Epson EcoTank ET-2800
MSRP $280.00
“The Epson EcoTank ET-2800 produces nice photograph prints and scans at high-resolution, making this a superb household printer.”
Professionals
- Nice photograph print high quality
- Excessive-resolution 1200 dpi scans
- Nice cellular app
- Small footprint
Cons
- Print pace is sluggish
- No full-page borderless possibility
Epson’s EcoTank ET-2800 is an all-in-one printer with refillable ink reservoirs that final a very long time and prevent cash. It’s not a brand new thought, and Epson makes a number of different EcoTank fashions, however that is at present essentially the most reasonably priced mannequin. The query is whether or not it’s probably the greatest printers out there.
I like the value, however wished to confirm the worth of the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 to verify it offers sufficient high quality and efficiency to your wants. I’ll check out the design, print high quality and pace, multifunction options, and ease of use to find out whether or not that is the suitable printer for you.
Design
The Epson EcoTank ET-2800 stands out as a remarkably tiny all-in-one printer. Spanning simply 14.75 inches in width, it’s one of many smallest I’ve examined. Depth is a extra normal 22.8 inches with the paper tray and output bin open, and it’s solely 11 inches tall with paper within the tray. As anticipated, it’s mild, weighing 8.8 kilos.
Regardless of the diminutive dimension, the design is eye-catching, with the ink tanks extending over 2 inches past the entrance panel. The management panel tilts upward for straightforward viewing. I examined the matte white mannequin, however it’s additionally out there in matte black.
A small, 1.44-inch coloration show with massive buttons on both facet offers entry to printing and settings. The cellular app proved dependable and full-featured sufficient in my testing.
A 100-sheet paper tray is on the again, however is well accessible. Paper guides are clearly marked and might be adjusted to carry media as small as 4×6 photograph sheets and No. 10 envelopes.
Epson takes a little bit of inventive license within the product images, exhibiting the black, yellow, magenta, and cyan ink tanks in coloration. I might see the ink ranges via the translucent tanks, however the colours weren’t seen.
Printing efficiency
Epson’s EcoTank ET-2800 offers nice image high quality on photograph paper. Shiny, semigloss, and matte photograph paper prints have been crisp and vibrant with no coloration solid. A devoted photograph printer, just like the five-color Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 or the six-color EcoTank ET-8500, gives better dynamic vary, however often prices extra.
The EcoTank ET-2800 can print on all normal paper varieties and sizes. It handles No. 10 envelopes with no issues, even from the cellular app.
Distinction is low when printing on plain paper since blacks seem darkish grey and whites are duller. That’s commonplace, however some printers, just like the Brother MFC-J1205W, deal with plain paper images a lot better.
Quick printers value extra, and the EcoTank ET-2800 is a funds mannequin. At simply 10 pages per minute (ppm) for monochrome and 5 ppm for coloration, I needed to wait a bit longer than normal for paperwork and labels to complete. That may not be a deal-breaker for those who aren’t in a rush.
Epson saved a bit on paper-handling prices by limiting the EcoTank ET-2800 to single-sided printing. Duplex printing on either side of the paper is necessary for some companies, in order that trade-off is value contemplating.
Particular options
Epson is beneficiant with scan high quality for its all-in-one printers. Like a number of different fashions, the EcoTank ET-2800 helps as much as 1200 dots per inch (dpi) for high-resolution scanning from a pc after putting in Epson’s Scan 2 utility. That’s nearly as good as some devoted scanners.
The Epson Sensible Panel app for iOS and Android permits as much as 600 dpi. That’s spectacular since many printers are restricted to 300 dpi when utilizing the cellular app.
There’s no automated doc feeder, however the flatbed scanner makes good coloration copies, saving me a visit to an workplace retailer.
Scan and replica speeds are comparatively sluggish, however present good high quality with good element.
Software program and compatibility
Set up is straightforward with the Epson Sensible Panel app for iOS or Android. The app guided me step-by-step, making the method easy. Put aside at the least a half hour, although. That you must fill the tanks (about 4 minutes), cost the ink system (about 11 minutes), print the alignment web page, and recalibrate.
In my case, the printhead alignment was excellent on the primary print. The entire setup took about 20 minutes. That’s actually not unhealthy and solely must be achieved once you print sufficient to empty a number of ink tanks, which final a really very long time.
Epson’s Sensible Panel is a well-designed cellular app that permits you to arrange, print, scan, copy, and carry out upkeep out of your cellphone. One situation arose, however I discovered an answer. In case you get bored with paper mismatch warnings that require selecting the scale and sort on each the printer and within the app, you’ll be able to change that warning off in settings.
Home windows and Mac computer systems assist the EcoTank ET-2800 with out the necessity to obtain something. Like most main producers, Epson gives a number of utilities and artistic instruments that can assist you get extra out of the printer.
Save now and later
Epson’s EcoTank ET-2800 retails for $280 however might be discovered for as little as $200. That makes it one of the vital reasonably priced tank printers.
The financial savings don’t cease there. Epson estimates you’ll get 7,500 coloration pages and 4,500 black-and-white pages from the included ink bottles. That might last as long as two years.
The price per web page for coloration paperwork is about six-tenths of a cent whether or not you purchase particular person bottles or the multi-color three-pack. To be exact, the three-pack prices two cents much less at $41.95 than three separate bottles at $13.99. The per-bottle value is similar for black ink, and the price per web page is three-tenths of a cent.
Conventional inkjet printers like Epson’s WorkForce WF-2930 can solely print a couple of hundred pages earlier than it’s time to switch the cartridges. With an ongoing want for extra ink, your operating prices add up shortly.
You’ll pay a bit extra to purchase a tank printer, however given the big quantity of ink included and the continuing financial savings, it’s well worth the funding. The EcoTank ET-2800 has a lot decrease long-term prices, wastes much less ink, and minimizes plastic waste.
Is that this the printer for you?
Epson’s EcoTank ET-2800 falls simply wanting making our record of the perfect inkjet printers, however for a household printer on a funds, it’s nonetheless an incredible deal and definitely value contemplating. There are a couple of trade-offs to think about earlier than making a purchase order. In case you print ceaselessly, the sluggish pace might turn out to be annoying. For residence use, the low value and prime quality is likely to be value ready a couple of extra seconds for output.
Enterprise customers may miss duplex printing and an automated doc feeder for multipage copies. they could need to examine our information to the perfect workplace printers.
Epson intends this to be a hassle-free household printer, a necessity it serves properly. The EcoTank ET-2800 is straightforward to hook up with any machine, and all features can be found from the cellular app. Photograph prints look nice on 4×6 paper, whereas monochrome paperwork and labels have crisp textual content and graphics.
For photograph fans, there are a couple of cautions. Like most inkjets, you get the highest quality from photograph paper. Shade laser printers, like HP’s Shade LaserJet Professional 4301fdw, keep distinction and vibrancy even on plain paper.
In case you want full-page images, remember the EcoTank ET-2800 can’t print letter-sized borderless photographs. A straight-edge paper cutter can take away the white edges shortly, however it requires further effort.
