Epson EcoTank ET-3950  Printer Review

Reviewed Oct 15, 2025 at 10:21am
Writing modified Jan 06, 2026 at 10:03am
Tested using Methodology v1.3 
Epson EcoTank ET-3950

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Home 
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Small Office 
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Set-And-Forget 
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Photo 
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Page Yield 
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Printing Speed 
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Document Quality 
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Scanning 

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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

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Home 

If you're in need of a home printer designed for high-volume use and a fully featured scanner, the Epson EcoTank ET-3950 is an impressive 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 printing 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. You should also keep in mind that it's relatively large, so ensure you have a suitable location to set it up.

Pros
  • 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.

Cons
  • Color accuracy is only passable.

  • Can clog if it's left unused.

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Small Office 

The Epson EcoTank ET-3950 is a great 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.

Pros
  • High page yields and low cost-per-print.

  • Includes an automatic document feeder.

  • Produces very detailed documents.

  • Feature-rich scanner.

Cons
  • Slow to wake from an idle state.

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Set-And-Forget 

The Epson EcoTank ET-3950 is a reasonable choice if you're looking for a reliable printer that's always ready when you need it. As with any inkjet model, infrequent use can lead to clogged printheads; therefore, printing occasionally is recommended to prevent the ink from drying out. The printheads themselves aren't replaceable, but the printer's high-capacity flushing system can usually clear minor clogs and supports multiple deep-cleaning cycles without needing an ink refill. That said, if a clog is too severe for flushing to fix, there are very limited options to address it. Aside from this drawback, the printer's ink tanks deliver excellent page yields, meaning refills are rarely necessary. You'll also be able to easily print from virtually any device, thanks to the ET-3950's extensive connectivity options.

Pros
  • High page yields and low cost-per-print.

Cons
  • Printheads aren't user-replaceable.

  • Can clog if it's left unused.

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Photo 

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 accommodates a wide range of paper sizes, and its overall color accuracy is reliable for everyday use.

Pros
  • Produces detailed photos.

  • High page yields and low cost-per-print.

  • Supports a wide range of photo paper sizes.

  • Very good color gamut.

Cons
  • Color accuracy is only passable.

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Page Yield 

The Epson EcoTank ET-3950 offers exceptional page yields, as its supertank cartridges are capable of producing thousands of pages before a refill is required.

Pros
  • High page yields and low cost-per-print.

Cons
None
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Printing Speed 

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.

Pros
  • Includes an automatic document feeder.

Cons
  • Slow to wake from an idle state.

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Document Quality 

The Epson ET-3950 delivers excellent results when printing black-and-white documents. Text is sharp and easy to read, graph lines look clean and precise, and overall clarity is high, with very few noticeable artifacts. That said, its color printing isn't quite as strong. Colors may appear slightly muted, and finer details may lack the same level of sharpness.

Pros
  • Produces very detailed documents.

Cons
None
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Scanning 

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 features a robust set of capabilities, including automatic duplex scanning and an automatic document feeder, making it well-suited for heavier workloads. That said, it's relatively slow, which may be an issue in situations where time is a constraint.

Pros
  • Includes an automatic document feeder.

  • Very good scan quality.

  • Feature-rich scanner.

Cons
None
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    Home
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    Small Office
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    Set-And-Forget

  • Performance Usages

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    Photo
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    Page Yield
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    Printing Speed
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    Document Quality
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    Scanning
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Jan 06, 2026: 

      We've updated text throughout the review after converting to Test Bench 1.3.

    2.  Updated Jan 05, 2026: We've updated the review to Test Bench 1.3, which adds a number of test boxes including Risk of Clogging and Ease of Unclogging. We also updated the Usage and Performance boxes at the top of the review to better integrate the new aspects covered. See the changelog.
    3.  Updated Oct 15, 2025: Review published.
    4.  Updated Oct 07, 2025: Early access published.

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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 comprehensive package to 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.

    Epson EcoTank ET-2980

    Track

    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.

    Epson EcoTank ET-4800

    Track

    The Epson EcoTank ET-4800 and the Epson EcoTank ET-3950 have similar overall performance, including exceptional page yields. When it comes to printing, the newer ET-3950 offers slightly better black-and-white document quality, and it also takes a slight edge in color range. It's also a lot quicker, pushing about twice as many pages per minute. The older ET-4800 is no slouch either; it even takes a slight edge in color accuracy. When it comes to scanning, the newer model offers automatic duplex scanning and slightly cleaner scans, while the older model adds a fax function.

    Epson EcoTank ET-4950

    Track

    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.

     

    Epson EcoTank ET-3850

    Track

    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.

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    Test Results

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    Design
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    Build Quality
    TypeLockedAll-In-One

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    Dimensions
    HeightLockedLock" (Lock cm)
    WidthLockedLock" (Lock cm)
    DepthLockedLock" (Lock cm)
    Max Height
    LockedLock" (Lock cm)
    Max Width
    LockedLock" (Lock cm)
    Max Depth
    LockedLock" (Lock cm)
    Weight
    LockedLock lbs (Lock kg)
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    Display Screen
    Display ScreenLockedLocked
    Display Screen Size
    LockedLock" (Lock cm)
    TouchscreenLockedLocked

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    0.0
    Cartridge
    SuperTank
    LockedYes
    Photo Cartridge
    LockedLocked
    ColorLockedYes
    Number Of Color Cartridges
    LockedLock
    Black Cartridge Model
    LockedLocked
    Tested Black Page Yield
    LockedLock prints
    Estimated Black Page Yield
    LockedLock prints
    Color Cartridge Model
    LockedLocked
    Tested Color Page Yield
    LockedLock prints
    Estimated Color Page Yield
    LockedLock prints
    Third-Party Cartridge
    LockedLocked
    Ink Type
    LockedLocked
    High Yield Cartridge
    LockedLocked

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    0.0
    Expected Maintenance
    Ink Related Maintenance
    LockedLocked
    Drum Unit
    LockedLocked

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    0.0
    Risk Of Clogging
    Print Technology
    LockedInkjet

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    Ease Of Unclogging
    Printhead Location
    LockedLocked
    Printhead Serviceability
    LockedLocked
    High Flushing Volume
    LockedLocked

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    In The Box

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    Battery
    Advertised Battery Life
    LockedN/A
    Tested Charging Time
    LockedN/A

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    Efficiency
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    Cost-Per-Print
    Black Cartridge Price
    LockedLock US$
    Color Cartridge Price
    LockedLock US$
    Black-Only Printing Cost
    LockedLock US$/print
    Color Printing Cost
    LockedLock US$/print
    Photo Printing Cost
    LockedLock US$/print
    Ink Subscription
    LockedLocked

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    0.0
    Printing Speed
    SAMPLE
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    Epson EcoTank ET-3950 Printing Speed Video Sample
    Black Only Text Document
    LockedLock PPM
    Color Document
    LockedLock PPM
    Photo Printing Time
    LockedLock s
    Single Page Out Time (Black Only)
    LockedLock s
    Duplex Printing
    LockedAutomatic
    Input Tray Capacity
    LockedLock pages

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    Document
    0.0
    Black & White Documents
    Color Ink Needed For Black & White
    LockedLocked

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    Color Documents

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    Document Printing Sizes
    Letter (8.5" x 11")LockedLocked
    Legal (8.5" x 14")LockedLocked
    Tabloid (11" x 17")LockedLocked
    A6 (105mm x 148mm)LockedLocked
    A5 (148mm x 210mm)LockedLocked
    A4 (210mm x 297mm)LockedLocked
    Max Paper Weight
    LockedLock g/m²

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    Scanner
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    Scanner Features
    Scanner
    LockedLocked
    ADF Capacity
    LockedLock pages
    Scan Speed
    LockedLock PPM
    Duplex Scanning
    LockedLocked
    Max Flatbed Scan Size
    LockedLocked
    Max ADF Scan Size
    LockedLocked
    Flatbed Hinge Adjustability
    LockedLock" (Lock mm)
    Fax
    LockedLocked
    Copy
    LockedLocked
    OCR Included
    LockedLocked

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    0.0
    Scan Quality
    Max Scan Resolution
    LockedLock DPI
    Max Scan Color Depth
    LockedLockBit

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    Photo
    0.0
    Color Gamut

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    Color Accuracy
    Average Color dE
    LockedLock

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    0.0
    Small Details
    Max Print Resolution (DPI)
    LockedLocked

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    0.0
    Photo Printing Sizes
    Glossy Paper (4" x 6")LockedLocked
    Glossy Paper (5" x 7")LockedLocked
    Glossy Paper (8" x 10")LockedLocked
    Glossy Paper (8.5" x 11")LockedLocked
    Glossy Paper (13" x 19")LockedLocked
    Borderless Printing
    LockedLocked
    Mobile App And Connectivity
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    Connectivity
    Wireless
    LockedLocked
    Wi-Fi via Router
    LockedLocked
    Wi-Fi Direct
    LockedLocked
    Bluetooth
    LockedLocked
    Ethernet
    LockedLocked
    USB Input To Computer
    LockedLocked
    External Storage Support
    LockedLocked
    Apple AirPrint
    LockedLocked
    Mopria Print Service
    LockedLocked
    0.0
    Mobile App
    Mobile AppLockedLocked
    App NameLockedLocked
    iOSLockedLocked
    AndroidLockedLocked
    Photo (JPEG, PNG)
    LockedLocked
    PDF
    LockedLocked
    Microsoft Office Files
    LockedLocked
    Text Files (TXT)
    LockedLocked
    Webpages (HTML)
    LockedLocked

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    OS Compatibility
    WindowsLockedLocked
    macOSLockedLocked
    Chrome OSLockedLocked

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