Epson Expression Home XP-420 Pro Reviews

This light, compact multifunction printer churns out good-looking pages of all kinds. Just know its limitations: Its lack of an ADF and the high cost per page make it best for light duty.

The old adage that “You get what you pay for” definitely applies to the Expression Home XP-420. It’s somewhat slow compared to many other inkjets, and output quality, while fine for reports and such, suffers when printing photos. The standard 220 ink cartridges are inexpensive, but offer less than 200-page estimated yields. Having said that, these characteristics are more than acceptable in a multifunction device that scans and copies too, especially one with a street price of under $80. While the XP-420 wouldn’t be our first choice for a family that prints a lot, or one that needs photo quality output, it’s a pretty good deal if you want to reward a middle school student with his or her own printer. It’s also inexpensive enough to have around as a back-up in case your main print device fails in the middle of an important job — or if you find the family is hogging the printer.

Meant primarily as a multifunction printer for home use, the modestly priced Epson Expression Home XP-420 Small-in-One offers lots of features and better-than-expected text quality.