Epson SureColor P900: Pros
- Produces excellent quality prints
- Pigment-based inks are archival and last a long time
- Easy to set up and start printing
- Includes a large, easy-to-use touchscreen display
- Versatile black-and-white advanced-setting mode
- No need to switch between matte and photo black ink cartridges
Epson SureColor P900: Cons
- Pricey
- Large, bulky, and heavy
- Accessing printer driver settings can be confusing
- The rear paper feeder and output tray aren’t very sturdy
Epson SureColor P900: Technical Specifications
- Brand: Epson
- Printer Type: Single-function color printer
- Printing Technology: Inkjet (includes 10 Epson UltraChrome PRO10 Ink (50 ml) cartridges )
- Maximum Cut-sheet Paper Size: 17 x 22 inches
- Display Included: Yes
- Top Printing Resolution: 5760 x 1440 dpi maximum resolution
- Display Size and Type: 4.3-inch Touchscreen
- Connectivity: USB (SuperSpeed USB 3.0), 100Base-T Ethernet, Wireless – 2.4 GHz (802.11n) and 5 GHz (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ac), Wi-Fi Direct, AirPrint, and Epson Print Layout mobile app for iOS
- Weight: 35.3 lbs.
- Dimensions: 24.2 x 35.6 x 20.5 inches (in printing configuration) and 24.2 x 14.5 x 7.8 inches (in storage configuration).
Epson SureColor P900: Bottom Line
This inkjet printer is an excellent choice for many content creators and professional photographers who need a versatile inkjet photo printer to produce prints in different sizes and on different media.
Different quality and speed settings were used to see how long it took to print out the same 13 x 19-inch photo. (Note: Each image is cropped for display purposes.)The photo on the right printed out in 5 minutes and 15 seconds; the photo in the middle took 8 minutes and 23 seconds, and the photo on the left 16 minutes and 23 seconds to print.
Inkjets have a bad reputation among everyday users—and with good reason. Most consumer models, especially those that rely on expensive cartridges, struggle with reliability, speed, and print quality. But professional photo inkjet printers are a different story. Designed for photographers and artists, these machines prioritize color accuracy, fine detail, and archival output. While some creatives still prefer outsourcing prints, many rely on dedicated photo printers to bring their work to life with precision.
That was my experience with the Epson SureColor P900, a desktop photo printer that impressed me with its thoughtful design, excellent print quality, and surprising versatility.
But there was one incredibly special moment with the P900 that I’ve never had reviewing a printer, or, for that matter, any other tech product, but it’s what won me over on just how good the SureColor P900 is.
The SureColor P900 is excellent. This past November, on a beautiful, sunny Saturday on Shelter Island, my daughter and son-in-law got married. While the event itself was fantastic, and the photographer they hired did a great job, like many parents in this digital age, we received hundreds of digital JPEGs from the event. Also, like parents of this era, we haven’t gotten any prints from the wedding.
So, one of my first thoughts when I was asked to test the SureColor P900 was to see how this printer handled the images shot by the wedding photographer.
Since I don’t have the rights to publish the photo, I’ll describe one particular shot: It’s a beautifully elegant black-and-white photo of my daughter on the morning of her wedding day, dressed in white and looking down at a dark brick floor, seemingly lost in thought. Behind her, there’s a light gray wall, with windows that look out onto a very light gray, sun-drenched world. In the center of her dress, it seemed the light from that very sunny day had made its way inside and created a sort of diamond-shaped spot of sunlight in the center of her dress.
What’s funny is that I had already viewed this image on my laptop screen many times over the past several months. But when I picked up the finished print from the P900’s printer tray and looked at it, the print took my breath away. In truth, it reminded me of when I was in junior high school, and my photography friend showed me how to develop a black-and-white print. Watching the output from the P900 was just as magical as standing in that safe-light colored room in the late 1970s and watching that image emerge from a blank sheet of paper.
And the magic was that the SureColor P900 was able to make that lovely digital JPEG file into an even more beautiful physical object, an incredibly powerful 8 ½ x 11-inch inkjet photo of my daughter on her wedding day. With that photo, I felt the Epson printer just hit it out of the park!
This photo, of my daughter throwing her graduation cap into the air, was printed out on the Epson SureColor P900 inkjet photo printer using Epson’s Metallic photo glossy paper.
This image of my daughter’s cat was printed out on the Epson SureColor P900 inkjet photo printer using Epson’s Ultra Premium Photo Paper Luster.
Epson SureColor P900: Setting Up And Getting Started
But I really can’t base an entire printer review on just one photo, no matter how good I think it is. So, was there anything else that won me over?
I found several elements that I like about this inkjet printer, starting with its very simple setup.
Setup begins with Epson’s Start Here guide, which walks you through unpacking the printer and verifying you have all the included items: the P900 itself, 10 ink cartridges, power cord, maintenance box, disc tray, and warranty pamphlet. Be sure to remove all blue tape and packing materials, and don’t open the ink cartridges until you’re ready to install them.
Connect the power cable, turn on the printer, and use the control panel to set your language, date, and time. Install the ink cartridges and allow about 15 minutes for the printer to charge the ink system. Then download the P900 drivers and choose your connection method: Wi-Fi, USB, or Ethernet.
The Epson P900’s 4.3-inch touchscreen LCD lets you access a variety of different printer settings.
Epson SureColor P900: Touchscreen LCD
The 4.3-inch LCD is also a nice feature, and it’s quite easy to use. It gives you access to functions, including printer and paper settings, your print history, the ability to turn the printer’s interior light on and off, maintenance settings, and network connection status. It can also display ink and maintenance box levels and allows you to select the paper size and type setting.
Epson SureColor P900: Performance In Printing Color And Black-And-White Prints
The maximum size you can print on the P900 using cut-sheet photo paper is 17 x 22 inches. But you can very easily adjust the two edge guides to print smaller-sized prints, down to prints as small as 3.5 x 5 or 4 x 6 inches.
All print sizes allow you to print borderless photos, as well. And if you’re using Epson-brand photo paper, you can use the touchscreen LCD to set the appropriate type and size of the paper you’re printing on, which allows you to optimize print quality.
One of the nice features of the P900 is that it offers several quality and speed settings, allowing you to produce a print that prioritizes either print quality or speed. To change the quality of your prints or the printing speed, you’ll need to open the printer’s driver, which you installed when setting up your computer. However, when I tested both the color and black-and-white using different settings, I didn’t find any difference in detail or print quality between the three different color settings. Still, there were significant differences in the time it took each to print:
- The Standard setting with the high-speed setting checked took 5 minutes and 15 seconds to print a 13 x 19-inch photo print.
- The High-Quality setting with the high-speed setting checked took 8 minutes and 23 seconds to print a 13 x 19-inch photo print.
- The High Quality setting without the high-speed setting checked took 16 minutes and 23 seconds to print a 13 x 19-inch photo print.
I also tested how quickly the Neutral black-and-white setting took to print in the driver’s advanced black-and-white mode:
- The default setting with the high-speed setting checked took 4 minutes and 11 seconds to print a 13 x 19-inch photo print.
- High Quality setting without the high-speed setting checked took 7 minutes and 10 seconds to print a 13 x 19-inch photo print.
In this image, you can see that the photo that is being printed on the P900 inkjet photo is also previewed on the LCD.
This image was printed out on the Epson SureColor P900 inkjet photo printer using Epson’s Legacy Platine Paper.
Epson SureColor P900: Printing On Various Epson Papers
I enjoyed printing on Epson’s various paper stocks. Epson’s Ultra Premium Photo Paper Luster has a somewhat glossy and slightly textured surface, but it has a more shimmering effect. I also like how some of my more colorful images looked on it’s Metallic glossy photo paper. However, some of my images also looked great on it’s Legacy and Signature Worthy papers, many of which have a matte or satin finish. I particularly liked how some of my portraits looked on Epson’s Legacy Etching and Legacy Platine papers.
For best results, Epson recommends that you enter the type of Epson paper you’re using into the printer. On the SureColor P900, it’s pretty simple to search for the paper you’re using on the touchscreen LCD, which keeps a list of your frequently used papers, too.
But one commonly asked printing question is, “Can you use photo paper from another brand on an Epson photo printer?” On the company’s website, Epson warns against it. “For digital photos that look and feel like traditional photos, choose one of the EPSON Premium Photo papers…. Other brands of paper, which claim to be compatible with all brands of inkjet printers, may not be compatible with EPSON ink. These papers may give you lower-quality color images. The ink may also not dry properly, because the ink doesn’t bind properly to the media, causing smearing and pages sticking together.”
I guess that you’ll have success with some paper stocks and not with others. However, I did try to print some images on photo paper from another brand (HP’s Premium Plus Photo Paper), and I had decent results.
Editor’s note: I have been printing with Epson printers for decades, and have reviewed dozens of brands and styles of paper. None have caused any issues, and many photo papers have produced better images than Epson’s papers in my testing.
High-end paper manufacturers even provide printer profiles for it’s papers, ensuring the print settings match the paper specifications.
If Epson printers only performed well with its paper stocks, this would be a major limitation, and change our purchase recommendations.
Epson SureColor P900: Where It Falls Short
While I found there’s a lot to like about the Epson SureColor P900, it’s not flawless. For instance, it’s large and bulky, occupying a significant amount of space, especially in a small studio. Naturally, an 11-inch by 17-inch printer has to be large to accommodate the printer, but the size is worth noting.
I also found the plastic back paper feed and front output tray (also made of plastic) to be somewhat flimsy. I wish they were made of sturdier material. Another gripe I had was that it wasn’t always easy to locate a particular print or paper setting. Should I check on the LCD? Or maybe it’s somewhere in the driver settings?
However, these are minor quibbles. Overall, the printer produces excellent-quality prints at a reasonable price.
Should you buy the Epson SureColor P900?
Epson’s SureColor printer line has long been known for exceptional image quality, reliability, and a good balance of price and performance. The SureColor P900 is no different, and it improves upon Epson’s printers with improved image quality.
With only two manufacturers in the high-end printer space, consumer choice is limited. The Epson SureColor P900 is a nearly flawless printer, making it a great choice for photographers seeking high-end output.
Epson SureColor P900: Price and Availability
The Epson SureColor P900 inkjet photo printer costs $1,149 and is currently available at online photo retailers, Amazon, and in brick-and-mortar stores.
This image of a blue Easter egg was printed out on the Epson SureColor P900 inkjet photo printer using Epson’s Ultra Premium Photo Paper Luster.
This image of a model posing underneath a San Diego highway was printed out on the Epson SureColor P900 inkjet photo printer using Epson’s Ultra Premium Photo Paper Luster.
