L1800, it has one roll, poorly placed in the right. A3 sheet jam all the time. I hope they fixed that with this model. Thanks for your help.
@KeithCooper Жыл бұрын
Just the one big take-up roller [replaceable] However - this is an entirely different printer to the L1800 - it is not a new version
@jameswalker7874 Жыл бұрын
Hi Keith, Do you know if Epson have any fade resistance rating for this printer? They don't seem to quote anything for this or the ET-8550 from what I can see, just "Claria ET". I'm aware it'll be nowhere near the fade resistance of a P7/900, but would like the prints to last for a very vague "reasonable" amount of time. I only print my own photos, so could simply reprint them, but if I'm reprinting at a relatively regular rate it may be that the P700 is cheaper to run because while the ink cost is higher the paper wastage through disposal of faded prints is much lower. Thanks :-) James
@KeithCooper Жыл бұрын
I'd expect a life more than enough to not still be using the same printer when fading occurs. I've not seen any ratings for this though. The best place to start is www.wilhelm-research.com and see if you can unearth some info The 18100/8550 are just not aimed at a market which would even know what print permanence was... ;-)
@jameswalker7874 Жыл бұрын
@@KeithCooper True, though they do quote it for some of their more basic cartridge printers. I can only conclude it's either because the ink is actually up to the standard of the cartridge printers e.g. XP-15000, or it's absolutely pants and will fade like dodgy early 2000s compatibles!
@KeithCooper Жыл бұрын
@@jameswalker7874 It won't fade like cheap ink, but then again it's a consumer level printer...
@jameswalker7874 Жыл бұрын
@@KeithCooper Can definitely expect that, in life you only really get what you pay for. But if it was equivalent to the ink in the XP-15000 I'd consider that good enough for someone like myself. An amateur taking photos that are probably half as good as I think they are!
@KeithCooper Жыл бұрын
Yes - however I'd just note that if I'd printed a print I really liked when I had the 8550 here to test, I'd happily put it up on the wall with no worries over longevity ;-)
@1723743 Жыл бұрын
is it good for beginner architects?
@KeithCooper Жыл бұрын
Yes, if you have need for printing photos on photo paper. However I've no idea what "beginner architects" really want to print... ;-)
@1723743 Жыл бұрын
layout plans, mostly black and white prints on normal photocopy paper.@@KeithCooper
@1723743 Жыл бұрын
i do not require color photo prints for my profession @@KeithCooper
@KeithCooper Жыл бұрын
Then you answer your own question.- it would be a dreadful choice... :-) See www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-18100-printer-review/
@1723743 Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for your time.
@jefffenske1958 Жыл бұрын
Epson USA still doesn't have it on their website, and I don't see it for sale in the US. Why wouldn't Epson want to sell as many units as possible? I don't understand. I'm interested in the Canon Pro-200 instead, but still, I don't understand Epson's marketing strategy here, only offering the 8550 to the US.
@jefffenske1958 Жыл бұрын
I see now that you mentioned it's not US available. I hadn't completed watching before posting this comment, but I'm still interested why Epson wouldn't make it available everywhere.
@KeithCooper Жыл бұрын
No one I know here is far enough up the chain to get any info from the US as to why. I'm hoping that they see the interest, but the European markets have been slightly ahead of things in the ink tank [ecotank] market - hopefully some people will start asking Epson US as to why they think it's not a printer people will want.
@robert_g_fbg Жыл бұрын
We recently got a Canon pro 200, for art and photography. I’m interested in the et-18100 to convert for dye sublimation.
@KeithCooper Жыл бұрын
The printer I reviewed belongs to Epson, so I'm unable to try 3rd party inks of any sort ;-)
@jefffenske1958 Жыл бұрын
@@KeithCooper Keith, Robert’s comment brought up something I’ve been confused about: dye sublimation printers in general, and how they relate to photography and regular dye printers. My interest in particular for printing photographic prints is that I’ve heard that Sawgrass has a 24 inch large format printer that has 8 inks, like Canon’s Pro-200 - 5 colors and 2 grays/1 black. So I’ve been wondering if it’s an option to print photo prints with, since these 13 inch printers are the largest size that are talked about for photo printing. Have you written anything on this subject, the difference between regular dye and sublimation dye printers? I’ve never seen anyone talk about the difference. I had no idea that a standard printer like this Epson 13 inch can also do sublimation printing. I’m NOT interested in doing sublimation printing, but am confused about it. Metal prints are the rage now in the USA for photographers, which require dye sublimation apparently. And I’m not a fan of metal prints; would like to do dye printing on paper, but 13 inch is so limiting. I’ve read that sublimation puts out ink that turns into gas, which then fuses with the products surface. Wouldn’t that require heat in the print heads? I was interested in the Sawgrass 24 inch printer for printing dye inks on paper, because it has 8 inks, but just saw that they only make sublimation printers, so apparently they can’t print on paper. So that’s not an option. Epson makes dye sublimation printers too, which I’ve heard are printing all of the locally produced metal prints in our town, and it only has CMYK. Why fine art photographers are accepting such a low color gamut to showcase their prints baffles me. 3 colors and black only. I looked at Epson’s sublimation printer line-up, and only one offers 6 inks. They’re all 24 inch and larger, except for an 8.5 inch one. Again, I’m NOT interesting in sublimation printing, but would like to know more about how sub printers compare with regular photo printers. Would that be an interesting topic for a video that you could do, perhaps? Or have you written something on this already? Thanks!
@grgrhjj8 ай бұрын
Hi Keith, Hope you are doing well. I just bought an Epson L8050. All the photos I am printing are printing at least one tone/shade darker. I am using 4X6 glossy paper of 270 gsm and using inbuilt epson ICC profile for glossy page. What could be the reason for photos coming out darker? How to brighten them up? P.s. I am comparing with at least 30% scree brightness and still the photos appear darker.
@KeithCooper8 ай бұрын
Without knowing software you are printing with and on what, there isn't much I can say other than 30% means nothing in particular, so the screen is likely too bright - print a known test image and use something like the EPL software. Read this... www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-18100-printer-review/
@grgrhjj8 ай бұрын
@@KeithCooper I was using Epson Print Layout. Printed the test photo in that link and realized the default ICC profile of premium glossy was giving me a yellow tint. "Printer manages colour" is giving better result for now.
@KeithCooper8 ай бұрын
Not my choice for settings, but as ever, if it works and you are happy with it, fine! Glad it was of some help!
@grgrhjj8 ай бұрын
Thank you for the response. Learning a lot from your videos.
@zafizackphotostudio1709 Жыл бұрын
Hi Keith, i want to ask a qustion, can the ink for this printer last longer, will it fade after some time ? I opened a photo printing business. thanks.
@KeithCooper Жыл бұрын
It's dye ink - good for basic photo prints - nothing I'd sell as anything more than that though. Should last for several years if you use good paper.
@jamcee2010 ай бұрын
Is it good if converted to sublimation and use chromaluxe aluminum panels?
@KeithCooper10 ай бұрын
no - not a chance
@jamcee2010 ай бұрын
@@KeithCooper Thank you sir for replying.
@JepoysNativeChicken9 ай бұрын
how much is the maximum GSM can this printer print?
@KeithCooper9 ай бұрын
It is about paper thickness, which is not the same as gsm. See the main [written] review www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-18100-printer-review/ Soft art papers don't work well, whilst a 300gsm metallic gloss was fine.
@photoventureselp9 ай бұрын
As always a great and thorough review! However, Keith, I'd like your thoughts on the ink combination of the ET-18100 versus the ink combination of the XP-15000. Do you think that the XP-15000 prints would come up with a wider gamut of colors, but maybe less punchy? Do you also think that the XP-15000 would be a better choice for black-and-white images than the ET-18100? Between the ET-18100, ET-8550, and XP-15000 I also guess that the ET-8550 is the better choice for b&w, don't you think?
@KeithCooper9 ай бұрын
Difficult one to answer without looking at the profiles I made. The reviews were made at different times, so I've no direct comparisons - the 18100 is not a choice I'd make for B&W See the written reviews for B&W considerations www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-xp-15000-printer-review/ Others at www.northlight-images.co.uk/photography-articles-and-reviews/printing-paper-reviews-articles/ With all these printers, the quality of the profiles make a huge difference
@photoventureselp9 ай бұрын
@@KeithCooper Many thanks, Keith! I'll check them out on your site!
@adtran0011 ай бұрын
where can I buy this model? Can't find it any where except for out of the country on ebay.
@KeithCooper11 ай бұрын
Out of what country? Mine was from Epson UK
@adtran0011 ай бұрын
@@KeithCooper i’m in US. I was worried about the warranty service and or return service.
@KeithCooper11 ай бұрын
You'll need to ask Epson USA if it's available? I only get to test things here in the UK
@frendyalambra513511 ай бұрын
can u print thick 300 gsm paper in EPSON L18050?
@KeithCooper11 ай бұрын
Lustre - yes, does depend on surface though art paper no See www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-18100-printer-review/
@martinharker69544 ай бұрын
I have been looking for a printer that's capable of printing on cardstock for some business cards I'm doing. Would this fit the bill? Would also prefer something that can also do sublimation
@donbinkins4922 Жыл бұрын
whats the print longevity.
@KeithCooper Жыл бұрын
There is no published info I've seen on this matter I'm afraid
@conorhealy6392 Жыл бұрын
@@KeithCooper Epsom seem to be vague about the ink used in the Et-18100 for some reason. They publish details for the Et-8550 ink as Epsom Claria premium ink.
@KeithCooper Жыл бұрын
Epson do seem to publish different amounts of info on different sites - it's also worth finding the chemical safety notices if looking for differences. This however very much falls into the 'exercise for the viewer' category for me though ;-)
@donbinkins4922 Жыл бұрын
@@KeithCooper would it be as good as the canon 100s pro i currently have a pro10s