Epson pulls the plug on laser printers in the name of the environment

While laser printers rely on toner, fuser, developer, and other disposable components, the inkjet printer only uses ink boxes and ink waste. Epson has stopped selling laser printers in many markets in the United States (US), except Asia and Europe. Epson said his printer consumes up to 85 percent less energy than laser printers at similar speeds. The printer also produces up to 75 percent less carbon dioxide than similar laser printers. “Inkjet technology can reduce energy consumption compared to lasers, and with concise treads and light designs, this product helps limit the resources used during production and delivery,” said Epson. Epson also offers two label-printer sub-brands that are outside the scope of this overview.

In 2016, HP came under fire for pushing out an update that would disable third-party ink cartridges. Consumer backlash was swift, and HP ultimately apologized for not being more transparent and backtracked. As Ars Technica highlights, the company is still paying for the misstep – most recently to the tune of $1.35 million to compensate impacted users in Europe. The company already halted laser printer sales in many markets, but continued in Asia and Europe. Even though new hardware would be unavailable everywhere, Epson said it would continue to support consumers with consumables and spare parts. Japanese electronics and printer maker Epson announced this month that it will end the sale and distribution of laser printer hardware by 2026, citing sustainability issues.

Inkjets are comparably smaller in size and use less components, making them more suitable for home use. Owners just need to swap out the ink and waste ink box versus the toner, drum, developer, and fusers for laser models. As a result, Epson says, its inkjet printers consume up to 85 per cent less energy than a similar-speed laser printer and require 59 per cent less replacement parts. “As a company we’re totally committed to sustainable innovation and action, and inkjets simply use less energy and fewer consumable parts. “As a company we’re totally committed to sustainable innovation and action, and inkjets simply use less energy and fewer consumable parts,” explained Epson sales and marketing manager Koichi Kubota in canned statement. “While laser printers work by heating and fusing toner to a page, Epson’s Heat-Free inkjet technology consumes less electricity by using mechanical energy to fire ink onto the page.”

Enhance productivity with the new WorkForce Pro® all-in-one printers for home offices, small businesses and workgroups. All Epson printing devices are compatible with current and older computer models. Epson printers are equipped with USB cords that can connect directly to your computer if it isn’t compatible with Bluetooth. It remains to be seen whether the announcement will be the death knell for laser printers. Rival manufacturer Brother currently does not have any plans to pull out of the laser market. HP also has more than 20 laser printers currently listed on its online store.

Since this summer, Epson updated its support page to make it easier for users to reset its printers so they’ll keep working and to highlight its recycling program. Watch how the Epson C4000 label printer brings comprehensive connectivity and dynamic image quality together in a compact design. Bring greater clarity and collaboration to your business with Epson projectors, designed to fit your budget while supporting today’s workplace needs, including wireless mobility and a low cost of ownership. Some models, especially those intended for commercial use, can print at higher speeds. Print documents and photos wirelessly from across the room or around the world using your iPad®, iPhone®, tablet, smartphone or computer. Despite its outright exit from the global laser market, the company will continue to provide consumers with laser consumables and components, according to The Register.

If you are using it to print brochures or word documents this is an almost perfect printer for you. From clogged nozzles and planned obsolescence to the high cost of refills, inkjet printers have been a hot potato among consumers for years. I recall a friend in high school that swore by buying a new printer when his ink cartridge would run out because it was cheaper than simply purchasing a replacement cartridge. The PictureMate and SureColor sub-brands are at the two extremes of the Epson printing spectrum. PictureMate offers what Epson calls a “personal photo lab” and is limited at this writing to a single model, the PictureMate PM-400, which has been on the market for a long time now. It’s meant primarily to print small-format photos, up to 5 by 7 inches, and can print from a variety of sources, including memory cards.

It printed the 10 pages in just 32 seconds and scanned and printed them in 1 minute, 12 seconds. The Epson WorkForce Pro WF-C8690 is a high-volume wide-format inkjet all-in-one that prints quickly and accurately for medium- to large-size offices and workgroups. The Epson EcoTank Pro ET wide-format AIO prints well and inexpensively, and it comes with two years of unlimited free ink, making it an exceptional value for small businesses and workgroups.

This calculation is based on current pricing which is subject to change over time and excludes the cost of additional long life components such as drums, fusers or other maintenance items. Item prices epson photo printer do not include fees for pickup, shipping or delivery (if applicable) unless noted in the item description. Item prices may vary between online (for pickup, shipping or delivery) and in club.