Which is the best printer? Epson et-8550 vs Canon PRO-1100. Surely it's not a fair fight?

[@KeithCooper]

Please just ask if you've any questions? Don't forget the full categorised index of all my videos at www.northlight-images.co.uk/keith-cooper-photography-videos-index/ If you'd like to make a small donation towards my testing, I have a Kofi page: "Buy me a coffee" ko-fi.com/keithcooper. Buying stuff? I also have some affiliate links which earn me a small commission if used. US Amazon photo/print gear: amzn.to/3l9vJC6 B&H Photo: www.bhphotovideo.com/?BI=2008&KBID=2711&DFF=d10-v1-t8-x4 Adorama: www.adorama.com/?

[@MismanagedFutures]

hi Keith, I have a question. Do you know for how long Canon will continue to make ink for the Pro-1000 now that it's been discontinued? Have they mentioned anything to you, or do you have any experience from other models that were discontinued in the past?

[@KeithCooper]

@@MismanagedFutures I don't have specific info, but in the past I've assumed 7-8 years at least. The 1000 uses the same inks as the larger PRO printers, so I'd assume for longer than that, but... no actual info

[@MismanagedFutures]

@@KeithCooper Thanks Keith!

[@AZJack]

Timely video as I was considering the Pro 1100 over my et8550 only because of the pigment ink being a more stable ink over time. But since I get great prints now and the 1100 probably will not have a noticeable improvement, I will stay with the 8550. Thank you. Also if anyone wants to complain about the longevity of my prints, good luck. I turn 91 next month.

[@KeithCooper]

Splendid attitude - I've long said that print permanence is a matter for my estate to deal with ;-)

[@AZJack]

@@KeithCooper LOL, exactly

[@seppecelis9434]

Own the 8550 (bouth it after seeing your review and testing videos) and am a very happy owner. For me the cost of print makes it a perfect printer to experiment with. Cannot afford very expensive prints when experimenting and I do make way to many mistakes. this printer does not give me the shiffers when I press "PRINT". Tanks for the always very usefull info and reviews!

[@KeithCooper]

Glad I've been of help!

[@finde_den_fehler]

Hello Mr. Keith Cooper, Thank you for the extensive testing of the two printers Epson et-8550 and Canon Pro 1100. That makes the decision to find the right printer much easier for me. Greetings from Germany

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks!

[@richardterrell5309]

I have to applaud your attitude, honesty, testing and knowledge, it is liken is these days in what buy is difficult to know, as it is only by experience can you truthfully have real answers. I have yet to use my ET-8550 for the purpose I purchased it, as it has become a jack of all trades to produce counter to bureaucratic tape of a personal situation, hence your videos of explanation of my first reason to purchase, certainly it will be at the ready. Anyone who should doubt good reason to purchase, should too, give thought that Epson have produced a jewel to its crown so to speak, that is so useful and consistent, it’s ink compares in lasting as that a bottle of fairy liquid in not wasting a drop!

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - glad to helped!

[@blogonphotos]

Entirely agree, I did have Canon pro 300. Changed it to the Epson et-8550 and no drop in quality, just in the drop in printing costs,

[@KeithCooper]

yes - that's what matters to a lot of people

[@nigelsloley1576]

I have both the 8550 and Pro1000. I print cards on the 8550 and the odd photo print and it does a great job at a good running cost. The Pro1000 is predominantly used for larger art prints for display....love your work Keith and as always very informative and educational 👍

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - yes, both good

[@mikel6815]

@nigelsloley1576 thank you for the comment. Based on this excellent video and your comment my plan is to get the 8550, use it for cards and postcards and save any money made from that for the 1100 someday.

[@TimMcBroome]

Wonderful job running down the differences and why one is great for some things and one is great for other things. I agree that comparing a high end consumer printer vs a high end professional printer does not make much sense. The comparison I would love to see is the software interfaces. On the consumer level I have found that Canon software has limited functionality, and a poor interface experience. On the other hand I have found Epson software to be very functional, easy to work with, but also with a rather antiquated interface.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - yes, people still ask for a simple answer to questions like that though ;-) I have examples of their higher end software in all my reviews - however I simply don't use the more basic stuff at all and never use phones/tablets for anything more than a proof they will work, if you really want to... ;-)

[@RecklessFables]

I'm so glad I watch these videos Even after I already bought my 8550. For one, It makes me feel better about my purchase 😊. Second, I just started having some stupid skipping problems which I have not had since I bought the printer and your vids remind me that I probably just need to do a recalibration since the cleaning didn't work.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - it's not so often I get the chance to do 'follow up' work related to reviews.

[@dhscaresme]

I really appreciated the statement about first needing a nice photo to make a nice print! In that case you don’t need the best gear, and I do well when I’m reminded of that! Thanks for the excellent reviews, I’ve learned so much from this channel 👍👍👍

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - even with all the printing I do, I do need to remember that every so often!

[@lesladbrook4508]

Great idea to talk about the differences Keith, well done.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - they are printers aimed at very different markets so it's easier to come up with the comparisons

[@G0FUW]

I did a day at Fotospeed recently and tried printing on P900 and the like. The results on Platinum Baryta were better than on my 8550 (which only does a decent job via the back slot, and it is such a faff, I cannot be bothered with it), but the rest of the prints were not dramatically different. I continue to be very happy with the 8550 and really enjoy the A3 prints. Just wish we had more walls to hang them on! Keep up the good work Keith.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - baryta is amongst the weaker papers for the ink set of the 8550. I need to do a few more profiles and tests once I've finished the PRO-1100 review

[@billbromer]

Thanks. Another informative comparison. I print on my ET8550 weekly.

[@KeithCooper]

Glad it was helpful! - Thanks

[@andycooper4485]

Thanks Keith. You've certainly inspired me to get into printing with the 8550. As you say, experimentation is likely to be so important and expensive inks will be a hindrance to that. I'm likely to move on one day but you have to start somewhere. Cheers.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - it's gaining that expertise which can make a big difference.

[@andersphansson]

Great video again! New owner of ET-8550 after watching your videos and I’m very satisfied with my prints. 👍🇸🇪😊

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - glad it's doing well

[@-OzSteve]

Our camera club recently did a little exercise where a bunch of members printed out a test image (one of yours i think !) on a few different papers across a range of printers (everything from a basic 4-ink printer to high end epson) and i was genuinly surprised at how little difference there was, even with the old 4-ink printer. I'd honestly be happy with the output of any of them for my needs.

[@KeithCooper]

Yes, this often surprises people when they see it for real - it's one reason I don't try and show actual differences in videos

[@elliotresnick5433]

Great video! A few years ago I purchased a P800 and sold it later for the precise reasons you just mentioned. Now very happy with my ET-8550!!

[@KeithCooper]

Great to hear!

[@elliotresnick5433]

@@KeithCooper so what’s your recommendation for papers and ICC profiles to maximize results because up until now I have been using the Epson papers and corresponding profiles on the drop-down menu for color and b&w?

[@KeithCooper]

See my main written review for this www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/ In particular, note how the media settings can make a real difference.

[@bobkent6075]

Great video Keith, as I have said before I am more than happy with my 8550, to the point I would be tempted to by a spare if they announced it was to be discontinued and then just keep it safe somewhere. Also just a small note, I could hear a lot of rustling in the background, sounded like a cat was playing with wrapping paper :-)

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - that would likely be the fact it was blowing a gale outside and the kitchen air vents were having some difficulties... I can't hear that much, which would suggest Karen is right to get me to go and get my hearing checked ;-)

[@bobkent6075]

@@KeithCooper It wasnt much, but sadly I am easily distracted and I end up spending too much time trying to work out what the noise is :-) Don't let Karen know... you will certainly never hear the last of that ;-)

[@Cliff117]

For me, there is an absolute joy to making a nice photograph, and to me the photograph is not complete until it is printed. It does not even have to be matted or framed or hung in a gallery, it just has to be able to be seen. Since buying an Epson ET-8550 a few months ago, I have made hundreds of prints. However for the past three weeks I printed nothing except for one test page to make sure I don’t develop problems, just because other real life things got in the way. I’m not earning an income from photography or from printing photographs - but I sure seem to have invested a lot of money in various equipment to satisfy my hobbyist interest in it. I wish a 17” version of the ET-8550 was available. I would buy it in a heartbeat.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - I have passed on several related 'requests' when asked about this ;-) Not holding my breath for a larger printer at the moment though...

[@jpdj2715]

Yes, the 8550 is a great office printer with integrated scanner. It does relatively fabulous colour prints for half the price (in ink too) and has no cartridge issues with pigments needing to stay in suspension. I wouldn't buy it shortly because I have an A4 laser printer and stand-alone scanners. But had this been available in the past, I would have seriously considered it. This morning, my village had the e-grid drop out unplanned. Going back to some photo printers needs a lot of ink to start again, my A2 printer needed a minute of a few whizzes with a few squirts and that was it.

[@KeithCooper]

yes - one size does not fit all ;-)

[@brucemacneil]

Hi - appreciate your videos and wisdom. Still have not gotten a replacement for my 18 year old Epson 3800. - that 3800 has made thousands of letter sized and larger client prints on Epson Velvet paper. I am leaning towards the Canon 1100 - and thinking that for my workflow it should be fine. That is the root of my comment: for printing on a single paper type almost exclusively and getting that "recipe" dialed in and using it over and over again... I think it should be fine. If you ever wish to visit Canada - drop me a line.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks! A consistent workflow should give good results with any of these larger printers - you'll want an icc profile for VFA though. It does work well, but needs profiling on a Canon. Yes - need to get back travelling ;-)

[@dougelick8397]

The 8550 punches way above its weight. Being a dye printer can be an advantage. On the right paper, the prints can pop almost like Cibachromes.

[@KeithCooper]

Indeed - much 'fairer', but I've a longstanding policy of not doing many interbrand comparisons ;-) It is covered in my 'best printer to get into printing' video, and when I finish the 1100 review, I'll look at it compared to the 300 [spoiler - size and ink costs]

[@dougelick8397]

@@KeithCooper Ah, you responded so fast, you replied before I completed edits. I agree, which is why I deleted the comparison comment. I do find that the dye ink can be an advantage at times. On a "paper" like Mitsubishi Pictorico Pro Hi-Gloss or its clone, Oriental Graphica High Gloss, images are quite vibrant, almost "glow" in a way pigment prints can't. Both are thin, PET film papers, give results that are the closest analog to Cibachromes I've seen in modern times. Same for metallic papers, if that's your thing.

[@KeithCooper]

Yes, I'd love to test a 'pro' dye based printer, but 'dye' and 'pro' don't seem to go together at Epson or Canon... :-(

[@OrelRussia]

@@dougelick8397 have you ever tried Canson PhotoGloss Premium RC 270?

[@bifcake]

Hi Keith, Thank you for addressing my question. I feel you missed the essence of my question though. My question had less to do with which is best, but rather quantifying what best means strictly in terms of image quality. I wanted you to produce the best print you can on the 8550 and produce the best print you can of the same size on the 1100 and then either show us or talk us through the results and the differences you see. I am particularly interested in these differences when you squeeze the most out of the printers. Thanks again.

[@KeithCooper]

Yes, your question [thanks] was part of the inspiration for this, but no, I'm specifically not doing that sort of comparison in a video. There are far too many variables. Many of the differences might only show in measured data, but need a lot of explanation and discussion about which matter or are even 'real'. I do appreciate as well that a portion of my audience want 'more numbers', but they will usually have to look elsewhere for that ;-) This is also as far as I'll go in inter-brand comparisons - something I've generally avoided for 20 years of reviews.

[@bifcake]

@@KeithCooper thanks for your reply . Forget the numbers and forget the inter-brand comparisons. Can you tell me what a "better print" looks like made by a master printer printed on a "good" 6 ink printer and compared to a "good print" made with an 8, 10 or 11 ink printers. What differences would there be? If you can't show them, can you describe those differences? How can we decide if those differences are relevant without seeing the actual output?

[@KeithCooper]

@@bifcake One or more of the following on some images... many may need pointing out before anyone ever notices. Others may only show on some papers. Some are differences in profiling. Note that I'd not guarantee each would apply to the 'best' printer or be the same on different papers. As ever - just looking at the number of inks is often a marketing smokescreen - it is how those inks are used which matters. Smoothness in transitions between strong colours Smoothness of flat tone areas Better definition in areas of strong colour Depth of blacks Shadow detail Highlights/paper look Some saturated colours [light and dark] having greater intensity Smoother tonality in B&W Lack of colour tints in B&W Surface sheen Gloss differential Bronzing Range of papers which work well as opposed to OK Probably more, but that's a good list to start with...

[@bifcake]

@@KeithCooper That's great info! Thank you .

[@Time_Travelling_Brother_Louie]

Hi all. I use an Epson 8550 and find it a wonderful printer but is limited with Hahnemühle papers so have moved to Canson. I do wish I could justify the costs for the A2 of the P900 or the Canon 1100 but the maintenance costs will be too much as I print about once a week or sometimes 2 weeks. Keep up the amazing videos Keith.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks!

[@ISo404]

How limiting would you say? I print primarily on Hahnemühle (Baryta, Photorag, and William Turner) and am looking at a ET-85xx as a secondary printer for small odd prints...

[@Time_Travelling_Brother_Louie]

@@ISo404 paper handling is okay but over 300gsm it struggles after 6-10 prints but Hahnemühle removed all the ICC profiles for the 8550 as the colours were a mile off. It was like a colour blindness on blue, oranges and reds (my experience). There are many other paper manufacturers to choose from who offer great results if the eco tank is cost effective for you. My larger prints are do at a professional print company.

[@KeithCooper]

I did look at this in the main written review, but will return to some more 'higher end' papers for the 8550 in due course.

[@Time_Travelling_Brother_Louie]

@ that would be great. I found using Media Type Plain Paper on Photo Rag to give best results. 😳

[@andreasbelz2110]

Hi Keith, great video. How ist the epson to handle when you don't use it daily. Stay on or off? How when you are in holiday for 3 weeks, p.ex.?

[@KeithCooper]

I'd try and print something every couple of weeks - even if only a nozzle check - 3-4 weeks would not concern me in the way it would for larger printers.

[@jtidsskids]

I have an ET-8550 and it appears (so far) to tolerate being unused for a few weeks without any issues with clogging.

[@andreasbelz2110]

​@@jtidsskids Thanks

[@theblackandwhitefilmproject]

FYI I had an issue with my Canon Pro 300 printing using Canon Professional Print and Layout software. I started receiving a Standby error message and it wouldn't print. Canon help after two days couldn't fix the problem. I decided myself to go out and buy a 5m USB cable and connect the printer directly to the computer directly instead of WiFi even though there was no WiFi error message from the maintenance printout. Problem solved! The Pro 300 gives good results but as per your suggestion in a previous video I am mopping up a lot of spilt ink on the base foam. If there is any curvature at all to the paper some ink can end on the paper edge.I only print B+W but still seem to go through the colour inks more often than I would like. Thanks for all your tips and advice. Regards.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - yes, USB can still be the answer! Glad to help

[@photonsonpixels]

Thank you for your insightful tutorial, Keith. Can you help me to understand what is the reasonable space needed for the ET-8550? The dimensions change drastically between "stored" and "printing"; ie The depth doubles (14.9" stored vs 29.8" printing) and the height more than doubles (6.7" vs 16.9"). As I prepare to buy this printer for Christmas, I need to ensure I have the proper printer table size and the proper space to maneuver. Can you help me out? Dimensions alone make you think this is a monster of a printer, but I know it is not. Thank you!

[@KeithCooper]

See the actual review for this? [about half way through] www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/

[@richball3260]

An interesting comparison. I own the ET-8550 and am very pleased with it. I use both as office printer and photo printer. The photo work is, in part, to make prints that I can look at before I send them off to be printed by a specialized fine art printing service. Have you ever compared your prints to ones by a specialized fine art printing company?

[@KeithCooper]

I've never actually had any prints made :-) ...I got my first 'big' printer - a 44" width Epson SP9600 back in 2004. That said, I have had questions about this from a big company - nothing likely until next year I'd suspect... Not sure they necessarily want a comparison with 'one of my best' :-)

[@richball3260]

@@KeithCooper I envy you for having a really large printer for your use. For those of us who are less fortunate going to an outside resource for prints larger than 13X19 is necessary. I understand that you as a professional are necessarily very fussy about the quality of your prints. I don't know how to assess the quality of my purchase. I just to be able to hang something I feel is a reasonably accurate representation of my work. The other aspect that makes using an outside resource is the availability of things like metal prints and canvas.

[@KeithCooper]

@@richball3260 Liking the results is key... I'll be happy putting up prints on our walls made with our new 8550 ;-)

[@phouth5]

If Epson made a refillable 8-color printer with the additional light cyan and light magenta or a 9-color adding a light gray, I'd buy that in a heartbeat. Would be absolutely fantastic to expand brighter colors in those areas, but for now, I'll just settle with the 8550. (if you're watching this Epson, you know what we all want)

[@KeithCooper]

Yes, a popular request I hear...

[@anulearntech]

Around 6 mins in the vide I thought a Ferrari analogy would fit in well, and there you had it.😅😅

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - I was almost tempted to mention a camera brand beginning with 'L' or 'H' ;-)

[@janbrittenson210]

One factor often missed is that the Pro-1000/Pro-1100/P800/P900 are 17" carriage versions of families that include 24", 44" and 60" carriage printers. So they can be used to proof prints at 17" width before sending out to a shop to make larger copies. Sharpening can be judged by sizing for the larger printer and printing crops. This is why it's IMO appropriate to refer to them as "art business" printers... Also, for printers like this there are lots of paper vendor profiles, which are often perfectly good.

[@KeithCooper]

Yes, but with some provisos The 1100 shares print heads with the 2600 et al. but have different 'tuning' of the print heads so that the big printers are faster - shows in profiles not being the same. The 700/900 only share a print head with the P5300, none of the larger printers - the P5000 shares it with the P7000. None of the current larger Epson heads are found in smaller printers. The better vendors will supply good papers with profiles for the 8550 as well as the bigger stuff. Some paper suppliers do still think the 8550 a bit 'beneath' them ;-)

[@inspiredartphotos]

I am considering an Epson 8550. I have a vast assortment of Canon Photo Papers. Most are 5 years old. Most of the paper is Canon Photo Paper Pro Luster or Canon Pro Platinum Photo. How suitable are these papers for the Epson 8550? (Thickness, age and compatibility) Do you have profiles for these combinations? My two current printers a Pro10 and a Photo100 are a real pain to keep configured for a wireless environment. I have spent hours on the phone with Canon Support. Spectrum removed the WEP button on their newer routers. My current Epson 4760 ECOTANK just works beautifully.

[@KeithCooper]

They work just fine. I've not profiled any Canon papers with the 8550 though... [I might when I next do some profiling, but no time soon] They are very similar to Epson Premium Lustre and PGPP

[@inspiredartphotos]

@ thanks Keith!

[@davidkorosec5887]

Hi Keith, So would you put the Epson P900 into the "ferrari" category- not suitable for a beginner in printing? I want to get into printing and have some recent experience printing on a friend's P600. The friend of course has done all the heavy lifting with profiles and papers- so I know I have a lot to learn. Over the years I have found myself buying gear or starting out in the low or mid ranges then eventually work up to pro grade. Looking back I "wasted" $$ on 2 inferior aluminum tripods and outgrew them before I finally paid for decent carbon fiber one so really paid 3x when I shouldve just bit the bullet and gotten the more sturdy tripod in the beginning. Same story w Camera bags- ended up paying for a cheap, then mid-grade that combined cost me as much as the nice Shimoda that I eventually bought. I'm am advanced hobby photographer, not a pro. But looking to retire in a few years and plan to keep busy on weekends at some local Art fairs maybe trying to sell prints, calendars or cards. I wont need to make a living at it- just a little supplemental income to help w travel. I'm not afraid of the ink costs, but I do fear making the same mistake of buying a "learner" model P8550 for $600 only to outgrow it in a few years and need / want o upgrade to a 17in printer. Then have to pay $1200 only a few years later on a higher end printer.

[@KeithCooper]

A lot depends on your approach to learning things, and of course budget... My own first 'serious' printer was a 44" Epson SP9600 in 2004, so I'd never suggest going 'small' if you feel that a 'better' printer is right for you. I mention the 'Ferrari' analogy here perhaps more to remind people that _just_ buying a top notch printer is no guarantee of better prints... My own opinion is that you can learn and refine your work on any good printer. The 8550 is just one which I've found many can work with without breaking the bank.

[@MichaelWinkels-hp3qx]

One question I haven't found a clear answer(to me) answer on is the concept of a custom profiles being better than a typical icc profile that for example Hahnemuhle provides on their website. Is it so that the sample variation amongst the same printer model would mean the paper manufacturer's profile has to be on the "safe" side in order to prevent going overboard with some printers that deviate from its theoretically same ones within the same model ? I'm speculating here because I just don''t know. Following this thought pattern, would a custom profiles then enable a printer to be used up to its limits for a certain paper ? (I don't even want to take in to consideration that one and the same printer might deliver different result under different circumstances like temperature, humidity, etc) I just don't know , but would love to hear from informed sources on this. One thing I get is that consistency in the printing process is key to get the prints you want to get by changing one variable only when desiring a different result. So, this is probably just a long way to ask if I should have custom profiles made for my printer/paper combination. :-)

[@KeithCooper]

There used to be much more variance in printers, which meant that a 'canned' profile was less likely to be a good one. OK, but not great. Essentially, modern suppliers' profiles are much more likely to be useful. This has reduced the utility of doing your own profiles and, I suspect, the amount of business for people making such profiles. Add to that the fact that good paper suppliers will make profiles for you and I see far fewer enquiries about DIY profiling these days ;-) TLDR No - use a good paper supplier ;-)

[@MichaelWinkels-hp3qx]

@@KeithCooper thank you, again. It gives me peace to not go down the rabbit hole of doing my own profiling, spending serious money, time, and energy, while distracting me from printing. ;-)

[@MichaelWinkels-hp3qx]

btw, the ko-fi site does not take Mastercard although it says so :-( (I don't use PayPal).

[@KeithCooper]

Ah - I did not know that. Thanks for trying though

[@ChicagoRob2]

Jose Rodriguez just made comparison prints from the Pro-1000 and ET-8550. The prints looked virtually identical.

[@KeithCooper]

Excellent - with the right paper choices and good profiles the two can be more similar than many might assume.

[@grahamjohn3603]

The 8550 is still a really great printer especially for gloss where you still see the paper finish and not the pigment ink and gloss optimiser splurged on top

[@KeithCooper]

Yes - distinct benefits in some areas. That said, I'm inclined to believe it's only ever the people making the prints who care that much about paper finish [myself included]

[@anulearntech]

The 8550 also has some other general purpose office printing solutions that one can use. I dont know how much this canon 1100 can do in this domain. So even if and when you upgrade to a better "professional" printer, this still remains useful and off course its cheaper.

[@KeithCooper]

Yes - despite me testing it, the printer was indeed purchased for Karen's office - it's just taking a while making it to the top floor of the house ;-)

[@Photoss73]

I am waiting for my ET-8550 printer (bought yesterday evening online). The R1900 has no more ink cartridges in shops (15 years seems to be too old for Epson, april 2024 : the end).

[@KeithCooper]

Hope it works well for you

[@musicus7781]

My 8550 doesn't load paper anymore in the top rear feed after 10 months (it seems the pickup roller isnt even moving there). The manual rear feed is way too flimsy for reliable usage in my opinion - also the overall build quality seems not to be designed for longevity. Print quality is great and ink is cheap... Does somebody have an idea how to repair the top back feed? Otherwise i would have to send it to Epson... Thanks for your great detailed printer Videos!

[@KeithCooper]

Try here www.printerknowledge.com I believe the rear feed mechanism is a replaceable part - not investigated this further though,

[@mikel6815]

I am so close to buying the 1100 but I would like to know about what thickness of paper this machine can handle. Can it print smaller images like 4x6?

[@KeithCooper]

Yes - I just tested some 6x4 postcards on it. Semigloss card, printed borderless - not at all fast, but 310gsm Only a few sizes available borderless

[@mikel6815]

​@KeithCooper what printer would you suggest for printing cards? I have a significant market opportunity but need a suggestion for a decent printer for cards.

[@KeithCooper]

@@mikel6815 Cards are a tricky one, because if it's a 'significant market opportunity' it's likely some reasonable volume - hence speed and being able to stack cards for input matter. It also depends on the type and size of media required. I was just testing some 150mm x 150mm cards [150x300] and on this printer, whilst you can stack quite a few, you have a forced margin of about 6mm at the ends [limitations for custom sizes] If you print A5 cards [A4 folded] then full borderless is available. The 1100 is surprisingly good for cards and won't mark thicker/softer media like _some_ 8550 printers can Once you introduce that card requirement it changes everything... Best solution for making any volume of cards? Large sheets and invest in a cutter and creaser...

[@mikel6815]

@KeithCooper I commented to one of your other followers about using the 8550 to start and then investing in the 1100 when it makes more financial sense to do so

[@istvann.huszar420]

I would have loved to see at least one print in a 12-minute video. Or at least an example of an image where you saw a remarkable difference between the prints. I understand that differences are often not that visible in a video, but you have working, calibrated setups with both printers, and as such, gamut comparisons would have added value to this video.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks but... not happening I'm afraid - and quite deliberately too ;-) I specifically avoid gamut comparisons or anything like that in more general and non technical videos like this. That is the sort of thing which needs context and careful explanation, if it is to be meaningful or useful. Without making a much more technical video [and losing most of the audience] any comparisons would be simplistic at best, and not necessarily very meaningful. Yes it's quite easy to see differences in, for example, baryta papers, but paper choice is something I cover in the 8550 review. Much depends on just why you want a printer and your budget...

[@istvann.huszar420]

@@KeithCooper Thanks for your reply, Keith. Fair enough, you know your audience. I do imaging research, so I was just providing my own perspective. :)

[@KeithCooper]

Yes, I can appreciate that. I tend to pitch my more technical stuff in articles [where I can refine/edit/update drafts] as opposed to videos which are shot in one take without scripts ;-) I often see the videos as promos for articles, if they are connected... Once I've finished the PRO-1100 review, I've an article on aspects of BPC to think about. No video though until that's done!

[@john-lenin]

The big advantage of 11 inks is that Canon can sell you more ink

[@KeithCooper]

12... don't forget the colour optimiser ;-)

[@iainmacpherson7188]

You neglected to mention that for a Mac, Canon does not update its software after a few years and you might be stuck running an older OS for printing or AirPrint. Epson at least put in some effort to keep updating the software.

[@KeithCooper]

I'd not necessarily say there is such a clear difference - then again I keep virtual Macs running to run old stuff if needed. That said, Epson does seem better at supporting older systems - the pro-1100 for example won't work on this older system [10.15] I keep for test use.

[@marcusoutdoors4999]

I’ve completely given up on Canon. Their customer support is woeful and their printers are simply unreliable both in terms of function and connectivity. It’s a shame but they’ve lost the plot.

[@KeithCooper]

I've not dealt with support, but for the printers I look at [A3+ and above] I cannot agree with your generalisation