Epson WorkForce 545 Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer, Copier, Scanner, Fax, iOS/Tablet/Smartphone/AirPrint Compatible (C11CB88201)

When my HP Photosmart C4400 All-in-One lost it's mind and wouldn't do anything, I first searched for a solution and when I found none that worked, I decided it was time to buy a new printer. Before I bought a replacement, I really shopped around for just the right All-in-One printer. I checked consumer reviews on Amazon, a big box technology store, a couple of office supply stores and the expert and consumer reviews on CNET. The Epson WorkForce 645 and the 545 All-in-One printer got great marks. So, I decided on the Epson. I really like how Epson uses three individual color cartridges (and a black cartridge) rather than one cartridge for color and one for black. I'm sure this will save me money when I have to replace my ink cartridges. I couldn't find a 645 at the right price and decided to focus on the 545, which is the same printer, except it doesn't have an automatic two-side document tray. Since that's not something that was a priority, I went with the 545 and saved $30. Amazon's price for the Epson 545 was $10 to $15 less than the big technology store and office supply stores. So, I purchased one. I've had it for three weeks now and it works great. It was easy to install, use and has great color coverage. ONE THING I WOULD SUGGEST ABOUT THE PRINTER SOFTWARE is you download the latest version of the software from Epson's website. One of the reviewers suggested that, saying the CD packed with the printer could be one or two years old compared to the latest drivers, etc. on the web. I did that and setup was very smooth. One concern expressed in some of the 545 and 645 reviews dealt with the plastic paper tray. Some folks felt it was too flimsy. I can see what they mean, but it hasn't been an issue for me I guess because I was aware of it. I make sure I don't push it too hard and I haven't had any problems reloading paper (and I've filled the tray two or three times now). Even before it broke, I had issues with the HP Photosmart C4400 All-in-One printer. Print jobs would occasionally fail to print. I'm pretty computer savvy and searched the web for solutions and web posters said to solve these problems, I needed to download a utility app. I used that utility program weekly to fix problems with the HP. I have NOT had any such problems with the Epson. I also like how Epson packs all of its various controls in the normal print dialogue box. I click on "PRINT" then "PROPERTIES" and the dialogue box that appears is packed with all kinds of useful buttons and tabs. Now I can check my Ink Levels using the Print dialogue box. With the HP I had to run their separate printer control application. This is much easier and convenient. There's even a Maintenance tab that lets you check and clean the print nozzles. (I haven't needed to do that yet.) The Epson Workforce 545 is a Work Horse! I highly recommend the Epson WorkForce 545 All-in-One printer! I'm using the 545 as a home printer. I'm sure it would work fine as a small office printer.

I hit the print button on my computer and the HP printer made a beeping noise and started blinking an amber light. I stared at the control panel and saw it complaining that my ink cartridges were low. I went to amazon to get replacements, and even the refurbed ink cartridges were well over a hundred bucks. I'd bought them only four months ago and used them very little. They were dried out and useless. I got looking at printers here on Amazon, and found that I could buy a new printer and a set of factory replacement ink cartridges for less than the HP cartridges alone. Sale made, I bought the Epson Workforce 545. The printer was fairly easy to set up. You'll need a Type A to Type B USB cable, even if you want to use it as a wireless or Ethernet based printer. Fortunately, the HP used the right cable, so the corpse gave up its cable for the new Epson. From there setup was quick and easy to perform, but each the printer setup (an easy to understand setup sheet is included) and the computer setup took 5 minutes, about 15 minutes to set up and print a test page. The printer is very cable, it's a scanner, a copier and a fax in addition to its printer functions. I set mine up as a USB connected printer since I don't have anyone to share it with. The print quality is excellent, perhaps better than the HP all-in-one this guy replaced. Its color printing of photos is really good very sharp with no color smear. It's also a fast printer, tossing a page out a third faster than most ink jet printers. Ink cartridges for the Epson run $18 for a set, much better than the HP. I have the feeling that I won't be shedding this printer (about $90 total) because of super-pricey ink requirements costing me way more than the printer. It feels a lot more durable that the HP as well, but time will tell. Of course Epson is older than dirt at making printers, and so I have a lot of confidence in it. Plus, it was shipped well packaged, yet easily unpacked and readied for setup and use. The paper tray will hold the better part of a ream of paper, reducing the pauses to refill the tray. That's a plus --in addition to its compatibility with wired or wireless network printing. I'm glad I chose it. By the way, Amazon's price for the printer was the lowest I could fine, even including Best Buy, TigerDirect, Newegg and a few other merchants.