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Epson may have just fixed the most annoying issue with cheap printers

Published Aug 4th, 2015 9:30PM EDT

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Ink printers are such an annoying thing to deal with, especially when you have to constantly replace cartridges. Thankfully Epson seems to be fully aware of this, which is why the company has figured out how to deliver a printer that can purportedly run for years without needing an ink change.

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As The Wall Street Journal notes, Epson’s new EcoTank printers can “run for years without running dry,” and save you a bunch of money on printer cartridges. However, this also means you’ll have to pay more money upfront to use this new printing tech instead of buying a cheap printer and then paying through the nose for replacement ink.

The new printers come in two distinct versions: The $400 ET-2550 and the $500 ET-4550. The latter is also a fax machine and a sheet feeder, and it has support for Ethernet.

As for the ink, the EcoTank printers come with special cartridges that you need to buy once every two years, during which time you’d be able to print more than 35 black-and-white and 60 color pages every week. That’s a lot of printing coming from four canisters that sell for just $52.

The secret behind these magical printing powers lies within Epson’s hardware innovation. Epson has developed permanent mechanical print heads rather than disposable thermal ones used by competitors. The print heads are always connected to the printer, which means ink can be piped to them from anywhere, including tanks on the side of the printer. Furthermore, they can operate for years without clogging or requiring repairs exactly because they’re mechanical.

More details about these new Epson printers are available in the Journal’s full review, found at the source link.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.