Continuous ink printers have been great for saving money on ink, but less great for heavier photo papers. That changes with a few new models.
Printers may not be as in demand as they once were, but if you need one, there’s a good chance you’ve weighed your decision because of the inks, or at the very least, the price of ink.
The cost of consumables is a serious concern, but it’s one where the concept of continuous ink tank has found a solution. Ideal for the occasional photo and just about anything else, continuous ink tank printers provide a way to print thousands of pages without needing to reach for another cartridge or ten.
It’s not a new technology, but it is one that is gradually improving, as printer companies work out ways to make the hardware better.
A few years ago for Epson, that included building multifunction printers (MFCs) capable of printing up to 14,000 pages of black and white and up to 5,000 in colour until you needed to refill the system. For many with these printers, they’re likely still on the first tank, saving them money on excess cartridges in the meantime, offering what could be seen as two years worth of ink in the box.
Epson isn’t the only company with this style of printer, but it was one of the first with the technology, and this year, it has a few more.
With 100 million units sold since their inception, Epson is adding to the assortment, providing smaller versions in the ET-2950 up to the flagship ET-4950 which comes with a fax if you need it.
The designs are slightly different and there’s support for AirPrint, with Epson’s heat-free “PrecisionCore” technology working under the hood to print. That may seem a little like par for the course, but there are some other changes.
In fact, one thing that stands out in the specs is the paper support, something the previous generation didn’t always fare too well with. If you loaded in photo paper with a card stock that might have been slightly heavier than standard paper, EcoTank printers wouldn’t always take it, leaving you with a hair-pulling, teeth-gnashing situation with a printer that didn’t print.
But the latest generation has a little more in its spec sheet, handy if EcoTank reads as a way to save money on prints for the family.
In the latest generation, the ET-4950 now shows different paper and card stock support compared to its 4850 predecessor, including heavier paper such as premium photo paper glossy and ultra premium photo paper glossy. In the world of Epson paper, that means paper weighing as much as 300gsm, something its ET-4850 would probably spit out and struggle with.
It’s a feature that extends through much of the 2025 EcoTank range, even appearing on the ET-3950, a slightly less variation variaton on a theme that cuts out the fax machine if you don’t need it.
Fax is a bit of a rarity these days — hey, so are the phone lines they need to work! — so you might end up saving a few bucks between the $699 Epson ET-3950 and the $729 ET-4950 ($759 NZD vs $789 NZD respectively in New Zealand). Both models still include a flatbed scanner, handy if you still need a multifunction, though if you don’t need as complex a model, Epson has an eco-tank variation that focuses primarily on printing and still keeps the heftier paper support.
At $499 in Australia (and $579 in New Zealand), the EcoTank ET-2950 is the least expensive, and still comes with a scanner, but loads printing paper from the back, running less like a multifunction copier and more like a printer.
They all still take the same variety of inks, something Epson says provides enough ink for 8500 black and white pages and 6500 colour pages, and could keep you going for a year or two, as well.
With both the range and the replacement ink bottles available now, that could mean reaching for a replacement ink tank the next time Epson releases new models, which could very well be two years from now. Maybe.
