Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 Wireless Wide-Format Color All-in-One Supertank Printer - Scanner, Copier - Ethernet - 4.3-inch Color…
Best for
Best premium photo printer
Amazon rating
Amazon aggregate, one input among many in the Verdict Score
Based on 2 trusted sources
Current price
$635.00
Updated May 18, 2026 · 1 min read
Sources behind this verdict
11 reviewers weighted by source trust
The consensus
What reviewers found
Synthesized across the trust-weighted source mix below.
Across the reviewers we read, the EcoTank Photo ET-8550 is the consensus pick when photo output is the priority. RTINGS measures it producing a 4x6 print in just over 48 seconds and rates photo speed favorably, and r/photography threads include a user calling it 'the best under $5,000 photo printer I have ever used,' with side-by-side comparisons to lab prints. r/printers and r/Epson contributors echo that the per-dollar quality is hard to beat, especially given the EcoTank refillable economics on a wide-format A3+ machine.
What reviewers liked
- RTINGS measured fast 4x6 photo output at roughly 48 seconds per print
- r/photography specialist consensus rates print quality as comparable to professional service bureaus
- Six-ink dye system plus refillable tanks deliver photo quality with low per-print cost
- Handles A3+ wide-format prints in a desktop footprint
Where it falls short
- luminous-landscape and other reviewers note slow and merely-good document printing
- r/artbusiness threads flag inconsistent quality control across units
- r/photography users report needing regular head-cleaning cycles to avoid striping
- High upfront cost at $635 puts it out of casual-buyer range
Across the reviewers we read, the EcoTank Photo ET-8550 is the consensus pick when photo output is the priority. RTINGS measures it producing a 4x6 print in just over 48 seconds and rates photo speed favorably, and r/photography threads include a user calling it 'the best under $5,000 photo printer I have ever used,' with side-by-side comparisons to lab prints. r/printers and r/Epson contributors echo that the per-dollar quality is hard to beat, especially given the EcoTank refillable economics on a wide-format A3+ machine.
The disagreement worth naming: luminous-landscape characterizes document quality as merely 'very good (but not excellent)' and the printer as slow for text, and r/artbusiness flags quality-control variability across units. r/photography users also note that the print heads do need periodic cleaning, with light striping appearing on prints when heads get dirty. PCMag's coverage adds a mainstream-press perspective but doesn't override the specialist consensus.
The trust-weighted verdict is a printer that punches well above its price for photographers and artists making their own prints, with the usual EcoTank caveats: it needs to be used, kept clean, and isn't the right tool if your primary workload is text documents.
- Cartridge-free printing for lab-quality photos, graphics and creative projects — get vibrant colors and sharp text with Epson's high-accuracy printhead and Claria ET Premium 6-color inks; print a 4 x 6" photo in as fast as 15 seconds (4)
- Extraordinary media support, including borderless photos up to 13" x 19" — accommodates cardstock, CD/DVDs and other specialty media up to 1.3 mm thick; auto 2-sided printing
- Amazing value — save a ridiculous amount on photos (1) and creative projects with affordable in-house photo printing; print 4" x 6" photos for about 4 cents each vs. 40 cents with traditional ink cartridges (1)
- Save up to 80% with low-cost replacement ink bottles vs. ink cartridges (3) — that's about $2000 on each set (3), enough ink to print up to 6,200 pages color (5)
- Print up to 2 years (2) — with each included and replacement ink bottle set
- Zero cartridge waste — with high-yield ink bottles; each replacement ink bottle set is equivalent to about 100 individual ink cartridges (6)
- Print, scan and more from your mobile device (7) with Epson Smart Panel app (8) — set up, monitor and operate your printer directly from your mobile device; supports iOS and Android
- Intuitive touch display and wireless connectivity — 4.3" color display, voice-activated printing (9) and more for fast, easy performance
For nearly a decade, Bill focused on printer and scanner technology and reviews for PCMag, and wrote about computer technology since well before the advent of the internet. He authored or co-authored 20 books—including titles in the popular Bible, Secrets, and For Dummies series—on digital…
This is by far the easiest, cheapest to use, and quality printer I have ever seen, on a per dollar spent basis.
I can safely say it is the best "under $5000" photo printer I have ever used. Side-by-side with service bureau prints you can't tell the ...
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“Epson EcoTank ET” · 8550 Review for Making Art Prints
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