Epson EcoTank ET-4950

With the Epson EcoTank ET-4950, I print all my documents and images in good quality. Installation is easy, and I connect the printer to my laptop or iPhone quickly via Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi Direct. However, I do find it a pity that the screen becomes unreadable if I am not sitting directly in front of it.

First impression In the box, I find the printer, a manual, and a power cable. There are also 5 ink bottles in the package: 2 black, 1 magenta, 1 cyan, and 1 yellow. The printer is in a plastic bag, making it easy to take out of the box. This EcoTank then guides me step-by-step through the installation via the touchscreen on the front. I carefully place the ink bottles one by one upside down onto the correct reservoir so that the ink flows into the printer. When the reservoir is full, I remove the bottle. After this, I place a stack of A4 paper in the paper tray and adjust the guides. The paper tray is located at the front of the printer, so I can safely place it in a cupboard or against a wall. Always a stable connection with Wi-Fi Direct

Now that the printer is loaded, I start the connection process. On the touchscreen, I select Wi-Fi Direct, after which a new window opens with a password. At the same time, the ET-4950 appears in the Wi-Fi list on my laptop. I select the printer, enter the password, and am connected immediately. Because the printer does not use a router with Wi-Fi Direct, I am not browsing the internet in the meantime. Fortunately, I switch Wi-Fi connections quickly, and the printer remembers my laptop, so I don't have to enter the password again and again. I always prefer Wi-Fi Direct because it prevents potential Wi-Fi problems with false signals.

Fast printing with Apple AirPrint

I often simply print my documents using my iPhone. For this, I use the handy Apple AirPrint. Apple AirPrint is standard on every Apple device, allowing me to connect my printer quickly. If I want to print something directly from apps like Safari, Mail, and Photos, I do so via the share menu. I select the printer and adjust the paper size. Double-sided automatic document feeder With this Epson, I quickly scan or copy a large stack of paper double-sided using the double-sided automatic document feeder. The prints look sharp and have beautiful colors. The quality is fine for when I print color images, for example, for someone's birthday.

After thorough research and watching several YouTube reviews, I chose this printer. On paper, it's the perfect printer, but the quality is very disappointing. Immediately after unpacking and turning it on for the first time, I received error messages about missing and/or defective components. Once this was finally resolved and the ink cartridges were filled with ink, it was very easy to use. I got the printer working without any problems on Windows, macOS, Linux, and ChromeOS. However, the printer also proved to be very unreliable in use: about 1 in 5 prints jams, after which the paper has to be removed manually. Duplex printing is completely impossible without paper jams, as is duplex scanning.

Finally, I purchased this multifunction printer to replace my printer and separate scanner, but unfortunately, it can't scan to my local network share. So, I still need the separate scanner.

Considering all this, I've decided to return the printer.

Just include a quick guide. The installation was an assault on my life. I just want plug and play. I don't want an app on my phone. So, an hour of sheer stress. Bad, very bad experience. But the print quality is really nice. And the refill bottles were okay. Made 400 prints that day, that went fine, but the installation was worthless.