Product test

Winner of the Stiftung Warentest: Epson ET-2750

18.5.2018

Translation: machine translated

Stiftung Warentest has tested 12 inkjet printers from Epson, Canon, HP and Brother. And we're delighted to announce the winner.

All the devices tested for home or business use are capable of photocopying invoices, scanning receipts and printing photos, for example. But only one stands out from the crowd, and that's thanks to its quality and low price.

And the winner is... drum roll: Epson's ET-2750

At the end of the tests, three printers clearly stood out from their competitors. The winner scores particularly well in terms of value for money. Epson's ET-2750 makes interchangeable cartridges obsolete, as it features a practical Ecotank system, which uses ultra-high-capacity ink tanks supplied by individual ink bottles. With interchangeable cartridges no longer needed, printing costs are dramatically reduced and the higher purchase price fully justified.

Printer

Epson ET-2750 EcoTank

Ink tank, Colour

Printer highlights

3-in-1 multifunction printer
Print resolution of up to 5760 x 1440 dpi
Print speed of up to 33 pages per minute
Integrated duplex unit
SD card reader
Support for mobile print services

Advice for amateur photographers
For mainly digital photo printing, experts recommend the Canon Pixma TR8550 or the Epson Expression Premium printer. As well as printing good photos, both models are also capable of delivering convincing scanning results.

Farewell to expensive cartridges thanks to the Ecotank system.

How is this type of test carried out?

The experts test all the printers with the latest hardware and software. These tests are carried out using copy and photo paper suitable for the respective printer model.

Printers are put through their paces. Per test, no fewer than six cartridges or toner sets are emptied when printing. For example, when testing ten new devices, testers have to print over twenty thousand sheets of paper. This is the only way to determine the cost of printing text, colour pages and photos. Once this text print consumption test is complete, the ink cartridges are also individually weighed on a high-precision scale to see how much ink has been lost during rinsing.

Print quality is the most important criterion. A sample letter is used to judge the quality of text printing, an Excel spreadsheet with graphics, for colour printing. Some machines are better than others, especially when it comes to colour gradation and printing fine patterns. The differences in photo printing are often striking. Photos are printed in high resolution on photo paper. The quality is checked under standard lighting conditions. Lightfastness is tested using colour prints.

As for water resistance, this is tested using conventional and inkjet markers. Drops of water are then dropped onto the photo prints to see if the ink runs or fades. The colour variations are then tested using a special device that intensively illuminates a test strip for ten days with a xenon lamp. Post-test measurements then show the colour changes in the prints.

Printers differ greatly in copying, printing and scanning speed. For example, printing a colour photo takes between 15 seconds for the fastest device and more than ten minutes for the slowest. Different models can be used to determine the quality of multifunction devices when it comes to scanning and copying. In addition, experts also assess manoeuvrability, versatility and environmental properties.

Criteria used during the test

1. Printing (20% of the assessment): print quality of text, colour pages and photos, water and light resistance, speed.
2. Scanning (10% of assessment): quality of scanning of text, colour pages and photos, speed.
3. Copy (15% of assessment): copy quality of text, colour pages and photos, speed, fax function (if available).
4. Cartridge costs (20% of assessment): yield, cost per page, ink consumption for cartridge insertion and printhead cleaning.
5. Handling (15% of assessment): user instructions, commissioning, operation, cartridge replacement and maintenance.
6. Versatility (15% of assessment): additional functions such as edge-to-edge printing, charger, network functions, etc.
7. Environmental features (5% of the evaluation): power consumption, volume, finishes.

The four winners

Please note: in Germany, a score of 1 is considered the best, unlike in Switzerland. The four winners all achieved good results.

1st place, score 2.2: Ecotank ET-2750 from Epson

Good quality prints and copies, low maintenance costs thanks to the Ecotank system. [[productlist:6604674]]

2nd place, rating 2.4: Pixma TR8550 from Canon

Fax function, nice photo prints, very versatile device. [[productlist:6487018]]

3rd place, rating 2.5: Epson Workforce Pro WF-3720DWF

Fax function, consistently good quality prints [[productlist:6279284]]

4th place, rating 2.5: Expression Premium XP-6000 from Epson

Good quality photo prints. [[productlist:6609434]]

Consult the report by "Stiftung Warentest" in German

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Arbenita Jashari

Junior Editor

arbenita.jashari@digitecgalaxus.ch

When it comes to office supplies, I believe in form and function. From pens, scissors, paper notes to glittery glue and funky folders. That’s what I’m about at work. When I’m not busy checking out the latest desk accessories, I enjoy jetting off to remote corners of the world, lifting weights or taking an evening walk.