Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
EDITORS’ NOTE
June 5, 2025: With this update, we removed the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-C8690 A3 Color MFP With PCL/PostScript (our Best Epson High-Volume Professional Prepress Printer), which is phasing out and was reviewed back in 2018. Since our last update, we tested and evaluated one new Epson printer, the Expression Photo XP-8800, for possible inclusion in this roundup, but our lineup of recommended models remains otherwise unchanged.
- Compact and lightweight
- Fast printing
- Automatic print duplexing (two-sided printing)
- No ADF
- Scans at only up to letter size
- High running cost
With high-quality output and fast print speeds at default settings, plus remote printing support, Epson’s Expression Home XP-5200 All-in-One printer is at home in a home office.
Type
All-in-one
Color or Monochrome
Color
Printing Technology
Inkjet
Connection Type
USB, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct
Maximum Standard Paper Size
Legal
Number of Ink Colors
4
Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks
4
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Color)
7.5 ppm
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono)
14 ppm
Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended)
200 – 800
Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum)
5,000 pages per month
Printer Input Capacity
150
Cost Per Page (Monochrome)
6.4 cents
Cost Per Page (Color)
21.7 cents
Scanner Type
Flatbed
Maximum Scan Area
8.5″ x 11.7″
Scanner Optical Resolution
1,200 by 1,200 pixels per inch
Standalone Copier and Fax
Copier
- Exceptional output quality.
- Single-pass duplexing ADF.
- Large, easy-to-use control panel.
- Robust connectivity.
- High running costs.
- Low paper capacity.
The Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 is a small but capable photo-centric all-in-one inkjet for homes and small offices.
Type
All-in-one
Color or Monochrome
Color
Printing Technology
Inkjet
Connection Type
Ethernet, USB, Wireless
Maximum Standard Paper Size
Legal
Number of Ink Colors
5
Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks
5
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Color)
11 ppm
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono)
15 ppm
Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended)
2,000
Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum)
Not rated
Printer Input Capacity
120
Cost Per Page (Monochrome)
5 cents
Cost Per Page (Color)
13.7 cents
Scanner Type
Flatbed with ADF (Standard or Optional)
Maximum Scan Area
Legal
Scanner Optical Resolution
1,200 by 2,400 pixels per inch
Standalone Copier and Fax
Copier, Fax
- Prints borderless from 4 by 6 inches to 13 by 19 inches
- Exceptional output quality
- Relatively fast printing speeds for its class
- Low running costs
- First two years of ink are free
- Purchase price is a little steep
The ET-8550 prints excellent photos and other high-definition images, from snapshot-size to supertabloid, with running costs of less than 1 cent per page.
Type
All-in-one
Color or Monochrome
Color
Printing Technology
Inkjet
Connection Type
Ethernet, USB, Wireless, Wi-Fi Direct
Maximum Standard Paper Size
13″ x 19″
Number of Ink Colors
6
Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks
6
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Color)
12 ppm
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono)
16 ppm
Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended)
Not rated
Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum)
Not rated
Printer Input Capacity
100 sheets plain paper, 20 sheets photo paper
Cost Per Page (Monochrome)
less than 1 cent per page
Cost Per Page (Color)
varies with size and content
Scanner Type
N/A
Maximum Scan Area
N/A
Scanner Optical Resolution
N/A
Standalone Copier and Fax
Copier
- Two years of unlimited ink
- Very low running costs
- Terrific print quality
- Auto-duplexing ADF
- PrecisionCore 4S printhead
- Excellent mobile connectivity options
- Two-year warranty with registration
- High initial purchase price
The Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 AIO prints well and inexpensively, and it offers generous input capacity, lofty volume ratings, and two years of unlimited free ink. It’s an incomparable value for small businesses and workgroups.
Type
All-in-one
Color or Monochrome
Color
Printing Technology
Inkjet
Connection Type
Wireless, Ethernet, USB, Bluetooth
Maximum Standard Paper Size
Legal
Number of Ink Colors
4
Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks
4
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Color)
25 ppm
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono)
25 ppm
Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended)
3,300
Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum)
66,000 pages per month
Printer Input Capacity
550
Cost Per Page (Monochrome)
2 cents
Cost Per Page (Color)
2 cents
Scanner Type
Flatbed with ADF (Standard or Optional)
Maximum Scan Area
Legal
Scanner Optical Resolution
1,200 by 2,400 pixels per inch
Standalone Copier and Fax
Fax, Copier
Learn More
- Two years of unlimited ink
- Excellent print quality
- Very low running costs
- Auto-duplexing ADF
- Thousands of pages worth of ink in the box
- Two-year warranty with registration
- Excellent mobile connectivity options
- High initial purchase price
The Epson EcoTank Pro ET-16650 wide-format AIO prints well and inexpensively, and it comes with two years of unlimited free ink, making it an exceptional value for small businesses and workgroups.
Type
All-in-one
Color or Monochrome
1-pass color
Printing Technology
Inkjet
Connection Type
Wireless, Ethernet, USB, Bluetooth
Maximum Standard Paper Size
Supertabloid
Number of Ink Colors
4
Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks
4
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Color)
25 ppm
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono)
25 ppm
Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended)
3,300
Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum)
66,000 pages per month
Printer Input Capacity
550
Cost Per Page (Monochrome)
2 cents
Cost Per Page (Color)
2 cents
Scanner Type
Flatbed with ADF (Standard or Optional)
Maximum Scan Area
Tabloid
Scanner Optical Resolution
1,200 by 2,400 pixels per inch
Standalone Copier and Fax
Copier, Fax
Learn More
- Fast and excellent PrecisionCore output
- Supertabloid and borderless tabloid printing
- USB thumb drive support
- Two large paper drawers and an input tray
- Relatively low purchase price
The WorkForce Pro WF-7840 wide-format multifunction printer produces beautiful prints up to 13 by 19 inches. Productivity features and three capacious paper input sources make it a great small-business choice, even with high ink costs.
Type
All-in-one
Color or Monochrome
1-pass color
Printing Technology
Inkjet
Connection Type
Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB, Wireless
Maximum Standard Paper Size
Supertabloid
Number of Ink Colors
4
Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks
4
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Color)
12 ppm
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono)
25 ppm
Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended)
50,000
Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum)
2,500 pages per month
Printer Input Capacity
500
Cost Per Page (Monochrome)
3.6 cents
Cost Per Page (Color)
11.7 cents
Scanner Type
Flatbed with ADF (Standard or Optional)
Maximum Scan Area
Tabloid
Scanner Optical Resolution
2,400 by 4,800 pixels per inch
Standalone Copier and Fax
Copier, Fax
- Very low running costs.
- Two 6,000-page ink bottles included in the box.
- Good print quality.
- Smart home voice activation.
- Two-year warranty with registration.
- Pricey.
- A little slower than laser counterparts.
- Low monthly print volume ratings.
The Epson WorkForce ST-M3000 is an inkjet alternative to monochrome laser AIOs that prints well with ultra-low running costs, not to mention it comes with a ton of ink in the box, increasing its overall value.
Type
All-in-one
Color or Monochrome
Monochrome
Printing Technology
Inkjet
Connection Type
Ethernet
Maximum Standard Paper Size
Legal
Number of Ink Colors
1
Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks
1
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Color)
20 ppm
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono)
20 ppm
Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended)
1500
Printer Input Capacity
251
Cost Per Page (Monochrome)
0.3
Scanner Type
Flatbed with ADF (Standard or Optional)
Scanner Optical Resolution
4800 x 1200 pixels per inch
Standalone Copier and Fax
Copier, Fax
- Excellent print quality
- Prints borderless banners and panoramas up to 17 inches wide
- Prints cut sheets up to 17 by 22 inches
- Uses UltraChrome PRO10 pigment inks for increased color gamut
- Switches from photo black to matte black ink automatically
- Competitive per-millimeter ink costs
- Paper roll adapter costs extra
Epson’s SureColor P900 produces exquisite photos and artwork on cut sheets and paper rolls up to 17 inches wide, making it an excellent choice for professional photographers and graphic artists.
Type
Printer Only
Color or Monochrome
Color
Printing Technology
Inkjet
Connection Type
Ethernet, USB, Wireless
Maximum Standard Paper Size
17″ x 22″
Number of Ink Colors
10
Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks
10
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono)
Not rated
Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended)
Not rated
Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum)
Not rated
Printer Input Capacity
Up to 120 sheets plain paper up to 17″ x 22″
Cost Per Page (Monochrome)
Not rated
Cost Per Page (Color)
Not rated
Scanner Type
N/A
Maximum Scan Area
N/A
Scanner Optical Resolution
N/A
Standalone Copier and Fax
N/A
- Affordable, industrial-style labeling
- Easy-to-use handheld design with QWERTY keyboard
- Tape choices include plastic, vinyl, magnetic, and fluorescent up to 18mm
- Saves up to 50 labels in memory for easy reprinting
- Lifetime warranty
- Noticeably slow print speed
- Doesn’t connect to a PC or mobile device for printing
- Batteries not included
The Epson LabelWorks LW-PX300 Full Printer Kit delivers industrial-style labeling at low cost, making it attractive to small businesses and even hobbyists who want professional-looking labels.
Type
Printer Only
Color or Monochrome
Monochrome
Printing Technology
Thermal (Plastic Labels)
Connection Type
None
Maximum Standard Paper Size
18mm roll
Number of Ink Colors
1
Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks
0
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Color)
N/A
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono)
6 mm / 0.24 inches per second
Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended)
Not rated
Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum)
Not rated
Printer Input Capacity
1 cartridge roll; sizes up to 30 feet
Cost Per Page (Monochrome)
varies with width and label length
Cost Per Page (Color)
N/A
Scanner Type
N/A
Maximum Scan Area
N/A
Scanner Optical Resolution
N/A
Standalone Copier and Fax
N/A
Learn More
- Has a keypad and memory for standalone printing, plus label app for Windows PCs
- Supports many label types and materials, in sizes up to 1.42 inches wide
- Can cut labels without cutting the backing, leaving a continuous strip
- Lifetime warranty, and tested to 4-foot drops
- Too heavy for comfortable thumb typing
- No macOS print app or driver available
Working as a handheld printer or connected to a Windows PC, Epson’s rugged, able LabelWorks LW-PX900 creates plastic, vinyl, fluorescent, reflective, and cable labels up to 36mm (1.42 inches) wide to meet most industrial labeling needs.
Type
Printer Only
Color or Monochrome
Monochrome
Printing Technology
Thermal Transfer (Plastic Labels)
Connection Type
USB
Maximum Standard Paper Size
36mm roll
Number of Ink Colors
1
Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks
0
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Color)
N/A
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono)
35mm / 1.38 inches per second
Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended)
Not rated
Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum)
Not rated
Printer Input Capacity
1 cartridge roll; sizes up to 30 feet
Cost Per Page (Monochrome)
varies with tape type, width, and label length
Cost Per Page (Color)
N/A
Scanner Type
N/A
Maximum Scan Area
N/A
Scanner Optical Resolution
N/A
Standalone Copier and Fax
N/A
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The Best Epson Printers for 2025
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Buying Guide: The Best Epson Printers for 2025
Epson Printers 101: How to Distinguish the Families
Since the last time we took on the task of mapping out Epson printer choices, the company has made only minor changes in the printers it offers and the way it categorizes them on its website. The printer families—with as many as 25 distinct printer category names, depending on how you parse them—are still grouped in a way that makes it easy to find the model that best suits your needs. Even if you plan to buy the printer elsewhere, this is a strong argument for using the Epson site to pick which one to buy.
Many of the 25 category names are barely mentioned here or skipped entirely. The ones we’re largely ignoring—except to mention family names where appropriate—range from floor-standing, enterprise-level inkjets that compete with lasers to commercial and production printers for garments, graphics, signage (what you and I call “signs”), and high-volume label printing, some of which cost more than your average car. Epson also offers point-of-sale (POS) printers, some (necessarily noisy) 9- and 24-pin dot matrix models, and even models for commercial printing of labels on CDs and DVDs, some of which burn the discs as well as print the labels. (To find them, search for “discproducer” in the site’s search box.)
If you group related families together and leave out the ones mentioned above, you’re left with just six that matter for most folks: Expression, EcoTank, WorkForce, PictureMate, SureColor, and LabelWorks. To make it easier to find the right printer, Espon’s home page conveniently lets you choose Printers, from the options across the top of the page, then pick from one of four categories on the left side: Home & Home Office, Office Printers & Copiers, Professional Imaging, and Label Printers & Presses.
(Credit: Epson)
For this overview, all the printers we’re interested in are in the first category, Home & Home Office, which, despite the category name, also includes models of interest to small and medium-sized offices, as well as to professional photographers and graphic artists.
Epson Tank, Cartridge, and Photo Printers, Explained
You’ll notice three categories under Home & Home Office: EcoTank Supertank Printers, Ink Cartridge Printers, and Photo Printers. Some overlap exists between the categories, so that most of the models in Photo Printers also show up in either the EcoTank or Ink Cartridge category (depending on which type of ink system each printer uses). In theory, that lets you narrow down the choices by tank or cartridge ink systems first, then look for the photo printers in the category. Or, you could choose Photo Printers to browse all the photo printer choices in a single group. In practice, however, it’s best to look in the Photo Printers category, since some models aren’t included in either of the other two groups.
(Credit: M. David Stone)
Once you choose the sub-category you want, you’ll see a choice of printers, which is where it helps to know the differences between the families. If you know which family or families you’re interested in, you can use the filters on the left side of the page to narrow down the list to just the ones you want to consider.
Below is a look at each printer family in each of the three categories. Note also that instead of choosing a subcategory, you can pick the Shop All link to see the full list of printers in all three groupings, plus a handful of EcoTank models—just eight at this writing—that don’t show up if you go to the EcoTank category. Epson says these additional printers are available only at select retailers. However, they still fit neatly into the EcoTank family as described below.
Expression and WorkForce Series: Photo, Home, and Office Printing
Although all the printers in this category use ink cartridges, they differ in features. What the three Expression sub-brands have in common is that they offer a low initial price and are aimed at home users with moderate print needs. For those who don’t print a lot, the total cost of ownership can be lower than for higher-priced tank printers with lower running costs.
Expression Home printers all print, scan, and copy; offer flatbed scanning only; and are meant primarily for everyday home printing needs. Expression Premium models are aimed at essentially the same sort of user, and are also three-function AIOs, but they offer a boost in photo quality by adding photo black ink to the usual cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK) inks. They also offer the choice between getting one with a flatbed scanner only, or one with an auto-duplexing automatic document feeder (ADF) for two-sided copying and scanning.
Expression Photo printers like the XP-8800 Wireless Color All-in-One are aimed at crafters and photo enthusiasts, as well as home users in general, and they use six-color ink systems for even better photo quality. The choices include both letter-size and tabloid-size (11-by-17-inch) three-function AIOs, plus one single-function printer, which prints at up to supertabloid size (13 by 19 inches).
The WorkForce umbrella covers a lot of territory, including some models that use a tank-based ink system. However, the only ones included in this section of the website use cartridges and are identified (by the filter options) as WorkForce, WorkForce Pro, or WorkForce WF-Series. They’re sold primarily through consumer channels and are aimed at small and home offices.
(Credit: M. David Stone)
Most printers in the WorkForce and WorkForce Pro categories are identified as WorkForce WF or WorkForce Pro WF, followed by a model number, as in WorkForce WF-1234. (You’ll find some exceptions to this naming rule, but most are reserved for models sold through business channels.) Both the WorkForce and WorkForce Pro printers are aimed at small and home offices that are looking for a low initial price. As already mentioned, this can make good sense if you print little enough that the low printer price, combined with relatively expensive ink cartridges, will give you a lower total cost of ownership than a higher-cost tank printer with lower-cost ink.
All of these WorkForce and WorkForce Pro models offer two-sided printing. Most are four-function AIOs (meaning they print, copy, scan, and fax), and most have an ADF for scanning, with the more expensive models offering two-sided scanning. Some WorkForce Pro models can handle paper as large as 13 by 19 inches.
One print-only model, the WF-110 Wireless Mobile Printer, is listed as a WorkForce WF-series printer and is appropriate for anyone who needs a printer on the go.
EcoTank SuperTank Printers: Low Running Costs
The EcoTank SuperTank Printers category under Home & Home Office takes you to a page with subcategories for the entire range of EcoTank printers, not just the ones actually intended for home and home-office use. EcoTank printers in general are designed to give home, home-office, and small-office users a low running cost, with inexpensive ink that comes by the bottle. For those who print enough pages over the printer’s lifetime, the lower running cost can mean a lower total cost of ownership than for less-expensive printers with pricier ink. The sub-brand choices for EcoTank printers are EcoTank, EcoTank Photo, EcoTank Pro, and EcoTank Monochrome.
(Credit: Epson)
The first category, straight-up EcoTank, offers three-function AIOs at the low end, with flatbed scanning only, but adds faxing and an ADF as you move up the price scale. EcoTank Photo printers are aimed at scrapbookers, crafters, and creative professionals, and can handle printable optical discs. They offer six-color printing for better-quality photos and graphics, and can print at up to letter size (for the ET-8500) or up to supertabloid size (for the ET-8550).
EcoTank Pro models are designed for the range from home office to small businesses or workgroups. They all offer Ethernet and Wi-Fi for network connections; most can fax, print, copy, and scan; and the top models can print at up to 13 by 19 inches and scan at up to 11 by 17 inches. Finally, the EcoTank Monochrome sub-brand (also referred to on Epson’s site as EcoTank Mono and EcoTank Black & White) is Epson’s answer to mono lasers. It’s designed for small and home offices that print lots of documents and don’t need color. The models in this category range from a single-function printer to a four-function AIO with an ADF. All come with two years of unlimited ink, with no subscription needed.
PictureMate and SureColor: Your Personal Photo Lab
In addition to the Expression Photo and EcoTank Photo printers already covered above, the Photo Printers category includes PictureMate and SureColor models. These two sub-brands are at the two extremes of the Epson printing spectrum. PictureMate offers what Epson calls a “personal photo lab” and is limited at this writing to a single model, the PictureMate PM-400, which has been on the market for a long time now. It’s designed to print small-format photos, up to 5 by 7 inches, and can print from a variety of sources, including memory cards.
In contrast, the SureColor moniker goes with several categories: The SureColor P-, G-, F-, T-, S-, R-, and V-Series. These are mostly floor-standing, large-format printers, and each series is designed for a different application, from gallery-level photos, to architectural and engineering drawings, to commercial printing like outdoor signage.
(Credit: Epson)
The only SureColor models that matter for this overview are the least-expensive SureColor P-Series models, which are both included in the Photo Printers subcategory under Home & Home Office. Although they’re designed for printing professional-quality photos, fine art, and graphic design output, the low end of the line is inexpensive enough that serious photo enthusiasts may want to consider them. The two of interest are the SureColor P700, which prints on paper up to 13 inches wide, and the SureColor P900, which prints at up to 17 inches wide. Both use a 10-color ink system with archival pigment ink.
Professional Series: For Businesses That Depend on Printing
The three other main choices for printers—Office Printers & Copiers, Professional Imaging, and Label Printers & Presses—are well outside the scope of this overview. Office Printers & Copiers, for example, covers dot matrix printers and floor-standing copiers and printers. There are also some desktop printers that offer some variation of “WorkForce” in their names—including WorkForce EC, WorkForce Pro WF, and WorkForce ST—but they’re sold primarily through business channels, which also puts them outside the scope of this overview.
Most of the subcategories under both Professional Imaging and Label Printers & Presses are similarly beyond the scope of what we’re covering here. The first includes primarily floor-standing printers for everything from CAD operations to printing on fabrics, while the second covers the ColorWorks, SurePress, and LabelWorks sub-brands. ColorWorks printers deliver full-color labels on demand for businesses that print enough to justify the printers’ high prices, while SurePress digital label presses are the sort of behemoths that need more floor space than a small family room. LabelWorks printers, which are of more general interest, are covered in the next section.
Epson LabelWorks: Industrial-Style Label Printing
The LabelWorks Printers option in the Label Printers & Presses category takes you to a separate LabelWorks section of Epson’s website. All of the LabelWorks printers use industrial-style labels, meaning that most of the available tapes are plastic (polyester). Some other tape types exist, including vinyl and magnetic (similar to flexible refrigerator magnets), as well as some specifically for labeling cables, and still others designed for home users, including a printable ribbon label.
(Credit: Epson)
The printers include models for both home use and work. They run all the way from the strictly standalone LW-PX300 (which requires typing label text on its own keyboard, and is limited to a maximum 0.71-inch-wide label tape) to the LW-Z5010PX, which can handle 2-inch-wide tapes and can create and print labels as a standalone printer or from a PC or mobile device. A nice touch for all of them is that Epson offers a lifetime warranty. Most also work with a wide range of label types, but you’ll want to check before buying to make sure the printer can print the kinds of labels you need.
Ready to Buy the Right Epson Printer for You?
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the Epson printers available, but you can cut the list down to a manageable size by finding the sub-brands most appropriate for your needs before looking at details like paper handling, copying, and scanning. We’ve picked the best Epson printers in multiple use cases, based on our tests and overall evaluations. For more options—from Epson and other manufacturers—check out our favorite inkjet printers and printers overall, as well as our picks for the best photo printers, the best business printers, the best wide-format printers, and the best label printers.
This article was published by WTVG on 2025-06-05 15:35:00
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