Epson Expression Photo XP-970

Go large without piling on the pounds

If twice as big is twice as good, this Epson A3/11inch photo printer beats its smaller XP-8600 A4/8.5inch sibling. It delivers double the maximum print area but remains compact, lightweight and manageable.

Unlike the other large-format printers on test, this Epson packs a built-in scanner, SD/HC/XC card slot and a Pictbridge port, all brought together by a 4.3-inch touchscreen. That said, the scanner is A4/8.5-inch, so you can’t scan or photocopy large-format prints. As with Epson’s smaller XP-8600 A4 printer, the upsized XP-970 runs on six Claria Photo HD dye-based inks.

Performance

Photo print quality is near identical to that of the XP-8600. The smoothness of graduations in blue skies and the quality of skin tones are very good. Again, the ‘photo enhance’ option is best avoided if you’re after good colour accuracy. As with any dye-based printer, the XP-970 is best suited to glossy output and, unlike the other large-format printers here, black-andwhite photo output is relatively poor.

N-photo verdict

It’s a good option if you want a multi-function, dual-purpose document and largeformat photo printer.

Ink cost (per ml)

The XL cartridges have a lower capacity than for the smaller XP-8600, but ink costs work out about the same.

Print speed (mins)

Print speeds are quick, taking only slightly longer than for the smaller XP-8600 printer, for any competing size.