Epson launches the SureColor SC-P5000 printer

Tech giant Epson has launched its new professional photography, fine art and proofing printer, the SureColor SC-P5000 (17-inch). Slightly smaller than its predecessor, the Stylus Pro 4900, it features the advanced Epson PrecisionCore TFP printhead for precision and increased colour gamut, and completes the SureColor range (which also includes the high-quality, high-resolution SC-P7000 (24-inch) and SC-P9000 (44-inch) models).
Seiko Epson, the mother company that began life as a small watch-making factory 75 years ago, has a long history of printing innovation, and has produced 30 new models in the SureColor printer range in just two years. It plans to add a further 15 in the next 18 months.
Its focus today is sustainability, said Epson sales manager Phil McMullin, who emphasised the company’s mission to replace energy-hungry laser printers with inkjets. Of the SureColor SC-P5000 he said: “Colours are so precise that you can print in complete confidence, knowing the exact colour you want will be perfectly reproduced in the finished print.”2600-productimage-hires-en-int-surecolor_p5000The new printer is able to support two different ink combinations, including one with Light Light Black ink which makes for a smooth tonal quality in black-and-white images. Epson’s business manager, Nick White, says this is its most notable improvement, and also points out that the pigment of the new photo black is 1.5 times denser than the previous generation (as with all UltraChrome HDX inks).
Epson claims this will deliver “a wider contrast ratio and improved resin encapsulation technology for superior gloss uniformity and optically clearer, sharper images”. The other ink combo replaces the LLK with Violet, which Epson says has “a near-perfect colour matching of up to 99 per cent of Pantone Solid Coated Colours”.
During the printer’s initial presentation at Epson HQ, attendees were invited to send a personal photograph to be printed; the printer also has a power-driven roll media spindle that can handle images up to 30.5m. These dry instantly to the touch then harden over the following 24 hours.
The SureColor SC-P5000 is priced £1795, and the ink £67.71, and Epson offers a two-year manufacturer warranty that puts “our money where our mouth is,” according to McMullin.

Izabela Radwanska Zhang

Starting out as an intern back in 2016, Izabela Radwanska Zhang is now the Editorial Director of British Journal of Photography in print and online. Her words have appeared in Disegno and Press Association. Prior to this, she completed a MA in Magazine Journalism at City University, London, and most recently, a Postgrad Certificate in Graphic Design at London College of Communication.