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Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840 Printer Review

Tested using Methodology v1.1
Review updated Jun 21, 2024 at 09:34 am
Latest change: Writing modified Oct 23, 2024 at 09:00 am
Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840 Picture
7.7
Family
7.5
Small/Home Office
8.1
Student
7.5
Black & White
7.3
Photo

The Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840 is an all-in-one inkjet printer designed for a small or home office. It's a wide-format printer capable of duplex printing 13" x 19" Tabloid-size sheets. It features both a flatbed and ADF capable of single pass duplex scanning Tabloid-size sheets as well. There are two input trays as well as a rear feeder holding 550 sheets in all. Connectivity options include Ethernet and USB both to the computer and for external storage devices, Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi direct, and support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service.

Our Verdict

7.7 Family

The Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840 is good for family use. It has a good ADF-equipped scanner that automatically scans double-sided Tabloid-size sheets. It has a low cost-per-print for both color and black documents and great color accuracy for casual photos. Sadly, its photo quality is only okay, but it's fine for occasional photo printing.

Pros
  • Easy access to paper jams and ink cartridges.
  • Good printing speed.
  • Outstanding scanner features.
  • Low cost-per-print.
  • Wide-format printing and scanning.
Cons
  • Low page-yield for black and color prints.
  • Slow to print first page.
7.5 Small/Home Office

The Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840 is good for small or home offices. It feels well-built and has a fantastic scanner that can perform duplex scanning and faxes. It prints black-only text documents fairly quickly, although the first page takes a while to print. It's affordable to print in both black and color ink; however, the black page yield is very low, so you may need to replace the cartridge often, depending on your print load.

Pros
  • Easy access to paper jams and ink cartridges.
  • Good printing speed.
  • Outstanding scanner features.
  • Low cost-per-print.
  • Wide-format printing and scanning.
Cons
  • Low page-yield for black and color prints.
  • Slow to print first page.
8.1 Student

The Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840 is great for students. Although you may need to replace the ink often if you print a lot, the black ink cartridge is relatively affordable, which helps keep the cost-per-print low. It has a fantastic scanner, and its connectivity options are also great, making it easy to access. While the first page takes a while to print, once it gets going, black-and-white documents print quickly.

Pros
  • Easy access to paper jams and ink cartridges.
  • Good printing speed.
  • Outstanding scanner features.
  • Low cost-per-print.
  • Wide-format printing and scanning.
Cons
  • Low page-yield for black and color prints.
  • Slow to print first page.
7.5 Black & White

The Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840 is good for black-and-white printing. Documents look crisp and sharp, except for small details, which are fuzzier. Although the printer yields a low number of black text pages, its cost-per-print is still fairly low. However, if you print large documents frequently, you may need to replace the black cartridge often. There are high-yield and extra-high-yield cartridges available, but they are more expensive. Also, it's fast at printing black-only text pages.

Pros
  • Easy access to paper jams and ink cartridges.
  • Good printing speed.
  • Outstanding scanner features.
Cons
  • Low page-yield for black and color prints.
  • Slow to print first page.
7.3 Photo

The Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840 is decent for casual photos. Although some graininess and banding are present, printed photos look decently detailed. The colors are accurate enough for home use. It supports most photo sizes except for 2" x 3", and it's fairly affordable to print photos in color.

Pros
  • Fairly detailed photos.
  • Colors look vibrant and saturated.
Cons
  • Can't print 2" x 3" photos.
  • 7.7 Family
  • 7.5 Small/Home Office
  • 8.1 Student
  • 7.5 Black & White
  • 7.3 Photo
  1. Updated Oct 23, 2024:

    Minor text changes to mention the HP OfficeJet Pro 9730e as an alternative wide-format printer with better page yield in the Cartridge section.

  2. Updated Sep 11, 2024: Minor text changes to add mention of the Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 as an alternative with a wider color gamut in the Color Gamut section.
  3. Updated Jun 21, 2024: We've updated the review for clarity and accuracy.
  4. Updated Sep 09, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
  5. Updated May 27, 2022: This printer was incorrectly listed as not supporting A5 sheets, but it can actually print on this size. We've corrected the results in the Printing Size test to say 'Yes'.
  6. Updated May 18, 2022: Since we updated this printer to the new test bench, we added text to the new tests. We also updated some of the older text to be more in line with our current guidelines.
  7. Updated Apr 07, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
  8. Updated Aug 16, 2021: Retested duplex scanning and printing to confirm results. Updated Scanner and Printing Speed box.
  9. Updated Nov 27, 2020: Review published.
  10. Updated Nov 17, 2020: Early access published.
  11. Updated Oct 19, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
  12. Updated Oct 09, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  13. Updated Oct 05, 2020: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840. There is one other variant, the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7820. We expect this model to perform the same, as the only difference is the number of input trays: the WF-7840 has three paper trays, which hold 550 pages total, while the WF-7820 has only one, which holds 250 pages.

See our unit's label here.

Compared To Other Printers

The Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840 is a feature-rich, all-in-one inkjet printer. It's extremely versatile, as it can print and scan Tabloid-size sheets, and it has outstanding scanner features, including automatically processing multi-page documents, duplex scanning, and faxing. It also has three adjustable paper trays, which is great if you regularly print many pages in different paper sizes. The major pain point is its page yield, which is quite low. Thankfully, there are high-yield and extra-high-yield cartridges available. These bring the cost-per-print down to be competitive with more expensive wide-format printers, like the HP OfficeJet Pro 7740.

Also check out our recommendations for the best home printers, the best office printers, and the best inkjet printers.

HP OfficeJet Pro 9730e

The HP OfficeJet Pro 9730e and Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840 are both wide-format all-in-one printers. The HP is the better choice overall for people who primarily need to print. It prints faster and, due to a much higher page yield, requires much less maintenance. That said, the Epson can accommodate a wider range of sheet sizes, going up to Supertabloid size sheets (13" x19"). Also, for anyone who has high scanning needs, the Epson is the clear choice. Its ADF-equipped scanner has a higher capacity, scans faster, and produces much better-looking scans.

Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4830

While the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840 and the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4830 are all-in-one inkjet printers designed for small or home office use, they target different use cases. The WF-7840 is a wide-format printer capable of printing and scanning Tabloid size sheets. Unless you need this feature, the WF-4830 is better for most people, as it offers similar or better performance for all other use cases. 

Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850

The Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 is a much better printer for almost every use case than the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840. While these are all-in-one color inkjet printers, the ET-5850 uses a supertank reservoir, yielding far greater pages. It prints faster and is more color-accurate, and its ADF-equipped scanning processes documents much quicker. However, the WF-7840 is a wide-format printer with an ADF-equipped scanner capable of duplex scanning Tabloid size sheets. Thus, if your workflow requires printing and scanning Tabloid-size documents or photos, then the WF-7840 is the obvious choice.

Brother MFC-J6945DW

The Brother MFC-J6945DW offers better performance than the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840. Both can scan and print 11" x 17" tabloid-format sheets. However, the Brother is better for small or home offices as it offers significantly higher page yields at a much cheaper cost-per-print and a faster color document printing speed. On the other hand, if you primarily print black documents, then the Epson is a better choice as it prints black text documents much faster.

HP OfficeJet Pro 7740

The HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 and the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840 are both wide-format printers. The HP is a better choice if scanning quickly is a priority for you. Its ADF can duplex scan double-sided documents in a single pass, which is faster than Epson's ADF, which requires two passes. However, the Epson has much better color accuracy and a physical keypad next to its display screen, making it easier to fax if needed.

Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000

The Epson Workforce Pro WF-7840 and Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 are both wide-format printers. The WF-7840 is the better choice for office settings, as it produces nicer-looking documents and has much faster printing speeds. It also has an ADF-equipped scanner. By contrast, the XP-15000 is the superior choice if you print photos. It has an exceptionally wide color gamut, so photos look detailed and vibrant.

Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7310

The Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840 is a better printer overall than the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7310. While both can print up to 13" x 19" sheets, the WF-7840 offers much better page yields and significantly cheaper cost-per-print. Also, if your workflow requires scanning, it has a flatbed scanner and duplex-scanning ADF, making it easy to digitize different types of media. On the other hand, the WF-7310 is a print-only model and a better choice if you print a lot of pictures, as it produces much better-detailed photos. It also prints documents faster than the WF-7840.

Brother MFC-J995DW

The Brother MFC-J995DW is better overall than the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840. The Brother has a much better cartridge system that yields many more pages, resulting in a significantly lower cost-per-print. It also prints sharper documents and pictures. However, if you need to scan many multi-page documents, the Epson is a better choice as it can perform duplex scanning. It is also capable of printing and scanning up to Tabloid-size sheets, which is great for offices that require a wide-format printer.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
8.0
Design
Build Quality
Type All in One

The build quality of the Epson WF-7840 is great, as it's made of sturdy-feeling plastic. Design-wise, it has two paper trays at the front and a feeder at the back, with width sliders to accommodate different paper sizes. It provides good access to paper jams and ink cartridges, but the printer must be on to replace them. The scanner lid stays open on its own, and it has adjustable hinges, allowing you to scan thicker items. The maintenance box that stores flushed ink is easily accessible from inside the printer. Unfortunately, our unit makes many creaking and squeaking noises while printing. Also, the cartridge bay lid damper isn't very good, as the final inch slams down.

Design
Dimensions
Height 13.7" (34.9 cm)
Width 20.2" (51.4 cm)
Depth 17.6" (44.8 cm)
Height When In Use
20.1" (51.1 cm)
Width When In Use
20.2" (51.4 cm)
Depth When In Use
39.2" (99.6 cm)
Weight
43.0 lbs (19.5 kg)
7.0
Design
Expected Maintenance
Ink Related Maintenance
Expected
Drum Unit
No Drum Unit

Like all inkjet printers, there's a risk of ink drying up and printheads clogging on the Epson WF-7840; there are tasks built-in for printhead cleaning, printhead nozzle check, printhead alignment, and paper guide cleaning. Moreover, as the page yield is relatively low, you can expect to change cartridges frequently if you have a big print load. To replace the cartridges, you need to turn the printer on, select "Ink Cartridge Replacement" in the settings, and then wait for the cartridge carrier to move into view. On the bright side, you don't need to refill its paper tray as often since it has two large trays that hold up to 250 pages each, as well as a manual feeder that holds up to 50 pages. In the case of a paper jam, you can easily reach the sheet rollers by removing a panel in the back. You can also remove both the input tray and the output tray to access the front sheet rollers.

See the manual here.

8.5
Design
Display Screen
Display Screen Yes
Display Screen Size
4.3" (11.0 cm)
Touchscreen Yes

The LCD touchscreen is easy to navigate and responsive. It has touch-sensitive buttons for Home and Help and four shortcut buttons to interrupt, reset, view the paper settings, or view the job status. The touchscreen has great vertical visibility, but the viewing angle isn't as good from the side.

7.1
Design
Cartridge
Photo Cartridge
No
Technology Inkjet
Number Of Color Cartridges
3
Black Cartridge Model
Epson 812 Black
Color Yes
Tested Black Page Yield
19 prints
SuperTank
No
Estimated Black Page Yield
361 prints
Color Cartridge Model
Epson 812 C/M/Y
Tested Color Page Yield
14 prints
Estimated Color Page Yield
297 prints
Third Party Cartridge
Purchased One Worked
Ink Type
Pigment
High Yield Cartridge
Yes

The cartridge system is satisfactory. It yields a relatively low number of prints with its black and color cartridges, but there are black and color high-yield cartridges and a black extra-high-yield cartridge available. The Epson T812XL Black and T812XL CMY high-yield cartridges are good for around 1,100 pages, while the extra-high-yield Epson T812XXL Black cartridge will produce up to 2,200 pages. You can't print in color if any color ink cartridge is empty.

If you're looking for a wide-format printer but want a higher page yield, consider the HP OfficeJet Pro 9730e.

8.9
Design
Scanner Features
Scanner
ADF + Flatbed
ADF Capacity
50 pages
Scan Speed
7 PPM
Duplex Scanning
Automatic (Dual-Pass)
Max Flatbed Scan Size
11" x 17"
Max ADF Scan Size
11" x 17"
Flatbed Hinge Adjustability
0.46" (12 mm)
Fax
Yes
Copy
Yes
OCR Included
Software

The scanner has adjustable hinges that lift high enough to scan thicker items. It also has optical character recognition (OCR) capabilities; you can save scans as searchable PDFs using the Epson Scan 2 utility. While not perfect, most errors result from special characters.

8.0
Design
Scan Quality
Max Scan Resolution
1,200 DPI
Max Scan Color Depth
24Bit

The scan quality is good. Small and fine details are clear and well-reproduced. The biggest pain point is that the image processing oversaturates colors, making them much more vivid than the source material.

Design
Printing Size
Letter (8.5" x 11") Yes
Legal (8.5" x 14") Yes
Tabloid (11" x 17") Yes
A6 (105mm x 148mm) Yes
A5 (148mm x 210mm) Yes
A4 (210mm x 297mm) Yes
Photo (2" x 3") No
Photo (4" x 6") Yes
Photo (5" x 7") Yes
Photo (8" x 10") Yes
Max Paper Weight
260 g/m²

You need to extend the front trays to accommodate Tabloid-size paper.

Design
In The Box

  • Quick start guide
  • Installation CD
  • Detachable power cord
  • Epson T812 starter cartridges:
    • 1x T812 Black
    • 1x T812 Cyan
    • 1x T812 Magenta
    • 1x T812 Yellow

Design
Battery
Advertised Battery Life
N/A
Tested Charging Time
N/A
Document
8.0
Document
Black & White Documents
Color Ink Needed For Black & White
Yes

This printer produces very good black-and-white documents. The text looks sharp, and graphics, like charts and tables, are detailed. Finer elements don't fair quite as well, as they appear smudged. Finally, the way the printer translates color to grayscale loses some finer gradients; for example, it's difficult to distinguish between the two smaller segments in the pie chart.

8.0
Document
Color Documents

Color documents look great from this printer. The text is clear and legible, and larger blocks of color for charts, graphs, or tables look sharp, albeit slightly grainy. Finer details could be better; for example, background lines in charts and graphs look fuzzy.

8.3
Document
Cost-Per-Print
Black Cartridge Price
19.99 US$
Color Cartridge Price
38.95 US$
Black Only Printing
0.055 US$/print
Color Printing
0.131 US$/print
Photo Printing
0.348 US$/print
Ink Subscription
No

The cost-per-print is great. Although the page yield isn't very high, the cartridges aren't overly expensive, so your maintenance cost will remain relatively low.

7.6
Document
Printing Speed
Black Only Text Document
18 PPM
Color Document
7 PPM
Photo Printing Time
60.0 s
Single Page Out Time (Black Only)
14.0 s
Duplex Printing
Automatic
Input Tray Capacity
550 pages

There are two front paper trays with a capacity of 250 sheets each and a rear paper tray that holds 50 sheets. This printer is also capable of automatic duplex printing with Tabloid-size sheets.

Photo
7.0
Photo
Photo Printing Quality
Borderless Printing
Yes

Photo printing quality is decent. Photos have good detail but look a little grainy, with some banding.

6.9
Photo
Color Accuracy
Average Color dE
6.33

This printer has adequate color accuracy. Although the colors in photos will look noticeably different from the source material, it's still fine for casual use, like printing pictures at home. However, professionals who need exact color reproduction should look at other options.

7.0
Photo
Color Gamut

This printer has a decent color gamut. Colors are saturated, but it struggles with greens and reds; there's also some noticeable graining and banding, especially in the transition from green to yellow and yellow to red. Photos will still appear relatively detailed. If you want a similar printer with a wider color gamut, consider the Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000.

Mobile App And Connectivity
9.0
Mobile App And Connectivity
Connectivity
Ethernet
Yes
USB Input To Computer
Yes
Wireless Yes
Bluetooth
No
Wi-Fi via Router
Yes
Wi-Fi Direct
Yes
External Storage Support
Yes
Apple AirPrint
Yes
Mopria Print Service
Yes

You can print from a USB drive using the front USB port.

10
Mobile App And Connectivity
Mobile App
Mobile App Yes
App Name Epson Smart Panel
iOS Yes
Android Yes
Photo (JPEG, PNG)
Android and iOS
PDF
Android and iOS
Microsoft Office Files
Android Only
Text Files (TXT)
Android Only
Webpages (HTML)
Android and iOS

The Epson WF-7840 is compatible with the Epson Smart Panel app. The app allows you to print, scan, and copy from your mobile device, monitor ink levels, order cartridges, and perform maintenance tasks. It also provides access to video tutorials and troubleshooting guides.

Mobile App And Connectivity
OS Compatibility
Windows Fully
macOS Fully
Chrome OS Fully

You need to install drivers to print on Windows devices and install the Epson Scan 2 software for scanning. Neither macOS nor Chrome OS devices require drivers. The Epson Smart Panel app is available on Chrome OS; this gives you the same functionality as Android devices.