This A3+ inkjet printer promises fast, professional-quality prints and boasts Wi-Fi and cloud print connectivity
Relatively few photographers make the effort to produce their own prints and for those that do, the majority print on affordable yet capable all-in-one units. For the more serious users, there are a range of printers that print A3 or larger at a quality suitable for exhibition use. Canon and Epson dominate this market, both producing a superb range of printers.
The Epson SC-P600 replaces the highly-regarded R3000 in the range and is aimed at enthusiasts and professionals looking to produce exceptional-quality prints. Along with a nine-colour inkset to ensure brilliant black & whites as well as colour prints, and fast print speeds, the Epson is up to speed on printing options, with a variety of wireless options as well as via USB or Ethernet.
Setting up the printer proved very easy, with no problems at all loading the software on to our Chillblast Fusion Photo ОС Lite PC and Apple iMac. The on-screen instructions are easy to follow and, once installed, further adjustments to the printer's settings (as well as routine maintenance) is easy to do thanks to the neat tilting touchscreen display and set of large buttons. The Epson's build quality and design is excellent, but the plastic panel that surrounds the screen seems cheap in comparison, but that's only a minor niggle.
The Epson uses nine pigment-based inks, with larger-than-normal 25.9ml cartridges. Only eight of the nine inks are used at any one time - the use of the matte and photo black cartridges depends on the paper type. The printer automatically switches between each when required, but this involves a small amount of ink being used to purge the system, so you're best printing all you need on one type before switching to the other to save on ink costs in the long run.
As well as the standard sheet feed, a rear roll feeder allows for panoramas as wide as 13in and as long as 10ft, while a front feed allows for an assortment of paper types as thick as 1.3mm, as well as CD printing. Considering its relatively compact size, that's a good set of printing options.
We produced prints on a selection of Epson papers and, rather than install our own profile sets, relied on Epson's profiles, using the 'printer manages colours' option in Photoshop. A range of subjects were printed, from colourful flowers to coastal landscapes to portraits and architecture, allowing colour and skin reproduction as well as sharpness and vibrancy to be accessed. A similar range of subjects were used to access the printer's capabilities for monochrome printing as well.
The Epson produced a faultless performance, delivering prints that would not look out of place hanging on the wall of any home or exhibition hall. The 2pl droplets result in very fine detail being printed, giving incredibly sharp results. Despite the rather basic profile set-up used (setting up your own profiles should produce even better results), no colour casts were noted and the colours were solid and accurate. Tonal gradations were smooth and skin tones are beautifully reproduced. Monochrome prints on Epson's superb Premium Luster Photo Paper could easily have been produced in a darkroom, with very neutral greys, solid blacks and clean whites.
Epson's claims that the SC-P600 prints quickly were well founded. Colour prints took just over two minutes for an A4 print on premium paper, while an A3+ colour print took around four and a half minutes. That's impressive. With Wi-Fi becoming more popular, we wondered if the Epson set-up would work well or struggle, and thankfully no problems were encountered whether used wired or over Wi-Fi.
The Epson SC-P600 has very little going against it. The running costs of this type of printer will always need keeping in check, and while the usage of ink when switching paper is a tad annoying, there is nothing else to complain about in terms of ink usage.
Overall, the Epson represents a fantastic option whether you're an enthusiast looking to print their favourite images or a professional looking to sell or exhibit their work. Anyone investing in the SC-P600 will surely have a printer that will deliver superb prints for many years to come.
VERDICT
This is, quite simply, one of the very best A3+ printers you can buy, scoring brilliantly in every department from ease of use to range of features. Where it triumphs is with its printing speed and the quality of its output If you plan a medium to high volume of prints in both colour and black & white, there is little to touch it.