- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Our Verdict
- Test Results
- Differences
- Compared To Others
- Deals
- Discussions
The Epson Expression Home XP-4100, also sold as the Epson XP-4105, is a passable inkjet printer. While it has a few decent features, like wireless connectivity options and photo printing quality, it falls short in other important aspects. Among other things, it yields a very low number of black and color pages and has mediocre printing speed. It also has unremarkable scanning features and bad color accuracy. On the plus side, the cartridges aren't too expensive, so the overall cost-per-print stays reasonable. It also has outstanding mobile app support, allowing you to easily print many different types of files.
Our Verdict
The Epson Expression Home XP-4100 is an okay family printer. It does a good job printing photos, and it has a flatbed scanner with high enough resolution and color depth to scan and copy all kinds of documents. However, its color accuracy is quite bad, and the cost of ink adds up quickly since the cartridges don't last long.
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Decent connectivity options.
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Decent photo printing quality.
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Outstanding mobile app.
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Terrible black page yield.
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Bad color accuracy.
The Epson Expression Home XP-4100 is a bad printer for small offices. Its black page yield is terrible, so you need to change the cartridges quite often. It also has a very slow printing speed, so it remains a poor choice even if you end up getting the high-yield cartridges. Additionally, it lacks an automatic document feeder, meaning you can only scan one document at a time.
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Compact and lightweight.
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Slow print speed.
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Terrible black page yield.
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No automatic document feeder.
The Epson Expression Home XP-4100 is alright for students. This printer is quite compact and lightweight, making it suitable for a dorm room, and it has a decent amount of connectivity options. That said, it has a few important downsides. For one thing, you may have to replace the ink cartridges quite often because it has a very low page yield. Also, it prints very slowly and has mediocre scanner features.
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Decent connectivity options.
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Outstanding mobile app.
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Compact and lightweight.
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Slow print speed.
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Terrible black page yield.
The Epson Expression Home XP-4100 is inadequate for black and white printing. While the black cartridge doesn't cost too much to replace, its page yield is terrible, so you'll likely have to change it quite often. Black and white documents also take quite a long time to print.
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Reasonable cost-per-print.
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Slow print speed.
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Terrible black page yield.
The Epson Expression Home XP-4100 is only okay for printing photos. Even though it has decent photo printing quality, its color accuracy is quite bad. It also takes well over a minute to print just one 4" x 6" photo, and the cost-per-print is higher than many other options we've tested. On the plus side, it allows you to print on glossy photo paper and supports most photo paper sizes.
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Decent photo printing quality.
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Bad color accuracy.
- 6.9 Family
- 5.9 Small/Home Office
- 6.9 Student
- 6.4 Black & White
- 7.4 Photo
- Updated Sep 08, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Aug 30, 2022: Added mention of the Brother MFC-J1010DW as an alternative with faster printing speed.
- Updated Aug 25, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
- Updated May 20, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Mar 08, 2021: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
- Updated Dec 04, 2020: Replaced mobile app and changed Text File support to 'Yes'.
- Updated Jun 08, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.1.
- Updated May 11, 2020: Review published.
- Updated May 11, 2020: Early access published.
Check Price
Test Results
This printer has a passable design. The body is made of plastic that feels nice, but the output tray and extender are quite flimsy. The rear paper input also doesn't keep dust from accumulating on your paper. While the scanner lid can stay open on its own, the hinges don't extend to let you scan thicker documents on the flatbed. The printer also needs to be turned on to access the ink cartridges. On the upside, the power cable is replaceable.
The Epson XP-4100 is a compact multipurpose printer that's quite lightweight. This makes it suitable for use in a dorm room or small home office.
This printer has an adequate display screen. The buttons around the screen are used to navigate within the menu, and the home button provides a quick exit back to the main display. The buttons are pretty flush on the panel but aren't touch-sensitive, so they need to be pressed. The screen is responsive and easy-to-read when you're looking straight at it. The display panel can swivel up and down for better visibility at different vertical viewing angles; however, it's harder to see clearly when viewing from the sides.
The Epson XP-4100 has a poor inkjet cartridge system. Its page yield is quite bad, and the printer stops printing entirely if just one color cartridge runs out. The black page yield is especially terrible, so you'll likely need to change the black cartridge fairly often. On the upside, it has multiple color cartridges, meaning you don't have to replace colors you don't use as often, and there are high-yield cartridges available.
This printer accepts third-party cartridges, but using them may void the warranty.
This printer has mediocre scanner features. Since it doesn't have a sheetfed scanner, you can only scan one side of a single document at a time. On the upside, the scan resolution and color depth should be high enough for most uses. If you prefer a sheetfed scanner to process multi-page documents quickly, check out the similar Epson WorkForce WF-2850 or the Brother MFC-J895DW.
- User manual
- Epson 212 starter cartridges
- 1x 212-I Black
- 1x 212-I Cyan
- 1x 212-I Magenta
- 1x 212-I Yellow
- Installation CD
- Power cable
The Epson XP-4100's cost-per-print is alright. The cartridges don't last very long, but they're also not too expensive, which helps keep the cost-per-print fairly reasonable. That said, the more you print, the more you'll end up spending in total. Also, keep in mind that even if you print only in black, most inkjet printers continue using their color cartridges for servicing tasks, so they'll likely need replacing at some point as well. If you want a printer with a lower cost-per-print, check out the Canon PIXMA TS8220.
The printing speed is passable. While the first page of a black-only document doesn't take too long, it can still take a few minutes to print longer documents since the following pages don't come out much faster. The color printing speed is even worse, and you can expect to wait well over a minute for a single 4" x 6" photo. The input tray is also quite small, holding only 100 sheets of paper. If you want a similar all-in-one inkjet printer with faster printing speed, check out the Brother MFC-J1010DW.
This printer has a paper input in the back with an adjustable slider to accommodate different paper sizes.
The Epson XP-4100 has bad color accuracy. While it's unlikely to be a problem if you just print documents from time-to-time for personal use, it keeps professional documents like business reports from looking their best. If color accuracy is important for you, check out the HP ENVY 5014 instead.
The Epson XP-4100 has decent connectivity options. You can connect to it wirelessly either via Wi-Fi Direct or by setting it up with your home's wireless router. You can also print directly from your mobile device through AirPrint or Mopria. Unfortunately, it doesn't support Bluetooth. If that's something you need, check out the Canon PIXMA TS5320 instead.
When we tried to connect the Epson EX-4100 to the Epson iPrint app, our device prompted us to use the Epson Smart Panel app instead. This app is outstanding. It allows you to print many file types and scan documents directly to your phone. You can also check the printer's ink levels, initiate routine maintenance tasks like print-head cleaning, and order more ink, which is quite convenient. Take note that while it doesn't print .txt files natively, it automatically converts them to a PDF to print.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Epson Expression Home XP-4100, which is also sold as the Epson Expression Home XP-4105 at certain retailers. There aren't any variants of this printer that we know of.
Compared To Other Printers
The Epson Expression Home XP-4100 is an okay home printer, but it falls short when compared to similarly-priced printers, such as the Canon PIXMA TR7520. The XP-4100 has a lower page yield, it lacks an automatic document feeder, and it has a slower printing speed. For other options, check out our recommendations for the best all-in-one printers, the best home printers, and the best printers under $100.
The Epson Expression Home XP-4100 and the Epson Workforce WF-2850 are very similar budget all-in-one inkjet printers. The WF-2850 is a little better overall because it has an ADF and prints higher-quality photos. The XP-4100 yields slightly more black pages, but it's a tiny difference, and neither has a particularly high page yield to begin with, so you'll have to replace the ink cartridges pretty often on both.
The Canon PIXMA MG3620 is much better than the Epson Expression Home XP-4100. The Canon produces higher-quality black and color documents, and its cartridges yield more pages, resulting in a lower cost-per-print. The Canon also requires less maintenance because its printheads don't clog as quickly. However, the Epson has a sturdier build, and it supports Wi-Fi Direct, whereas the Canon doesn't. The Epson's color accuracy isn't as good as the Canon, but it has a wider color range and produces finer details in photos.
The Epson Expression Home XP-4100 and the Brother HL-L2350DW are very different printers. The Epson is a color inkjet all-in-one, whereas the Brother is a print-only monochrome laser model. The Brother is a better choice if you only print in black and white. However, if you need color printing or a scanner, the Epson is a better choice.
The Brother MFC-J1010DW is better than the Epson Expression Home XP-4100 for most uses. The Brother feels more sturdily built and has more features, like an automatic document feeder. It also prints faster and yields more pages per set of cartridges. The Epson can produce a wider range of colors, but its color accuracy is significantly worse.
The Epson Expression Home XP-4100 is much better than the HP DeskJet 2755e for most uses because it produces higher-quality documents and photos, prints faster, and its ink cartridges yield more pages, resulting in a lower cost-per-print. However, the Epson requires more maintenance as its printheads clog very quickly, even if you print regularly.
The Epson Expression Home XP-4100 is better than the Canon PIXMA TS3520 for most uses. The Epson has a sturdier build and a better display, and its ink cartridges yield more prints, making it more cost-effective in the long run. The Epson also produces higher-quality documents and photos. That said, the Epson requires more maintenance as its printheads clog very quickly.
The Epson Expression Home XP-4100 is slightly better than the Canon PIXMA TR4520 overall. The Epson has a higher black page yield and lower cost-per-print for black-only text documents; however, it's the other way around for color printing as the Canon yields more color prints. The Canon produces better-looking photos as it has a wider color range and better color accuracy. The Canon also has an automatic document feeder, which the Epson lacks, although the scan quality isn't as good as the Epson.
The Epson Expression Home XP-4100 and the HP OfficeJet 250 are two all-in-one printers designed for different uses. The Epson is made to stay on your desk and plug into a wall. It has a flatbed scanner with higher resolution, so it's a better choice for scanning photos. On the other hand, the HP has a rechargeable battery, so you can still use it even when you don't have a power outlet near you.
The Epson Expression Home XP-4100 and the Brother HL-L2390DW are very different printers. The Brother is a laser printer that only prints in black and white. It's faster, yields significantly more black pages, and is a lot more cost-effective for high-volume printing. On the other hand, the Epson is more versatile and prints higher quality photos, considering that the Brother doesn't print in color.
The Brother MFC-J995DW is significantly better than the Epson Expression Home XP-4100. The Brother has a better display screen, more scanning features, and it can yield a lot more black and color pages, making it more cost-effective in the long run. It also prints faster and has more connectivity options.