In 1968, Epson invented the world's first compact printer, the EP-101, and since then it has been on the trend of printer history every step of the way. From high-definition reproduction of artworks to large-format photo printing at home, Epson has become synonymous with "photo printers" with its convincing quality.
 
In the field of photo printing, there is still controversy about the advantages and disadvantages of inkjet and printing, but the cost of the printer is too high for individual users. In the home context, inkjet printers have no rival when it comes to printing results. Although sales are not as good as Canon and HP, in the photography industry, Epson is still firmly in the number one position of inkjet printers. It can be said that nine out of ten photographers will choose Epson inkjet printers.
 
The printhead is one of the core technologies of inkjet printers, in the 90s of the last century, Epson developed a micro-piezoelectric printhead, which uses voltage changes to control the inkjet output. Compared to earlier thermal foaming technology, the micro-piezoelectric nozzle does not generate heat and has no ink residue, so the nozzle life is longer. What's more, micro-piezoelectric technology provides more precise control over the shape and position of the ink droplets, making it ideal for high-precision photo printing. Soon after the invention of this technology, Epson produced the world's first 720DPI color inkjet printer. So far, Epson micro piezoelectric printhead has become the symbol of high-end photo machines, and Epson "art inkjet" has dominated the professional inkjet printer market.
 
Another much-mentioned element of photo printers is ink cartridges. The most basic is the CMYK four-color ink cartridge, that is, the three primary colors (green magenta) black. In the same brand and technology, the more colors of the cartridge means a wider color gamut, and the richer the color details of the photo. In 1996, Epson developed a six-color inkjet printer. Today, from 6-color entry-level photo printers to 11-color large-format "giclée print", Epson printers are renowned for their imaging quality.
 
Inkjet printers are expensive in consumables, and the price of 3 sets of original ink cartridges may exceed the machine itself. In the past, in order to be able to use cheaper ink on the printer, users would retrofit inkjet printers to provide continuous ink, but at the cost of losing the product warranty. Epson was the first to break this pattern, and in 2015, Epson began to release ink cartridge printers, a kind of "official continuous supply", which greatly reduced printing costs. On 1 yuan per piece of Epson original glossy printing paper, the cost of each photo is compressed to less than 2 yuan.
 
With the advent of the digital age, electronic devices have replaced photos as a carrier for people to preserve memories, and many manufacturers have focused on commercial office printers, but Epson still maintains a complete line of photo printers.
 
The R330 was once one of the most classic entry-level photo printers, and with the introduction of the ink cartridge printer, the L805 became the successor to the R330. This traditional 6-color inkjet printer adds light cyan and light magenta on the basis of CMYK four colors, in addition to a wider color gamut, the use of light blue and light magenta ink with low concentration, L805 can also reduce the graininess of light color transition area. Thanks to the 6-color ink cartridge, the L805 has a relatively high degree of color reproduction, and the details are in place and natural, and there will be no red and purple like the 4-color machine. For families and individual users, the L805, priced at about 2000 yuan, is a very suitable choice. However, the maximum printing format of L805 is only A4, and users who need A3 format printers can consider L1800, which is also an ink cartridge type, priced at about 4000 yuan. If you have a demand for copy and scanning functions, you can buy the L850 all-in-one machine, which costs about 3500 yuan.
 
If you like a bright art style, the Epson XP-15080 is an option. Although they are both 6-color printers, the color of the cartridges of the XP-15080 and L805 is not the same, and the XP-15080 adds gray and red ink on the basis of the CMYK four-color color. Red ink expands the color gamut and is especially good at expressing warm scenes such as clouds and highlights, while gray ink makes the shadows of the photo darker without losing detail. XP-15080 can print up to A3 format photos, but the size is comparable to the A4 format L805, which is small in the same category, and the price is about 4000 yuan. However, XP-15080 is not an ink cartridge type, a set of six-color ink cartridges is about 600 yuan, and the consumables are really not cheap. But if you have a need for large-format photos, this printer is also a very good choice.
 
The Epson Surecolor P608 is nearing the end of home printers, and The Wirecutter named its U.S. version (P600) the best photo printer of 2018. Other, more advanced models, such as the P808, and even the large-format printer P6080, are more suitable for commercial use. P608 uses 9 colors of pigment ink, and unlike dye inks commonly used with less than 6 colors, pigment inks are more resistant to ultraviolet rays and moisture, and as long as they are properly stored, photos can be stored for more than 100 years. Thanks to the addition of two types of gray cartridges, light black and light black, the P608 can express black and white photos in pure "black and white gray", which is more artistic. In contrast, most 4-color and 6-color printers have a slightly bluish or yellowish tinge to their black and white photos. For photography enthusiasts, this little difference can make the difference between a work and a disadvantage. In color photos, P608 does not need to be tricky with high saturation colors, and the five color pigment inks have reached a wide color gamut, and the color reproduction is very high. P608 is currently priced at around 8,000 yuan, which is suitable for photography enthusiasts.