Epson SureColor SC

Sep 14, 2023

The SC-P800 is designed for serious enthusiasts and professional level users who want to make large prints on a variety of media, including ‘fine art’ papers and canvas.

Unlike the P600, it can't cater print on coated optical disks (DC or DVD). But it can print on roll paper provided you invest in the optional C12C811431 roll paper support unit.

Epson says the new Ultrachrome HD inks deliver the highest Dmax in the market, along with a wider colour gamut and better lightfastness than the UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta ink set used in the 3880. Unfortunately, you still need to switch black inks between Matte black (MK) and Photo Black (PK) when swapping between matte and glossy papers. And, as before, ink is used in this process, with approximately 4.6 ml ‘wasted’ when swapping from Matte to Photo Black and 1.6 ml when going in the reverse direction. The Matte to Photo Black swap takes about 3.5 minutes and the Photo to Matte Black about 2.5 minutes.

The redesigned printer body and touch-screen control panel make the new printer more convenient to use than the 3880. Aside from these new features, the main difference between the P800 and the 3880 is the Wi-Fi integration, where the P-800 provides the same capabilities as the P600.

Both Apple AirPrint and Google Cloud Print are supported. The wireless connectivity allows the printer to be used as a standalone printer, which could be handy for event photographers and those with mobile studios.

Following the release of the enthusiast-level A3+ SureColor SC-P600 printer, which we reviewed in April 2015, Epson has released the SureColor SC-P800 A2+ to cater for enthusiast and pro photographers who want to make larger prints. The P800 replaces the Stylus Pro 3880 and offers the same 2880 x 1140 dpi resolution. It also uses the same MicroPiezo print head and has the same 3.5 picolitre minimum drop size and the same Advanced LUT (look up table) technology.

Angled view of the SureColor SC-P800 printer with paper tray and output tray extended. (Source: Epson.)

Interestingly, the ink set has changed to the latest Ultrachrome HD inks, although the P800 still uses nine cartridges each holding 80 ml of pigment ink (the same as the 3880's). Both printers use the same ink colours: Cyan, Vivid Magenta, Yellow, Light Cyan, Vivid Light Magenta, Light Black, Light Light Black, Photo Black and Matte Black.

Unfortunately, the ink tanks aren't interchangeable, although their product codes are similar enough to be easily confused. The table below shows the product codes for the cartridges for each printer.

SureColor P800

Stylus Pro 3880

Photo Black

T8501

T5801

Cyan

T8502

T5802

Yellow

T8504

T5804

Light Cyan

T8505

T5805

Light Black

T8507

T5807

Matte Black

T8508

T5808

Light Light Black

T8509

T5809

Vivid Magenta

T8503

T580A

Vivid Light Magenta

T8506

T580B

The P-800 also ships with 64ml ‘starter’ cartridges, which isn't likely to impress potential purchasers, particularly since its main rival, the soon-to-arrive Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 comes with twelve 80ml ink tanks and will have a lower price tag.

Epson has made a few changes to the body design and paper handling capabilities of the new printer. Whereas the 3880's control panel was embedded in the top panel of the printer case, the P800's is on a lift-up panel that protrudes from the front of the machine. Both printers have LCD screens plus buttons for toggling between settings. But the P800's colour screen is touch sensitive and also larger, with a diagonal of 6.9 cm. The menu has been redesigned to enable users to check the printer status and ink levels, set certain parameters and perform routine maintenance tasks by simply tapping or swiping the screen. The 3880's monochrome screen has a diagonal of 5.9 cm and lacks touch controls.

Changes have also been made to media handling, with the addition of a new front paper path for fine-art media. Like the 3880, the P-800 can be fitted with an optional roll paper unit that supports 13-inch, 16-inch and 17-inch wide rolls with 2-inch or 3-inch cores, which enables users to print long panorama images.

Who's it For? The SC-P800 is designed for serious enthusiasts and professional level users who want to make large prints on a variety of media, including ‘fine art’ papers and canvas. Unlike the P600, it can't cater print on coated optical disks (DC or DVD). But it can print on roll paper provided you invest in the optional C12C811431 roll paper support unit (RRP AU$249).

In the box The SC-P800 comes in a large box, which also contains a printed leaflet with basic instructions for setting up the printer plus the set of initial cartridges and a maintenance cartridge, which mops up any stray ink droplets that are dispersed during printing. A power cord is also provided; but not a USB cable.

On supplied software CD you’ll find the following software applications: User Guide, Printer Driver, Epson Easy Photo Print, Epson Net Config, Epson Net Setup, Epson Net Print, Software Updater and Adobe ICC Profile. Additional Epson Print Layout, ColorBase2, E-Web Print and Firmware Updater software can be downloaded if the user requires. The printer is compatible with Windows from XP SP1 on and Mac OS X 10.6.8 or later as well as most popular third-party RIP and workflow software.

The printer we received had been used before we got it so the ink tanks were already loaded and almost all of the protective packaging had been removed. It was packaged in a sturdy plastic bag with handles, that make it easier to lift onto a desk. Since the printer weighs more than 19 kilograms without the ink tanks, this is particularly handy.

The C12C811431 roll paper support unit allows longer, non-standard-sized prints to be made. (Source: Epson.)

Epson also supplied the C12C811431 roll paper support unit to complete the package and enable us to test the printer's full capabilities. On the basis of our experiences, we would recommend buying this unit with the printer, particularly if it's bundled at a competitive price.

On the whole, the P800 is well built, although its paper trays aren't quite as rigid and robust as we’d like. The tilting control panel is neat and doesn't protrude far enough to cause problems. The LCD touch screen makes the printer much easier to use than the 3880 it replaces.

Setting up Once you’ve installed the printer on your desk, the next step is to turn the power on and select your language using the touch panel. The top cover will open automatically, allowing you to install the ink tanks, which clip into clearly labelled spaces in a holder inside the printer. Closing the top cover causes the printer to begin charging the ink delivery lines, a process that can take up to 10 minutes when new tanks are installed from scratch.

The software is installed before connecting the printer to a computer by visiting the link provided in the setup guide. The computer's operating system should detect the software when it's downloaded and offer installation and connection options. There are three ways to connect the printer to your computer or network: Wi-Fi, Ethernet and USB. All are virtually identical to the setup for the P600 (INSERT LINK). Connecting via USB simply requires you to link the printer to your computer via a USB cable. But you’ll have to supply this as it's not provided in the box. Unfortunately, it's a USB 2.0 connection; not the latest USB 3, which most computers have adopted.

Once the connection is made, the installer will check for firmware updates. If it finds them, you will be asked to switch the printer off and on again so the update(s) can be installed. It will then check for software updates. There are three ways to load paper for printing: via the main sheet feeder, through the front manual feeder tray and with the optional roll paper holder. The main sheet feeder is supposed to hold at least 10 sheets of photo paper (glossy, lustre or matte) at sizes up to 432 x 559 mm. But we found loading more than three sheets of A3 sized 230 gsm matte paper at a time caused the printer to recommend using the front manual feeder tray, which is designed for heavier ‘fine art’ media and can only handle one sheet at a time.

The optional roll paper holder is very easy to install. You simply insert the hooks on the unit into slots on the back of the printer and then secure it in place by attaching the locating pins on the base of the unit and tightening the screws.

The roll of paper slips onto a spindle, which has one removable end. The spindle comes with holders that take paper on 3-inch cores but the outer sections of these holders can be removed to accept 2-inch cores.

The roll paper unit isn't powered so you have to feed the end of the paper into the slot on the back of the printer until it reaches the friction rollers that draw the paper in. Make sure the end of the paper is cut straight across at 90 degrees to the length to prevent loading problems. Be patient as the paper is drawn very slowly into the printer at first.

Once the paper is loaded, printing can proceed normally and you can set the size and paper type in the printer's driver and/or on the touch screen. When printing on roll paper, we found it best to set ‘Custom’ paper sizes, allowing for borders at each end of the printed image. There's no built-in cutter but the printer can print a cutting line on the paper to guide you, as shown below.

When printing on roll paper, the P800 lets you decide whether to cut off the pritned page.

If you choose the Cut option, it will feed the paper to the cutting position.

Then it prints a cutting line to show where to cut the paper.

Once you’ve cut off your print, pressing the Finished button causes the roll to retract to the correct position for making the next print.

On the whole, it's a neat system. When the image size is set automatically, roughly 5 cm of paper remains blank before the image appears, while the cutting line is about 1.5 cm after the end of the image. You can increase these allowances by using custom size settings.

We had no loading issues with the auto sheet feeder for papers up to A3+ size. However, a couple of times with A2 prints, the heavier Premium Lustre paper was slightly skewed during loading. We had to watch the paper carefully in the initial loading stages and straighten it by hand if it showed a tendency to load unevenly.

The front sheet feed worked as expected once we became familiar with the way the paper feeds in. We had no loading problems with that or the roll paper system. Borderless printing also worked well, and it was nice to see some relaxing of the margin limitations for fine art media.

The Printer Driver The printer driver is essentially the same as the drivers for the P600 and the 3880 model that precedes the P800 and covered in detail in our review of the 3880. It includes ‘canned’ profiles for a limited number of paper types, covering both plain paper, photo papers (glossy, lustre and matte) and Epson's most popular ‘fine art’ media. Selecting a particular paper type locks you into certain speed and quality settings and determines whether you can make borderless prints.

The main page of the P800's driver.

Borderless printing is supported for a wider range of paper types than in previous models, including 325 gsm Ultra Smooth Fine Art Paper and Velvet Fine Art Paper. It remains unavailable for thicker, textured media or canvas. Selecting this option usually means you lose a few millimetres from the edges of the image.

Epson's drivers provide few manual over-rides for paper handling when you use Custom paper sizes. If the input image or paper size is even slightly larger than a standard size it will attempt to print in tiled format, breaking up the image for printing on separate sheets of paper. However, there's plenty of scope in the driver for setting Custom output sizes, up to a maximum of 15,000 x 431.8 mm.

Windows users can take advantage of a Layout Manager option, which lets you create a poster or display print by dragging images, text and diagrams created in different applications onto a single sheet for printing. It should also let you drag several smaller images onto a single sheet to replicate a ‘package print’, thereby optimising media usage.

The software is supposed to provide ‘Fit to Page’ and ‘Fit to Roll Paper Width’ options for reducing/enlarging images as well as Custom scaling. But these options were blanked out in the software we were using when the Layout Manager was selected, as shown below. (Maybe they’ll appear in a future update.)

Selecting the Layout Manager on the main page of the printer driver. Note how many functions are ‘greyed out’.

When you move on to the next page to create the layout, no adjustments can be made.

We found it just as easy (and more versatile) to create a new image in Photoshop and copy the originals onto it, flattening the image before you print it.

By default, the printer is set to switch between the Photo and Matte black inks automatically, depending on which paper is selected. Also by default, the driver is set to Epson's Premium Lustre paper, which means the Photo black is selected. Unfortunately, we found the driver often re-set the printer to the defaults when we changed paper sizes and after the printer had been switched off for a while. This meant it would start swapping black inks if we had previously been printing on matte papers "" wasting both time and ink. Consequently, we recommend disabling the auto ink swap before you start printing.

Canned Profiles Although there are a limited number of pre-set profiles in the printer driver, they cover a wide range of options with drop-down sub-menus covering Photo, Proofing, Matte, Fine Art, Plain papers and Canvas. Individual papers in each category are listed in the sub-menus.

These profiles are accurate and will produce excellent results when used with Epson's media. Many of them are also suitable for third-party media with similar characteristics to the Epson papers. When printing from Photoshop, select the ‘Printer Manages Colours’ option in the dialog box, as shown in the screen grab below.

The Advanced Black & White setting in the driver produced excellent B&W prints with no unwanted colour casts. It also lets you adjust the output tones to produce ‘warm’ or ‘cool’ tone prints, should you wish.

Users with scanning spectrophotometers (or ColorMunki devices) can also create their own paper profiles and use them in the P800. When using your own profiles, select the ‘Photoshop Manages Colours’ option in the dialog box and use the drop-down menu to select the profile you’ve created.

PrintingAlmost all of our prints were made through Photoshop as we feel this is the method most users will favour. We also made a couple of prints via the Ethernet connection in our home network and one or two via Wi-Fi from a Nexus 7 tablet. Provided the correct protocols were used, both methods worked successfully.

The printer offers two resolution settings:1440 and 2880 dpi. For most of the images we printed, it was impossible to see any difference between the two settings. That doesn't mean there's no difference between them; just that it's difficult to actually see a difference in the end results. Consequently, we settled for the 1440 dpi option for the rest of our printing and the results of our timing tests are based on this.

Although the time it takes to produce prints will vary with the output size, printing speed and quality settings and the density of the tones in the image, we recorded the following average times for the different output sizes we tested: A4 sheet at Quality 3 with High speed on: 1 minute, 33 seconds;A4 sheet at Quality 4 with High speed on: 2 minutes, 6 seconds;A4 sheet at Quality 4 with High speed off: 4 minutes, 15 seconds;A3 sheet at Quality 3 with High speed on: 3 minutes 1 second;A3 sheet at Quality 4 with High speed off: 7 minutes 55 seconds;A2 sheet at Quality 4 with High speed on: 6 minutes 52 seconds;A2 sheet at Quality 4 with High speed off: 12 minutes 8 seconds.

Add about 10% extra to these times if you opt for borderless prints.

Print Quality Output quality from the printer was every bit as good as we expected from a pigment printer at this level and equal to the results we’ve obtained from our 3880 printer. If anything, we think the new ink set produces slightly deeper blacks and marginally more vibrant colours than the 3880. But the differences are quite small.

Colour gradients were subtly reproduced and, although they were not as vibrant as those produced by a dye ink printer using glossy photo media, the depth and intensity of colours were excellent for a pigment printer. The best overall quality came from printing on matte papers, where media like Epson's Hot Press and Cold Press papers produced particularly attractive prints, both full-colour and in B&W prints. No evidence was found to suggest over-inking in areas of deep shadows.

We found some noticeable gloss differential (discontinuities in tonal boundaries) on prints made on glossy papers like Epson's Premium Photo Paper Glossy but little in the way of bronzing. Both can be common issues when pigment inks are used on glossy and semi-gloss media.

Gloss differential also affected prints made on Premium Lustre paper, although to a lesser extent, since the dimpled surface disrupts the discontinuities. It was only obvious when prints were viewed at an angle and would be irrelevant in prints that were destined to be framed behind glass. Metamerism wasn't an issue with prints from the SC-P800.

We found no evidence of head strike (which leaves marks on printed papers) and no smudging or banding on images. There were no feed or roller marks visible in any of the prints we made.

Ink CostsThe 3880's Job History function for tracking ink usage and the number of prints you’ve made at different output sizes has not been included in the P800 so it's difficult to provide precise ink costs based on our tests. This function is really useful for both professional and enthusiast photographers for calculating the running costs of the printer.

The ink monitor on the P800 captured at the start of our tests to show the ink levels when we received the printer.

Actual ink consumption will vary depending on the nature of the images you are printing, the paper type you use, the resolution and quality settings, how frequently you run the printer and environmental conditions such as temperature. But given the overall similarities of the ink systems in the two printers, we expect ink usage to be similar to the 3880's. For that printer, we found the average amount of ink used for an A3+ print was 2.25 ml, which means a typical A2 print would require about 4 ml of ink.

The nine-tank ink set contains a total of 720 ml of ink which Epson prices in Australia at AU$79 per 80 ml cartridge, adding up to a total of $711 for a complete ink set. These are the same prices as you would pay for cartridges for the Stylus Pro 3880 printer. This works out at just under AU$1 per millilitre for the ink alone; a little more if the cost of the maintenance cartridge (AU$22) is included.

You can reduce ink consumption "" and save money "" by switching off the automatic black ink swap function. At between $1.60 and $4.50 per changeover unwanted changes will soon add up to a significant hole in your budget.

Plan your printing to minimise the need for ink swapping by standardising on set of papers that can be printed with either Photo or Matte black and print in batches so that when you have to swap you only need to change inks once.

Conclusion Although it's a very capable A2+ desktop printer and will suit many professional users and some serious photo enthusiasts, the SC-P800 isn't a real game-changer. If you already have a 3880 that is working well there's no real need to replace it unless you really can't survive without integrated Wi-Fi. But if monitoring printing costs is important, you’d be better off sticking with the 3880.

The ink wastage that happens when the black inks are swapped remains an issue of concern. We’d also like to have seen a mode up-to-date USB 3 interface.

Aside from that, the new interface is attractive and the P800 is well built, easy to set up and operate and delivers high-quality prints. Photographers who have never printed their best images at A2 size should be delighted with the results they can obtain.

However, the P800 faces stiff competition from the up-coming Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000, which is likely to be priced below AU$2000 when it goes on sale in December. This printer is not listed yet on any of the local re-sellers’ sites we visited but can be found on several US sites at US$1299.99, which suggests the rumoured local price isn't far off the mark. Ink tanks will be priced at around AU$74 each (US$55 in North America).

You can find a detailed ‘First Look’ at this printer here. As well as costing less up-front, the PRO-1000 has the following advantages over the Epson printer:1. It comes with twelve 80 ml ink tanks, one of which contains a special Chroma Optimiser resin that fills in the gaps between the ink droplets to provide a uniform glossiness and minimise gloss differential and bronzing.2. The printer is supplied with a set of full-sized ink tanks, rather than the reduced-volume, ‘starter’ tanks provided with the P800.3. Each ink tank has its own line so no ink is wasted when switching between Photo and Matte Black inks. 4. A vacuum air feeding system has been added to the roller feed system to minimise paper movement during the printing process. In addition, a new feed detection and correction system reduces the incidence of paper mis-feeds.

But as far as we’ve been able to determine, the PRO-1000 doesn't support roll paper printing and its maximum printable length is 594mm, which could be a deal-breaker for some potential buyers.

The P800 has slightly higher resolution: 2880 x 1440 dpi compared with 2400 x 1200 dpi on the PRO-1000 and a minimum droplet size of 3.5 pl, compared with 4 pl on the PRO-1000. Whether this yields a noticeable difference in print quality is anyone's guess. Perhaps we’ll find out when the PRO-1000 becomes available for review.

Print head:Epson Micro Piezo with 180 nozzles/colour Resolution: 2880 x 1440 dpi Minimum droplet size: 3.5 picolitres (Variable Droplet Technology) Paper sizes: Up to A2+ sheets; 431.8 mm max. width with optional roll paper holder Max. paper thickness: 1.3 mm in front media path; 0.3 mm for top-loading and roll paper feeders Ink type: Pigment ink (Epson UltraChrome HD) Ink cartridges: Cyan, Vivid Magenta, Yellow, Light Cyan, Vivid Light Magenta, Light Black, Light Light Black, Photo Black, Matte Black Cartridge capacity: 80 ml (ships with a starter set of 64 ml cartridges) Control panel: 2.5-inch colour LCD with gesture control Interfaces: Hi-Speed USB, Ethernet (10BASE-T/100BASE – TX), Wi-Fi (IEEE802.11 Bb/g/n), Wi-Fi Direct, Epson iPrint, Mobile App, Apple Airprint, Google Cloud Print Power consumption: 21W operating, 1.2W standby, 0.5W sleep Acoustic noise: Approx. 49.6dB according to ISO 7779 Dimensions (wxhxd): 684 x 376 x 250 mm (closed printer only); 684 x 769 x 286 mm (open printer + roll paper unit) Weight: 19.5 kg (without bundled ink cartridges); 22.1 kg (printer + roll paper unit)

RRP: AU$2195; US$1295 (roll paper holder: AU$249; US$199.95)

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