The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 is an all-in-one photo printer with refillable ink tanks. In addition to the usual cyan, magenta, yellow, and black ink, it uses gray and photo-black ink; it's compatible with Epson 552 inks. It's a wide-format printer that supports up to 13" x 19" paper size, and its flatbed scanner supports up to Legal-size paper but lacks an ADF and fax functionality. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, USB, and Ethernet. You can also print directly from an SD card, and there's mobile support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service. This printer is compatible with a special version of the Epson Smart Panel app, which offers additional functionality for photo printing.
A few variants offer different performance and features, as well as regional naming. See the Difference Between Variants section below for more details.
Our Verdict
The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 is great for home use. A full ink tank yields thousands of pages, and replacement ink is fairly inexpensive, so your maintenance cost remains low over time, even if you print a lot. The scanner captures sharp text and clear graph lines, though some color bleeding and boosted contrast and saturation affect the results. It lacks an automatic document feeder, so you have to scan each page manually. It also prints high-quality documents and detailed, colorful pictures. It offers numerous connectivity options, enabling every household member to access the printer easily, and is compatible with Epson's mobile app, allowing you to print directly from your smartphone. While it's not huge by any means, this printer is on the larger side, so be sure to have enough space for it.
- Prints detailed and colorful photos.
- Prints high-quality documents.
- Refillable ink tank yields thousands of prints.
Exceptionally low cost-per-print.
- Can print borderless photos up to 13" x 19".
Scans capture sharp, easy-to-read text and clear graph lines.
- Some colors are visibly inaccurate.
Can clog if it's left unused.
Scans show some color bleeding and exaggerated contrast and saturation.
The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 is very good for office use. It's a well-built all-in-one with plenty of connectivity options, including Wi-Fi and Ethernet. It prints high-quality black-and-white documents at a decent speed, and its ink tank yields thousands of pages, requiring very little maintenance. It has a scanner but lacks an automatic document feeder, which isn't ideal for offices that often scan long, multi-page documents.
- Prints high-quality documents.
- Refillable ink tank yields thousands of prints.
Exceptionally low cost-per-print.
Scans capture sharp, easy-to-read text and clear graph lines.
- No automatic document feeder.
The Epson Photo ET-8550 is an alright printer to set and rely on whenever you need to print. It's an inkjet printer, so regular use is recommended to prevent dried ink from clogging the printheads. When a severe clog occurs, the printheads are not replaceable, which limits your options in cases where maintenance tasks are insufficient to resolve the issue. Its high flushing volume usually clears blockages and supports multiple deep cleaning cycles without needing a refill, but severe clogs can be difficult to fix. Aside from this, the large ink tanks provide excellent page yields, so refills should be infrequent. It's also very versatile when it comes to connectivity, making it easy to print from almost any device whenever needed.
- Refillable ink tank yields thousands of prints.
Can clog if it's left unused.
Printheads aren't user-replaceable.
- Prints detailed and colorful photos.
- Refillable ink tank yields thousands of prints.
- Can print borderless photos up to 13" x 19".
Five individual color cartridges, and photo-specific black cartridge.
Rear paper tray and manual feeder.
- Some colors are visibly inaccurate.
The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 is excellent for photo printing. It prints very detailed pictures with reasonably accurate colors and supports borderless printing up to 13" x 19". Its ink tank yields thousands of prints, resulting in a remarkably low cost-per-print and reduced maintenance.
- Prints detailed and colorful photos.
- Refillable ink tank yields thousands of prints.
Exceptionally low cost-per-print.
- Can print borderless photos up to 13" x 19".
Prints photos quickly.
- Some colors are visibly inaccurate.
The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 delivers excellent page yields, thanks to its supertank system, which allows it to print thousands of pages before requiring a refill. This makes it well-suited for high-volume printing.
- Refillable ink tank yields thousands of prints.
The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550's scanner is decent. Text looks sharp, and all the fine details are present. However, some color bleeding makes white text on red backgrounds harder to read, and the image processing boosts contrast and saturation. Its scanner features are limited: there's no automatic document feeder, so you have to scan each page manually, making it less convenient for long, multi-page documents. On the plus side, its flatbed scanner has extendable lid hinges to accommodate thicker items, such as textbooks and magazines.
Scans capture sharp, easy-to-read text and clear graph lines.
- No automatic document feeder.
Scans show some color bleeding and exaggerated contrast and saturation.
Can clog if it's left unused.
Decently small footprint.
Not as small as some other similar printers.
Performance Usages
Changelog
-
Updated Oct 09, 2026:
We revised our scanner evaluation after comparing its results with more recent printers. We updated the text in the Scan Quality and Our Verdict boxes, as well as in the Popular Printer Comparisons section.
- Updated Sep 25, 2026: We updated this review to Test Bench 1.4.1, improving how we capture print samples so the images better reflect the physical prints. Test scores are unaffected.
-
Updated Jul 03, 2026:
Added Pros and Cons for the usages added on the latest Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Jul 02, 2026: We've updated this review to Test Bench 1.4, which adds new usages and performance usages, as well as reorganizes several other tests throughout the review. You can read more about the changes in detail in the Changelog.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 all-in-one inkjet printer. It has one other variant, the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500; the differences are outlined in the table below. In Europe, the ET-8550 is known as the Epson EcoTank L8180, while the ET-8500 is known as the Epson EcoTank L8160.
| Model (Regional Name) | Paper Support | Max Flatbed Scan Size |
|---|---|---|
| Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 (Epson EcoTank L8180 - EU) | Up to 13" x 19" | 8.5" x 14" |
| Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 (Epson EcoTank L8160) | Up to 8.5" x 11" | 8.5" x 11.7" |
See our unit's label.
Popular Printer Comparisons
The Epson EcoTank ET-8550 is an all-in-one inkjet photo printer with a refillable ink tank and wide-format printing capabilities. It stands out for its photo printing quality and exceptionally high page yield. While there are significantly cheaper printers with better color accuracy, such as the Canon PIXMA TR8620a, this printer's color gamut is among the best we've tested, helping it produce detailed, saturated prints. Its flatbed scanner captures document text and fine details well, although some color bleeding and boosted contrast and saturation affect the results. It also lacks an automatic document feeder, making it less convenient for offices that frequently scan long, multi-page documents.
For other options, see our recommendations for the best photo printers, the best home printers, and the best inkjet printers.
The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 is better than the Canon PIXMA PRO-200S for most uses. The Epson is more versatile as it has a scanner and prints documents much faster. In terms of photo printing quality, the Epson isn't as color-accurate, as it tends to oversaturate colors, but it can reproduce finer details with better clarity. The Epson is also the better option if recurring cost is a concern because it's a supertank model that yields significantly more prints.
The Canon PIXMA PRO-200 and the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 are excellent photo printers, although they're suited for different environments. The Canon is the better choice if you only print photos in a professional environment. It has much better color accuracy and a wider color gamut. However, the Epson is much more versatile; it has a scanner and prints documents much faster. It's a great choice for office settings that need to print a variety of color media from documents to posters.
The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 and the Epson SureColor P700 are both excellent photo printers, but they serve different purposes. The P700 offers better overall photo quality, with more accurate colors out of the box and a slightly wider color gamut. It also uses pigment ink, which typically lasts longer and resists smudges better. However, it's a print-only device designed specifically for photo printing. In contrast, the ET-8550 is far more versatile: it includes a competent scanner, prints much faster, and has significantly lower ink costs thanks to its supertank system. Unless you are aiming for the very best photo-quality printing, the ET-8550 is likely to be a better choice.
The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 and the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 are both excellent professional photo printers that produce amazingly detailed, colorful images. The Canon comes out slightly ahead in print quality, as it's more color-accurate, whereas the Epson tends to oversaturate colors to make them more vibrant. However, the Epson is more versatile because it has a scanner and a considerably faster document printing speed. It's also a supertank model that yields significantly more prints, making it better suited for high-volume printing.
Test Results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for videos & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
