This was great, been hesitant to get into high quality printing mainly because I’m not willing to spend £600-£1000 on a printer. This printer seems like a great alternative starting point.
I'm glad it's just not me when things go wrong in front of people watching. Epson Print Layout software Does not Work that well on my older Epsom 3800?
Ah, the 'Demo effect' - Quite deliberately left in ;-) I'm hoping it helps point out that even when you think you know what you are doing, you can get issues, but they are not serious...
I almost bought this printer, but decided on the Pro 200 Canon. Better construction and more colors. I think for the size and price of ink replacement on 200 it’s a better return on investment.
Thanks Keith. Are the inks lightfast/archival? As in, rated to last for 100 years (in typical lighting conditions) Many Thanks Could you perhaps do a video on how you create profiles too? That’d be great!
No - they are dye inks. If 'archival' matters for your market, then it's pigment ink that's needed. For profiles - I've several videos looking at the topic See here for more info: www.northlight-images.co.uk/commercial-photography/training/colour-management/
Thanks for the great information!!! You mention in the video that you use Epson Print Layout with the XP-15000. Epson doe not list the XP-15000 as compatible with the App. Did you do something special to allow compatibility or did it work without any changes? Thanks for the assistance.
Hey Keth, thanks so much for all the given information. I was wondering what do you guess how many A4 color prints the cartridges the printer is coming with will print before they run empty?
Hi Keith! I have watched a ton of your videos and you are doing a great job! I was also reading your reviews on North Light Images before making the leap to UA-cam. About the XP-15000 I was wondering what is the thickest paper that this printer would accept? For example, would it be possible to accept the Epson Exhibition Fiber paper which is 325g/m2? Have noticed any limitations regarding paperweight on this particular printer?
Ah - that printer went back to Epson quite some time ago, so I've only the info in the written review to go by. The thickest I tried was Pinnacle 310 baryta, which is similar to TPP
Hi Keith, Great review as ever. Is there any chance you'll be doing a review on the new Ecotank ET-8500/ET-8550? 6 Claria inks, but not bottled versions of the same ones as in this printer based on your review. Thank you.
No plans as yet - I note it doesn't have the red ink of the 15000. I've been doing printer reviews for months now and need a gap - otherwise it can feel a bit of a chore, and then I don't feel I properly give the printer a thorough test. Perhaps when I get out again and start taking some new photos I'll feel more like it ;-)
Great review(s)...you mention in a review of the Epson XP-15000 that you use Epson Print Layout software. My new printer is arriving in a couple of days (XP-15000) and on Epson's site it doesn't list that printer as compatible with the Layout software. You seem to believe that it is? Maybe an oversight of Epson's? Thanks very much!
Thanks - It's not officially mentioned on some Epson sites (remember they vary from country to country) However the UK link in the main [written] review is currently broken www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-xp-15000-printer-review/ It worked on my Mac when I was testing the software (see above)
Yes, you don't need to use Lightroom :-) (I dislike it greatly) Personally, I print directly from Photoshop having prepared image manually for print - I use EPL for things like gallery wraps, which I don't print very often. The main reason I show it in the demos is that it's simple and far easier than trying to explain why I'm using Photoshop (and an old Mac version at that)
Yes - hopefully the inks are up to it as well However, it's important to remember that 'fine art' is often little but a marketing phrase, however you personally decide to use it
I am interested in this printer for my astrophotography work. The chip in my camera is 3011 pixels wide. At 13", that is about 231 pixels per inch. Typically I crop my images to closer to 2800 pixels or so, so call it 215 pixels per inch. Is this acceptable? Will the photo be smooth and not pixelated? What is the ppi I should be looking for. These are high contrast images with the dynamic range mostly below 50% of the total brightness spectrum. In other words, I need my own black ink factory....
215 is lower than I'd choose for normal photos - it's coarse enough that people looking closely might notice issues. I have very little recent experience of printing such images, but I'd look at a combination of resampling/sharpening. However this is a specialist (and still fast evolving) field, so software approaches I'd use for landscape or buildings may not be optimal. If you wanted to contact me directly via Northlight Images, I'd be curious to see what's actually 'in' such images...
Hi Keith, your information is great and easy to understand. I have a dilemma - my requirements are making a copy of pastel drawings. First Scan or photo (which is best, I have bought an Epson V600) and I need a printer that is not too costly but gives pretty close copies (sent file to a printer but came out nothing like my photo that I sent). Not sure which one would give best results for selling artwork (just starting out). Hoping you would be kind enough to point me in the right direction as I’m going round in circles! Thank you.
Have a look at the section about scanning artwork in my ET-8550 review - it may be helpful in this respect? www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/ It has links to lots of related articles/videos Much of what is there also applies to the 15000 (which has it's own detailed review and articles)
Hello Keith, A question regarding ink used in Epson 15000 and Epson 8550. Both are claria, on 15000 is hd 6-colour ink designed for superior photos (6 ink) in the 8550 is premium Designed for high-quality prints (5 ink). In consideration of your experience, and even because you have had the opportunity to test the two printers, did you notice any difference in the picture that can come from the ink used. Or is just a marketing strategy between the two ink Regards Enzo
Depends on the media. In general, with good profiles, few would notice differences in colour photo prints. The pigment black of the 8550 can make differences on some art media. People will buy the 8550 for the ink savings - price apart, I'd happily pick the 8550 if these were my only choices. I could make nice looking prints on either, with good profiles and editing - the 8550 is far more likely to be supported with profiles for good papers over time Do remember that much of what you see written about the ink differences are marketing words... ;-) Personally, I like B&W printing, so would want a bigger all pigment ink printer... :-)
Then the xp-15000 is not a 'pro' printer... It's a multi-purpose home printer. If I'm selling prints then I want them printed on a pigment ink printer.
Sorry - I don't ever make recommendations [a 20 year review writing policy] The true answer is always 'it depends' - I don't track prices either All my printer reviews start from here www.northlight-images.co.uk/photography-articles-and-reviews/printing-paper-reviews-articles/
Your videos are very good and helpful. I have a question. I just received my xp-15000 and my prints are not looking like I think they should or could. I noticed too that the printing you did in this video was much slower than the prints being made on mine. Mine shoot through surprisingly fast. I'm printing 13x19 and it is taking seconds to print compared to what you have here. Any help or advice? I'm thinking the print may look better with a slower pass of the ink head.
Thanks Fast equals lower quality... Look in the printer driver settings. In many of the tests I'm printing from the Epson Print Layout software. See the main [written] review for more www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-xp-15000-printer-review/
Hello, could you print on canvas paper with a good quality? What advantage or disadvantage do I have of being a cartridge printer and not continuous ink? Thanks a lot
On some of the printers I have had you see roll lines on photo prints and others, is that something common with such machines or only for the lowest end printers?
It depends on the printer and paper type - it's one area where I would reject a new printer (just make sure it mark Epson paper if you end you calling them)
Hi Keith! I own this same printer and was hoping to print my watercolor art to sell. I am under the impression that this print can print giclee prints (I didn't purchase the printer because of this, it was only a coincidence). You seem very knowledgable of this printer. Is the Epson XP-15000 able to print on "giclee paper" with "giclee inks"? Thanks!
Ah... Giclee is pure marketing hokum I'm afraid ;-) It means whatever you want it to mean to the punters when selling them stuff ;-) There is no such thing as Giclee paper or inks - just better quality ones See here for some more detail... ua-cam.com/video/oQLfEtoND0Y/v-deo.html The 15000 is a mid range consumer printer - if you want to do the 'fine art' thing then you ideally need to consider a pigment ink printer [Min. P700 for Epson or PRO-300 for Canon]
Hi. Is that Epson Velvet Fine Art Paper or some other? Your video came up when I looked for this printer and paper combo. Have you tried Epson Velvet Fine Art Paper
No, it's an old smooth cotton rag paper I use for testing because I've boxes of the stuff ;-) Probably similar to one of Epson's smooth cotton papers I do have some Epson VFA here, but it's all A2 sheets I'd expect VFA to work really well See my review for all my testing www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-xp-15000-printer-review/
Thanks; a very nice demo indeed. I recently bought a XP-970 and just got the Epson velvet paper. A quick test print worked pretty nicely. But I want to make it better. Any issues with using the Epson ICC profile for the XP-970 velvet verses your Custom ICC? Also, why is the Epson print layout better than Lightroom? In Lightroom I can mess with the soft proofing, but I haven't figured it all out yet. There is a lot to understand. Thanks!! Lee
My profiles are only for specific papers on the XP-15000 - it is a completely different printer, so no, my profiles will be of no use whatsoever on a 970 Soft proofing used well can help, but it relies on good profiles. It is all too often used as a bit of a crutch to avoid proper colour management or editing of images - at this point it's just a great way of wasting ink in an attempt to get prints looking 'better'. That said, with lower end printers like this it can eventually help get closer to a good print - EPL does what it does very well, but if you like LR then use it - there really is no 'best' in this case, just what works for you ;-)
@@KeithCooper Thanks! Yes, I understand your profiles are for the different printer. I was just wondering if Epson's Velvet profile for the XP970 would be all that is needed to print velvet properly on a XP970. Or do I need more than that? Doesn't an Epson Velvet XP 970 profile for a XP970 printer work perfectly for that printer, or am I missing something? I am confused as to why a custom profile is needed, or is it just to make it perfect for one's own specific printer? I did properly color calibrate my monitor with a Spyder5 .
Yes, the Epson VFA profile should work just fine (sorry - I get a lot of people asking for profiles for the 'wrong' printer ;-) ) Printers used to have quite a lot of unit-to-unit variation so a generic profile might be good or it might be a bit off - hence making custom profiles was a good idea. As printers have got more consistent the generic profiles are more useful. The main limitation is that companies only tend to provide them for bigger printers, although some paper suppliers will make custom profiles if you buy paper. I make profiles since - I happen to have the advanced kit for it ;-) - they are made to a higher precision - I can fine tune aspects of the profile behaviour (such as rendering intents) - the process (media selection etc) tells me a lot about the printer and how it works with different media
@@KeithCooper Thanks for your response. That makes perfect sense. I'll see how it goes before buying any printer calibration gear. I already have the monitor gear, as I use it for pro video editing. So far the Epson Velvet paper looks really good even without printer calibration; just using Epson's ICC for it. I still don't see what the Epson Layout advantage is, over Lightroom's soft proofing system. It gets confusing. I am a recording engineer for years and this stuff is similar to figuring out what music mixes sound best. The more one knows the more confused one gets!
My main issues is not how soft proofing is implemented, just that it is much overused ;-) I use it very rarely - it's no substitute for actually knowing how a paper performs. It also furthers the myth that you can properly represent a print with an image on screen. Have a look at some of my articles? - they cover this far better than in the videos www.northlight-images.co.uk/better-photography-by-printing-your-work/ Articles can be refined, fine tuned, updated and corrected - videos are set in stone, especially since I don't script anything (by choice ;-) )
Just purchased this Epson XP-15000 and using a Mac 27" 5k monitor from late 2015. First prints horrible color. Mac has color profiles I don't understand. I go to Apple>System Preferences>Display. Then in Color Profile I can use the Apple iMac-1 profile or Epson sRGB or Epson Standard RGB - Gamma 1.8? Which one should I use and what does Gamma mean? Also my rear feed will not feed. Keeps telling me cassette is empty. I not using cassette. Also has scratches on prints from cassette even when on Thick setting using Epson Matte paper. I am so frustrated. TimS
First up - the monitor ideally needs calibrating. In lieu of doing it properly, you can use the iMac profile. None of the others have any normal use for monitor setup. Have a read of my actual [written] review - it has far more info and links to other stuff I've done. www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-xp-15000-printer-review/ Ideally you need to be printing from a colour managed application and selecting the correct printer profile.
Hi, I'm having trouble printing A3 velvet fine art paper from this exact printer type. I'm not sure what else to do, I've tried cleaning the paper feed via the maintenance section and I've tried supporting the paper but it just won't pick up. If I prop it up and support it, the printer will begin to take it and then stop and the same message of it being not able to pick up the paper will come back up and I'll have to gently pull the paper out (it probably takes about 2 inches this way and then I have to remove it myself). What should I do? It's fine printing A4 but it just won't pick up A3.
I have this printer but I can’t use the rear end feed. It keeps asking me to use the cassette even when I load the paper through the rear end feed. On the panel it says rear end feed but it still doesn’t work. Did I set it up wrong?
Possibly the wrong media type selected somewhere - not a problem I've seen, but do check the main review - these videos are only short add-ons to the full review www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-xp-15000-printer-review/
None of the normal desktop printers I've looked at will do this. You'll likely need special inks, and to convert a printer - outside my area of expertise I'm afraid
@@KeithCooper I thinking about this or the epson p700 I know its not the same printer and p700 its much more expensive. I looking something to start print my photoes to see how are they looking.
I have this printer xp-15000 and I would like to know according to your experience how do you judge the level of this printer? If you had to classify it also considering the number of cartridges (six) at what level would you position it? Do you find it suitable as a gamut for printing photographic images? Thanks Keith
I don't judge printers by 'level' I'm afraid. Different features mean different things to different people. The number of carts doesn't really make much difference here, but is probably better than something with only 4. It's capable of good results when used in a colour managed workflow, including icc profiles. On some papers it delivers excellent results (see the full review for more www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-xp-15000-printer-review/ )
Hello Keith, Thank you very much for this beautiful video. I'm looking for this printer and want to buy it, but I'm not sure. if you let me I would like to express my concerns, maybe you can guide me, thanks to your experience with the printer. I am a designer, I give A3 prints for some of my clients. For this, I go to places far from my home to give quality work. I am wasting time and money because the company is not giving me a good price. for this, I searched for this most suitable and best performing printer and this model came up. What do you think, do you think this product is good for me? A3 files contain photographs, texts and shapes . Sometimes I get 20 pages, sometimes 50 pages. I can't be sure, I can't see the print quality, I don't have the opportunity to test the product where I am, I talked to EPSON and they said that if I am not satisfied with the product, I can return it within 30 days, but I still want to be more sure before buy it. I'm waiting for your reply, thank you very much.
A good cotton rag art paper will suffice. The one in the video hasn't been made for years - it's a Hahnemuhle 265gsm smooth natural white. I just have many boxes of it from testing a printer years ago. The paper doesn't really matter - Epson HPN or HPB would be similar, but a bit thicker.
@@KeithCooper hey Keith, I’m an artist illustrator living here in Australia. Love yoir videos mate. I really need to invest in a good A3 printer. I’ve considered outsourcing my print needs but it would make more sense doing it on my own. What would you recommend for me? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks again for your vids. So helpful.
It uses dye based inks, as does the PRO-200 Other than that they are quite different to use - see my detailed PRO-200 review and the written XP-15000 one for this printer for actual details (my videos never cover the detailed technical stuff) See my PRO-300 vs PRO-200 video for the differences between dye and pigment and why it may or may not matter for users
Hi! This was quite interesting. I'm currently looking for a printer and i feel a bit confused. I'm not a photographer but an illustrator. I'm on the hunt for a printer that would make beautiful prints of my watercolors illustrations. My work is mostly vivid, colorfull, vibrant and quite detailed ! Do you think this epson would make a good job? I also was thinking about the canon pixma ix6850, which is cheaper (it prints to A3, not A3+ but A3 is enough for me. I'm more interested in the quality than the size). But the epson expression 15000 is still on my budget. Do you have any other recommandation? I can't afford a canon pixma pro of an epson sure color, sadly!
I'm afraid I can't add much in this respect, since the 15000 is about as low end in printers as I've tested of late. It's perhaps not one I'd choose for artwork to sell, but budget limits are budget limits. Quality wise it's not at all bad when used with suitable ICC profiles.
@@marineminadrawing5719 I am also looking for a printer for my partner who is an illustrator. Did you find one for yourself, any pointers in the right direction? Ideally don't want to spend more than £400 absolute max... Thanks :)
@@NotFalling4it hey! I went for the Canon IP8750 (which, in the UK, I believe is the same as the model you're referring to). It prints quite nicely and the inks are cheaper than the Epson. I figured that the printers are likely similar/negligible in terms of quality. Given the price of the Epson and the ink costs, I thought the Canon had the edge. Perhaps both options would need upgrading in the future for better quality prints, so opted for the one which cost less. I also reached out to an illustrator that y partner follows and they coincidentally used the 8750, so that also helped my decision. 😊
Sorry - I don't put the actual ads in the video It also helps pay me to do the testing. If you don't like ads - read the detailed written review... www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-xp-15000-printer-review/
Would literally watch you talk about anything. Such pleasant and educational videos.
Thanks, although other members of my household might query that ;-)
This was great, been hesitant to get into high quality printing mainly because I’m not willing to spend £600-£1000 on a printer. This printer seems like a great alternative starting point.
Yes, a good printer...
Nice shots, good demonstration.
I find it refreshing having info from a professional about a sub-$1000 printer for photos.
Thanks - I'm trying to give more people a 'way in' to higher quality printing.
That's quite a vibrant classic looking color print photo.
Thanks - I wanted something that would look OK on video and show something of the capabilities of the printer.
nice real life presentation.
Thank you!
I'm glad it's just not me when things go wrong in front of people watching.
Epson Print Layout software Does not Work that well on my older Epsom 3800?
Ah, the 'Demo effect' - Quite deliberately left in ;-)
I'm hoping it helps point out that even when you think you know what you are doing, you can get issues, but they are not serious...
Gracias por subir estos videos!!!
Thanks
Excellent. Thank you
Glad it was helpful!
I almost bought this printer, but decided on the Pro 200 Canon. Better construction and more colors. I think for the size and price of ink replacement on 200 it’s a better return on investment.
Ah, I'm always suspicious of the phrase 'return on investment' with respect to printers - I rarely see the maths behind it ;-)
Thanks Keith. Are the inks lightfast/archival? As in, rated to last for 100 years (in typical lighting conditions) Many Thanks
Could you perhaps do a video on how you create profiles too? That’d be great!
No - they are dye inks. If 'archival' matters for your market, then it's pigment ink that's needed.
For profiles - I've several videos looking at the topic
See here for more info:
www.northlight-images.co.uk/commercial-photography/training/colour-management/
@@KeithCooper cheers. Suspected dye-based. Appreciate the info 👍
Thanks for the great information!!! You mention in the video that you use Epson Print Layout with the XP-15000. Epson doe not list the XP-15000 as compatible with the App. Did you do something special to allow compatibility or did it work without any changes? Thanks for the assistance.
It just worked on my Mac... I only found out it wasn't properly supported when someone asked me ;-)
@@KeithCooper Thanks for the quick response!!!!
hello there, i was hoping to let it print in real time, to give us an idea about the printer speed. anyway, very informative video. thank you.
Unfortunately, that makes for rather long dead spaces in videos...
You mention using Print Layout app. Is that the Epson Print Layout app? It says it does not support the xp15000
yes - ignore what Epson says ;-)
See the main [written] review
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-xp-15000-printer-review/
Hey Keth, thanks so much for all the given information. I was wondering what do you guess how many A4 color prints the cartridges the printer is coming with will print before they run empty?
There I can't help I'm afraid. My testing is very mixed, so give no meaningful info about this.
Hi Keith! I have watched a ton of your videos and you are doing a great job! I was also reading your reviews on North Light Images before making the leap to UA-cam. About the XP-15000 I was wondering what is the thickest paper that this printer would accept? For example, would it be possible to accept the Epson Exhibition Fiber paper which is 325g/m2? Have noticed any limitations regarding paperweight on this particular printer?
Ah - that printer went back to Epson quite some time ago, so I've only the info in the written review to go by. The thickest I tried was Pinnacle 310 baryta, which is similar to TPP
@@KeithCooper Thank you for the response, Keith! I appreciate it! 🙏 🙏
Hi Keith,
Great review as ever. Is there any chance you'll be doing a review on the new Ecotank ET-8500/ET-8550? 6 Claria inks, but not bottled versions of the same ones as in this printer based on your review.
Thank you.
No plans as yet - I note it doesn't have the red ink of the 15000.
I've been doing printer reviews for months now and need a gap - otherwise it can feel a bit of a chore, and then I don't feel I properly give the printer a thorough test.
Perhaps when I get out again and start taking some new photos I'll feel more like it ;-)
@@KeithCooper Certainly hope so. Could be a bit of a game changer. Will keep watching the channel and wait and see :)
Great video. Love that it can take that thick of paper. Is there much difference between the XP-15000 and the ET-15000?
Thanks.
Thanks - I've not had an ET-15000 to test, so I don't know I'm afraid
@@KeithCooper thanks for the reply. Whats the thickest paper you tried?
It was a while ago - see the list in the review
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-xp-15000-printer-review/
Great review(s)...you mention in a review of the Epson XP-15000 that you use Epson Print Layout software. My new printer is arriving in a couple of days (XP-15000) and on Epson's site it doesn't list that printer as compatible with the Layout software. You seem to believe that it is? Maybe an oversight of Epson's? Thanks very much!
Thanks - It's not officially mentioned on some Epson sites (remember they vary from country to country) However the UK link in the main [written] review is currently broken
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-xp-15000-printer-review/
It worked on my Mac when I was testing the software (see above)
Great, thanks again. Now get some sleep :-)
Hi great video I have the same printer but I Don't have the software the you have any help how to get it??? thx so much
Download at Epson - ignore any page listing what printers are supported ;-)
Yoy say that Epson Print Layout is quite good. Are there any advantages using EPL compare to Lightroom Print Module? I have Epson P700.
Yes, you don't need to use Lightroom :-) (I dislike it greatly)
Personally, I print directly from Photoshop having prepared image manually for print - I use EPL for things like gallery wraps, which I don't print very often.
The main reason I show it in the demos is that it's simple and far easier than trying to explain why I'm using Photoshop (and an old Mac version at that)
Fine art papers should have excellent archival quality.
Yes - hopefully the inks are up to it as well
However, it's important to remember that 'fine art' is often little but a marketing phrase, however you personally decide to use it
I am interested in this printer for my astrophotography work. The chip in my camera is 3011 pixels wide. At 13", that is about 231 pixels per inch. Typically I crop my images to closer to 2800 pixels or so, so call it 215 pixels per inch. Is this acceptable? Will the photo be smooth and not pixelated? What is the ppi I should be looking for. These are high contrast images with the dynamic range mostly below 50% of the total brightness spectrum. In other words, I need my own black ink factory....
215 is lower than I'd choose for normal photos - it's coarse enough that people looking closely might notice issues.
I have very little recent experience of printing such images, but I'd look at a combination of resampling/sharpening. However this is a specialist (and still fast evolving) field, so software approaches I'd use for landscape or buildings may not be optimal.
If you wanted to contact me directly via Northlight Images, I'd be curious to see what's actually 'in' such images...
Hi Keith, your information is great and easy to understand. I have a dilemma - my requirements are making a copy of pastel drawings. First Scan or photo (which is best, I have bought an Epson V600) and I need a printer that is not too costly but gives pretty close copies (sent file to a printer but came out nothing like my photo that I sent). Not sure which one would give best results for selling artwork (just starting out). Hoping you would be kind enough to point me in the right direction as I’m going round in circles! Thank you.
Have a look at the section about scanning artwork in my ET-8550 review - it may be helpful in this respect?
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
It has links to lots of related articles/videos
Much of what is there also applies to the 15000 (which has it's own detailed review and articles)
@@KeithCooper thanks for getting back to me, will have a look there, thank you.
I cannot get the three back holders up all the way? Why not?
Suggests a mechanical fault of some sort - has something fallen in the mechanism.
Annoying, but not a terminal fault...
Hello Keith,
A question regarding ink used in Epson 15000 and Epson 8550. Both are claria, on 15000 is hd 6-colour ink designed for superior photos (6 ink) in the 8550 is premium Designed for high-quality prints (5 ink).
In consideration of your experience, and even because you have had the opportunity to test the two printers, did you notice any difference in the picture that can come from the ink used. Or is just a marketing strategy between the two ink
Regards
Enzo
Depends on the media.
In general, with good profiles, few would notice differences in colour photo prints.
The pigment black of the 8550 can make differences on some art media.
People will buy the 8550 for the ink savings - price apart, I'd happily pick the 8550 if these were my only choices.
I could make nice looking prints on either, with good profiles and editing - the 8550 is far more likely to be supported with profiles for good papers over time
Do remember that much of what you see written about the ink differences are marketing words... ;-)
Personally, I like B&W printing, so would want a bigger all pigment ink printer... :-)
This printer is over 2 years old. Is there any other printer in this same price range that you would recommend for professional to buy?
Depends entirely on what you mean by 'professional' and what you want to do with it?
It's definitely a consumer level printer
@@KeithCooper I mean profesional photographer who want to start printering pictures from his home office.
Then the xp-15000 is not a 'pro' printer... It's a multi-purpose home printer.
If I'm selling prints then I want them printed on a pigment ink printer.
@@KeithCooper Thanks for your response. But is there a particular model you can recomemd?
Sorry - I don't ever make recommendations [a 20 year review writing policy]
The true answer is always 'it depends' - I don't track prices either
All my printer reviews start from here
www.northlight-images.co.uk/photography-articles-and-reviews/printing-paper-reviews-articles/
Your videos are very good and helpful. I have a question. I just received my xp-15000 and my prints are not looking like I think they should or could. I noticed too that the printing you did in this video was much slower than the prints being made on mine. Mine shoot through surprisingly fast. I'm printing 13x19 and it is taking seconds to print compared to what you have here. Any help or advice? I'm thinking the print may look better with a slower pass of the ink head.
Thanks
Fast equals lower quality...
Look in the printer driver settings. In many of the tests I'm printing from the Epson Print Layout software. See the main [written] review for more
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-xp-15000-printer-review/
Thank you Keith. I downloaded the Epson Print Layout software and that made a huge difference. Thank you for your response and the great videos...
Hello, could you print on canvas paper with a good quality? What advantage or disadvantage do I have of being a cartridge printer and not continuous ink? Thanks a lot
Canvas paper - what is that?
You can certainly print on canvas itself (if suitably coated for inkjet use)
Also what do you mean by "continuous ink"?
On some of the printers I have had you see roll lines on photo prints and others, is that something common with such machines or only for the lowest end printers?
It depends on the printer and paper type - it's one area where I would reject a new printer (just make sure it mark Epson paper if you end you calling them)
Hi Keith! I own this same printer and was hoping to print my watercolor art to sell. I am under the impression that this print can print giclee prints (I didn't purchase the printer because of this, it was only a coincidence). You seem very knowledgable of this printer. Is the Epson XP-15000 able to print on "giclee paper" with "giclee inks"? Thanks!
Ah... Giclee is pure marketing hokum I'm afraid ;-) It means whatever you want it to mean to the punters when selling them stuff ;-) There is no such thing as Giclee paper or inks - just better quality ones
See here for some more detail...
ua-cam.com/video/oQLfEtoND0Y/v-deo.html
The 15000 is a mid range consumer printer - if you want to do the 'fine art' thing then you ideally need to consider a pigment ink printer [Min. P700 for Epson or PRO-300 for Canon]
Hi. Is that Epson Velvet Fine Art Paper or some other? Your video came up when I looked for this printer and paper combo. Have you tried Epson Velvet Fine Art Paper
No, it's an old smooth cotton rag paper I use for testing because I've boxes of the stuff ;-)
Probably similar to one of Epson's smooth cotton papers
I do have some Epson VFA here, but it's all A2 sheets
I'd expect VFA to work really well
See my review for all my testing
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-xp-15000-printer-review/
@@KeithCooper Thanks. I did see that review today, very thorough :)
I'm looking to download the print layout software and it says not available anymore. What do I do?
From where?
The software is the same on Epson servers around the world - try a wider search for 'Epson Print Layout download'
@@KeithCooper Thank you for answering - I finally found it!
Where do you get the canvas sheets?
These were old stock from HP - I don't know of any specific supplier.
I was given many boxes of the stuff in ~2008 - hence why I use it for testing.
Thanks; a very nice demo indeed. I recently bought a XP-970 and just got the Epson velvet paper. A quick test print worked pretty nicely. But I want to make it better. Any issues with using the Epson ICC profile for the XP-970 velvet verses your Custom ICC? Also, why is the Epson print layout better than Lightroom? In Lightroom I can mess with the soft proofing, but I haven't figured it all out yet. There is a lot to understand. Thanks!! Lee
My profiles are only for specific papers on the XP-15000 - it is a completely different printer, so no, my profiles will be of no use whatsoever on a 970
Soft proofing used well can help, but it relies on good profiles. It is all too often used as a bit of a crutch to avoid proper colour management or editing of images - at this point it's just a great way of wasting ink in an attempt to get prints looking 'better'.
That said, with lower end printers like this it can eventually help get closer to a good print - EPL does what it does very well, but if you like LR then use it - there really is no 'best' in this case, just what works for you ;-)
@@KeithCooper Thanks! Yes, I understand your profiles are for the different printer. I was just wondering if Epson's Velvet profile for the XP970 would be all that is needed to print velvet properly on a XP970. Or do I need more than that? Doesn't an Epson Velvet XP 970 profile for a XP970 printer work perfectly for that printer, or am I missing something? I am confused as to why a custom profile is needed, or is it just to make it perfect for one's own specific printer? I did properly color calibrate my monitor with a Spyder5 .
Yes, the Epson VFA profile should work just fine (sorry - I get a lot of people asking for profiles for the 'wrong' printer ;-) )
Printers used to have quite a lot of unit-to-unit variation so a generic profile might be good or it might be a bit off - hence making custom profiles was a good idea.
As printers have got more consistent the generic profiles are more useful. The main limitation is that companies only tend to provide them for bigger printers, although some paper suppliers will make custom profiles if you buy paper.
I make profiles since
- I happen to have the advanced kit for it ;-)
- they are made to a higher precision
- I can fine tune aspects of the profile behaviour (such as rendering intents)
- the process (media selection etc) tells me a lot about the printer and how it works with different media
@@KeithCooper Thanks for your response. That makes perfect sense. I'll see how it goes before buying any printer calibration gear. I already have the monitor gear, as I use it for pro video editing. So far the Epson Velvet paper looks really good even without printer calibration; just using Epson's ICC for it. I still don't see what the Epson Layout advantage is, over Lightroom's soft proofing system. It gets confusing. I am a recording engineer for years and this stuff is similar to figuring out what music mixes sound best. The more one knows the more confused one gets!
My main issues is not how soft proofing is implemented, just that it is much overused ;-)
I use it very rarely - it's no substitute for actually knowing how a paper performs. It also furthers the myth that you can properly represent a print with an image on screen.
Have a look at some of my articles? - they cover this far better than in the videos
www.northlight-images.co.uk/better-photography-by-printing-your-work/
Articles can be refined, fine tuned, updated and corrected - videos are set in stone, especially since I don't script anything (by choice ;-) )
Just purchased this Epson XP-15000 and using a Mac 27" 5k monitor from late 2015. First prints horrible color. Mac has color profiles I don't understand. I go to Apple>System Preferences>Display. Then in Color Profile I can use the Apple iMac-1 profile or Epson sRGB or Epson Standard RGB - Gamma 1.8? Which one should I use and what does Gamma mean? Also my rear feed will not feed. Keeps telling me cassette is empty. I not using cassette. Also has scratches on prints from cassette even when on Thick setting using Epson Matte paper. I am so frustrated. TimS
First up - the monitor ideally needs calibrating. In lieu of doing it properly, you can use the iMac profile. None of the others have any normal use for monitor setup.
Have a read of my actual [written] review - it has far more info and links to other stuff I've done.
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-xp-15000-printer-review/
Ideally you need to be printing from a colour managed application and selecting the correct printer profile.
Hi, I'm having trouble printing A3 velvet fine art paper from this exact printer type. I'm not sure what else to do, I've tried cleaning the paper feed via the maintenance section and I've tried supporting the paper but it just won't pick up. If I prop it up and support it, the printer will begin to take it and then stop and the same message of it being not able to pick up the paper will come back up and I'll have to gently pull the paper out (it probably takes about 2 inches this way and then I have to remove it myself). What should I do? It's fine printing A4 but it just won't pick up A3.
It could be the rollers need cleaning - see more detail in the main [written] review at
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-xp-15000-printer-review/
What paper you used, can you please confirm? Or Amazon Link
See the papers in the main [written] review
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-xp-15000-printer-review/
I have this printer but I can’t use the rear end feed. It keeps asking me to use the cassette even when I load the paper through the rear end feed. On the panel it says rear end feed but it still doesn’t work. Did I set it up wrong?
Possibly the wrong media type selected somewhere - not a problem I've seen, but do check the main review - these videos are only short add-ons to the full review
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-xp-15000-printer-review/
I was wondering, can you print stickers?
Only if you find the right media - meant for inkjet use.
Get the wrong type and the ink either wont dry properly or will just rub off when dry
@@KeithCooper thank you! I appreciate your information! 😊
do you know if this printer can print on polly bags?
None of the normal desktop printers I've looked at will do this.
You'll likely need special inks, and to convert a printer - outside my area of expertise I'm afraid
I need the best printer for sublimation. Is there anything above a 6 ink printer?
Sorry but sublimation is not a subject I have any experience of
Feed me ink cartridge, feed me ink cartridge!
Yes, not a printer you might choose if worried about ink costs...
Hi, I would like to ask what type of paper support this printer? Thank you.
All sorts - see the main review (we have web site issues at the moment limiting access somewhat)
@@KeithCooper I thinking about this or the epson p700 I know its not the same printer and p700 its much more expensive. I looking something to start print my photoes to see how are they looking.
Yes, it's a good starting point - you can learn all the essentials. But... you need ICC profiles for any papers you use to get the best results
@@KeithCooper thanks
I have this printer xp-15000 and I would like to know according to your experience how do you judge the level of this printer? If you had to classify it also considering the number of cartridges (six) at what level would you position it? Do you find it suitable as a gamut for printing photographic images? Thanks Keith
I don't judge printers by 'level' I'm afraid. Different features mean different things to different people. The number of carts doesn't really make much difference here, but is probably better than something with only 4.
It's capable of good results when used in a colour managed workflow, including icc profiles. On some papers it delivers excellent results (see the full review for more www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-xp-15000-printer-review/ )
Hello Keith,
Thank you very much for this beautiful video. I'm looking for this printer and want to buy it, but I'm not sure. if you let me
I would like to express my concerns, maybe you can guide me, thanks to your experience with the printer.
I am a designer, I give A3 prints for some of my clients. For this, I go to places far from my home to give quality work. I am wasting time and money because the company is not giving me a good price. for this, I searched for this most suitable and best performing printer and this model came up. What do you think, do you think this product is good for me?
A3 files contain photographs, texts and shapes . Sometimes I get 20 pages, sometimes 50 pages. I can't be sure, I can't see the print quality, I don't have the opportunity to test the product where I am, I talked to EPSON and they said that if I am not satisfied with the product, I can return it within 30 days, but I still want to be more sure before buy it.
I'm waiting for your reply, thank you very much.
It's a basic printer - see the main [written] review for more
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-xp-15000-printer-review/
Might do for what you want...
What brand of paper did you use?
A good cotton rag art paper will suffice.
The one in the video hasn't been made for years - it's a Hahnemuhle 265gsm smooth natural white. I just have many boxes of it from testing a printer years ago.
The paper doesn't really matter - Epson HPN or HPB would be similar, but a bit thicker.
still good?
Yes - it's not like a mobile phone, updated every year :-) :-)
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-xp-15000-printer-review/
Where do you get your paper
Paper Spectrum, here in Leicester. I also test papers by PermaJet, Fotospeed and Innova
@@KeithCooper hey Keith, I’m an artist illustrator living here in Australia. Love yoir videos mate. I really need to invest in a good A3 printer. I’ve considered outsourcing my print needs but it would make more sense doing it on my own. What would you recommend for me? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks again for your vids. So helpful.
How do you print the bigger paper? I pressed print but it says there’s no paper in the tray, but I’m trying to print an 11x17 in paper.
The same way I printed the 13" x 19" in the video
See also the main written review
So this is the same as the Canon pro 200 both non pigment. :(
It uses dye based inks, as does the PRO-200
Other than that they are quite different to use - see my detailed PRO-200 review and the written XP-15000 one for this printer for actual details (my videos never cover the detailed technical stuff)
See my PRO-300 vs PRO-200 video for the differences between dye and pigment and why it may or may not matter for users
Hi! This was quite interesting. I'm currently looking for a printer and i feel a bit confused. I'm not a photographer but an illustrator. I'm on the hunt for a printer that would make beautiful prints of my watercolors illustrations. My work is mostly vivid, colorfull, vibrant and quite detailed ! Do you think this epson would make a good job? I also was thinking about the canon pixma ix6850, which is cheaper (it prints to A3, not A3+ but A3 is enough for me. I'm more interested in the quality than the size). But the epson expression 15000 is still on my budget. Do you have any other recommandation? I can't afford a canon pixma pro of an epson sure color, sadly!
I'm afraid I can't add much in this respect, since the 15000 is about as low end in printers as I've tested of late. It's perhaps not one I'd choose for artwork to sell, but budget limits are budget limits. Quality wise it's not at all bad when used with suitable ICC profiles.
@@KeithCooper tysm for responding this quick. I'll take a deeper look at your vidéos to learn more about printers. Keep going please ! 🙌
@@marineminadrawing5719 I am also looking for a printer for my partner who is an illustrator. Did you find one for yourself, any pointers in the right direction? Ideally don't want to spend more than £400 absolute max... Thanks :)
@@joepollard940 So am I. What have you found in this price range? I'm looking at the Epsom IP8760.
@@NotFalling4it hey! I went for the Canon IP8750 (which, in the UK, I believe is the same as the model you're referring to). It prints quite nicely and the inks are cheaper than the Epson.
I figured that the printers are likely similar/negligible in terms of quality. Given the price of the Epson and the ink costs, I thought the Canon had the edge. Perhaps both options would need upgrading in the future for better quality prints, so opted for the one which cost less.
I also reached out to an illustrator that y partner follows and they coincidentally used the 8750, so that also helped my decision. 😊
Toooo much ads... 7ads video xd me record good video but dislike to much ads...
Sorry - I don't put the actual ads in the video
It also helps pay me to do the testing. If you don't like ads - read the detailed written review...
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-xp-15000-printer-review/