9+Best Epson Ecotank Printer | 2022 Ultimate Guide

Epson is one of the world’s leading printer manufacturers and is present on the market with solutions suitable for all needs and budgets. Among Epson printers there are multifunction inkjet with built-in scanners and fax machines, monochrome laser printers and color laser printers, suitable for both domestic sphere that to the professional.

With today’s post I want to point out some of the most interesting, especially as regards the quality-price ratio, trying to analyze in detail all the technical characteristics. But before moving on to the product list, I’d like to show you how to find the right printer for your needs. With a couple of definitions you too will know where to look in order to make a targeted shopping.

First of all, in fact, you have to understand what your needs are and evaluate the characteristics of each product on the basis of these. In the next paragraphs I will explain, therefore, the meaning of the various items that you will find in the list of technical specifications, what to look for in the various models of the company’s product portfolio and – lastly – how to make your purchase without the slightest doubt. Let’s get started right away!

Best Epson Ecotank Printer | Comparison Table 2021

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Best Epson Ecotank Printer | 2021 Reviews

Best Epson Ecotank Printer | 2022 Guide

How to choose the Epson printer

Before you bump into choosing an Epson printer , you need to consider a number of options. First of all, establish the spending budget to be allocated to your next device, then identify the type of printer that suits your needs. Once these choices have been made, check if they are compatible with the technical characteristics present in each model.

Types of printers

The most common types of printers on the market are inkjet , which in Italy are also called inkjet , and laser . There is no type of printer better than the other, but each has its pros and cons and can be more efficient in some areas and less useful in others.

The inkjet printers are very versatile and can be used for medium-intensive jobs and for printing both text and photographic documents or images. They are the best in print accuracy and color fidelity, but cartridge changes can be frequent resulting in a higher cost per print than other technologies. On the other hand, the situation is different for inkjets that use refillable tanks with jars containing liquid ink, which offer a much higher printing capacity than “classic” printers with cartridges and which therefore allow costs to be reduced.

The laser printers are preferred if you know you will print frequently, especially texts, in large quantities. They are the cheapest in the management phase and it is now possible to find very affordable models as a starting price. They are divided into monochrome , for printing only in black and white, or in color , but the yield of the graphic contents is lower than the inkjets of the same price.

We also have other types of printers, even if they are less common: LED printers , which belong to the same family as the laser ones but guarantee superior performance thanks to the absence of moving parts to keep aligned and are also more compact and robust than printers. lasers, but they cost more; the  dye-sublimation printers , which use heat to transfer the color of ad-hoc cards carried out and that are used especially for the customization of the fabrics, the small mobile printers, or print images of objects and materials.

Multifunction printers and portable printers

What does multifunction printer mean ? As can be easily deduced from the name, a printer is multifunctional when it includes several modules inside and different types of functions related only in a broad sense to the actual printing. For example, if a printer also has a built-in scanner , it is called a multifunctional.

A multifunction printer can be used to print, make photocopies, scan documents or photos and / or manage faxes. Some also support photo printing and can be multifunctional regardless of the printing technology used, so there are both laser and inkjet multifunction printers. If you want to spend little, I recommend the latter.

The suggestion is to buy multifunction printers precisely because the cost compared to traditional ones is not much higher. Furthermore, today it is not easy to find printers that do not have the built-in scanner function, so if you don’t already have a scanner – which even if you don’t need it can always come in handy for whatever reason – don’t hesitate: choose a multifunctional without batting an eye!

A separate chapter, then, deserve the portable printers , which are the exact opposite of multifunctional: they perform a single operation (print) and do it on the move, or away from home or out of the office, thanks to a compact form factor. and a power supply based on rechargeable batteries. They could be for you if you often need to print documents on the go.

Display and connection

There are several built-in features that don’t seem so useful when you’re not using them, but once you get used to them, you won’t be able to do without them. One of these is the display , which can make you very comfortable in managing and customizing printing without accessing your computer or mobile device. With a display, preferably a touch-screen, you can set all settings from the same printer.

Furthermore, many modern printers can be connected to a wireless network via Wi-Fi connection by receiving remote room commands via it. Some printers also support the request for printing via the internet , via email, but it is a sought-after feature that you find on the models a little more expensive than the entry-level ones.

This feature can also be supported through cloud printing services (eg Google Cloud Print) or some routers equipped with USB ports where you can connect through these the printer that is not directly compatible with Wi-Fi. Some models also support Wi-Fi Direct , so they can connect to a device without the need for a router to act as an intermediary. The NFC connection, on the other hand, guarantees an immediate connection between the printer and the device.

If these features are missing, the printer can almost always connect to the computer through a USB port or, at least, through an Ethernet port . Check if you have any available on your computer before making your purchase.

Dimensions

Weight and dimensions of a printer are important characteristics. These are not purely technical details, but they can allow you to avoid big problems when you try to insert it in the work environment or in the room where you have the PC. The inkjet models are almost all compact and rather light, and can be safely placed on the desk without too many problems or hassles whatsoever.

Laser printers, on the other hand, can be particularly bulky and heavy. Before completing the purchase – and especially if you do it online – carefully check the dimensions and weight of your next printer, especially if you have considered placing it on an elevated work surface or a desk that is not too solid. In other words, check that the printer is not too big or heavy for the space you have available in the room.

Performance

When it comes to performance, there are two main factors to consider: print speed and resolution .

The speed is expressed with all types of printers in pages per minute (abbreviated to PPM ) or images per minute ( IPM ) and often has a different value for pages printed in black and white or in color.

The print resolution , on the other hand, is measured in DPI ( dots per inch ) and also in this case has two different values: the first represents the basic print resolution, while the second the increased definition that the printer is able to reach in a fictitious way. thanks to algorithms designed for image enhancement.

A printer also has internal RAM memory , which is almost always expandable in laser models, which helps to improve the printing speed of a particular model.

In multifunction printers, then, it is also possible to know the resolution of the scanned images , which can obviously be different from the print resolution. Also in this case, the values ​​to be taken into consideration are two: one represents the native resolution of the scans, the other the increased resolution that the scanner is able to generate thanks to image interpolation algorithms.

Supported paper sizes

When buying a printer it is essential to determine which types of sheets you intend to print with it. The most famous is the A4 format (with dimensions of 210 x 297 mm), but this does not mean that it is the only one. There are, in fact, sheets such as A1 , A2 and A3 , all characterized by different and very specific dimensions. There are also photographic formats, usually smaller, and many other formats that can be used in different circumstances.

If you have specific needs, in addition to printing normal documents, always consider the dimensions of the formats supported by your new printer. In addition, there are several things you need to know regarding paper handling : automatic duplexing allows you to print on two sides of the sheet without having to reposition the paper in the tray each time, and is especially useful in the professional environment; the ADF, on the other hand, is a component that allows the scanner of multifunction printers to automatically load sheets.

The  tray , which I already told you about, is used to load paper but can contain a different number of sheets based on its conformations. The paper can have a different texture, which is measured by weight .

The print or job cycle, on the other hand, is a value that determines how many prints the device can guarantee over a given period of time (for example a month). If you need your new printer a lot, consider a model compatible with your needs.

Maintenance, consumption, noise

These are the last features that I ask you to take note. The service is a fundamental aspect of a printer with inkjet which are those that require greater shrewdness. Check the price of replacement cartridges or toners before purchasing . Inexpensive printers can hold nasty surprises with the cost of original cartridges that can exceed that of the printers themselves!

If you need the printer active for several hours a day, also consider the energy consumption declared by the manufacturer, otherwise your prints could cost a lot on your electricity bill! There are no marked differences in the consumption of printers of the same price, but to avoid unpleasant surprises, do not get caught unprepared and check this data before purchasing.

The noise is an important component, especially if you plan to integrate the printer in a public place or even frequented by other people. Also, if you use it often, I recommend a silent model so as not to destroy your eardrums or destroy them for those around you. In this case, online reviews of specialized sites or users can be useful.