PRINTING. The Epson Workforce WF-100 prints using inkjet technology, which sprays liquid ink onto the paper from a moving head. It prints Very Good photos on glossy paper that most people would be happy with. Its text printing is Good, though not as good as most inkjets. Text printing was reasonably fast, 5.2 pages per minute, costing 10.4 cents per page. It prints color graphics well enough for most purposes, such as school reports, at 1.9 pages per minute, costing 31.7 cents per page. The multi-color ink cartridge must be replaced when a single color runs out.
SCANNING and COPYING. This is a single-function printer. It lacks a built-in scanner/copier.
CONTROLS and DISPLAY. The printer has a small 1.4-inch display screen.
CONNECTIVITY and NETWORKING. You can connect directly to a PC with a USB cable, or to your network router wirelessly with WiFi. There's a WiFi Auto-connect feature that makes it easy to link to your wireless router. Apple AirPrint and Google Cloud Print are built-in, to print wirelessly from smartphones, tablets and PCs. You can also install Epson's app on your smart phone or tablet, as another option for printing over your WiFi network. You can also print an email remotely by forwarding it directly to this printer.
COST OF OWNERSHIP AND INK. When this section was last updated, the printer's purchase price was about $300, very expensive for an inkjet printer. Printing uses up ink. Over time, as you print, the costs add up. This printer uses 2 cartridges. The Epson ink cartridges used in testing were the 215 BK and 215 COLOR. At the time, their prices were $22 and $18 respectively. We estimate the ink cartridges to last an extremely short time — around 9 weeks — following a typical printing schedule. After 2 years of typical use, we estimate the total cost to be $664, very high for an inkjet. The estimated yearly cost is $182, typical for this printer type. So the 3-, 4- and 5-year estimates are $846, $1028 and $1210 respectively.
NOTE. You can print from a camera or laptop away from an AC power source using a special battery (included).
PRINTER FIRMWARE. Firmware is software that exists inside the printer. All models are evaluated using the latest firmware version available at the time of testing.
SOFTWARE. The collection of software accompanying the printer may include: the printer driver, printer applications, electronic user manual, (and for all-in-ones:) scanning, faxing, and OCR apps. These get installed on your personal computer. All models are evaluated with a Windows 10 PC using the latest version of printer driver and printer support apps available at the time of testing. The software version was 2.40.0.0.
ABOUT THE INK CARTRIDGES, SOFTWARE AND FIRMWARE. Our test results are valid only for the Epson-brand ink cartridges, and the software and firmware versions indicated. If your printer's software or firmware differ from the ones shown you either have an older or a newer version of these. Manufacturers may periodically upgrade the printer's firmware to enhance operation, fix bugs, or add features. Firmware updates are downloadable directly to your printer via a wired or wireless network (if internet capable). You can check your printer's firmware version, or upgrade to the latest firmware by either (1) running the Epson printer-update app installed on the PC, or (2) accessing the "Settings" section of the printer menu and navigating to the firmware update option. Consult the user manual or Epson's website for further guidance. Try searching online.
