The Best of Both Phone, and TabletEpson Stylus NX515
Manufacturer: Epson Part number: C11CA48231
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Epson Stylus NX515 is a capable machine that will improve the efficiency of any office or work-at-home setup. Not only is it a lightning-fast all-in-one, but it also has a broader range of features than most other $150 AIOs. As long as you don't need a full creative software suite, the Epson Stylus NX515 will make a dependable sidekick to your computer.
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CNET editors' review
Epson Stylus NX515 price range: $29.99
- Reviewed by: Justin Yu
- Edited by: Rich Brown
- Reviewed on: 07/20/2009
The good: Fastest output speeds on any inkjet to date; outstanding print quality; compact footprint; inexpensive; robust driver options.
The bad: Higher-than-average cost per page; lacks creative software suite.
The bottom line: The Epson Stylus NX515 is a capable machine that will improve the efficiency of any office or work-at-home setup. Not only is it a lightning-fast all-in-one, but it also has a broader range of features than most other $150 AIOs. As long as you don't need a full creative software suite, the Epson Stylus NX515 will make a dependable sidekick to your computer.
The Epson Stylus NX515 All-in-One printer represents a sweet spot for vendors. The $150 price tag seems to be just the amount of money folks are willing to spend on a printer for intermittent use, either at work or in the home. However, just because the machine might not get used every day doesn't mean that it shouldn't function flawlessly and retain its value over time. After putting the Stylus NX515 through our usual benchmark and quality tests, we have no problem recommending it to shoppers for its quick printing speeds, pleasing output quality, and a host of valuable features not typically included for less than $200.
Design and features
The sleek design of the Epson Stylus NX515 certainly sets it apart from other all-in-ones. We like the carbon-weave pattern that runs across the entire hood of the control panel. The grainy texture makes it easy to lift up and protects the lid from unsightly fingerprints as well. Like most printers, the finish is black, which leaves the printer with a subtle elegance that should fit comfortably into any office aesthetic. The output tray and the rear-loading paper feed both fold flat into the device, which measures 17.7 inches wide, 21.3 inches deep, and 11.7 inches tall--about the average size for today's printers. The printer is also compact and easy to store, since the depth and height shrink down more than 5 inches with the trays retracted.
The buttons on the control panel are all laid out in an intuitive strip on the left side of the machine. Starting from that top, you can see the large 2.5-inch tilting LCD screen that only takes up approximately 80 percent of the display, leaving an elegant black border around the edges. Below that, there's a series of buttons including a power switch, four shortcut function buttons for copy, memory card access, photo, and scan, as well as a directional pad for menu navigation and four more buttons for setup, display/crop, stop, and start. We usually require a 10-minute learning curve to digest all of the buttons on a printer, but we were up and running on the NX515 very quickly--a testament to the intuitive layout on the control panel.
The top half of the print juts out over the bottom output tray, creating a handle that lifts up to reveal the small four-ink cartridge bay inside. Down below, Epson leaves a small indentation for access to the extendable output tray. One small complaint here is that all but the base output tray are made out of a flimsy plastic that bends and shutters to the touch, and we worry about the physical integrity after prolonged use. The same goes for the retracting input tray on the back of the device. We do, however, applaud Epson for separating the input and output trays instead of combining them both into a confusing multipurpose drawer at the bottom.
For people who want to print directly from a digital camera or memory card, Epson includes a media card reader and PictBridge compatible USB port in the bottom-left corner next to the output tray, with slots for xD, SD, and MemoryStick Pro, as well as a longer slot for CompactFlash cards. The corresponding button on the top of the control panel acts as a shortcut button for copying and printing directly from one of these external cards.
Epson offers three ways to link the printer up to a computer: direct using USB 2.0, wired Ethernet, and 802.11b/g cord-free Wi-Fi. All of the drivers you need to install the printer using a wired connection come on the driver disc, which also includes a network set-up utility that guides you through the process of establishing a Wi-Fi connection.
Like many other printers on the market, the Epson's setup first asks you to keep the USB 2.0 cord plugged into a computer while it creates an ad-hoc connection to your wireless router. After you establish a connection, you're free to remove the cable and continue printing wirelessly using a PC or a Mac. You can also set up network utilities and preferences through the menu on the control panel of the NX515 itself, but we found the driver setup requires fewer manual operations.
We were also impressed with the abundance of user controls within the driver itself. For example, you can choose between several preset quality modes including Draft, Text, Text and Image, Photo, and Best Photo. Unfortunately, you can't assign shortcuts for your own preset standards. However, there's plenty of room for scene correction (people, landscape, night scene, sepia, gray), paper type, easy fixes (red eye, autofix, quiet mode), as well as a pop-up status monitor that shows ink levels, print progress by page (not many companies include the pagination progress), and a handy event manager for copy and scan modes. Epson also makes it easy to check up on the ink cartridges inside, with information on specific production dates (to monitor expired ink), manufacturer, type, and cartridge code for quick refills.
We did find ourselves pecking around for a creative software suite similar to HP's Photosmart Essential software that helps you edit and print out photos in preset templates like greeting cards and calendars. In a clear-cut case of sticking to an "all-business" philosophy, the Epson Stylus NX515 has no such software. Instead, Epson reduces much of the filler that business users don't need and simply delivers a productive, efficient machine. We can't fault it for failing to offer that extra software, so if you're uncomfortable editing photos yourself, we recommend looking into an HP printer for help along the way.
The Epson Stylus NX515 uses four individual cyan, magenta, yellow, and black ink cartridges under the hood that makes a more convincing cost-efficient argument than sub-$100 printers that require ink refills every month. In this case, Epson increases the value more by offering standard and high-capacity color cartridges, and even extra-high capacity black cartridges. Using the posted cartridge yields on the Epson Web site, we calculate a page of all black ink to cost 3.1 cents and a color page to cost 3.2 cents; printers typically keep costs at less than 3 cents per page, so both prices are slightly higher than average, but not unreasonable for a device at this price.
Performance
The cost per page becomes more forgivable when you factor in the performance ratings you see here. In our speed tests, the Stylus NX515 is about average when it comes to printing photos, but it sprints ahead of the competition with presentation output speed, color graphics speed, and especially text speed. To widen the margin further, the NX515 printed a staggering 13.81 pages per minute of plain text on 20-pound white paper. Meanwhile, the next fastest printers are the HP OfficeJet J6480 and the Canon Pixma MX330 that both registered only 5.54 pages per minute, which factors out to slightly more than eight pages per minute slower than the Epson. In fact, the Epson churned out more pages per minute (text, graphics, and presentations) than any other inkjet printer we've tested to date. Look no further than the Epson Stylus NX515 printer if you need hard copies of your documents in your hand yesterday.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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Presentation speed (PPM) | |
Photo speed (1 sheet) | |
Color graphics speed (PPM) | |
Text speed (PPM) |
The printer also doesn't disappoint in terms of print quality. With so many driver options to choose from, Epson makes it easy to cater to your prints in the most efficient way possible. We tried to cycle through most of the options, including using Epson's Vivid colorspace as opposed to Adobe's RGB, but we found that Epson's preset setting produced the most pleasing and accurate images. By far, the most accurate samples came from black and colored text and graphics containing thick, black lines. Considering the cost of the printer and the consumables, we're comfortable saying that our print samples are some of the most evenly saturated, fully formed shapes we've seen in awhile. We're satisfied with the weight of thin and thick lines, and the readability is clear even down to the smallest fonts on normal white document paper. We're also equally happy with the photo quality that continues to live up to the Epson name. All the printouts display smooth quality and are free of graininess or blotchy facial tones. Again, we highly recommend the Epson Stylus NX515 for its performance alone.
Service and support
Epson backs the Epson Stylus NX515 with a limited one-year warranty that includes toll-free customer support weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT. Further support is available online through a model-specific troubleshooting guide, FAQs, e-mail support, driver updates, and document downloads. We're disappointed to see that Epson only includes one year of service with this device, considering the Epson Artisan 800 includes a two-year warranty. We understand that Artisan series comes with increased features and more hardware upgrades, but we're adamant in our belief that Epson should strive for user confidence across all product lines.
Find out more about how we test printers.
User reviews
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Fast Printer, Ink horrendous
by JoeD1979 on March 16, 2010
Pros: Very fast. The fastest printer I have owned. Major step up for me in the amount of printing it can do.
Wireless. A little frustrating to set up, but once I did it, it worked great, and never have had a problem.
Look. It simply looks good.Cons: Ink
Double Sided PrintingSummary: INK - It is unbelievably ridiculous that as of right now I am out of Magenta, but the printer will not allow me to print an ALL BLACK text document. ...
Summary: INK - It is unbelievably ridiculous that as of right now I am out of Magenta, but the printer will not allow me to print an ALL BLACK text document. There is no way around it. I have to now go buy more Magenta Ink. I have never run into this problem with any other printer. So basically you need to keep a full pack of ink colors at home at all times which costs around $50. It advertises itself as being able to "replace only the color you need". Well, you don't have a choice! Also, the ink does not last nearly as long as every other printer I've had.
Double Sided Printing. This claims to be able to print double sided, but it does not work properly in my experience. I have had it work on occasion, but for large documents it does not. I printed a double sided 100 page document, and after it printed the front side, it suddenly canceled print on the other side. To top it off, there is NO WAY to reprint the second page. Really? Printing the odd pages does not work since some of the document has blank pages.
CONCLUSION
My conclusion for potential buyers is simple. DO NOT BUY THIS PRINTER. Move on. Yes it does print very fast, and the wireless is a very good feature, but a lot of printers have these features. The Ink problem is simply terrible, and cannot be excused. I will never buy another Epson printer.11 out of 11 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Epson NX515
by nrandazzo on August 10, 2009
Pros: Easy wireless set up & super fast high quality printing
Cons: no complaints so far
Summary: At $109 you can't beat it!
Summary: At $109 you can't beat it!
8 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very nice easy to setup
by n1ms on September 2, 2009
Pros: Easy setup, wireless worked flawlessly on both MAC Snow Leopard and Ubuntu 9.04. I did however have to use the NX400 driver for Ubuntu that was what was available. Very fast
Cons: A bit noisy.
Summary: This printer setup very easily, I was able to use the wireless with both operating systems that I use. Both Mac and Linux found this printer on there own! I ...
Summary: This printer setup very easily, I was able to use the wireless with both operating systems that I use. Both Mac and Linux found this printer on there own! I didn't try Windows but I am sure it would have been fine. Print quality if great as far as I am concerned. I would have given it a 5 but I haven't had the printer long enough to test it for it's quality over time! It is a breath of fresh to send a print job and have it just work!
8 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent first buy wireless AIO, great design profile.
by millsfd1 on November 6, 2009
Pros: The wireless setup was surprisingly easy. Picked up the 4 SSID's I rotate between periodically and my next door neighbor's. Control panel layout and navigation are well designed. LCD display bigger than most I've seen in most price ranges.
Cons: Epson scan software falls well short . Poor scanning communication control between scanner and PC. Slow scanning speed to PC using printer control panel. Noisy, both during operations and transitioning from power off to power on and vice versa.
Summary: My decision to purchase the Epson NX510/515 was made for me when I recently found an unused display at a well-known member discount warehouse for less than 50% of ...
Summary: My decision to purchase the Epson NX510/515 was made for me when I recently found an unused display at a well-known member discount warehouse for less than 50% of the average selling price. All shipping contents werer available and still sealed. I had just decided to go with an AIO to replace a 10 year old HP DJ930 that was still working but very slow printing with today's standard. I wanted a wireless, network AIO to go along with an HP LJ1200, the DJ930 and a Photosmart 375 I have netwoked on a TRENDnetTEW-P21G wired/wireless print server.
Wireless installation could not have been easier. My 4 network SSID's were detected and displayed along with my next door neighbor's. Keying in the passkey was relatively easy once you understand the control panel keying sequence. Documentation could have been a little more user friendly, but was of little inconvenience, I performed the install without almost no reference to it, but I would not recommend it. Printer setup and printing of a test page was successful on my 2 PC's, both Windows XP SP3 machines. It is at this point, issues beging to surface, all related to scanning.
The installed Epson scanning software is at best basic. It worked well on the PC that did not have a scanner or scanning software installed, except it would not recognize the PC and send a scan from the scanner to the PC using the scan function from the control panel. However, if I controlled the scanning from the PC, it worked. PC # 2 was a challenge. Paperport 11 was the scan manager software and I wanted to keep it. The Epson scanner replaced a Visioneer 8100. The Epson software installs the scan driver and scan manager software. However, it does not open because of the twain conflict with Paperport which will not operate the NX/510/515 as a twain, it is listed as a WIA Twain, not recommended by Paperport 11, but it works. You must install the NX 510/515 using the USB connection for this to work. You cannot scan to the PC using the scan function on the printer with this setup, but you can scan using the scan utility in PaperPort 11. I have worked out the scanning to PC issue on the PC without PaperPort installed and wirelessly, however, there is still an issue, you cannot scan back to back without making a change in the scan control, either selecting another PC then switching back or pressing the back button and starting the scan operation from that point. This is a very odd and annoying quirk. Scan times need much improving. From the scanner to the PC wireless, an 8 1/2 " x 11" document as a pdf took 30 seconds, the same dcoument in picture mode took 1 little more than a minute. Luckily, I don't do a lot of scanning or I would have to reconsider connecting my Visioneer 8100.
The printer is noisy; power on, power off and printing operations can be heard several rooms away. My 10 year old HP DJ930 operates much quieter than the Epson NX510/515, even today. In and out paper trays are adequate but a little flimsy. Avoid any excessive weight on the out tray extensions, they feel very fragile. The larger than normal LCD screen and font makes the display very easy to read. The control panel design and layout is nearly perfect in my opinion. The ability to operate it in both wireless network mode and usb connection between 2 PC's is a plus. Despite operational flaws that may turn away many, I highly recommend the Epson NX510/515 as a first buy wireless AIO. I like challenges and the ability make something work that may not be functioning as intended or designed is not a detraction for me. I don't know how anyone could be disappointed in this unit, even if they didn't get the bargain I did.6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Causes iPhoto to crash
by BOB KAHN on September 26, 2009
Pros: Very fast.
Cons: The driver has a bug that needs to be fixed. If you try to print out of iPhoto using Snow Leopard, iPhoto crashes.
6 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Read this before you Buy!
by Target2000 on January 12, 2010
Pros: FAST!! Shoots letters out literally! Great quality prints. Setup breezy. Looks sharp.
Cons: Sounds like a Garburator on steroids! (on power up and printing). Finger print free not at all! smudges can be hard to clean. You need to buy a Printer Cable to SCAN! 15$ cable is Not included! Construction how you say inexpensive not so solid.
Summary: I recommend this Printer because of what it does for $100 but if you like the coffin quiet printing dont get it you will be going Ape s*it on ...
Summary: I recommend this Printer because of what it does for $100 but if you like the coffin quiet printing dont get it you will be going Ape s*it on it. This is an excellent upgrade for the average joe shmoe but dont expect it to paint like Picasso! The Epson might of rated higher to 4 stars but the sound coming this Beast was quite a downer. The video review of this printer was not up to par! I give the video review 3 of 5 stars.
You can scan from PC to Printer But you cannot SCAN from Printer to PC. Yeah interesting. To SCAN wirelessly do a search (mac users COMMAND F) type in SCAN SETTINGS. Click in there for a bit to get going make sure your Printer is on. You need the Printer cable if you wanna email, pdf, and scan to COMPUTER (no cable needed for Computer to Printer). Happy Printing!
Updated on Jan 13, 2010
Updated on Jan 13, 2010Also if you have an IPHONE download Epson iPrint for FREE! It will print only photos!3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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PLEASE DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON AN EPSON PRINTER
by sorryexcuse on October 12, 2010
Pros: Not one Thing, except maybe that it is wirless, Although you won't be able to print with it after a few months.
Cons: Nozzels constantly clogs and you cannot get them clean after usuing many ink cartridges and following directions. It will show you have 1/3 of your cartridge left but prints poorly until you change the cartrdge. Takes a ton of ink to clean nozzels.
Summary: Seems like it works great at first then within a few months you start having problems where it looks like the nozzels are clogged, so you go through all the ...
Summary: Seems like it works great at first then within a few months you start having problems where it looks like the nozzels are clogged, so you go through all the steps and it doesn't change. So finally after talking with a tech for hours trying to get the nozzels unplugged and using up all your ink they send you a replacement. April 2010, got a new machine, it is nowOctober 2010. Same problems last night we went through 5 ink cartridges still looks like nozzels are still clogged. We finally gave up this is going in the trash, because epson will not give us any money back. WORST PRINTER I HAVE EVER OWNED . Callled and talked with Epson Customer service will not consider giving us even part of our money back. i AM BACK TO HP's.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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HORRIBLE printer/scanner don't waste your money!!!
by smmprince on October 2, 2010
Pros: There are no pros!
Cons: Goes through ink way too fast. HAVE to replace ALL ink for printer OR scanner to work. Scanner is always wanting the WEB key (which is impossible to type in)to scan anything. Prints slow even though claims to print fast. Ink cartridges are expensive.
Summary: I have had NOTHING but problems with this printer. Don't waste your money!!!!
Summary: I have had NOTHING but problems with this printer. Don't waste your money!!!!
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Stay Away From Epson NX515-Sucks Ink and paper jams
by Amethyst999 on September 29, 2010
Pros: Easy installation, user friendly LCD screen, customer service good
Cons: This printer sucks up ink like you wouldn't believe. The ink costs are horrendous even using the refillable ones. I had a paper jam with no visible paper to clear and no way to clear it.
Summary: The paper started crinkling when printing and finally a horrendous paper jam but I could not see a thing in the paths. Then the ink ran out and it wanted ...
Summary: The paper started crinkling when printing and finally a horrendous paper jam but I could not see a thing in the paths. Then the ink ran out and it wanted me to spend more money on ink to even get the LCD screen to work. No way. I went out and bought an HP. Then I called Epson and since the printer was only 10 months old, they sent me a refurbished one and I returned the defective machine. I would not buy another Epson.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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BAD BAD, Worst printer I haver ever seen
by juanpablogallardo on August 23, 2010
Pros: Nothing good can came out of this crap.
Cons: It wont scan if you are out of ink!!!!
Summary: Can you believe this multifunction printer needs ink to scan, if not the function to scan is not accesible because of a message that requests to change cartridge, and there ...
Summary: Can you believe this multifunction printer needs ink to scan, if not the function to scan is not accesible because of a message that requests to change cartridge, and there is nothing you can do unless you buy more ink. Besides, the ink does not last more than 200 pages, then, more ink to buy. I can not believe how the editor of this magazine picks it up as an editors choice, bad choice, and it shows us that the editor has no idea of what he is picking, or he either has no clue how to test a product.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Epson
- Part number: C11CA48231
- Description: Wi-Fi and Ethernet built in Scan to e-mail Photo restoration PC-free 1-touch copy; reduce/enlarge Manual two-sided printing Instant dry ink Designed to be recycled Energy Star qualified RoHS compliant
General
- Printing Technology Ink-jet - Color
- Display Diagonal Size 2.5"
- Display Features Tilt
- Office Machine Features Scan to e-mail
- Width 17.7 in
- Depth 13.5 in
- Height 7.2 in
- Weight 15.2 lbs
Memory
- Supported Flash Memory Memory Stick PRO,
SDHC Memory Card,
MultiMediaCard,
CompactFlash,
Memory Stick,
SD Memory Card,
IBM Microdrive,
USB flash drive,
xD-Picture Card Copying
- Max Copying Speed up to 36 ppm (mono) / up to 36 ppm (color)
- Max Document Enlargement 400 %
- Max Document Reduction 25 %
- Maximum Copies 99
- Automatic Duplexing None
- Copying Features Fit to page
Printing
- Inkjet Technology Epson Micro Piezo
- Nozzle Configuration 384 nozzles (black), 3 x 128 nozzles (cyan, magenta, yellow)
- Max Printing Resolution up to 5760 x 1440 dpi (mono) / up to 5760 x 1440 dpi (color)
- Max Printing Speed up to 36 ppm (mono) / up to 36 ppm (color)
- Ink Cartridge Configuration 4 cartridges (1 each: cyan, magenta, yellow, black)
- Ink Palette Supported (Colors) cyan, magenta, yellow, black
- Color 4-ink
- Minimum Ink Droplet Size 2 pl
- Ink Type Epson DURABrite Ultra inks
- Color Management Features Windows Image Color Management (ICM),
Epson PhotoEnhance Scanning
- Scan Element CIS
- Optical Resolution 2400 x 2400 dpi
- Interpolated Resolution 9600 x 9600 dpi
- Color Depth 24 bit
- Color Depth (Internal) 48 bit
Document & Media Handling
- Max Original Size Letter A Size (8.5 in x 11 in)
- Original Type Sheets
- Max Copy Size Legal (8.5 in x 14 in)
- Supported Media Type Envelopes,
Plain paper,
Photo paper - Borderless Photo Sizes 5 in x 7 in,
8 in x 10 in,
3.5 in x 5 in,
4 in x 6 in,
8.5 in x 11.7 in - Standard Media Capacity 100 sheets
- Speed Details Printing : up to 36 ppm - Color,
Printing : up to 36 ppm - B/W,
Copying : up to 36 ppm - B/W,
Copying : up to 36 ppm - Color,
Printing : up to 15 ppm - B/W best,
Printing : up to 9.3 ppm - Color best Finishing Equipment
- Collator None
- Stacker None
- Stapler None
- Binder None
PC Connectivity
- PC Connection Availability Yes
- PC Connection USB host,
Ethernet 10 Base-T/100 Base-TX,
Hi-Speed USB,
IEEE 802.11b,
IEEE 802.11g,
IEEE 802.11n (draft) - Security Protocols & Features WPA-PSK,
WEP,
WPA2 - Operating System Support MS Windows XP,
MS Windows 2000,
Apple Mac OS X 10.5.x,
Apple Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later,
Apple Mac OS X 10.3.9,
MS Windows Vista,
MS Windows XP 64-bit Edition - Software Included EPSON Scan,
EPSON Web-to-Page,
ArcSoft Print Creations Power
- Power AC 120 V ( 50/60 Hz )
- Power Consumption Operational 12 Watt
- Power Consumption Standby 3 Watt
Miscellaneous
- Direct Printing Specifications DPOF,
PictBridge - Consumables Included 1 x Cartridge ( Black ) - Epson T069,
1 x Cartridge ( Cyan ) - Epson T069,
1 x Cartridge ( Yellow ) - Epson T069,
1 x Cartridge ( Magenta ) - Epson T069 - Microsoft Certifications Compatible with Windows 7
- Compliant Standards CISPR 22 Class B,
CSA 22.2 No. 60950,
UL 60950,
FCC Part 15 B,
CSA Environmental Standards
- ENERGY STAR Qualified Yes
Manufacturer Warranty
- Manufacturer Warranty 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year
Environmental Parameters
- Sound Emission 43 dB (operating)
- Min Operating Temperature 50 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 95 °F
- Humidity Range Operating 20 - 80%
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Epson products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Epson
- Address:
3840 Kilroy Airport Way, Long Beach, CA 90806 - Phone: 1-800-873-7766
- Fax: 1-562-290-5220
