Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 right for you?

The ET-8550 is the 13x19-inch big brother of the ET-8500 and has become the default recommendation for hobby photographers and small craft businesses that sell prints. A straight-through front path handles thick fine-art and poster board, and the six-ink 552 set with gray gives smooth skin tones and neutral monochrome. Sublimation users sometimes convert these, which voids the warranty and leaves the original inks impossible to flush fully. Keep the head exercised and buy the maintenance box before it fills.

Best for: Hobby photographers and craft sellers printing up to 13x19-inch

Setting up the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550

Follow the same six-tank fill as the ET-8500 and allow the long initial charge to finish. Install Epson Print Layout for profiled A3+ printing and Smart Panel for network setup on either Wi-Fi band. For fine-art paper, use the front straight path with the output tray extended and the platen gap set to wide in the driver.

1. Unbox and prepare. Remove every piece of shipping tape and packing material, install the ink bottles (fill each tank to the upper line), and load paper in the tray.
2. Join your Wi-Fi. Keep the printer close to the router for setup. Most printers only connect to the 2.4GHz band, so if your router broadcasts one merged network name you may need to split the bands temporarily. See our Wi-Fi guide if it will not join.
3. Install the setup app. Use Epson's official app rather than a driver you found on a search result — third-party driver sites are the most common source of printer malware.
4. Add the printer. On Windows 11: Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners › Add device. On macOS: System Settings › Printers & Scanners › Add Printer.
5. Print a test page and run a scan if this is an all-in-one, so you find any problem now rather than when you are in a hurry.

Ink, toner and supplies

The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• Epson 552 Black (pigment)
• Epson 552 Photo Black/Cyan/Magenta/Yellow/Gray ink bottles
• Epson T04D0 maintenance box

High-yield (XL) versions almost always cost less per page if you print regularly. On third-party ink and toner, read our honest assessment first, and note that some manufacturers push firmware that rejects non-original chips.

Full specifications