Epson Expression Premium XP-7100
MSRP $239.99
“Epson’s Expression Premium XP-7100 delivers unbelievable pictures on par with way more costly fashions.”
Execs
- Wonderful photograph printer
- Quick shade prints
- Compact measurement
- Low worth
- Thumb drive and SD card assist
Cons
- Excessive cost-per-page for shade
- 300 dpi cellular scans
- Envelope printing failed
Epson’s Expression Premium XP-7100 is an all-in-one printer that’s optimized for pictures, however sale costs place it within the finances class. At $150, we questioned simply how good a photograph printer it’s. We additionally examined its velocity, ease of use, and the long-term prices of this cartridge-based printer to seek out out if it provides sufficient high quality and worth.
Design
The XP-7100’s black shade matches its premium aspirations and would slot in properly in a house photograph studio. House printers which can be meant for informal use are sometimes white to mix in with the decor extra simply.
I don’t thoughts the textured black prime, and the shiny faceted corners look good. It’s additionally compact, significantly for an all-in-one printer that features an computerized doc feeder (ADF). It stands simply 8.1 inches tall with the ADF panel open for scanning. To entry the flatbed scanner, it’s essential to raise the lid.
The footprint is 15.24 inches large by 14.5 inches lengthy when the trays are closed. Epson gave the Expression Premium XP-7100 a intelligent computerized output tray that extends when printing. The big 4.3-inch shade touchscreen panel mechanically tilts up on the identical time. That will increase the size to 23.5 inches.
There’s a USB port on the entrance for simple walk-up printing and scanning by way of a thumb drive. Its reminiscence card slot accepts SD, SDHC, SDXC, and microSD with an adapter.
The primary paper tray tucks beneath the underside and is remarkably skinny for such a multifunctional mechanism. It’s utterly detachable, holds 100 sheets of paper as much as 14 inches lengthy, has a built-in photograph tray, and features a holder to print immediately on CDs and DVDs. Envelopes and specialty paper load on the rear.
Epson packed a ton of performance right into a small house. The query is whether or not high quality and velocity are ok with this compact design.
Printing efficiency
In testing, the output of the Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 was spectacular. I examined borderless full-page printing, 4×6 photograph printing, and plain paper printing of a wide range of footage. Coloration constancy is great, with detailed photos on photograph paper and first rate high quality even on plain paper.
It’s no shock that Epson is aware of learn how to construct an excellent photograph printer, however I wrongly assumed there could possibly be some tradeoff in high quality at such a low worth. The Expression Premium XP-7100 makes use of a five-color Claria Premium ink system that’s almost a match for Epson’s six-color selection.
Knowledgeable photographer would possibly discover the distinction, however it was a problem for my eyes to detect the marginally higher shade constancy of Epson’s EcoTank ET-8500, a six-color premium photograph printer. That’s a way more costly printer, however the ink tank financial savings would add up over time for a heavy person.
Naturally, black-and-white printing is crisp as effectively. Monochrome prints are quick at 15.8 pages per minute, and double-sided printing is supported. Coloration doesn’t lag too far behind, rolling by way of 11 pages in a minute.
Should you’re quick on time, don’t be afraid to strive “draft mode” pictures. Photos printed in draft lose a bit of element however look virtually as good as regular print high quality, which is almost indistinguishable from highest quality.
When printing a number of copies, it’s value checking if the draft mode is sweet sufficient because it saves ink and prints a lot sooner. Truthfully, I doubt I’d ever select the very best quality with such stunning photograph prints in the usual setting. A 4×6 is completed in simply 12 seconds and appears nice.
The compact paper feed appears dependable, however two 4×6 photograph papers had been pulled by way of at a time. This didn’t have an effect on printing and could possibly be due to greater humidity and the inherent stickiness of photograph paper. The envelope check is the one place the Expression Premium XP-7100 let me down. I merely couldn’t get an envelope to print accurately after three tries. If I discover a resolution, I’ll replace this text.
This isn’t a perfect workplace printer; it’s a photograph printer. If you’d like velocity and dependable doc, label, and envelope printing, a laser printer is usually a better option than an inkjet. Total, print velocity and high quality had been among the many finest regardless of the envelope challenge.
Particular options
The Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 is an all-in-one printer that may function a scanner and shade copier. Printing and copying are wonderful, however scanning is its weak spot, not less than the best way I exploit a scanner.
When scanning to a cellular gadget, I wanted the Epson iPrint app. That is an older app, and it solely helps as much as 300 dots per inch (dpi), which doesn’t present sufficient high quality when you crop in on a scan. Should you scan to a USB thumb drive, an SD card, or a pc, there’s an possibility for 600 dpi decision.
The thumb drive and reminiscence card choices are essential for me since my laptop isn’t close to the printer. The shortage of high-resolution scanning within the app looks as if an oversight. Epson maintains the iPrint app, and the most recent replace was only a few weeks in the past. Maybe a repair for greater scanning density will are available in a future replace.
For a low-profile printer, Epson gave the Expression Premium XP-7100 a pleasant doc feeder. The ADF carried out effectively, rapidly and reliably scanning a number of double-sided pages. It could deal with 30 pages at a time. The flatbed scanner is fast and easy to make use of, making copies straightforward.
Software program and compatibility
With the Epson Expression Premium XP-7100, setup begins with putting in the ink cartridges and aligning the print heads. That’s fairly normal for inkjet printers, although some make use of the scanner to automate and velocity up the alignment course of.
Epson’s documentation cautions that it is best to gently shake the most important cartridge, which is black, earlier than set up. It’s a element that’s simply missed and will trigger printing issues.
Since it is a photograph printer, there are 5 varieties of ink, together with the standard cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. There’s additionally a photograph black which works higher when printing footage.
Epson features a plastic bag to retailer the ink caps that have to be eliminated. It may be messy, so roll up your sleeves earlier than beginning.
After set up, the printer takes a couple of minutes to arrange the ink cartridge. The following step was connecting to Wi-Fi. Epson doesn’t point out a cellular app in its fast begin information, so I linked manually. Since my printer is upstairs, I used my router’s longer-range 2.4GHz band.
Connecting by way of a Mac or Home windows PC is straightforward and easy. You’ll want to put in Epson apps to entry each function, however for printing, you should utilize system software program.
From an iPhone, you may print with out an app. On Android, I put in the Epson Print Enabler, which serves as a driver. To make use of the scanner, I found I wanted the Epson iPrint app. It additionally supplies extra management over printing. Truthfully, the printer handles paperwork and footage effortlessly, so that you solely want the app for scanning and monitoring ink ranges out of your cellphone.
Value
The Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 retails for $240, however sale costs are nearer to $150 in a number of retailers. That makes the upfront value very low for such a high-quality photograph printer and all-in-one gadget.
Lengthy-term ink prices are literally an important consideration for cartridge-based inkjet printers. A four-pack of the colour cartridges prices $48.29, good for about 300 shade paperwork. That makes shade print value as a lot as 16 cents per web page.
Epson says 4 high-capacity shade cartridges final for about 650 pages. That involves $75.96, decreasing the price of a median shade doc to 12 cents. That’s higher, however nonetheless costly.
Black-and-white printing prices between 4 and 5 cents per web page, however as a photograph printer, I wouldn’t use a lot black ink.
Is that this the printer for you?
Epson’s Expression Premium XP-7100 can print stunning pictures rapidly and handles most monochrome printing duties effectively. Scanning and copying with the flatbed and doc feeder works effectively with a thumb drive, reminiscence card, and laptop.
If it’s essential to do medium to high-volume photograph printing, the Expression Premium XP-7100 will get costly in a rush since Epson’s Premium Claria ink cartridges are comparatively pricey for low-yield ink cartridges that require 4 to print in shade and one for monochrome.
The printer is thoughtfully designed and well-made however has some tough edges relating to printing envelopes and scanning to a cellular gadget.
Total, I used to be impressed with the print high quality, however I want the associated fee per web page was decrease. It’s an excellent selection for a images fanatic who needs to sometimes print their finest footage to share with family and friends. If you wish to print in shade every day or make plenty of shade copies, one other photograph printer would possibly fit your wants higher.
