It can be hard to understand the world of home printing. You want great quality without having to pay a lot for ink. Epson has a great answer. Say hello to the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 Wireless Color All-in-One Supertank Printer. Families and people who love taking pictures will love this printer. It takes beautiful, bright pictures. Even better, its operating costs are among the lowest.
The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 is a very similar printer that gets a lot of good reviews. The Epson ET-8500 is great for regular photo and document needs, but the Epson ET-8550 can handle bigger paper. It has become one of the best options for printing photos at home. This guide will teach you everything you need to know about the Epson 8500 printer. We will look at its features, answer questions that people often have, and see how it stacks up against other models.
Important Features of the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500
Let’s go over what you get.
1. Photo Quality That Can’t Be Beat
The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 is made for taking pictures. This includes the usual colors: black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. It also adds Gray and Photo Black ink. Your pictures will have amazing depth and detail with these extra inks. You get skin tones that are true to life and smooth gradients. You can get lab-quality prints right from your home office. This is why it’s one of the best Epson EcoTank printers for pictures.
2. The EcoTank System, which is a game-changer
No more expensive ink cartridges. The Epson ET-8500 is a printer with a Supertank. It has big ink tanks that can be filled again. There are enough ink bottles for the printer. Many people can use this first set for up to two years. The price per page is very low.
3. Paper Handling That Can Be Used in Many Ways
The ET-8500 can be changed. It has several paper trays for different uses.
- Front Cassette 1: Can hold up to 20 sheets of 4×6 or 5×7 photo paper.
- Front Cassette 2: Can hold up to 100 sheets of plain paper.
- Rear Paper Feed: Great for thick paper like cardstock or fine art paper.
- USB port: To connect directly to your computer.
What is missing? The ADF, or Automatic Document Feeder
The Epson ET-8500 is a printer that is great for photos. It doesn’t have an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) because of this focus. You can use an ADF to scan or copy more than one page at a time. This feature is available on printers such as the Canon Pixma G7020 and the HP Smart Tank Plus 651.
If you don’t have an ADF, you have to put each page on the scanner glass one at a time. This works for scans or copies of just one page. It is not the best choice for scanning long reports or documents with many pages, though. A business-oriented AIO might be a better choice if you need to scan a lot of pages regularly.
Why does my Epson printer take so long to print?
There are a number of things that can make printing take a long time.
Settings for High Quality: It takes longer to print at the highest quality. This is normal.
Quiet Mode: A lot of Epson printers have a “Quiet Mode.” This makes printing take longer to cut down on noise. Look at your printer settings to see if it’s turned on.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Epson ET-8500
What sets ET-8500 and ET-8550 apart?
How much does it cost to print one page with the Epson ET-8500?
Is the Epson ET-8500 able to print on cardstock?
What is the thickest paper that the EPSON ET-8500 can handle?
What kind of paper works best with the Epson ET-8500?
How quickly can the Epson ET-8500 print?
Which Epson EcoTank printer is best for taking pictures?
What is a good printer for photos?
How do I put paper in my EPSON ET-8500 printer?
What makes the Epson ET-8500 different from the ET-8500SE?
When did the Epson ET-8500 come out?
Which is better, Canon or Epson printers that use ink?
What are the differences between the Epson ET and ST printers?
Why did Epson stop making printers that use lasers?
ET-8500, ET-8550, and ET-2400: A Comparison of Epson Models
It’s good to know where the ET-8500 fits in with the other Epson products.
- The Epson ET-8500 is the best thing about this review. A great photo printer that prints on A4 and letter-sized paper and uses six inks. Great for most homes.
- The Epson ET-8550 is the big brother of the wide-format printer. It has all the same features and quality as the ET-8500, but it can print on paper that is 13 by 19 inches. If you need big prints, go with the ET-8550.
- The Epson ET-2400: The Epson EcoTank ET-2400 has a system that uses four colors of ink. It works well for basic graphics and everyday documents.
Epson ET-8500 vs. the Competition: A Closer Look
Finding the right printer for the job is all about picking the right one. This will help you choose wisely.
The Epson ET-8500 and the Canon PIXMA MegaTank G6020
Another great tank-based printer is the Canon PIXMA G6020. How does it stack up?
- Ink System: The G6020 has an ink system with four colors. It has a black pigment for clear text and three colors that are based on dyes. The Epson ET-8500 has a better 6-color system. The Epson 8500 has an edge over other printers for photo printing because it has extra Photo Black and Gray inks.
- Focus: The G6020 is a great printer for homes and small offices. Its main goal is to take the best pictures it can.
- Features: Neither model has an ADF. Both can hold a lot of paper. Brand preference and whether you care more about printing documents or photos are often the deciding factors. The Epson ET-8500 is the best for pictures.
Epson EcoTank ET-15000 vs. Epson ET-8550
A lot of people get this wrong. Both of these are wide-format printers made by Epson. But they are for different people.
It can also print as big as 13 by 19 inches. But it was made for business papers, spreadsheets, and flyers. It has an ADF for scanning and copying. It takes good pictures, but not as good as the Epson ET-8550. For photos, pick the ET-8550 printer. Choose the ET-15000 for a wide range of office tasks.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Epson ET-8500
You spent money on your new printer. This is how to keep it running well for many years.
The Simple Setup Process
It’s easy to set up the Epson ET-8500. Filling the ink tanks is the most important thing. The EcoFit bottles from Epson are made not to make a mess. There is a different key for each bottle. It will only fit on the right color tank. All you have to do is put the bottle in, and the ink flows down. It stops on its own when the tank is full. The whole thing is clean and easy.
Doing Regular Maintenance
If you use your inkjet printer often, it will work better. This keeps the ink from drying in the nozzles of the printhead.
- Print often: At least once a week, try to print a page in color.
- Use the Utilities: Use the printer’s built-in maintenance tools if you see lines or gaps in your prints. If you think there might be a problem, you can do a “Nozzle Check.” If you need to, run a “Head Cleaning” cycle.
- Turn Off the Right Way: The power button is the only way to turn off the printer. This lets the printhead “park” itself in a capped position, which keeps it from drying out.
The EcoTank Printer That’s Best for You
The Epson EcoTank ET-2400 is a great place to start if you want an inexpensive, all-purpose home printer. If you need an ADF and fax for your home office, check out the EcoTank Pro series. They make it possible to print at a professional level at home. They offer quality that used to only be available at expensive photo labs, but at a low cost.
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