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!
I think that Your channel is one of the best - very deep reviews of printers, especially what kind of prints the printer is the best for. After watching your review I decided to buy printer reviewed by You. thanks a lot for that. Additionally, I should mention it, yours speech is very pleasant and easy to understand.
Thanks - for the printer reviews, there is always a lot more info in the main written ones www.northlight-images.co.uk/keith-cooper-photography-videos-index/
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.
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.
3:45 My L800 ink tank Epson printer has those exact 6 ink colours. It was one of the first Epson ink tank printers released in 2011. It was basically a P50 with ink tank.
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!
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.
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
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?
Super review! I have a Canon G650 which is great but I really need an A3+ printer. I'm going to what your video on the ET8550. Not sure if this one or the ET8550 is best. Cheers and Happy New Year.
Dammit! I'm in Taiwan and can't buy the ET-8550. When I tried, the vendor suggested the L18050 as the next best thing. I bought it primarily as a poster printer for our charity but also for reprinting some black-and-white family photos that are currently a little too small for their frames and thus needing bigger paper. I'll also be printing lots of large colour family photos and just ordered some Epson Luster A3+, but I now understand that might not be a good choice for this printer. So, Keith, do you have any recommendations for (a) A3+ paper for colour photos, and (b) ways to get the best black-and-whites that I can from this printer? Many thanks for a very informative channel!
Yes - distribution of the 8550 is varied. The only papers I tested for the 18100 are listed in the main written 18100 review [as with B&W notes] www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-18100-printer-review/
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/
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.
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/
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
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... ;-)
@@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 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!
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 ;-)
No idea - numbers differ in different regions See my actual review - the main written one, not any video www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-18100-printer-review/ You will have to look at specs and see what it is you are looking at - I just use product IDs from UK versions.
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/
Just a few questions I would like answered, do the inks fade quickly over time and as I live in Thailand how susceptible are they/it to heat. Obviously you don't want any photograph you plan to frame and hang on your wall to fade, hence the question.
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.
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/
@@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.
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 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.
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 ;-)
@@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?
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
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.
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/
@@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 ?
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.
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.
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/
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 ;-)
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.
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/
@@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)
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
@@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!
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?
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
@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 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 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.
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.
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!
Thanks - that's really kind of you to say
I think that Your channel is one of the best - very deep reviews of printers, especially what kind of prints the printer is the best for. After watching your review I decided to buy printer reviewed by You. thanks a lot for that. Additionally, I should mention it, yours speech is very pleasant and easy to understand.
Thanks!
Fantastic informative video. Keep up the good work. Just subscribed.
Thanks - for the printer reviews, there is always a lot more info in the main written ones
www.northlight-images.co.uk/keith-cooper-photography-videos-index/
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.
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.
3:45 My L800 ink tank Epson printer has those exact 6 ink colours. It was one of the first Epson ink tank printers released in 2011. It was basically a P50 with ink tank.
Ah, not one I tested back then...
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
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/
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!
Thanks - it does what it does very well
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.
Yes - it could work well, but wasn't always very predictable in that respect
@@KeithCooper hi Keith, do you know how the E-T 18100 handle jessops matt paper please.
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
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?
yes - you just refill. The ink will fill as much as needed,
download.epson-europe.com/pub/download/6418/epson641815eu.pdf
Page 101 - refilling
@@KeithCooper thanks, appreciate the quick response
Super review! I have a Canon G650 which is great but I really need an A3+ printer. I'm going to what your video on the ET8550. Not sure if this one or the ET8550 is best. Cheers and Happy New Year.
I've an 18100/8550 comparison.
My own answer would be that when we were looking for a new office and basic photo printer, we got an 8550 ;-)
Dammit! I'm in Taiwan and can't buy the ET-8550. When I tried, the vendor suggested the L18050 as the next best thing. I bought it primarily as a poster printer for our charity but also for reprinting some black-and-white family photos that are currently a little too small for their frames and thus needing bigger paper. I'll also be printing lots of large colour family photos and just ordered some Epson Luster A3+, but I now understand that might not be a good choice for this printer. So, Keith, do you have any recommendations for (a) A3+ paper for colour photos, and (b) ways to get the best black-and-whites that I can from this printer? Many thanks for a very informative channel!
Yes - distribution of the 8550 is varied.
The only papers I tested for the 18100 are listed in the main written 18100 review [as with B&W notes]
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-18100-printer-review/
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.
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/
Thank you Keith for the in-depth review. What would you suggest for printing artwork prints?
Not this printer - this one is great on photo papers
ET8550 is more versatile
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.
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/
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
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... ;-)
@@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!
@@jameswalker7874 It won't fade like cheap ink, but then again it's a consumer level printer...
@@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!
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 ;-)
I would like to buy one. I am confused between 8180 and 18050. Can you compare them?
No idea - numbers differ in different regions
See my actual review - the main written one, not any video
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-18100-printer-review/
You will have to look at specs and see what it is you are looking at - I just use product IDs from UK versions.
Hi. Up to what thickness of paper can it print?
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/
Just a few questions I would like answered, do the inks fade quickly over time and as I live in Thailand how susceptible are they/it to heat. Obviously you don't want any photograph you plan to frame and hang on your wall to fade, hence the question.
I don't really know I'm afraid - I'm in the UK and have studiously avoided hot places most of my life :-)
Good review Keith
Thanks!
As always a nice review, but no printer for me. Thanks Keith.
Thanks - yes a very specific usage
Is it good if converted to sublimation and use chromaluxe aluminum panels?
no - not a chance
@@KeithCooper Thank you sir for replying.
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.
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/
@@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.
Not my choice for settings, but as ever, if it works and you are happy with it, fine! Glad it was of some help!
Thank you for the response. Learning a lot from your videos.
Is bether the epson p600-700 for black and white and for general? Thanks, good video!!!
Compared to the 18100 both much better
Can i print ID business Card ??
See the discussion of this in the actual [written] review
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-18100-printer-review/
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.
Just the one big take-up roller [replaceable]
However - this is an entirely different printer to the L1800 - it is not a new version
hi, do you know if L18050 and et18100 is same driver?
Maybe - but I can only test UK models
Hi Mt Keith
Can this printer be converted to a Sublimation?
No idea - never tried such a thing I'm afraid
whats the print longevity.
There is no published info I've seen on this matter I'm afraid
@@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.
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 ;-)
@@KeithCooper would it be as good as the canon 100s pro i currently have a pro10s
where can I buy this model? Can't find it any where except for out of the country on ebay.
Out of what country? Mine was from Epson UK
@@KeithCooper i’m in US. I was worried about the warranty service and or return service.
You'll need to ask Epson USA if it's available?
I only get to test things here in the UK
It also compatible using pigment ink for more vibrant color in photo.
No idea I'm afraid - I never test 3rd party inks.
Won't improve the limitations of paper handling I note in the main review though
is it good for beginner architects?
Yes, if you have need for printing photos on photo paper.
However I've no idea what "beginner architects" really want to print... ;-)
layout plans, mostly black and white prints on normal photocopy paper.@@KeithCooper
i do not require color photo prints for my profession
@@KeithCooper
Then you answer your own question.- it would be a dreadful choice... :-)
See
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-18100-printer-review/
Thank you so much for your time.
Great review thanks
Thanks!
@@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?
Yes - glossy, it does well
can u print thick 300 gsm paper in EPSON L18050?
Lustre - yes, does depend on surface though
art paper no
See www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-18100-printer-review/
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
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.
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/
@@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 ?
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.
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.
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/
@@KeithCooper Can you recommend a printer that matches what I need?
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 ;-)
@@KeithCooper Thank you so much!
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.
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/
@@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)
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
Thanks Keith for your reply.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
We recently got a Canon pro 200, for art and photography. I’m interested in the et-18100 to convert for dye sublimation.
The printer I reviewed belongs to Epson, so I'm unable to try 3rd party inks of any sort ;-)
@@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!
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?
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
@@KeithCooper Many thanks, Keith! I'll check them out on your site!
@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).
If you want A3+ [13x19] glossy photo prints, the ET-18100 is an excellent choice. Just not so good on thicker matt/art media
@@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.
Semi-gloss or lustre might look better - both fine on the 18100
See: www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-18100-printer-review/
@@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.
@@danielbeetsma6118 Excellent - glad to have helped!
how much is the maximum GSM can this printer print?
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.