The Epson SureColor P900, the successor to the Epson SureColor P800, was released in October 2020. This versatile printer with high-performance hardware is for design-conscious professional photographers and artists with a keen eye for details. The new Epson large format printer is leaner than the previous generation models. Although it is an A2+ printer, it measures 0.5 by 24.2 by 35.6 inches (HxWxD), which is 30 percent smaller than the P800. Moreover, this Epson printer weighs 35.3 lbs, 14 pounds lighter than the prior version. The SureColor P900 incorporates an impeccable pro-grade wide format printing technology into a sleek, compact design, facilitating the production of exhibition-quality prints.
Easy to Set Up
Getting the Epson SureColor P900 printer up and running is a breeze. After unpacking the printer, hold the round button near the screen to fire it up. The P900 springs to life, and you will be guided through detailed instructions on the screen to set up the device. Loading inks to the Epson wide format printer is easy as you just need to register the inks and preload ink into the print head, which will take around 15 minutes.
Ink Cartridge
The Epson P900 is backed by the new “UltraChrome PRO10” cartridge formulated with ten-colour archival pigment ink and an expanded colour gamut. This pigment-based ink cartridge utilizes ten different colour inks. The ten inks present in P900 are Photo Black, Matte Black, Grey, Light Grey, Cyan, Light Cyan, Yellow, Vivid Magenta, Vivid Light Magenta, and Violet, and help create superior quality mono and colour photo prints. The all-new violet ink added to the 10-cartridge ink set broadens the colour gamut for reproducing blue tones accurately.
Moreover, it is also the first Epson A2 printer with dedicated ink channels for Photo Black and Matte Black inks. You would have to switch photo black and matte black inks in the older models, which was a hassle. Clearing out the print channel and refilling it with the alternative inks was not only time-consuming but also costly. Thankfully, the Epson P900 features dedicated nozzles for both black ink types, eliminating channel sharing and switching.
The P900 also includes Black Enhanced Overcoat technology to create richer blacks on glossy and metallic glossy photo media. This feature is selected under the new special driver mode, “Carbon Black Driver”, designed to improve the black density, contrast, and tonality while simultaneously reducing bronzing. If you are a big fan of glossy black and whites or even quality colour prints with deeper blacks present, you will love this new feature of P900.
Compared to the P800, its successor comes with a downside: lower capacity ink cartridges. The new wide format photo printing machine has smaller ink tanks with a 50 mL capacity, and what is even worse is that the setup cartridges supplied with the P900 don’t last very long. However, the reasonable price of ink is a plus to consider.
Print Resolution and Speed
The maximum print resolution of this Epson wide format printer is an impressive 5760 x 1440 dpi. The P900 can produce gallery-quality borderless prints up to 17 by 22 inches and supersized banners 10 feet 9 inches long on roll media. Moreover, this Epson inkjet printer claims to print an 8.5-by-11 inch sheet in under 90 seconds. The SureColor P900 efficiently handles every task and delivers exceptional quality oversized photos, graphics, and banners with industry-leading print permanence.
Easy to Use
Another notable improvement for this Epson large format printer over its predecessor is the addition of a 4.3-inch customizable touchscreen. The new colour-calibrated, high-definition LCD screen of P900 provides easy access to various functions and simplifies the print tasks. In fact, you can even customize the screen to display only the information that’s relevant to you, making it more user-friendly and delightful to use. Another nice touch of the Epson P900 is the translucent area in its top area, with an option to enable interior LED illumination. This functionality allows you to watch the print being made and gives greater assurance that you have used the right setups.
Connectivity
The Epson P900 wide format photo printing interface supports Ethernet, USB 3.0, and wireless connectivity. In addition to that, it offers mobile and cloud printing services such as Epson Connect, Apple AirPrint, and Google Cloud Print, thus allowing printing directly from your smartphones. However, the P900 model does not support SD cards or a USB thumb drive.
Media Handling
The P900 offers professional media handling features with three paper feed options: main top loading, front media path, and an optional roll adapter. The top feed, located in the centre of the tray, can hold up to 30 sheets of photo paper, 120 sheets of plain paper, and one sheet of thick fine art paper. You can find the front single sheet path by pulling a tab above the output tray, and it is ideal for fine art media and poster boards. If you wish to print panoramic and non-standard sized prints, you have to shell out an extra amount for the roll paper feeder. The media handling functions of Epson P900 are easy to use, and it takes around two minutes from start to ready to print.
Final Thoughts
The Epson SureColor P900, descending from a long line of top quality inkjet photo printers, continues the legacy of imaging excellence. This 17-inch wide photo and fine art quality inkjet printer, with its better ink system, intuitive touchscreen, and impressive print quality, delivers rich and spectacular outputs. If you are after superior quality photo and artwork reproductions, Epson SureColor P900 is your best bet.
