Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 review

The photo printer with almost no running cost, and a straight account of what dye ink in tanks does not do.

The verdict: A cartridge-free wide-format all-in-one that prints photos up to 13 inches wide from refillable tanks, with up to two years of ink in the box, plus scanning and copying. Buy it if you print a lot of photos and creative projects and want the running cost to stop being the reason you do not print. Skip it if you sell or exhibit prints, where pigment permanence from a SureColor P700 is the standard and dye ink is not.

Cheapest photo printing here

Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 Wireless Wide-Format All-in-One Tank Printer

~$668

A cartridge-free wide-format all-in-one photo printer with refillable ink tanks, up to two years of ink in the box, printing, scanning and copying.

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Specifications

Spec	Detail
Ink system	Cartridge-free, refilled from ink bottles
Ink supply	Up to 2 years of ink in the box, and with every replacement set
Output	Lab-quality photos, graphics and creative projects, from 4 by 6 upward
Functions	Print, scan and copy
Format	Wide format, up to 13 inches
Refill frequency	Bottles do not need changing nearly as often as cartridges, per Epson

Specifications above come from Epson's published specifications. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

What it does well

The running cost is transformative. Cartridge photo printing is expensive enough that people ration it; tank printing removes that, and the printer you use is worth more than the printer you own.
Two years of ink in the box is a real head start, and it means the machine is not immediately asking for money.
13 inches wide covers A3+ output, which is a genuine photo printing size rather than a snapshot size.
It scans and copies too, so it can be the household machine rather than a second device alongside one.
Refilling from bottles is cleaner and less fiddly than people expect, and the tanks are visible so you always know where you stand.

Where it falls short

It uses dye ink, not pigment. Dye prints are more prone to fading, which is why professional and gallery printing uses pigment. For prints that are sold, exhibited or expected to last decades, this is the wrong machine.
Tank printers dislike being idle just as cartridge printers do, and a clogged head on a tank printer is the same problem with cheaper ink behind it. Our printhead cleaning versus new printer comparison covers what that costs.
The purchase price is high compared with a cartridge printer of similar specification. You are prepaying for ink, which is a good trade only if you print enough to use it.
Photo output on plain paper is still photo output on plain paper. Media quality remains the main lever on how good a print looks. Our photo paper versus plain paper comparison covers it.
Refilling means handling ink bottles, and while the design is tidy, this is not a machine for a shared office where nobody wants to be responsible for it.

What owners report

Owner reports on EcoTank photo models are consistently enthusiastic about running costs and consistently note the behavioural change: people print more, because printing no longer feels expensive. That is the strongest argument for the format.

The recurring caveat is print permanence. Owners who compared prints against pigment output describe the difference, and the reasonable summary is that these are excellent household and creative printers and not fine art printers. Reports also consistently advise printing regularly to avoid head issues.

Who it suits

Households and hobbyists printing photos regularly.
Crafters and creative projects where volume matters more than archival permanence.
Anyone who wants one machine for photos, scanning and copying.

Who should skip it

Anyone selling or exhibiting prints, who needs pigment. Our photo printer versus all-in-one comparison covers the split.
Very low-volume users, who will not recover the higher purchase price in ink savings.
Offices printing high volumes of text, where a mono laser is faster and cheaper. Our EcoTank versus cartridge printer comparison works through where tanks win.

Alternatives worth considering

For Prints That Last

Epson SureColor P700 13-Inch Printer

~$699

The same 13-inch width with UltraChrome PRO10 pigment ink, dedicated photo and matte black nozzles and no ink switching. Far higher running costs and the permanence and gamut that selling prints requires.

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Documents Instead

Epson EcoTank ET-4850 Wireless Color All-in-One Supertank Printer

~$459

The same cartridge-free idea aimed at documents rather than photos: 15.5ppm black, auto duplex and a full all-in-one feature set. If your printing is mostly paperwork with occasional photos, this is the cheaper and more sensible tank printer.

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Dye, But Professional

Canon PIXMA PRO-200S Professional 13-inch Wireless Inkjet Photo Printer

~$549

An 8-colour dye system with borderless printing up to 13 by 19 inches and a bordered A3+ print in about 90 seconds. Cartridge-based, so it costs more to run, and its colour on glossy paper is a step above a household tank printer.

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Common questions

Is EcoTank ink really cheaper?

Per millilitre, dramatically. A bottle of tank ink costs a fraction of the equivalent volume in cartridges, which is why the purchase price is higher: you are prepaying for ink. The break-even depends on how much you print, and our EcoTank versus cartridge printer comparison works it through with real volumes.

Will EcoTank photo prints fade?

Dye-based prints are more susceptible to fading than pigment prints, particularly in direct light. For albums, framing away from sunlight and everyday use they hold up well. For prints that are sold, exhibited or expected to last decades, pigment is the standard and this is not a pigment printer.

Can it print borderless photos?

It is designed for photo output from 4 by 6 upward and up to 13 inches wide, which covers the standard photo sizes people print at home. Check the exact borderless sizes supported in Epson's specification for the media you plan to use, because support varies by size.

Do tank printers clog?

They can, like any inkjet, if left unused for long periods. Cheap ink does not prevent a dry nozzle. Printing something every week or two is the reliable prevention, and it costs almost nothing on a tank printer, which is one more argument for the format.

EcoTank or a laser for a home office?

A tank printer if you print photos, colour and mixed content; a mono laser if you print text and want speed and the lowest cost per page. Many home offices end up with both, which sounds excessive until you price colour laser toner. Our toner versus ink cost per page comparison covers the numbers.

Keep reading

This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.