Owning an Epson printer greatly facilitates productivity but most consumers are now aware that it also means having to regularly purchase cartridges which are notorious for being expensive.
What do we consider expensive? When shopping for a more economical Epson printer, look at its cost per page. Cost per page is calculated by taking the cartridge price and dividing it by the number of pages you can expect to print with it (this is also known as its page yield).
For example, let’s take the Epson 252 black ink cartridge and compare it with a black Epson 288. A black Epson 252 prints 350 pages and costs $19.99 for an OEM. Using the formula for cost per page (CPP) of [price divided by page yield], an Epson 252 has a CPP of $0.057 (5.7 cents) per page. A black Epson 288, on the other hand, prints 175 pages and costs $12.99 with a CPP of $0.074 (7.4 cents) per page, making it the more expensive cartridge over the Epson 252.
Don’t just look at the low cartridge price. Even if the Epson 288 is $7 cheaper than the Epson 252, the 252 prints twice the amount of pages which also means less frequent ink replacements. Both Epson inkjet cartridges mentioned in the example above are available in higher yield; high yield mean the cartridges contain more ink and print more pages. These might have different CPPs compared to their standard cartridge counterparts.
Owning a cost-efficient machine is not impossible if you know what to look for. To make things easier for you, here’s a list of the top Epson ink cartridges that have low CPPs and pretty good page yields as well as the printers they are compatible with.
Epson 252XL Ink Cartridges
The Epson 252 ink series contain pigment-based ink and come in standard and high yield cartridges. Here are the page yields for all colors of the Epson 252 series.
| Standard Yield Cartridge | High Yield Cartridge (XL) | |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 350 Pages | 1,100 Pages |
| Cyan | 300 Pages | 1,100 Pages |
| Magenta | 300 Pages | 1,100 Pages |
| Yellow | 300 Pages | 1,100 Pages |
A high yield black Epson 252XL cartridge costs $34.99 at the time of this article. The cost per page for this cartridge is $0.032 (3.2 cents).
We recommend getting the high yield Epson 252 because of their amazing page yields. But this is only if you print regularly. If you don’t print as frequently, go with the standard cartridges. Ink dries up and can clog your printhead if you don’t print regularly.
The following printers are compatible with the Epson 252XL ink cartridge:
Epson WorkForce WF-7720 Printer
The Epson WF-7720 printer is a wireless, wide-format, multi-function inkjet printer that is powered by Epson’s PrecisionCore Technology. Prints borderless photos of up to 13″ x 19″ and a maximum document size of 11.7″ x 17″. Features duplex printing, has two 250-sheet paper trays (total of 500-sheet capacity), and plus a rear paper feed for specialty paper.
Epson 802 Ink Cartridges
The Epson 802 ink series contain pigment-based ink and come in standard and high yield cartridges. Here are the page yields for all colors of the Epson 802 series.
| Standard Yield Cartridge | High Yield Cartridge (XL) | |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 900 Pages | 2,600 Pages |
| Cyan | 650 Pages | 1,900 Pages |
| Magenta | 650 Pages | 1,900 Pages |
| Yellow | 650 Pages | 1,900 Pages |
A high yield black Epson 802XL cartridge costs $49.99 at the time of this article. The cost per page for this cartridge is $0.019 (1.9 cents).
Epson WorkForce WF-4740 Printer
The Epson WF-4740 is a multi-function heavy duty inkjet printer that boasts of a print performance comparable to a laser printer. Has a 500-sheet capacity paper feed just like the WF-7720 and is 50% more economical compared to the printing costs of a color laser printer. Features duplex printing, scanning, copying, and faxing capabilities. The Epson WF-4740 printer uses 4 Epson 802 DURABrite® Ultra pigment ink cartridges (black, cyan, magenta, yellow).
Epson 312XL Ink Cartridge
Another Epson ink cartridge that prints a good amount of pages is the Epson 312XL. This high yield cartridge prints 500 pages (a standard Epson 312 prints 240 pages) which is good for those who don’t print a lot or don’t print regularly. The Epson 312 cartridge series comes in 6 colors: black, cyan, light cyan, magenta, light magenta, and yellow. Contains Claria® Photo HD ink for smooth gradations and amazing skin tones.
| Standard Yield Cartridge | High Yield Cartridge (XL) | |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 240 Pages | 500 Pages |
| Cyan | 360 Pages | 830 Pages |
| Light Cyan | 360 Pages | 830 Pages |
| Magenta | 360 Pages | 830 Pages |
| Light Magenta | 360 Pages | 830 Pages |
| Yellow | 360 Pages | 830 Pages |
The current price of an Epson 312XL black ink cartridge is $18.99 which gives us a CPP of $0.038 (3.8 cents).
Epson Expression Photo XP-8500
If you like the Epson 312, a compatible printer we recommend is the Epson XP-8500, a very impressive wireless all-in-one photo printer. I’ve only seen a few highly-rated Epson printers and this model is on the list. It has a built-in USB and memory card slots for easy photo printing. Comes with a dedicated photo tray and a specialty paper feed. This printer model boasts of speed and can print a 4″ x 6″ photo in as fast as 10 seconds. Uses all 6 Epson 312 ink cartridge colors.
Epson 502 Ecotank Ink Bottles
The Epson Ecotank is a line of printers equipped with a continuous ink supply system (CIS). CIS printers get ink from larger ink tanks so they print more pages and last longer than regular and smaller ink cartridges. To refill an ink tank, you just need to buy bottles of ink and you’re set. Ecotank printers have a low cost per page because a bottle of ink can print thousands of pages. For example, a bottle of Epson 664 black ink prints 4,000 pages and currently costs $12.99. That gives us a cost per page of $0.0032 (.32 cents)! That’s an incredibly low CPP if you ask me.
We recommend the newer generation Epson Ecotank ink, the Epson 502 series. A black Epson 502 prints 7,500 pages and contains 127ml of ink. (For comparison, a standard black Epson 252 contains only 6.2ml of ink. 6.2ml vs 127ml–that’s like night and day!) Epson 502 black ink is a pigment-based formula while the Epson 502 cyan, magenta, and yellow ink are all dye-based formulations.
| Epson 502 Page Yield | |
|---|---|
| Black | 7,500 Pages |
| Cyan | 6,000 Pages |
| Magenta | 6,000 Pages |
| Yellow | 6,000 Pages |
A bottle of black Epson 502 currently sells for $19.99 so your CPP would come out to be $0.0027 (0.27 cents).
Epson WorkForce ET-4750 Ecotank Printer
The Epson WorkForce ET-4750 is an all-in-one wireless Ecotank printer that uses the Epson 502 ink series. It comes with 2-years worth of ink in the box. Offers duplex printing, a 250-sheet paper tray, and 30-sheet auto document feeder. Capabilities include print, scan, copy, and fax.
Epson 512 Ecotank Ink Bottles
Another Ecotank option is the Epson 512. A black Epson 512 ink refill bottle can print 8,000 pages and a color 512 refill bottle can print 5,000 pages.
| Epson 512 Page Yield | |
|---|---|
| Black (T512020) | 8,000 Pages |
| Photo Black (T512120) | 5,000 Pages |
| Cyan (T512220) | 5,000 Pages |
| Magenta (T512320) | 5,000 Pages |
| Yellow (T512420) | 5,000 Pages |
A black Epson 512 bottle currently costs $19.99 making its CPP $0.0039 (0.39 cents).
Epson Premium ET-7700 Ecotank All-in-One Printer
The Epson ET-7700 Ecotank is a wireless all-in-one printer that uses Epson’s 5-color drop-on-demand MicroPiezo® inkjet technology. Comes equipped with print, scan, and fax capabilities.
There you have it, the Epson ink cartridges / bottles that print the most pages. We’ll keep updating this article as new products come out. Let us know if you have any questions on the comments section below.