At some point in the mid-2000s, except for rare situations, I stopped getting prints made from my digital pictures. I have thousands upon thousands of pictures I’ve taken stored on my phone as well as in the cloud, but with the Epson Expression Premium XP-640 Small-in-One Printer, they are now on my walls, too.
The XP-640 is a WiFi connected 640 color inkjet printer that can wirelessly print, copy, and scan. Measuring 19.8″ wide by 15.4″ deep by 5.4″ tall, the printer is more compact than many on the market.
Inside the box are the Expression Premium XP-640 color inkjet printer, setup and instruction manuals, a CD-ROM containing software and drivers (Windows and Mac), the power cord, and five Claria Premium ink cartridges (Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Photo Black).
On the front of the printer, there is a control panel that can either stay vertical or it can be lifted at up to a 45º angle for easier viewing from the front. The control panel isn’t a touchscreen; it controlled by the buttons on either side.
The Epson XP-640’s front is a bit deceptive because at first glance it doesn’t look like much is going on there, but …
There is a USB port as well as a built-in SD card slot on the front panel. Note the blue tape on the front — there are several pieces around the printer that will need to be removed before you can use it.
When you flip up the control panel, you can press the gray button to open the tray and printing area.
The scanner is just under the lid …
Once you’ve plugged the printer in, you can insert the cartridges (more blue tape and a piece of styrofoam will need to be removed).
A bag is included for the plastic covers that go on the cartridges. You shouldn’t remove them until you are ready to insert them, and when you remove the cartridges you can put those covers back on them for storage or disposal. I know that having to keep up with five different cartridges might seem like a pain, but the beauty of this method is that you can replace only the cartridge that has run out when necessary.
Once you’ve completed the easy to follow setup and connected the printer to your WiFi, you’ll be able to print from any phones or tablets on your network without additional software. I should mention that the printer is relatively quiet in normal mode, but if you want something even quieter, you can set it to run in Quiet Mode. This setting will reduce printing speed a bit, but it is quieter.
You can also add the XP-640 directly in the Printers section on your Mac; no drivers necessary.
If you have a Windows laptop or desktop, you can either run the driver CD or download any necessary drivers.
There are three different printing trays included. The first is a standard paper tray, which holds 8″x11″ and legal size paper. It’s located near the bottom of this stack. I really like that it will print on both sides, which is great when you are trying to save paper!
Directly above the larger paper tray, there is a pull-out output tray (which must be extended for the printer to print).
The second tray holds the paper for either 4″x6″or 5″x7″ photos (insert glossy side down).
It gets inserted just above the bottom tray just to the point where it lines up with the white triangles on the sides of the tray and the sides of the slot. After you’ve inserted it, you will need to pull out the output tray before printing.
The printed pictures will appear in the output tray.
There is also a special tray stored at the bottom of the printer that allows the customization of DVD and CDs.
When using it, you’ll need to remove it and insert it under the output tray, lining its triangles with the triangles on the printer.
I printed a selection of 4×6 photos wirelessly from my phone, and I was amazed by the quality; they look like they were printed at a photo lab!
The pictures are odorless, vivid, bright, and true to the original; the 4×6 photos take about 20 seconds to produce. You can also print up to 8×10 size photos without borders.
Printing from an SD card is simple, too. You simply insert the card in the slot and then the pictures on the card will show on the LCD; from there, you can choose which pictures to print. It couldn’t be easier!
Here’s the back of the printer; a quick examination shows there is no phone line port, so there is no fax function. Those of us who no longer use a landline won’t miss that feature, but if you need to send and receive faxes through a landline, the XP-640 isn’t set up for that.
The Epson Expression Premium XP-640 Small-in-One Printer is easy to setup, easy to operate, and it produces excellent printed pages and lab-quality photos. The printing cartridges can be bought singly in ‘regular’ or ‘extra capacity’ or in multipacks.
Whether you run a small home office or you just want to be able to print your own documents and photos at home, the Epson Expression Premium XP-640 Small-in-One Printer is a great choice; you can use it to scan, copy, and print. You can read the setup guide and full user manual here.
The Epson Expression Premium XP-640 Small-in-One Printer retails for $89.99, and it is available directly from the manufacturer and from other retailers including Amazon [affiliate link].
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: Prints gorgeous photos quickly; Easy to set up; Easy to manage different printing trays; runs relatively quietly; Scans, copies, and prints from computer, phone, or SD card
What Needs Improvement: Do not buy this printer if you need a fax