We obtained the cheapest cost-per-page figures using prices for the middling 2,400-page supplies; in the long term we'd expect lower pricing on the 3,400-page supplies to bring running costs down slightly further. Even so, at just over 0.8p for a mono page and 2.2p in colour the range should prove very cheap to run much more so in colour than an equivalent laser product.
While a colour laser printer might have eight or more consumables to replace, the Workforce range has just five.
Inkjets don't generally reach their manufacturer's rated speeds in our tests, but although the WP-4525 DNF is no exception it's a rapid printer that did better than most. At the default quality it delivered our 25-page formal letter test at 16.1ppm, with the first page dropping into the 150-sheet output tray in just eight seconds. At 6.2ppm in colour it's less competitive, although the lack of a warm-up time could make it quicker than an equivalent laser for infrequent, smaller jobs.
When it comes to duplexing, however, inkjets are at a disadvantage as they must let the first side dry before sucking the page back into the printer to print the second side, although Epson claims the fast drying inks used by the Workforce Pro overcome this problem. Duplexing pages in mono seemed to bear this out, finishing in just 93 seconds without any streaking or smudges. However, duplexing 10 colour pages onto five sheets took just under three and a quarter minutes, which is far slower than a typical laser.
After a brief career in corporate IT, Simon Handby combined his love of technology and writing when he made the move to Computer Shopper magazine. As a technology reviewer he's since tested everything from routers and switches, to smart air fryers and doorbells, and covered technology such as EVs, TVs, solar power and the singularity.
During more than 15 years as Shopper's long-time printer reviewer, Simon tried, tested and wrote up literally hundreds of home, small office and workgroup printers. He continues reviewing smart products and printers for a variety of publications, and has been an IT Pro contributor since 2010. Simon is almost never happier than when surrounded by printers and paper, applying his stopwatch and a seasoned eye to find the best performing, best value products for business users.