Epson Printer Primer

Epson’s photographic ink-jet printers set the standard for excellence in the fine-art and professional marketplaces. Santa Fe Workshops and Epson have been educational partners for over 17 years, and as such, have joined together to show hundreds of photographers how best to achieve master-quality prints. Master printer, experienced teacher, and current SFW team member, Cotton Miller, teaches the fundamentals of Epson’s printing technology and then moves into more advanced components. This goal of this webinar is to begin the process of cultivating your own fine-art printmaking instincts to achieve master-quality prints at home.

Knowing the technology, as well as the terminology allows you to appreciate, and understand all the variables that go into home photo printing. During two, evening sessions of two hours each, Cotton discusses the basic terms, concepts, and considerations surrounding Epson’s desktop photo printers.

Session One

Cotton starts at the very beginning by covering the basic concepts of the printer’s features and its technology. He then explains a step-by-step printing workflow from start to finish using Adobe Lightroom and an Epson P900 printer. Topics include using the Histogram for printing, basic color management, print resolutions, printer settings, software settings, and using the Roll Adapter for the P900, as well as basic printer maintenance. Towards the end of this evening’s session, Cotton is joined by Dan Steinhardt, Epson’s Marketing Manager and professional printing guru, for a special “Ask Me Anything” session.

Session Two

Cotton dives into more techniques on how to take your printmaking to the next level. This session covers the principles of color management, paper and ink selections, and the importance of editing for output specific conditions to make striking prints that look closer to what you see on your screen. Cotton gives an overview of an advanced workflow combining Lightroom and, makes workspace recommendations, and discusses advanced user settings, including making customizations in Epson’s Media Manager. Cotton finishes this session with a preview of printing on different substrates, which can expand the possibilities of technique into more classic modalities, such as printing on vellum, and inkjet transparency films for printing using photographic and alternative processes.

If you own an Epson photo printer—no matter how well you think you know it—or are considering buying one, you will benefit from Cotton’s extensive knowledge and expertise in this arena, as well as that of Epson’s Dan Steinhardt.