The Epson EcoTank-18100 is a photo printer with the potential to revolutionize how many people think about printing images. If you are a designer who has to print color-rich graphics frequently, this printer is made for you thanks to its low energy costs, huge ink bottle capacity, and beautiful ink.
However, how does this function? I put the Epson EcoTank 1800 to the test and saw for myself. It is a costly printer to acquire, so it has to prove its worth in its output. Can we trust it enough to include it in our top-rated printers for artwork?
Epson EcoTank-18100 Printer Details
| Printer Type | Ink Tank |
| Printer Output | Colour |
| Connectivity | USB |
| Print Speed per Minute (Color) | 17 pages per minute |
| Print Speed per Minute (Black & White) | 26 pages per minute |
| Item Dimensions | 37.5 x 34.7 x 17.9 cm |
| Max Printspeed Monochrome | 26 ppm |
| Printing Media Type | Glossy photo paper |
| Wattage | 14 Watts |
PROS:
- Paper size: super-tabloid
- Low recurring expenses
- It is small and light for the amount of paper it can accommodate.
CONS:
- Only one side of a document can be scanned with the ADF.
- Scanning is restricted to paper sizes no larger than legal.
Compact and Small
With the trays closed, the ET-15000 has dimensions of 9.6 by 19.6 by 14.1 inches (HWD) and a weight of 21 pounds. Being only two-thirds the weight of the closely competing Brother MFC-J5855DW and roughly half the weight of the MFC-J6945DW makes it unusually tiny and light for a super-tabloid-capable AIO. (That last model is our top selection for micro to small office or workgroup inkjet AIOs for printing on tabloid-size paper.) The compact design makes it simple to locate a suitable storage spot, even in confined quarters, and to relocate with just one person.
I could print from and scan to my mobile device using the Epson Smart Panel app and a Wi-Fi Direct connection. You may use Epson’s remote printer driver to print from anywhere with an internet connection when you install Epson Connect, and you can also print documents by simply emailing them to your printer’s dedicated Epson Connect address. Epson Connect also allows you to scan directly to several cloud services, including Dropbox, Evernote, and Box. After initial setup, the 2.7-inch touchscreen on the front panel can send the scanner to any of the saved destinations. Copies, scans, and faxes can also be sent with a button.
Design
This printer’s easy installation surprised me, given my dislike of opening packaging. It had gone from the packaging to my work surface in a second. A pamphlet contains the basic instructions, but once your printer is turned on, the accompanying app will guide you through each subsequent step.
Although I expected this A3 printer to take up much space on my vast desk, I was pleasantly surprised by how little room it took up. It is an exquisite design. My laptop and phone were connected to the same WiFi network, but the printer refused to connect, saying it was out of range. Fortunately, I could connect my phone to the printer using the ‘WiFi Direct feature and print without problems. Unfortunately, I could not print from my laptop during testing.
There is no display on the printer itself; you will find a handful of buttons and blinking lights. The printer may report problems or send you messages, but you must utilize the app to decipher them. A good LCD monitor might make things easier, but it is hardly the world’s end.
However, preparing the inks required minimal effort. Once the canister is filled, the flow of the six vibrant bottles stops automatically. The bottles are only slightly bigger than the canisters on the printer, which is convenient because you will always have some on hand as a backup in case your printer gets dry.
I started by printing some flower art and then printed some images on A3 paper. The Epson EcoTank 18100 performed admirably despite a few minor issues. The A4 prints came out nicely, with vivid colors, no pigmentation loss, and sharp, well-defined lines. The only problem was that the prints had a speckled backdrop of different pastel colors, and the printer did an excellent job with some but not all of them.
Some backgrounds seemed almost completely white compared to the original digital file. However, changing the paper setting in the app substantially impacted how this information was shown. Mismatched paper types produced an almost white background, but the matte presentation paper option improved pattern and color reproduction.
Price
This printer certainly does not come cheap, with Epson selling it for £699. However, given its ongoing expenses, it should balance out eventually. When printing at standard quality, each bottle of ink should cost about £9.99 but last for roughly 1500 prints (nearly 12 times longer than other brands).
Is it a good idea to get an Epson EcoTank-18100?
It is the printer for you if you print many photos or other high-quality images often and want to save money on ink and paper. It is quick, and you can utilize it with little effort. It was a pleasure to see such high-quality prints emerge from the printer, which does a fantastic job with color and texture.
Since it handles neither scanning nor copying, you must be in the market for a picture printer. It is not worth the money if you only print black and white papers, but it is ideal for designers and artists who print projects frequently. The ET-18100 was very user-friendly, and I was pleased with the quality of the prints I could produce with it.