PRINTERS
78 DECEMBER 2019|COMPUTER SHOPPER|ISSUE 382
THEEXPRESSIONPREMIUMXP-6100 is a
mid-range inkjet MFP,designedforeveryday
and creative use at home.Itc an print, scan
and copy, and you can share it among users
on awireless network. There’s supportfor
automatic duplex printing, although if you
want to fa xyou’ll haveto look elsewhere.
While Canon’s rival Pixma TS6250 uses a
touchscreen, this MFP partnersacolour
screen withasmall groupof buttons. It works
well enough, and the XP-6100 has plentyof
other neatfeatures. In the base there are two
trays forupto100 pagesof A4, and 20 sheets
of 6x4in or 5x7in photopaper.Tidied away
behind the front panels are an SD slot and a
USB portfordirect scans and printing.
PLAYING FROMTHEBACK
The XP-6100 is rather compact. Its slight
width is achievedby mounting the five ink
tanks behind, rather than alongside,each
other.Asw ith the TS6250, Epson’s system
EPSON Expression
PremiumXP-6100
★★★★★
£100•www.amazon.co.uk
VERDICT
Epson’sXP-6100isabrilliantMFP
forcreativehomeuse,butitcouldbe
cheaperto run
pairs apigment black inkforplain paper work
with adye-based blackforphotos. Dye-based
cyan, magenta and yellow are usedforboth.
Epson sells replacements in standard or XL
sizes, buteven calculatedforthe latter,a
colour A4 page costsasteep 11.2p,ofw hich
the black component isadizzying 3.7p.
Photoblack isn’t used on plain paper so isn’t
included in this figure: Epson saysa£17 XL
cartridge should lastfor800 6x4in photos.
Expensive ink aside,it’s hardto criticise
the XP-6100. It’s surprisingly quick, delivering
black text at animble 15.6ppm in ourtest.
Colour graphics reachedaswift 4.4ppm, but
theywould have been quicker still without
some pauses during the most complex pages.
At less thanaminuteeach, 6x4in photos were
quick, while two 10x8in photos completed in
just under 10 minutes.
Despitetesting over awireless connection
–which is often abottleneck–scans were
very fast, too. An A4, 150dpi scan completed
in just seven seconds, andeven our 1,200dpi
6x4in photowas done in 45 seconds.
Although Epson’s scan interfacefeels abit
businesslike,itc ombinesagood setof
features with reasonable easeof use,and
produces great results.
Print quality was impressive across the
board, with crisp blacktext and strong
graphics. Duplex prints looked as bold as
single-sided ones, although there was
some visible bleeding through the page.
This can beavoided by adjusting the ink
density in the driver,orbyusing thicker
paper than we did.
HOTCOPY
Photocopies werefast, at nine seconds in
black only or 19 seconds in colour,and their
exposure was well judged. Photos were
extremely good, with accuratecolour
reproduction andawealth of detail,
particularly in mid and light regions. The one
disappointment wasadull, grey/brown
livestock photo, which lookedto have been
enhanced withtoomuch contrast, making it
look fartoo exciting.
This is agreat MFP,with all thefeatures
the typical home needs, but it’savery tight
choice between it and Canon’s Pixma TS6250.
We’d narrowlyfavour the XP-6100forits
speed and quality,but the Pixma is cheaper
⬆You don’t needafancy user interfaceto get great-quality prints and scans to run and almost as good.
Printqualitywas impressiveacross the board, with crisp
blacktextandstrong graphics
