Managing the growing use of paper can be a challenge for small business owners with limited IT resources.
Spiralling print costs can quickly erode their profits, especially in Singapore, where many are facing the heat from the rising cost of labour and rent.
About five years ago, Epson developed the L-Series ink tank system printers to nip the problem in the bud – by storing ink in larger tanks outside the printer, rather than inside a small cartridge.
That allows the printer to churn out thousands of pages without a refill, like what you’d expect from a laser printer.
Earlier this week, Epson unveiled the L655, its first duplex printer in the L-Series. With a yield of 6,000 pages for monochrome printing from just a bottle of black ink, the printer is touted to offer a low cost-per-print of S$0.0032.
For colour printing, the L655 offers a composite yield of up to 6,500 pages (at a cost-per-print of S$0.004) using cyan, magenta and yellow ink bottles. The ink bottles are reasonably priced too. A bottle of black ink costs S$18.90 while colour ink bottles cost S$9.90 each.
Epson also claims its PrecisionCore printhead technology – usually found on higher-end Epson printers – that powers the L655 is capable of producing razor-sharp text and vibrant photos of up to a resolution of 4,800 dpi. Indeed, sample printouts handed out by Epson during the launch event appeared rich in colour, with no sign of text bleeding.
The Wi-Fi-enabled L655 also make it easy to print from anywhere using the Epson iPrint app. You can also scan items using the printer, and have the images saved onto a smartphone or stored online on cloud storage services.
To be sure, the L655 is pitched at businesses that print a large volume of documents regularly, as the ink in the ink tanks will dry up if the printer is left unused for a fortnight.
It will be available from July 23 at S$539, and comes with two years carry-in warranty.
