REVIEW
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Pros
Speedy. Single-pass, two-sided scanning. Wi-Fi Direct and NFC. Good durability and standard paper capacity.
Cons
No additional paper trays available. Running costs are slightly higher than similar laser-class inkjets. Slightly below-par graphics in testing.
Bottom Line
The Epson WorkForce Pro WF-6530 color inkjet multifunction printer can anchor a small office and give color lasers serious competition, though it falls a little short of similar laser-class inkjets.
By Tony Hoffman
As a laser-class color inkjet multifunction printer (MFP) for medium-duty printing for a small office or workgroup, the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-6530 ($499.99) offers the blazing speed, low running costs, and durability that makes it competitive with color lasers. Although the WF-6530 can’t quite match the overall features and performance of two similar laser-class inkjets—the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-6590 and the HP Officejet Pro X576dw MFP, both of which are Editors’ Choice models—it’s still well worth considering. It offers good value as a color MFP to anchor a small office with medium-duty printing needs.
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Design and Features
The WF-6530 uses essentially the same chassis as the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-6590, except that the WF-6530 is matte black while the Epson WF-6590, which is our Editors’ Choice color MFP for medium- to heavy-duty printing for a small-office or workgroup, is off-white. The WF-6530 is a large machine, measuring 20.2 by 20.3 by 20.6 inches (HWD) when closed for storage, and 21.3 by 20.3 by 29.8.1 inches with trays extended. It weighs a hefty 68 pounds. Atop the printer is a legal-size flatbed, plus an automatic document feeder (ADF) that can hold up to 50 sheets. The ADF is equipped for single-pass scanning of two-sided documents, which saves time compared with MFPs whose scanner scans one side of a document, flips it over, and then scans the other side.
Below the front of the flatbed a panel that tilts slightly upward for easy reading. It houses a 4.3-inch color touch screen (with which you can easily access menus to control MFP functions), an alphanumeric keypad, and assorted function buttons. Below the front panel is a port for a USB thumb drive from which you can print files, as well as scan documents to it.
The WF-6530 has a 50,000-page maximum monthly duty cycle and a recommended monthly duty cycle of 4,000 pages. Its 580-sheet paper capacity is split between a 500-sheet main tray and an 80-sheet multipurpose feeder. There is also an auto-duplexer for two-sided printing. Its ability to print in volume and its paper handling are a little short of the Epson WF-6590, which has a maximum monthly duty cycle of 75,000 pages and a recommended duty cycle of 4,000 pages. Also, the WF-6530 does not support any optional paper trays, while up to two additional 500-sheet trays can be added to the Epson WF-6590, for a maximum capacity of 1,580 sheets. The WF-6530 is built for slightly lighter workloads than the HP Officejet Pro X576dw MFP, our Editors’ Choice color MFP for light- to medium-duty SMB printing. That printer has a 4,200-page recommended monthly duty cycle and a 1,050-sheet maximum paper capacity.
Connectivity
The WF-6530 has a wide range of connection choices, both wired and wireless. It can connect to a computer via USB 2.0, or to a LAN via Ethernet or 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi. It supports both Wi-Fi Direct and NFC, both of which let you make a direct peer-to-peer connection to a computer or mobile device. The WF-6530 supports printing from the Epson iPrint app (for iOS or Android), Google Cloud Print, Epson Email Print, and Epson Remote Print. The latter two apps allow you to automatically print to this MFP by sending it documents via email. (Epson gives you the option of having an email address assigned to the printer during the setup process, which you can change to an address more to your liking.)
As for printer drivers, the WF-6530 uses an Epson (host-based) printer driver, which should be fine for most business needs. (Graphic artists and others who rely on Adobe programs such as Illustrator would likely get better output quality with a printer that includes a PostScript driver, such as the Epson WF-6590.)
Print Speed
I tested the WF-6530 over an Ethernet connection, with its drivers installed on a computer running Windows Vista. I timed the printer on our business applications suite (using QualityLogic‘s hardware and software for timing), at a fast 11.4 pages per minute (ppm). This isn’t quite as fast as the Epson WF-6590’s 12.7ppm, but you won’t be complaining about its speed. The X576dw was a bit slower, at 9.5ppm.
Output Quality and Running Costs
Overall output quality in testing for the WF-6530 was a touch below par for an inkjet MFP, with average text and photos, and slightly subpar graphics quality. Text should be fine for any business use, except ones requiring very small fonts. Graphics should be adequate for typical business uses, though perhaps not for formal reports or PowerPoint handouts going to people you’re seeking to impress with your professionalism. Several backgrounds in our tests had a slightly mottled look, as well as mild banding, and some very thin, colored lines were almost lost. Overall photo quality is about what you would expect from drugstore prints.
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Based on Epson’s prices and yields for its highest-yield ink cartridges, the WF-6530’s running costs are 2 cents per monochrome page and 8 cents per color page, which are a little on the high side for a laser-class inkjet. The Epson WF-6590’s cost per monochrome page is 1.6 cents and cost per color page is 6.7 cents, while the HP X576dw’s costs are 1.3 cents and 6.8 cents, respectively.
Conclusion
The Epson WorkForce Pro WF-6530 offers a good mix of performance and features as a small-office color MFP. This inkjet’s blazing speed and low running costs can match that of laser printers. Although the WF-6530 is faster than HP Officejet Pro X576dw MFP and adds a couple of features, like single-pass, two-sided scanning and NFC, the HP X576dw holds on to its Editors’ Choice by virtue of its better output quality, lower running costs, and the ability to more than double its paper capacity if needed. That said, the WF-6530 is worth consideration by any small office in need of a color MFP for up to medium-duty printing.
Other Epson MFPs
Epson WorkForce Pro WF-8590
Epson WorkForce Pro WF-6590
Epson Expression ET-2550 EcoTank All-in-One Printer
Epson Expression Premium XP-830 Small-In-One
By Tony Hoffman Analyst, Printers, Scanner & Projectors
As Analyst for printers, scanners, and projectors, Tony Hoffman tests and reviews these products and provides news coverage for these categories. Tony has worked at PC Magazine since 2004, first as a Staff Editor, then as Reviews Editor, and more recently as Managing Editor for the printers, scanners, and projectors team. In addition to editing, Tony has written articles on digital photography and reviews of digital cameras, PCs, iPhone apps, and Web-connected apps like Google Earth and Microsoft WorldWide Telescope for PC Magazine and/or PCMag.com. He… More »
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