For anyone running a home office or a small business in Malaysia, the real cost of a printer is not the box on the shelf, it is every page after it. Epson's refreshed EcoTank line, now on sale locally, is pitched squarely at that problem: high ink yields, lower power draw and a longer warranty than most inkjets carry.
Editor
Aiman Hakim chevron_right
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What Epson has launched
Epson has expanded its EcoTank range with a set of new compact models for homes and small businesses, including the L1310, L3310, L3350, L3316, L3356 and L5390. The line builds on a format that has sold more than 100 million units worldwide: refillable ink tanks instead of cartridges, which is where the running-cost savings come from.
Each model uses 65ml CMYK dye ink bottles rated for up to 4,700 pages in black and 7,500 pages in colour. Colour-coded tank keys match each bottle to its slot, which Epson says makes refilling less messy. Every model in the series is covered to print up to 50,000 pages under warranty, and a replaceable Maintenance Box lets users handle upkeep themselves rather than booking a service visit.
Where the Epson EcoTank models differ
The models split along features. The L3350, L3356 and L5390 work with the Epson Smart Panel app, so you can scan and copy from a phone, and they support AirPrint and Mopria for wireless printing. The L5390 adds an automatic document feeder and fax for multi-page jobs. The L1310, L3310 and L3316 keep things simpler, with USB 2.0 connections aimed at basic home and office use.
Epson also says the new bodies are up to 20 percent smaller than the models they replace, with the ink tank built into the printer rather than hanging off the side. A Semi-Automatic Print Adjustment feature is meant to keep alignment and colour consistent over time.
Why it matters
Ink tank printers have become the default choice for anyone who prints in volume, because the up-front price buys years of cheap pages. The pitch here is less about headline speed (rated at up to 11 pages per minute in black) and more about total cost: high-yield bottles, self-service maintenance and Heat-Free printing that Epson says draws less power. For a Malaysian SME weighing a printer that will run daily for years, those are the numbers that decide it.
"With the next generation of EcoTank, we have combined faster performance, enhanced durability and intuitive features to boost productivity," said Alvin Tan, Managing Director of Epson Malaysia.
Availability and warranty
The new EcoTank printers are available in Malaysia now, on sale from 1 July through Epson's website and authorised dealers. Epson has not published local pricing for every model, so it is worth checking with a dealer for the exact figure. The range ships with a 5-year warranty.
If your current printer keeps eating cartridges, the appeal of the EcoTank line is simple: pay a little more once, then print for a lot less. The refreshed models keep that promise while trimming the footprint and adding phone-based scanning to the mid-range units.
