The Epson EcoTank ET-3950 is an all-in-one inkjet printer that uses refillable ink tanks rather than traditional cartridges. It features a 250-sheet paper tray and a 2.4-inch color display for navigation, and it supports automatic duplex printing. While you'll have to upgrade to the Epson EcoTank ET-4950 if you need a fax function, this model also supports dual-pass duplex scanning, a welcome addition for users who frequently handle large batches of documents. Connectivity options remain comprehensive, including USB, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet, as well as compatibility with Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service.
Our Verdict
If you're in need of a family printer designed for high-volume use and a fully featured scanner, the Epson EcoTank ET-3950 is an excellent choice. While it's designed for high-volume use and may be overkill for most families, it delivers incredible page yields at a very low cost for ink bottles. Its scanner is equipped with an automatic document feeder and even includes automatic dual pass duplex scanning, which is rare among this category of supertank printers. Its black-and-white document print quality is superb, and even if colors come out a bit washed when it comes to color documents, they remain totally serviceable. Finally, its color gamut is very good, and its color accuracy is improved, despite the reddish hue that permeates most photos.
Produces detailed photos.
High page yields and low cost-per-print.
Includes an automatic document feeder.
Produces very detailed documents.
Very good scan quality.
Very good color gamut.
Color accuracy is only passable.
The Epson EcoTank ET-3950 is an excellent option for small office environments. The printer delivers outstanding page yields while keeping maintenance demands minimal. You'll find the overall speed adequate for most daily tasks, unless you regularly print very large documents. Automatic duplex printing comes standard. The scanner packs in an impressive array of features. It features an automatic document feeder and duplex scanning, which is a welcome addition to this lineup. One notable limitation is that this printer renders colors that are somewhat washed out at lower print quality settings. Higher-quality settings mostly alleviate the issue, but it's worth considering if you need to print a large number of color documents quickly.
High page yields and low cost-per-print.
Includes an automatic document feeder.
Produces very detailed documents.
Feature-rich scanner.
Slow to wake from an idle state.
With its outstanding yields and black-and-white printing quality, the Epson EcoTank ET-3950 is an amazing choice for students with high-volume printing needs who also want a feature-rich scanner. It supports both Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service, making it simple to print from a wide range of devices. Epson's companion app adds even more flexibility with its extensive set of tools and options. The scanner also offers plenty of functionality, featuring duplex scanning, OCR capability, and an automatic document feeder for easier multi-page jobs.
High page yields and low cost-per-print.
Includes an automatic document feeder.
Produces very detailed documents.
Very good scan quality.
Slow to wake from an idle state.
The Epson EcoTank ET-3950 produces sharp, detailed black-and-white documents and achieves impressive page yields. Its scanner includes a strong set of practical features like automatic duplex scanning and an automatic document feeder. If you frequently print lengthy documents, you may find that this model operates a bit slower than some alternatives.
Produces very detailed documents.
The Epson EcoTank ET-3950 performs very well for photo printing, producing bright and detailed images at a low running cost. Although some grain can appear, and the colors aren't perfectly accurate, the photos still look natural and pleasing. The printer also handles a wide variety of paper sizes, and its overall color accuracy is solid for everyday use.
Produces detailed photos.
High page yields and low cost-per-print.
Supports a wide range of photo paper sizes.
Very good color gamut.
Color accuracy is only passable.
The Epson ET-3950 reproduces a wide range of colors. That said, its color accuracy out of the box is only passable with a reddish tint that permeates most colors. The overall print quality remains high. The images look natural despite minor inaccuracies, making this printer more than capable for everyday or casual use.
Very good color gamut.
Color accuracy is only passable.
The Epson ET-3950 produces excellent black-and-white prints with impressive sharpness and clarity. The text is clean and precise, and the lines in the graphs appear relatively well-defined even on the standard print quality.
Produces very detailed documents.
The Epson EcoTank ET-3950 produces sharp enough scans, even if they're slightly over-exposed. Although it has some difficulty capturing very fine details, the results remain clear and usable for most purposes. The scanner includes a robust set of features, like automatic duplex scanning and an automatic document feeder, which make it suitable for heavier workloads. That said, it's relatively slow, which may be an issue in situations where time is a constraint.
Includes an automatic document feeder.
Very good scan quality.
Feature-rich scanner.
The Epson EcoTank ET-3950 prints at a reasonable speed and supports automatic duplex printing for added convenience. Photo printing, however, takes noticeably longer, and the first page is slow to print. This is mainly due to the motorized output tray extending slowly, which adds a few extra seconds before printing begins.
Includes an automatic document feeder.
Slow to wake from an idle state.
The Epson ET-3950 maintains impressively low ongoing costs. It replaces standard cartridges with refillable ink tanks that can print thousands of pages before needing more ink. The replacement bottles are affordable and environmentally friendly, making the printer both economical and sustainable to operate.
High page yields and low cost-per-print.
Performance Usages
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Epson EcoTank ET-3950 is only available in 'White.' There's also an Epson EcoTank ET-3958 variant, which is a Costco exclusive that comes with two additional bottles of black ink. Epson also lists the EcoTank ET-3940 and the EcoTank ET-3930 in its manual as equivalent models. The ET-3940 appears to be a region-based variant, whereas the ET-3930 lacks an ADF entirely.
See our unit's label.
Epson also has an extremely similar model, the Epson EcoTank ET-4950, that delivers the same performance but adds a fax function.
Popular Printer Comparisons
The Epson EcoTank ET-3950 or Epson ET-3958 is a great all-in-one inkjet printer that offers a complete package that should fulfill the needs of most users. It delivers outstandingly high yields that supertank printers have become known for, and its ink bottles are cheap. Its print quality is excellent, producing sharp documents. The scanner is also feature-rich. It features an automatic document feeder (ADF) and duplex scanning capabilities. If you're looking for a model with a fax function, Epson's otherwise identical Epson EcoTank ET-4950 is worth a look. These printers provide flexible all-in-one packages. More mid-range models, like the Epson EcoTank ET-2980, lack more advanced scanner features, such as an ADF or automatic duplex scanning. While competing laser printers like the Canon Color imageCLASS MF656Cdw/MF654Cdw can print and scan more detailed documents faster, they're less versatile, as they aren't well-suited for printing photos.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best home printers, the best all-in-one printers, and the best inkjet printers.
The Epson EcoTank ET-3950 and the Epson EcoTank ET-2980 share many of the same printing strengths, offering comparable output quality. The ET-3950, however, stands out with a far more capable scanner that includes automatic duplex scanning and an automatic document feeder for easier multi-page handling. It also produces more detailed scans and features a larger input tray, reducing how often you need to reload paper.
The Epson EcoTank ET-4950 and the Epson EcoTank ET-3950 are extremely similar printers. They both deliver outstanding yields, feature-rich scanners, and have very good overall printing quality. The ET-4950 adds a touchscreen display to navigate the user interface and a fax function to the package. However, if you don't need this function, the cheaper ET-3950 would be a more sensible choice.
The ETEpson EcoTank-3950 and the Epson EcoTank ET-3850 share many of the same strengths, offering comparable print quality and both featuring an automatic document feeder. The ET-3950, however, expands its capabilities with dual-pass duplex scanning, which can come in handy for frequent duplex prints. Its color accuracy is noticeably better than that of the ET-3850, delivering more pleasing colors overall. The only drawback is that the ET-3950 produces scans with slightly less detail.
The Canon Color imageCLASS MF656Cdw/MF654Cdw and the Epson EcoTank ET-3950 both offer full-featured scanners with automatic document feeders and duplex scanning. The Canon also includes fax capability. It's quicker overall, making it better for frequent, high-volume scanning and printing, and it produces more detailed scans and prints. The Epson, however, provides lower long-term printing costs because of its high-yield, refillable supertank system. It also handles photo printing well, unlike the Canon, which uses laser technology and isn’t intended for that use.
Test Results
The Epson ET-3950 is well-built. It's easy to access ink tanks, and they don't have any moving parts, so refilling is straightforward. It's also easy to keep an eye on Ink levels directly on the printer, and you can refill the tanks without powering the unit on. That said, you still need to reset the counter in the maintenance settings. The detachable power cord is a convenient touch. The ADF feed mechanism also feels better built than the Epson EcoTank ET-4850, and paper jams are fairly easy to clear from both the back and an access point on the ADF.
However, while it has a relatively large capacity, there is only one input tray at the front. Also, both the maintenance bay and the scanner lid lack dampeners and can close quite abruptly if you're not attentive. The output tray has a concave shape that sometimes causes sheets to get stuck behind others when paper is curled or heavily inked. This can happen even below the stated maximum of 30 sheets.
This printer is easy to maintain. Its high page yield means refilling the ink tanks is an infrequent task, and the process itself is simple. The printer doesn't need to be powered on for refilling, and each ink bottle features a uniquely shaped nozzle that fits only into its matching tank, helping to prevent mix-ups. Still, it can get messy if you're not careful. Once refilled, you'll need to update the ink level through the Ink Level Settings menu.
Paper jams are relatively easy to deal with. You can reach the sheet rollers through both the back panel and the ADF mechanism at the top. Some jams can also be cleared through the maintenance bay if they occur there. To access the sheet rollers, squeeze the two rear tabs and pull the plastic cover off. The ADF rollers are reached by opening the upper-left section of the printer and lifting the cover.
As with most inkjet printers, the Epson ET-3958's printheads can clog if the printer remains unused for too long. Epson includes several built-in tools to help maintain print quality, such as nozzle checks, printhead cleaning, power cleaning, alignment, and paper guide cleaning. It's also important not to let the ink tanks run dry, as doing so can allow air into the lines and cause potential damage.
For more specific instructions and diagrams, refer to the user manual.
The display is clear and easy to read, whether you're sitting or standing, and you can tilt the panel to get a better view. The interface feels straightforward and simple to use, but since it's not touch-sensitive, inputting passwords with the arrow keys is tedious.
The Epson ET-3950 produces an impressively high number of pages before needing a refill. Although its overall yield is slightly lower than that of the older Epson EcoTank ET-3850, the difference is minor and unlikely to be noticeable in daily use.
You should never allow the ink tanks to run completely dry, as doing so can cause damage to the printer. The system frequently reminds you to monitor ink levels once it detects that the supply is running low, and it continues to issue warnings until you take action. If the low-ink condition remains unresolved, the printer eventually pauses all printing tasks and won't continue until you reset the ink level or print counter.
The printer has an impressive scanner feature set. The printer features an automatic document feeder, as well as duplex scanning. This feature is still uncommon in this printer category. However, the scanner operates at a relatively slow pace. The automatic dual-pass processes one side of a page before flipping it over to scan the reverse side.
The optical character recognition (OCR) capability relies on software rather than hardware. To access this feature, you must first install the Epson Scan 2 program. The OCR performs reliably, with errors typically occurring only with special characters. The software requires you to select 'Searchable PDF' as the output format for the OCR function to operate properly.
If you're looking for a printer that also includes a fax function, Epson offers the Epson EcoTank ET-4950 as a slightly pricier alternative. This model matches the ET-3950 in nearly every respect but also adds this capability and a touch-screen display.
While the Epson ET-3950 delivers very good scan quality overall, it falls short of the performance seen from its predecessor, the Epson EcoTank ET-3850. Scans from the newer model appear lighter, and several fine details captured by its predecessor are no longer visible. Although the text remains sharp and readable, the thin lines on graphs and the large sample watermark that should appear in the background are completely missing.
We attempted several troubleshooting steps to improve the results, but the output quality remained unchanged. The issue might stem from a software-related problem. If we find a solution later, we will revise our review to reflect it.
- Power cord
- Epson T502 ink bottles:
- 1x Black
- 1x Cyan
- 1x Magenta
- 1x Yellow
- User documentation
This is a corded printer without a battery.
This printer produces excellent black-and-white documents. The text appears clean and well-defined, and the fine lines in graphs and tables are sharp and precise. You may spot a few tiny imperfections, like some banding on the diagram, but these flaws are barely noticeable. Overall, the print quality stands out for its clarity, which is among the best an inkjet can achieve.
The Epson ET-3950 prints color documents with good overall accuracy. Text remains clear and sharp. Colors, however, look slightly faded, and some of the thinner lines or finer details in graphs appear a bit faint. This is noticeable in the text below the frequency response graph. Despite this, the printer still delivers consistent and readable color output.
The Epson ET-3950's cost-per-print is outstandingly low. Each full tank produces an impressive number of pages, and the replacement bottles are priced affordably.
This printer offers respectable overall print speeds. The printer needs several seconds to wake from idle before starting a job. Its motorized output tray also adds some delay. It takes about 10 seconds to extend automatically before printing begins. It handles black-and-white documents quickly, while color prints take a bit more time, which is normal for inkjet models. When the tray is already open, print speeds improve.
First page out: 13.5 seconds
Photo: 85 seconds
The printer supports custom sizes up to 8.5" x 47.2" (54 mm x 86 mm to 215.9 mm x 1,200 mm).
The Epson 3950 has a very good color gamut. The colors come out slightly brighter and more saturated than its predecessor,out of the box. Color transitions are also slightly smoother on the Granger chart.
The printer delivers acceptable color accuracy and shows improvement over the earlier Epson EcoTank ET-3850. While most colors aren't precise and have a visible reddish hue, the overall output still looks natural and pleasing to the eye. Skin tones appear realistic, and photos work well for everyday home printing.
This printer reproduces small details very well. Fine elements, such as the antenna and the building right behind it, look good enough, and there are still some details of the background buildings.
The Epson Smart Panel app offers an excellent and feature-rich experience. It allows you to print, scan, and copy with ease, and you can also handle maintenance tasks like nozzle checks and printhead cleaning directly from the app. You can monitor ink levels and even launch many maintenance tools if your printer isn't functioning correctly. You can also find useful shortcuts, such as copying both sides of an ID card onto a single page or generating a QR code, allowing guests to connect quickly to the printer.
The iOS version, however, sometimes struggles with specific file formats, especially Microsoft Office documents. In those cases, printing directly from the application you used to open the file works more reliably.
Windows users need to install the printer drivers manually before getting started. The software package includes four programs:
- Epson Scan 2
- Epson Photo+
- Epson Connection Checker
- Epson Software Updater
Printing works without additional apps, but scanning requires either the Epson Scan 2 or the Epson Scan Smart application.
On macOS and Chrome OS, everything runs smoothly without extra drivers or software. For greater control and access to advanced features, installing Epson's full software suite is still the best option for Mac users.