Epson ET8550 My opinions after 5 months for Small Art Business - I’m not a printer expert 

Thank You for the video; a couple of things after using this machine for a couple of months: remember that for the 20mm "no print space" You can always rotate the picture before sending it to print, so that white space is in the top and not at the bottom, sometimes it may help. To ease the pulling up the plastics of the rear paper feeder You can put a very thin coat of silicon grease in the slots where these plastic run. It's transparent, if You are careful in applying it the paper will never come in contact with it, and it works like a charm, everything slides effortlessly in position. For the problem of rotating the printer every time You could consider a lazy susan turntable. JM2C.

The solution for the heavy printer marks is found in your printer preferences when you print by selecting the correct paper weight. Hope this helps you. :)

What an excellent thorough review! I really enjoyed watching all of that. Thanks for the time and energy you put into it.

Really interesting, like Keith Cooper you explain in detail with a demonstrated example.. Thank you.

Thanks for the great review. I am getting one after that.

Great review I will see if there may be a better Printer without those issues . keep them coming tschuss

Thank you for very detailed review for the Epson ET8550. I own many Epson printers and most of them have rolling marks. Epson ET8550 is not the only printer, most of Epson’s are notorious for rolling marks. I own Canon printers and with thick paper no roller marks.I was hoping Epson fixed this problem with their more expensive printers. I was going to get this printer since it is on sale $599 US and now rethinking after watching your video.

Thank you for the video, very useful information for me because I have the same problem with my Epson ET 2820 and till today I thought I had a faulty printer. Now I will try different papers.

Well done and thank you .

I just bought this printer but have not yet had time to set it up. I too used Marrutt paper in my old ecotank printer for students art work, and was pleased with the results. I am planning to print my own artwork from now on as I previously used a reprographic company which is now too expensive. So I upgraded to the 8550 to print my own. I usually use Archival Matte, which is similar to the paper used by the reprographic company and I think it will suit my artwork too. I emailed Marrutt and asked for their icc printer profiles for their different papers for this printer, but they just use the nearest Epson equivalent for each paper and they sent me that list. I have also ordered several sample packs of paper from different companies plus their icc profiles for this printer, and will compare the results of the different brands before I commit to spending money on a full pack. Keith Cooper has also developed icc profiles for some brands of ‘fine art’ papers for both colour & black and white for this printer with great results which is very helpful. My understanding is that for this printer icc profiles are key👍

I have an ET-7750 and I had an X-Rite’s i1 Software professionally made profile for both my 24" Ilford Galarie 310gms and Colourbyte 250gms glossy paper. The results are excellent and the B+Ws are neutral. Even using cheaper glossy paper the results are really very good. I use it for A3 plain paper drawings mostly and occasionally 600mm x 297mm panorama prints. I'm very pleased with it. (I do though, regularly dab the print head resting pad with soft tissue paper to prevent smudges.) I also keep it completely covered all the time with a thin clear polythene sheet including the rear paper tray with A3 paper in it, this keeps the dust out. I've had it about 5+ years and it's still producing excellent result, I use it a lot, I'm on my second set of ink bottles and third service tank. I can't recommend this printer highly enough. I repeat... It's well worth getting your printer profiled as it really does make so much difference even though it is not a photo printer especially for the B+W prints.

Thank you for taking the time to explain the 'con' about this printer. As a paper crafter, It is a deal breaker for me. You have saved me a lot of frustration. In turn, I would 'buy you a coffee' if that were an option. So, looking for a way to show you some love, I found your ETSY shop and attempted to buy the Kingfisher and/or the Robin mat, print, or coaster, but, I see that these are not shipped to the USA, which is totally understandable. So, just thanks again and good luck with you business. 🙂 P.S. Just FYI, earlier today, I wrote to Epson to see if they have plans to make a better product for using thicker paper.

Well done.

Great plain English explanations. I have a SCP900 for my photos ( I want A2 size) but am looking at getting a dye based printer as well for cheaper ink use on those prints that do not need the pigment inks nor A2. Thanks for this real world experience

- A3 paper can only be fed in via the rear feeder or is there also a cassette for A3 at the bottom? - Do you only print drawings / photos on the printer or also documents for the office? How does normal copy paper react? - Have you tried printing on film and what are your experiences? (special foils? fixation?) Roller-Marks I =========== Get a digital caliper to compare the thickness of 10 sheets of paper. Probably doesn't make sense, but maybe you can test the hardness / stability of the paper by trying to measure how much pressure is needed to "punch" a) a pen, b) a stamp, c) a pizza roll cutter through the paper or to indent it. Is the problem with roll-marking with a pen (without colour - pen from a graphics tablet) reproducible if you draw lines with a certain force? (Maybe put a certain weight on the pen to be comparable and then draw the line?) The pizza roll cutting knife could be mounted twice parallel to a frame, like a sulky in harness racing. This way the weight is easy to attach, well distributed and the result is reproducible on every paper. Ok, a bit of effort and very few people have a "pizza roll cutter" twice :D - But maybe it's an idea that will get you there ;) Roller-Marks II ============ a) IF you print these cards that you show in min 45:55, then you can print these cards "upside down" so that the edge is at the head end, i.e. on the left-hand side. The right-hand side would then be clean. - Of course, this only works if the left-hand side (at least at this point) is "intentionally blank". b) You can also try comparing the distance between the roller marks (41:45) with the plastic part that you dismantled at min. 41:30. - Also check the counterparts (in the printer) to the rollers from the removed plastic part. Especially these rolls will press into the paper. c1) For the following idea, it might make sense to ask the price of the spare part. :D ... Is it possible to reduce the radius of the (two / affected) plastic rollers with sandpaper? - I can't think of a practical method here. In the end, the sandpaper must be very fine. - Nevertheless, the effort involved is likely to be high and the two wheels should remain round. c2) Is it possible to remove the entire metal rod with the plastic rollers (and possibly use wider rollers (3D printing?) or rubber? For the edge with the dirty stain ========================== Use larger paper and cut off the edge. This would also remove the 2 cm edge "at the bottom" if necessary, but the consumption of paper and the costs (A4+, A3) would increase enormously. ... but if it is absolutely necessary? ... it would be ONE solution ;)

This is a very informative video, thx for it. Even with the cons this is probably the only current option printing quality A3 in an affordable way. The ET-18100/18050 is sadly a slightly cheaper one-trick pony beside this and the Canon does not have any big tank A3 printer which is ridiculous.

Hi there i have been contemplating buying another a3+ printer and have been looking at this one, I have over the years had quite a few different ones and currently run 2 budget a3+ printers namely the hp officejet 7110 and for quality prints I run a canon IX4000 which is excellent, anyway I digress, I service around 550 artists at the moment and a great deal of my work is greeting cards, and I use a very sturdy canon printer the G5050 (these were orinally around 350 quid) they are now available from good old argos for around £169, they of course use bottle ink and come with 1 of each colour and 3 (yes 3) black bottles, I use the papercutz 300gsm as a matter of course and also use a beautiful textures card called brampton felt wich is very heavy (around 270gsm) but feels much heavier and although uncoated is perfect for watercolour type images, hope this helps in some way and good luck with the channel.

Very interesting. Could you do a follow-up video after trying the Epson paper, and contacting Epson, and if/when you get the printer software update?

The way a firmware update could theoretically change the results is that it could adjust some mechanism, but I don't know if the paper rollers are actually controlled by the software.

i wish Copic markers were that easy to refill 😂 thanks so much for the detailed review!

great, thorough video. I really appreciate all the time you took to put this together! Subbed =) I am looking for a printer that can handle stiff cardstock, around or over 300 gsm, 12pt.

I spoke to Epsom, who weren't very helpful..."Hi Mike for these issues the printer needs to be used with the rear feed which is designed to handle thicker papers, keeping the printer firmware and drivers up to date will also help, Kind Regards Eepson UK" And marrutt "Hi Mike Thank you for your comments Yes, we are aware that many of the current Epson printers do not perform well with thicker / heavier papers. This affects the Eco Tank range especially I'm afraid we know of no concrete solution"" So it doesn't appear to be a rare event, but seems fairly random on some moderate to heavier papers. Is it worth the gamble, not knowing if your preferred media works with a specific printer? Id love to invest in this printer because of performance (on some media) and cost per print. But if it puts restrictions on acceted paper, and those restrictions only become apparent when you use your own particular printer, then perhaps it is a £600 gamble i cant risk.

Thanks so much. Good review. Any idea how it prints on canvas? Mx Thinking on getting one of these.

When printing on the heavier card stock and feeding it flat through the back of the printer could you invert your design file on your computer so that it is printing the back of the card before it prints the front. That way the large margin would presumably not really effect the back of the card?

I only use photo papers and only have the roller marks on cheap photo papers. epson photopapers are fine. To deal with the 20mm margin problem have you considered rotating your image through 180 degrees and reformatting your layout to suit an A4 height less 20mm so that the front page is correct and the margin is on the back?

Hi, i was thinking about buying this printer but when i saw problems with roller marks i gave up and bought 8500 instead :-) It's basically the same printer supporting papers up to A4. My conclusion after testing it on several different types of papers is that this problem is really due to the paper. So these are the papers i tried: Canon photo paper plus semi-gloss, 260g/m2, 10x15cm - leaving marks PrintLine photopapier professional, 260g/m2, 10x15cm - leaving marks WinTech photoquality glossy, 260g/m2, A4 - leaving marks Koala Premium Photo Paper, high glossy, 250g/m2, A4 - no marks Epson Premium Glossy, 255g/m2, A4 - no marks Canson Baryta Photographique II, 310g/m2, A4 - no marks All papers are loaded from the bottom cassette tray. Dealing marks, not sure those are the same as you get. This marks are only visible under the right light angle. They are on the same distance from each other, lets say 0.5cm from each other, but some are more visible then others. However you can see that on more quality papers there are no marks. *** EDIT *** today i printed some images and now i'm noticing marks even on Epson and Canson paper. They are not so hard as on other papers, but under the right light angle you can see them.

To print on thick material to prevent it from being crushed by rollers, the printer has a "Thick paper" setting that changes the gap between the print die and the print head. According to the help, this function turns on when paper is being pushed

Nice 👍

If you read the blurb carefully you’ll see that the estimated 2,300 prints are actually referring to 6” x 4” photos, not the larger prints you are producing.

I haven't yet done a lot of print. However, I used an A4 sheet of Hahnemuhle matt fine art paper Torchon 285gm. No roller marks but long black smudge at one edge. Not good.

Thank you for an educating video. Did you ever receive the Epson firmware and did it fix the problem?

I don't know for sure, I want to say the software update can effect the paper Thickness in the touch screen settings menu.

thanks for all the information on this printer. I am thinking of purchasing one, because I want to print on 12 x 12 cardstock. I have a EP2750 right now and can put more than 1 sheet of paper in the paper feed, why can only 1 piece of paper fit in this printer.

I am clutching at straws maybe but paper can absorb moisture from the atmosphere making it swell enough to be larger that 300g…. Is the paper really dry as in a heated room, perhaps make sure everything is warm dry with no condensation etc …it may be something so simple as this

My printer arrived today, had exactly the same problem you are having with the lines and I've returned it.

You have to run it flat through, the paper, so it won’t leave the marks. It will be that way with any paper brand of that thickness that you run through it. The back comes off and you run it flat through.

I am also having this roller marks.

Thank u for this, I have been looking to buy this model. Been researching between this epson model and the canon pixma pro 200 or the canon pixma prograf 1000 but the latter I think is a little overkill for a small business but with the canon pixma pro 200 I am scared about the ink cartridges and how long it would last

Epson uses the 180g Paper for the top feeder that your Using for card, and 80g to 90g For the front feeder, and anything above that goes through the back feeder where the roll-paper goes and the Card printing

Hey, I wanted to share a hack I discovered today to help with roller marks - put it through a laminator! For the hell of it I decided to put a 300gsm card through my new Minc machine, and the roller marks almost completely disappeared. I nearly cried lol

Maybe I missed something here, but I am a novice who wants to know if the ET8550 is an inkjet or laser? Great tutorial,btw!

I have hear of the roller issue with other Epson printers I don’t remember the exact fix if there was one

Hi Justine, regarding how many prints you can expect to get from your Epson ET8550, I think what Epson are suggesting that you should get 2300 6x4 inch photo prints on the standard setting, Not A4 or A3 or A3+ prints, all from 6 Full bottles of ink, so I would say as rough guess expect to get around 575 A4 prints on standard setting, approx 265 A3 prints on standard setting & around 170 A3+ 13x19 inch prints, but because you use Highest settings for all your lovely art work, just think half the previous figures I’ve mentioned for A4, A3, A3+ ect, hope that helps.🤗

I have an epson Wf 4833 and yes I had fo Google what it is was....... how much it was.......thanks epson! I love this thing although it's not getting it to print. It continually stays on paper jam in the top and when I was printing it didn't even use that piece Smh

Hi lovely, how do you actually changing the setting between standard and high, is it actually on the printer's settings or within a programme on your computer?

What A3 Glossy paper would you recommend, nothing too costly just prints that the kids will stick on the walls for a few months before they swap out for another character or scene or celebrity etc. I don't want to go super cheap that is full of loose fibres and dust. Any that you tend to avoid? Thanks.

Have you seen DTF conversion videos... I think if you remove the top set of rollers, this may help!

Can you tell me the depth of this printer without the front paper trays open? I'm trying to see if it will fit on my desk. Thanks

Mines printing undersized. 35mm spaced lines are only 33mm apart and 45mm lines are 43mm. Any idea what I can change to fix that? Making printing templates to cut around rather difficult. Thanks. P.S. Have you had an issue where one colour will not print? If I dont use the printer during the week I will print a small sheet that uses every colour and the nozzle test pattern print so the ink does not dry. 2 days after a nozzle check print the red stopped working until I did a power clean.

I'm lucky to have a lot of space so feeding my 8550 from the rear is not a pain, but it's not practical either....(remove, detach, re-attach etc) . Can't You work in Your space with the machine turned 90° ?

You'll probably get the 2300 prints if you printed 2300 6x4?

One of the reasons I stopped using Epsons like 24 years ago was because of the roller marks and ink smears on the edge of the paper. I had two that did this. And this was with regular old home desktop printers. Im just printing photos at home for myself and family, so Im not using any fancy printers like this. But its disheartening its still doing that kinda thing.

What is the latest update firmware version number that fixes this?

Should add Hahnemuhle does not provide a profile for the ET 8550. I used Epson matte setting.

The nozzle check page you show at 3:27 says you've printed 919 pages - so nowhere near the 2000 claimed (although mine claims it comes with enough ink for 5600 black/4600 colour pages). The tops of the bottles are keyed so that you cant put the wrong bottle in the wrong spot. Regarding your roller issue, you are aware the printer has a rear pass though feeder that should help with this. Its located on the back of the printer.

So how do you know what one is dye based and pigment based if you buy them for sublimation printing instead?

15:24 919 total prints per the nozzle check 😊

Hi, Has anyone tried printing on fabric with the freezing paper technique? Will it print? I used it to print on fabric with my old A4 Epson and would like to be able to do so with this A3 printer. Thanks

some guy did a 13 inch by 34 inch print on this 8550. Is this possible ? Have you ever done a print larger than 13 x 19 inch ?

I have been using my Epson 8550 for about two years now. I print heavy photo paper through the rear paper slot and have never had roller marks. That would truly be intolerable for a printer of this capability. I love this printer, but it does have its quirks. I have had episodes where it would seemingly refuse to close the output tray and I finally had to go online and do my research until I learned that it needed to be shut down, disconnected from power and completely restarted. Voila! Problem solved. Also, I have a cart for my printer station and the cart is on casters. I can move it out from the wall and turn it sideways as needed when I need to print large format on heavy stock.

Thanks for your videos. It is a great shame that a brand like Epson cannot produce a photo printer without roller marks when using a thicker photo paper/card stock… 😬 And the 20mm white area when printing from the rear… 😢

did you try it with epsons paper yet ?

My older Epson 850 I think it was I pay $1000 for 6 cartridges. And you do run out of ink fast. I am thinking the Epson Bases it specs on printing on Standard quality and maybe paper size. But for prints you was to display around your house then I think standard quality is very good.

yeah but, where'd you get a black one

I think people that are not getting cog wheel marks are just using paper that works with this printer ... software update ,what does the printer software control the pressure on the paper ? yeah nice printer but picky with the paper , I tried the back of the printer and still had wheel marks .

what about the roller marks

That's the information from the internet. Lots of talk, little learning The lady pretends to be an expert, but it's not an accurate review. She doesn't like the printer doesn't want to get to know it :-( 1 - She talked about print quality in two stages, which means she had a universal driver. The driver designed for this printer allows 4 levels of print quality -- concept, standard, high and best 2 - She talked about the thickness of the paper and did not tell us the weight. She said it was quite thin :-) and did not disclose whether the paper weight was within the manufacturer's specifications for the rear feeder . Then it is up for consideration. whether it would be appropriate to use the rear horizontal paper input after removing the duplex unit. This is a big plus for this printer.

Is there a way of adjusting your paper thickness inside of your printer

My printer wont intake the paper any resolutions

Some people saying these printers break down after a short time🤔

I see the roller marks on your paper. Can it be that you got a defective printer with bad rollers?

The way a firmware update could theoretically change the results is that it could adjust some mechanism, but I don't know if the paper rollers are actually controlled by the software. Maybe it's just a way for Epson to weasel out. The 20 mm margin when using the rear slot feeder is absolutely ridiculous, though. I was also surprised about how difficult it's to switch over to using that. Too bad they have ruined an otherwise very nice printer with the roller mark issue. They should make an improved version.

Epson says that this printer can handle up to 300gsm paper ( 110lb Cover paper ). Not thicker than that. I hope this helps.

Sei bravissima, sei molto simpatica e sei molto bella. Ciao Ciao

Thank you for your informative videos about the ET-8550. After watching your videos and Keith Cooper's videos, I purchased this printer for personal use. I have now received the third printer and all printers have had white coatings/crumbs appear between the grooves of the rear paper feed. You can see what i mean at ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7SIUS4KeRhI.html After cleaning, they come back after being opened and closed several times. It would be really nice if you or someone else could tell me if this is the case with your printer too / if this is normal? Many thanks

OMG 56 min, is there an Ecotank without scanner? Scanning with phone today replaces any scanner.

Epson 8550: Brand new printer displays phantom paper jam, and is completely nonfunctional. Tech support is poor, and they appear to be trying to weasel out of honoring their warranty. Don't buy. Save yourself money and a headache.

I just subscribed to all your tutorials - this tutorial is to drawn out - I kept waiting for your explanation and you keep digressing on and on - GET TO THE POINT - Again I just subscribed to your "podcast" so please take what I just posted as a friendly observation :-)

NO NO NO NO. You cant print like that after spending a lot of money on a printer. Its ridicules. Epson know there is a problem as the are producing a software update to cure it. Definitely get on to Epson and ask for a repair or replacement. I have seen may youtube videos and most cover this issue. I was considering buy this printer instead of the Canon 300 but will not knowing of this issue. And to answer your question yes to should be able to use Any paper you like as long as it fits. Please update your printer as soon as you have it sorted out.

There is now a complete new model of this printer - ‘Epson EcoTank ET-18100’ but without a flatbed scanner - have you noticed.

too lengthy video