Epson EcoTank ET-2850 Best Epson EcoTank Printer Review. With the EcoTank series, Epson wants to declare war on expensive follow-up costs when buying a printer. Instead of conventional ink cartridges, the manufacturer relies on refillable tanks. We will clarify in the test whether the entry-level model Epson EcoTank ET-2850 can meet expectations and show the strengths and weaknesses of the multifunction printer.
The Epson EcoTank ET-2850 is clearly aimed at private users. Which is already evident in the design. Measuring 37.5 centimeters wide, 18.5 centimeters high, and 34.5 centimeters deep. It has normal dimensions for home use and should fit on most desks. We like the device with its combination of playful elements and clear lines. The manufacturer opts for a dominant black color scheme. The weight is 5.4 kilograms. This makes the Epson not lightweight. But most users should still have no problem moving it.
The processing quality convinces us overall. Although we find one or the other wobbly flap and especially the paper ejection doesn’t seem particularly stable, that’s about it with the points of criticism. The sides of the device are quite thick and difficult to dent. We do not discover any production residues or uncleanly processed edges. The gap dimensions are within the normal range. Anti-slip elements on the underside, Epson ET-2850 all-in-one printer combination, ensuring proper stability.
Installation
The installation assistant, in the form of a messenger, guides you through the start-up process and helps with filling the ink tanks and integrating them into the home wireless network. The ET-2850 has an integrated WiFi module for this purpose. The necessary drivers for the connection to the computer or notebook are included on the CD. Anyone who no longer has a CD drive will find one on the Epson Support epson.com/drivers. There is also a detailed guide here. If you want, you can also connect the EcoTank ET-2826 to the computer using a USB cable.
All in all, we need about 30 minutes for the installation. That sounds a bit long at first, but it also includes an approximately 10-minute configuration of the ink tanks and several alignment prints for optimal print quality. Accordingly, the time is absolutely fine. For some people, however, the very small LC color display on the device could be a problem, which is Epson EcoTank easily printer for setup. Even users without visual impairments have to get very close to be able to see something on the 3.7-centimeter screen.
The times show that the Epson EcoTank ET-2850 is an entry-level device. Especially with high-quality and color prints, users have to plan more time. The speed is still okay on the standard settings. Above all, conventional text prints in black and white are quickly in the hands of users. In contrast, the Epson is quite slow when it comes to printing photos. The differences between standard and high quality are particularly noticeable in photos and graphics. The deviations aren’t all that big, but the details are a little cleaner and the colors are slightly stronger. From our point of view, users can also print in standard mode with a clear conscience.
Ink Tanks System
The ET-2850 does not need any common printer cartridges. Instead, there are cyan, magenta, yellow, and black ink bottles in the box. Simply place this on the corresponding opening of the tank and the ink will start to flow automatically. As soon as the corresponding container is full, the process stops automatically. This works wonderfully in practice and is very simple. The tanks are already full after a short time. Thanks to the design, the respective bottles only fit on the correct ink tank. When detaching, some ink may drip out of the bottles. However, if you don’t wait too long to turn it around, you shouldn’t have any problems.
The maximum print resolution is a high 5,760 x 1,440 dpi. According to Epson, the ET-2850 prints up to 15 A4 pages in color and up to 33 pages in black and white per minute. After all, not only does the type of paper and quality settings play an important role, but the connected end device and the transmission speed can also have a major impact. Nevertheless, the times we measured to give a good impression of the speed under practical conditions.
For our test, we use a brochure from Epson for the EcoTank series (16 pages) as a template. For this, we print the brochure in different settings. The printed document consists of text and graphics so that we can make the most comprehensive statement possible about the printing speed and quality. We measure the time from the moment the printer audibly turns on to the point at which the printout is on delivery.
Epson EcoTank ET-2850 Equipment
The device itself is operated using physical buttons in combination with the small LC display. The buttons don’t ask us any questions, we use the arrow keys to navigate through the logically structured menus and confirm with the OK button. The display shows us which button we have to press. If only this were a little bigger. The buttons reacted quickly, we didn’t have to make any inputs twice in the test.
We primarily use the Epson Smart Panel app for the test. Here, too, the operation does not cause us any problems. After a short familiarization, we are familiar with the application and quickly find the desired functions and setting options. We did not find any serious connection problems between the end device and the multifunction printer – neither via WLAN nor via WiFi Direct.
Documents can either be made using the Smart Panel app or on the computer using the Epson Scan 2 software. All important setting options are available. The Epson scan quality is decent and, in our opinion, appropriate for the entry-level sector. The Epson ET-2850 needs about 19 seconds for a color scan with a resolution of 300 dpi – a good value. In grayscale, it’s even faster.
