Our Homeschool Printer
If you’re a homeschooler, you know having a good printer is essential. I was using the HP Deskjet 3755 to create all of my busy binder pages, free printables, printouts for our circle time board, and anything else that we needed. I found myself frustrated and impatient with the printer, but I realized that I needed a printer that was meant for the kind of work that I would be putting it through.
To be honest, I have no idea if the HP Instant Ink program was saving me money. I had always purchased HP printers so it had seemed like the best route. When I started looking into the best computers for homeschooling, I kept coming across the Epson EcoTank. I had never owned an Epson printer and I had never heard of ink bottles so this was all very new to me. I compared and contrasted multiple printers before deciding to purchase the Epson EcoTank ET-3850.
I have been using our new printer for a month now and it is almost perfect. Almost! There is one thing that I would change if I were to repurchase a printer (which I will not be doing) so I’ll make sure to steer you in the right direction!
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Here are just a few of the benefits of using an Epson EcoTank printer for homeschooling:
Save money on ink. The Epson EcoTank printer uses ink bottles instead of cartridges, which means you get much more ink for your money. I am far from having to replace the ink, but I will let you know more about that once I do. I plan to print most of the curriculum that we are using for kindergarten on this printer, as well as the summer busy binder and other printables.
Print high-quality documents. The Epson EcoTank printer prints quickly and clearly, and it can handle a variety of paper types. So you can be sure that your documents will look great, no matter what they are. Even my husband has commented that he loves this printer!
Easy to use and set up. The Epson EcoTank printer is easy to use and set up, so you can get started printing right away. I found the setup wizard to be incredibly helpful and I loved the way that it seemed like I was chatting with the printer.
Reasonable Size. We do not have a dedicated office space in our home. My husband works from home out of the basement, but I did not want the printer down with him because he is often on work calls and it would be disruptive for me to be in and out of his workspace. We opted for our bedroom because I can easily access it whenever. If fits perfectly! I’m sure there are many great Epson EcoTank printers, but the ET-3850 is a great size for how powerful it is.
There have been two downsides that I have found so far, but the second one is more about personal preference.
First, we have found the printed colors to not be as vibrant as I would expect. Blues, reds, and greens seem to be a few shades lighter than I wish and sometimes don’t match the color of what I view on my screen. I understand that it is not always possible, but even when I am trying to print a dark red color, the red ends up printing fairly muted.
The second downside is slight buyer’s remorse. To save money, we opted for the ET-3850 model which is not a touchscreen. The issue is that we find ourselves constantly trying to use it as a touchscreen. It’s an adjustment that we did not expect to even be an issue. Eventually, we will get used to it, but that is something to consider if you are choosing between the ET-3850 (no touchscreen) and the ET-4850 (touchscreen). If I could repurchase, I would have just gotten the touchscreen.
If you’re looking for a printer that will make your homeschooling life easier and more affordable, the Epson EcoTank ET-3850 printer is a great option, no matter which version you decide on!
