Market guide
Choose a photo printer by media and saleable size
Start with the real output sizes, media paths, volume, workspace and delivery promiseChoose from the work that must leave the studio. List each saleable sheet, panorama, board or roll format, its paper or canvas, required margins and expected monthly volume. Then choose the smallest printer whose documented feed path can produce that work without an improvised promise.
Output
Freeze the largest routine job
Record finished trim size, image area, border requirement, orientation, repeat volume and acceptable turnaround. Separate a rare maximum from the size sold every week.
- Sheet width is not image width
- Epson ET-8550 and P700 support different media, borderless combinations and quality targets even when both can accept 13-inch sheets.
- Roll work changes the shop
- P900 can add desktop roll handling, while P7370 is a freestanding 24-inch production system. Roll storage, loading clearance, cutting, baskets and finishing become part of the product.
Media
Match every stock to a documented path
List thickness, stiffness, coating side, curl, weight and whether the stock needs a cassette, rear feed, front fine-art path, board path or roll spindle.
- Thick media needs straight clearance
- A supported front or rear fine-art path still requires loading space and exact thickness settings. Unsupported board can strike the head or mark the surface.
- Borderless support is size-specific
- Do not infer borderless printing from maximum width. Check the exact paper size, feed and driver option, and allow trimming when the documented combination does not exist.
Studio
Plan space, handling and delivery
Measure the printer in operating position with trays, roll, covers and service clearances open. Add ink storage, paper conditioning, output landing, ventilation, grounded power and a safe freight route.
- Desktop can still mean two-person handling
- P900 is not a casual shelf appliance once trays and roll hardware are in use. P7370 requires a rated floor, stand assembly and planned lifting.
- Saleability remains the operator's decision
- A printer specification does not guarantee color accuracy, permanence or that a client will accept the output. The studio owns proofing, inspection, trimming, packaging and delivery criteria.
Evidence used
First-party sources behind this guide
- 01SureColor P900 user guides and supportEpson · checked August 21, 2026Open source
- 02SureColor P7570 user guides and supportEpson · checked August 21, 2026Open source
- 03imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 manuals and supportCanon · checked August 21, 2026Open source
- 04imagePROGRAF PRO-2600 manuals and supportCanon · checked August 21, 2026Open source
- 05ICC color-management resourcesInternational Color Consortium · checked August 21, 2026Open source
- 06Print-permanence testing and interpretationWilhelm Imaging Research · checked August 21, 2026Open source
- 07Current printer test and review programRTINGS · checked August 21, 2026Open source
- 08Epson SureColor P7500 and P7570 detailed reviewNorthlight Images · checked August 21, 2026Open source