Epson SX218 is a color inkjet all in one, launched at the entry level low priced segment of the printer market. Its good quality results shine amongst competition.
The printer comes with a good resolution of 5760 x 1440 dpi and it gives very good photo quality enhanced printouts. The printing speed are claimed to be 34 ppm in monochrome and 15 ppm in colour prints. The accompanying Epson Stylus SX218 ink cartridges are good for 400-500 prints. SX218 has a flatbed scanner with a 1200 x 2400 dpi resolution which gives good quality results. The input tray has a capacity of 120 sheets and can handle media up to A4. The only connectivity option is USB 2.0 which limits its usage across multiple computers. The printer is very compact, looks stylish and occupies very less area when not in operations. During use also the trays open only slightly to increase footprint by 25-30%.
A standout feature of Epson Stylus SX218 is the DURABrite ultra ink system, which helps conserve the Epson Stylus SX218 ink cartridges by replacing only the colour used. The colours of this ink are claimed to be capable of lasting upto 200 years. The LCD screen helps preview photos before printing. The bundled ABBYY FineReader™ OCR software helps read any text that has been scanned.
Advantages:- Good ink conservation mechanism
- Well capable and effective bundle of softwares
- Preview of photos by the LCD
- Direct printing
- Memory card slot at front
- Connectivity is only through USB 2.0
- Large capacity cartridges not available
Epson Stylus SX218 is a good option for an entry level all in one. Its good quality results and light duty cycle, make it appropriate for the home and small office segment. The lack of connectivity hinders its usage for larger setups with multiple devices.
Compatible cartridge:The compatible Epson Stylus SX218 ink cartridges are:
- Epson T0715 ink cartridges pack
- Epson T0711 Black ink cartridge
- Epson T0712 Cyan ink cartridge
- Epson T0713 Magenta ink cartridge
- Epson T0714 Yellow ink cartridges
To resolve the Horizontal Banding issue, follow these steps:
- Check if the paper in the input tray are placed with the printable side facing up (the smooth and shiny side of the paper). If not, fix the stack.
- Clogged printheads also cause such kind of printing issue. Run a printhead cleaning process on your printer to resolve the issue. Before you start the process make sure the Epson Stylus SX218 ink cartridges in the printer have enough ink, as the process would require some ink from the tanks. Also, make sure to run this cleaning cycle for a few times before you proceed to the next step. (if this resolve the issue, do not proceed with other steps)
- Make sure there are no warnings appearing on the printer screen before you start head cleaning cycle
- Go to printer properties on your PC (or from the printer screen) and find the Head Cleaning utility in the printer driver. You can also right-click the printer icon on the taskbar, then select Head Cleaning.
- This will start the head cleaning cycle and the power light on the printer would start flashing until the process is completed
- Make sure the Epson Stylus SX218 ink cartridges in the printer are not older than six months. It is recommended to use up the ink tanks within six months to get best result. Older cartridges can dry out and affect the print quality
- If the ink cartridges are old or it has been a long time you have used the printer. We recommend you to replace the ink cartridges
- Check the Epson Stylus SX218 ink cartridge status by using EPSON Status Monitor 3 (Windows) or EPSON Status Monitor (Mac OS X). If the ink level is low, replace the cartridges
- Make sure the print media you are using matches the Epson print media specifications. Refer the printer manual for the list of print media recommended for your printer.