Get All Access for $5/mo

Epson Is Creating a Printer That Won't Run Out of Ink for 3 Years The EcoTank is reportedly launching in September.

By Claire Groden

This story originally appeared on Fortune Magazine

The end of printer-related frustration might be drawing near.

Epson, the purveyor of printers and ink, is getting ready to launch a game-changing printer this September, according to Bloomberg. The EcoTank stores ink in deep wells that hold enough to print about 4,000 documents–almost twenty times the capability of current home and small business models.

The new printer will cost about $379 to start—far more than the $60 for a current Epson model. But owners of the EcoTank model will only have to buy $13 refill bottles to feed their tanks when they empty out, which Bloomberg says should happen every 3.5 years or so. In the long run, that's a much better deal than the current cartridge scheme.

The ink cartridges of old, which constantly need to be refilled, have posed a customer relations problem for Epson. While printers' low prices hook customers into purchasing their equipment, the frequent and high cost of ink enrages them. In 2006, Epson settled class action lawsuits brought by embittered customers who noticed some last drops of ink in cartridges that printers were refusing. Customers earned a $45 credit per printer, but Epson never admitted wrongdoing.

Claire Groden

Reporter

Claire Groden is a reporter at Fortune.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Science & Technology

AI Marketing vs. Human Expertise: Who Wins the Battle and Who Wins the War?

Uncover the truth about AI in marketing and why it's a ticking time bomb for unprepared businesses! As AI revolutionizes the marketing landscape, understanding its long-term impact is crucial.

Fundraising

Working Remote? These Are the Biggest Dos and Don'ts of Video Conferencing

As more and more businesses go remote, these are ways to be more effective and efficient on conference calls.

Growing a Business

The Best Way to Run a Business Meeting

All too often, meetings run longer than they should and fail to keep attendees engaged. Here's how to run a meeting the right way.

Starting a Business

How to Find the Right Programmers: A Brief Guideline for Startup Founders

For startup founders under a plethora of challenges like timing, investors and changing market demand, it is extremely hard to hire programmers who can deliver.