Photoshop_User_July_2017

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Reviews

Company: Epson America, Inc.

Price: $1,995

Rating

Hot: Increased color gamut; reliability

Not: No USB 3 connectivity

The new Epson A2, SureColor P5000 printer replaces the vener-

able Epson 4900 with a new print head design, a new ink formu-

lation, and overall ease of use. From the outside, the two printers

look identical; however, the P5000 is large (34x30.2x15.9") and

heavy (115 lbs.), and this might be a consideration for those with

limited space. The P5000 is aimed at demanding photographers

who require reliable, high-quality prints, but are content with

print sizes limited to 8x10" through 17x22". I reviewed the P5000

Standard Edition, which includes Epson’s Advanced B&W printing

mode and is intended for photographers.

The P5000 has four paper feeds, three sheet feeds, and a

built-in roll paper feed with cutter. The roll feed, which is power-

driven, is ideal for panoramic prints. The front sheet feed is for

thick stock up to 1.5mm. The paper cassette has the benefit of

stacking multiple sheets of paper from 8x10" up to 17x22" and

the added convenience of automatically switching between it and

the roll feeder. The rear sheet feed is actually on top of the printer

and has one annoying glitch: Its back paper support is flimsy and

only telescopes out a few inches, allowing 17x22" paper to flop

backwards. Despite that, I didn’t have any paper-skewing issues;

however, I found that it was important to follow Epson’s explicit

directions to avoid problems.

The SureColor P5000 seems to have fixed the issue of persistent

clogged nozzles that plagued the 4900 by using an ink repellent

coating on its print head; by using seals to prevent dust from enter-

ing; and instituting automatic inkless nozzle checks. In more than a

month, I haven’t experienced a single clogged nozzle.

Setup is straightforward, and connectivity is Ethernet or sur-

prisingly USB 2 instead of the faster USB 3. The P5000 isn’t Wi-Fi

enabled. Epson supplies excellent ICC paper profiles on installation.

The printer comes packaged with eleven 80-ml cartridges, and

each standard cartridge holds 200 mls. The new UltraChrome

HDK ink formulation includes black ink that’s 1.5 times denser than

earlier formulations, and the difference is clear on PK paper and

especially MK papers, which usually suffer from muddy blacks. The

deeper, richer black provides increased contrast and helps to set

Review by Steve Baczewski

Raising the Bar

Epson

SureColor

P5000