Epson WorkForce WF-2930
Recommended RRP $110.00
“Epson’s WorkForce WF-2930 is a good choice for home office use with high-quality printing, scanning, copying and faxing capabilities.”
Advantages
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Low initial cost
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Good print quality
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Optional high capacity black ink
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High resolution scans and copies.
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Compact and attractive
Cons
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Ink costs will add up over time
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Slow printing
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The document feeder has some problems
Nowadays not everyone needs a fax. Well, let’s be honest. most people don’t do it. But some do, and for those people, an all-in-home solution can be expensive.
Epson’s WorkForce WF-2930 printer is a very low-cost, all-in-one solution that designed for the home office. Keeping the price low while still offering the features you need for the job is demanding, so we tested the WorkForce WF-2930 to see if Epson could find the right balance.
Design
Epson’s WorkForce WF-2930 is small for a printer focused on work which combines color printing, scanning, copying and faxing. It takes up just 22.7 by 14.8 inches of space on your desk and measures 9.5 inches tall.
It will look good in your home office with its diffused carbon black finish, rounded corners, and glossy control panel. The center panel tilts up for easy viewing and the color screen is readable despite its small 1.4-inch size.
The WorkForce WF-2930 is not a touchscreen model, but the large buttons on either side work well and the menu system is easy to navigate with the arrows, Back and OK buttons. There is also a numeric keypad for the fax function.
The printer is well made and the adjustable parts are clearly labeled, making it obvious how to load paper for printing and insert documents into the automatic feeder for scanning and faxing. The top panel is thicker than some all-in-one printers, as it also has a document feeder and a tray for collecting documents after digital capture.
The line port for connecting a phone line for faxing is on the back, along with an extension port for connecting a phone and a USB port for physically connecting a computer.
A note about the design: It may be difficult to see the paper guides on the back if you place the WorkForce WF-2930 on a desk at counter height. At 6 feet tall, I can lean over and see the guides, but my wife has to step aside to adjust to a different paper size.
Print performance
The Epson WorkForce WF-2930 is a remarkably affordable inkjet printer with good color accuracy and sufficient detail in photographic prints. As an office printer, text is crisp, easy to read, and color documents look beautiful.
The print speed of 10 pages per minute (ppm) in black and white and five ppm in color will keep you waiting longer than more expensive models. That’s to be expected: Epson pitches it as a home office printer rather than a solution for a fast-paced workroom.
The double-sided printing worked reliably and produced good results overall, but it did have a smudge on the edge on the first print. After printing one side, the printer rerolls the paper, turns it over, and prints side two without human help.
That makes a big difference when you want to print a long document without creating a big stack of paper.
Special features
Epson WorkForce WF-2930 is a four-function all-in-one printer, including printing, scanning, copying and faxing. This single device covers all of those needs, which can be ideal for setting up a small business or occasionally working from home.
Scans are high quality, allowing up to 600 dots per inch when using the mobile app and up to 1200 dpi from a computer. The automatic document feeder (ADF) lets you load a stack of up to 30 sheets of paper and move on to other tasks.
Unfortunately, the ADF has a couple of problems. If you use the mobile app, you won’t be able to multitask while scanning. If you switch to another application, the scanning stops. He Android The app does not support split screen, but it works on an iPad. From a computer, the scanner can run in the background.
A more worrying problem occurs if you load the ADF with thin or old paper that is delicate. My old school newspaper got jammed. The WorkForce WF-2930 detected the problem and removal was easy, but the page was slightly wrinkled. Even with new paper, you can see that the feeder causes some curling as the paper feeds in. When scanning old documents or something particularly important, it is best to use the flatbed scanner.
I was not able to test the fax function because I use a smartphone exclusively for calls and do not have a physical telephone line. The technology is more than 60 years old, so there should be no new surprises when sending faxes with the WorkForce WF-2930’s high-quality scanner and printer.
Software and compatibility
With Epson’s Smart Panel app, you can take care of everything you need from the WorkForce WF-2930, walking you through setup relatively quickly. It is necessary to print a few inkjet head alignment pages to visually evaluate and guide the printer for best quality. Some competing all-in-one printers use the built-in scanner to automate this process.
It is compatible with iOS and Android. I used my Pixel 6a for initial setup but it also easily connected to my iPhone. If you are using Windows, Mac, or Chromebook, the printer should be recognized immediately. If you need a driver, the operating system will guide you through the process.
You can use a USB printer cable (not included) or connect via Wi-Fi. If you choose a direct cable connection, you may want to check our guide to sharing printers so Epson WorkForce WF-2930 can also be accessed from your iPhone or Android phone. Epson provides access to software utilities for scanning and faxing from your computer.
Economical prices
At $110, the WorkForce WF-2930 has a price that sounds too good to be true. Epson had to minimize costs to make such an affordable printer, but it didn’t skimp on print or scan quality. However, print speed is affected, as is ink capacity. Waiting a little longer is fine for most home offices. However, ink costs will start to rise.
The initial ink cartridges that ship with the printer will run out quickly, so it’s best to order another set right away. With an all-black cartridge ($20), Epson estimates you can print 150 pages. A high-capacity 232 XL black cartridge ($31) lasts 380 pages. A complete set of color cartridges ($21 total) provides about 140 color documents.
That’s for an average document that prints ink on one portion of the page. Photo prints use much more ink since they cover an entire page. The bottom line is that you’ll pay between 8 and 15 cents per document and much more for a full-page borderless photo print. It looks great, but the costs add up quickly if you fall in love with photo printing.
Is this the printer for you?
Epson’s WorkForce WF-2930 is a good option for working from home, where you don’t expect to frequently go through reams of paper. Print quality is excellent for documents and photos. The scans are sharp and also capture color accurately. Epson combined those features to let you make color copies at home. This all-in-one can even function as a fax machine.
You will need to spend a little more if you need a quick print. That’s one of the tradeoffs for keeping the cost of the WorkForce WF-2930 so low. Another possible concern is ink costs. High capacity black is a must to reduce the cost of black and white documents and labels. As for color, there is only one size: small.
Consider an inkjet printer with larger cartridges or a tank printer if you plan to print more than a few photos. Epson’s EcoTank ET-2850 is a good choice for volume color printing. If you do not need office functions, the Epson Expression Home XP-4200 might be a better option.
If you’re just starting out in your business or need to print, scan, copy, and fax on days you work from home, the Epson WorkForce WF-2930 is a great choice.
Editors’ recommendations
