Epson EcoTank ET-2800
MSRP $280.00
“The Epson EcoTank ET-2800 produces nice picture prints and scans at high-resolution, making this an excellent household printer.”
Execs
- Nice picture print high quality
- Excessive-resolution 1200 dpi scans
- Nice cell app
- Small footprint
Cons
- Print pace is gradual
- No full-page borderless choice
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 the moment essentially the most inexpensive mannequin. The query is whether or not it’s top-of-the-line printers obtainable.
I like the worth, however needed to confirm the worth of the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 to ensure 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 appropriate 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 customary 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 measurement, the design is eye-catching, with the ink tanks extending over 2 inches past the entrance panel. The management panel tilts upward for simple viewing. I examined the matte white mannequin, however it’s additionally obtainable in matte black.
A small, 1.44-inch colour show with massive buttons on both aspect offers entry to printing and settings. The cell app proved dependable and full-featured sufficient in my testing.
A 100-sheet paper tray is on the again, however is definitely accessible. Paper guides are clearly marked and may be adjusted to carry media as small as 4×6 picture sheets and No. 10 envelopes.
Epson takes a little bit of inventive license within the product pictures, displaying the black, yellow, magenta, and cyan ink tanks in colour. I may see the ink ranges by way of the translucent tanks, however the colours weren’t seen.
Printing efficiency
Epson’s EcoTank ET-2800 offers nice image high quality on picture paper. Shiny, semigloss, and matte picture paper prints have been crisp and vibrant with no colour solid. A devoted picture printer, just like the five-color Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 or the six-color EcoTank ET-8500, gives higher dynamic vary, however normally prices extra.
The EcoTank ET-2800 can print on all customary paper sorts and sizes. It handles No. 10 envelopes with no issues, even from the cell app.
Distinction is low when printing on plain paper since blacks seem darkish grey and whites are duller. That’s common, however some printers, just like the Brother MFC-J1205W, deal with plain paper pictures a lot better.
Quick printers value extra, and the EcoTank ET-2800 is a price range mannequin. At simply 10 pages per minute (ppm) for monochrome and 5 ppm for colour, I needed to wait just a little longer than normal for paperwork and labels to complete. That may not be a deal-breaker in case you 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 each side of the paper is necessary for some companies, in order that trade-off is price 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 Good 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 cell app.
There’s no automated doc feeder, however the flatbed scanner makes good colour copies, saving me a visit to an workplace retailer.
Scan and duplicate speeds are comparatively gradual, however present good high quality with good element.
Software program and compatibility
Set up is simple with the Epson Good Panel app for iOS or Android. The app guided me step-by-step, making the method easy. Put aside a minimum of a half hour, although. It’s worthwhile to 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 good on the primary print. The whole setup took about 20 minutes. That’s actually not unhealthy and solely must be carried out if you print sufficient to empty a number of ink tanks, which final a really very long time.
Epson’s Good Panel is a well-designed cell app that permits you to arrange, print, scan, copy, and carry out upkeep out of your telephone. One challenge arose, however I discovered an answer. In case you get uninterested in paper mismatch warnings that require selecting the scale and sort on each the printer and within the app, you’ll be able to swap that warning off in settings.
Home windows and Mac computer systems help 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 will help you get extra out of the printer.
Save now and later
Epson’s EcoTank ET-2800 retails for $280 however may be discovered for as little as $200. That makes it one of the crucial inexpensive tank printers.
The financial savings don’t cease there. Epson estimates you’ll get 7,500 colour pages and 4,500 black-and-white pages from the included ink bottles. That might last as long as two years.
The fee per web page for colour 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 worth is identical 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 just a few hundred pages earlier than it’s time to exchange the cartridges. With an ongoing want for extra ink, your operating prices add up rapidly.
You’ll pay just a little extra to purchase a tank printer, however given the massive quantity of ink included and the continuing financial savings, it’s definitely 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 one of the best inkjet printers, however for a household printer on a price range, it’s nonetheless an amazing deal and definitely price contemplating. There are just a few trade-offs to contemplate earlier than making a purchase order. In case you print ceaselessly, the gradual pace may grow to be annoying. For dwelling use, the low value and prime quality could be price ready just a few extra seconds for output.
Enterprise customers would possibly miss duplex printing and an automated doc feeder for multipage copies. they may need to verify our information to one of the best workplace printers.
Epson intends this to be a hassle-free household printer, a necessity it serves properly. The EcoTank ET-2800 is simple to connect with any system, and all capabilities can be found from the cell app. Picture prints look nice on 4×6 paper, whereas monochrome paperwork and labels have crisp textual content and graphics.
For picture lovers, there are just a few cautions. Like most inkjets, you get the very best quality from picture paper. Shade laser printers, like HP’s Shade LaserJet Professional 4301fdw, preserve distinction and vibrancy even on plain paper.
In case you want full-page pictures, bear in mind the EcoTank ET-2800 can’t print letter-sized borderless pictures. A straight-edge paper cutter can take away the white edges rapidly, however it requires additional effort.