Photography News | Issue 42 | absolutephoto.com
Advertisement feature 61
Bigger is definitely better To really see your images in all their glory, print bigger. Epson’s SureColor SC-P600 A3+ printer is easy to use and delivers superb results as Roger Payne discovers
My first taste of A3+ printing came a few years back when I sampled the delights of the Epson Stylus Photo R3000. As the owner of a DSLR with 20+ megapixels, I regularly had to downsize my images to print them out on my A4 unit at home. And while a high-quality A4 print can still cut it as a way to display images, there’s no doubt that when it comes to prints, bigger is most certainly better. Since I tried the R3000, I’ve never looked back and my orders to postal labs have become virtually non-existent. Epson’s replacement for the R3000 is the SureColor SC-P600, and I’ve ploughed through plenty of ink and paper over the past few weeks trying its considerable charms. I was pleased to find that much of what I liked about the R3000 remained, but there have also been some significant updates, which means you get even better prints. While the old machine could never be described as ugly, I also think the SC-P600 is smarter looking in its all black costume and is no larger than its predecessor, despite the extra features. The wonders of wireless If you’re thinking of making the switch to an A3+ printer and are feeling daunted by the prospect, don’t worry, you’re amongst friends here. I used to think a bigger printer demanded a broader knowledge of the technology, yet the SC-P600 is remarkably easy to get up and running – largely due to the improvedWi-Fi functionality. Connecting it to a home or office broadband router is easily achieved and is the best way to go for out-and-out flexibility. This is because you can park the printer anywhere, rather than having to be tethered to a specific location. Of course, you can still connect byUSB or Ethernet cable, but I stuck withWi-Fi. The necessary drivers come supplied on a software CD, but as an owner of an Apple Mac without a CD drive, I was still able to get set up quickly, downloading the necessary from the Epson website at epson.sn. The SC-P600 adds further Wi-Fi sophistication with the provision of Wi‑Fi Direct, which enables printing from
smartphones, tablets and PCs, plus it’s also compatible with Apple’s AirPrint and Google’s Cloud Print services. Ease of use Once up and running, I set to work. I’d already calibrated my monitor and would advise you to do the same, then chose to print all my images through Photoshop, allowing the software to manage the colours while I resized them before selecting paper type and image quality. I started with the standard 1440dpi output, which produces an A3+ print in just over two and a half minutes – that’s a good 30 seconds faster than the previous model – and found it to be more than adequate for most of my shots. I used the ICC profiles that came as part of the downloadable software and if I found an image that I wanted to print at the ultimate quality, I went for the 5760dpi option. I can safely say that the only rejects I had were user errors – the printer performed superbly. Another improvement is the 6.8cm touchscreen, which can be tilted for ease of use.While it’sprobablya tadsmaller than the rear LCD on your DSLR, it’s bright and very easy to use. Ink levels are always on display and it also has an easy-to-use menu system should you want to run simple maintenance checks or use different print media. It also takes you through ink cartridge changing, step by step. When it comes to printing on different papers, the SC-P600 is much like the R3000 before it. Normal printing papers are fed through the rear, but thicker media can be fed through the front of the printer via a dedicated tray. There’s even the capacity to attach rolls of paper via the feeder supplied, plus the ability to print on to CDs and DVDs. Print quality Trust me, from the moment your first A3+ print drops into the tray, you’ll be hooked. The print quality is truly exceptional. This is mostlikelydowntothenineUltraChromeHD inks, the ninth colour being a Vivid Magenta to help produce an even wider colour gamut and the highest black density of any A3+
Above The smart-looking SC-P600 will look the part at home or in the office, and thanks to Wi-Fi connectivity, it can sit anywhere. Top right Print on various media, including thicker papers, rolls and even CDs and DVDs with the SC-P600. Right Boasting nine UltraChrome HD inks, the SC‑P600 outputs prints of exceptional quality time after time. Below The Wi-Fi Direct connection means you can print from a smartphone or tablet without needing to connect to a network first. photo printer. The subtleties and tonal gradations are also stunning. The ink droplets are as small as 2pl, so fine details are beautifully rendered. It’s the same when it comes to black & white prints, which are superb. I love the fact that you can add a tone to your monochrome work directly through the printer driver, which is just as good as any effect that I’ve spent ages faffing around with in Lightroom. Also impressive is the ink cartridge capacity. Each one holds 25.9ml of ink and, although the initial outlay will be higher than with an A4 printer, the SC-P600 will work out more cost-effective on a print-by- print basis.
epson.co.uk
Powered by FlippingBook