For years, my home office was tethered to the limitations of standard 8.5″ x 11″ paper. Every creative project, every client proof, every piece of marketing material had to be scaled down, compromised, or outsourced. I remember painstakingly tiling a large architectural drawing across six separate letter-sized pages, trimming the edges with a craft knife, and taping them together, only to have the alignment slightly off. It was a frustrating, unprofessional process that screamed “amateur.” This limitation isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a bottleneck that stifles creativity and can project the wrong image to clients. The alternative—frequent trips to a copy shop for wide-format prints and scans—is a drain on both time and money, adding friction to an already busy workflow. We knew there had to be a better way to bring professional-grade, large-format capability in-house without investing in a plotter the size of a car.
- High-speed, wide-format printing up to 13" x 19" — PrecisionCore Heat-Free Technology delivers high-speed prints, with 25 black/12 colour ISO ppm () and fast first-page-out
- High-precision printing — accurate dot placement and DURABrite Ultra instant-dry pigment inks for professional-quality prints
What to Consider Before Buying an All-in-One Inkjet Printer
An All-in-One Inkjet Printer is more than just a device that puts ink on paper; it’s a key solution for consolidating office tasks and unlocking new capabilities. For a small business, a creative professional, or a busy home office, it acts as a central hub for printing documents, scanning receipts, copying contracts, and even faxing important paperwork. The main benefit lies in its versatility and space-saving design, replacing multiple single-function machines with one cohesive unit. It streamlines workflow, reduces clutter, and provides the flexibility to handle diverse tasks, from printing high-resolution photos to scanning multi-page legal documents, all from a single footprint.
The ideal customer for a high-capacity, wide-format model like the Epson Workforce Pro WF-7840 Wide-Format Printer Auto 2-Sided Print is someone facing the limitations of standard printers. This includes architects, graphic designers, marketing professionals, artists, and small business owners who regularly need to print or scan materials larger than legal size, such as schematics, posters, or proofs. It’s for those who value speed and paper capacity to handle high-volume jobs without constant refilling. Conversely, this type of printer might not be suitable for a casual user who only prints a few pages a month or someone with very limited desk space. For them, a more compact, less feature-rich model would be more economical and practical. Those prioritizing the lowest possible cost-per-page above all else might consider an ink tank printer instead of a cartridge-based one.
Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:
- Dimensions & Space: A wide-format all-in-one is not a small device. The Epson Workforce Pro WF-7840, for instance, is a substantial machine, weighing over 45 pounds. As one user noted, you need to “Expect to allow 36+ inches” of width when the trays and extensions are in use. Measure your intended space carefully, accounting for not just the printer’s footprint but also the clearance needed for paper trays, the rear feed, and the scanner lid.
- Capacity/Performance: Look beyond just print speed. Consider the total paper capacity—the WF-7840 boasts an impressive 500-sheet capacity split across two trays, which is a massive time-saver for volume printing. Also, evaluate the Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) capacity (50 sheets here) and its capabilities. A crucial performance metric for this model is its full duplex functionality—the ability to automatically print, scan, copy, and fax two-sided documents saves immense time and paper.
- Ink System & Running Costs: This is a critical factor. The WF-7840 uses DURABrite Ultra pigment ink cartridges. While these deliver sharp, instant-dry results suitable for professional documents, cartridge-based systems generally have a higher long-term running cost than supertank or ink tank systems. Investigate the page yield and price of replacement cartridges (in this case, the T812 series) to estimate your cost-per-page and budget accordingly.
- Ease of Use & Connectivity: A powerful machine is useless if it’s difficult to operate. Look for intuitive controls, like the large 4.3″ colour touchscreen on the WF-7840. Modern connectivity options are non-negotiable for a seamless workflow. Ensure the printer supports robust Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct for peer-to-peer connection, and Ethernet for a stable wired network, alongside mobile printing apps like the Epson Smart Panel App.
Making the right choice involves balancing these advanced features with your specific needs and budget, ensuring you get a machine that empowers your work rather than complicating it.
While the Epson Workforce Pro WF-7840 Wide-Format Printer Auto 2-Sided Print is an excellent choice for many, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, especially those focused on ink efficiency, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:
- Print, Copy, Scan: The PIXMA TS3720 is a true colour printer scanner copier all in one that is compact, versatile and easy-to-use with a 60 sheet rear tray that reduces the need to refill paper as...
- Innovative Cartridge-Free Printing ― No more tiny, expensive ink cartridges; each ink bottle set is equivalent to about 80 individual cartridges (2)
- FROM CANADA'S MOST TRUSTED PRINTER BRAND – The DeskJet 2855e is perfect for homes printing to-do lists, letters, financial documents and recipes. Print speeds up to 5.5 ppm colour, 7.5 ppm black.
First Impressions: A Heavyweight Contender Built for Business
The arrival of the Epson Workforce Pro WF-7840 Wide-Format Printer Auto 2-Sided Print was an event in itself. This is not a printer you casually tuck under your arm; it’s a two-person lift. Tipping the scales at over 45 pounds, its sheer heft immediately signals a robust, business-grade construction. Unboxing revealed a machine encased in protective foam and meticulously secured with pieces of blue shipping tape, a detail echoed by several users who advise taking your time to find and remove every last piece. The build quality feels solid and substantial, a far cry from the flimsy plastic of many consumer-grade printers. One user aptly described it as “heavy and built like a tank,” and we wholeheartedly agree. The design is functional and professional, dominated by the large dual paper trays at the front and a generous 4.3″ colour touchscreen that serves as the command centre. Setting it up on the desk, its large footprint is immediately apparent—this is a machine that demands its own dedicated space, but in return, it promises a feature set that can anchor an entire office’s workflow.
Key Benefits
- Comprehensive wide-format capability up to 13″ x 19″ for both printing and scanning
- True all-in-one duplexing for automatic 2-sided printing, copying, scanning, and faxing
- Massive 500-sheet paper capacity across two main trays, plus a 50-sheet rear specialty feed
- Fast print speeds (25 ppm Black / 12 ppm Colour) powered by PrecisionCore Heat-Free Technology
Potential Drawbacks
- Very large and heavy, requiring significant desk space
- Mixed user reports on software reliability, particularly Wi-Fi setup and paper recognition
Performance Deep Dive: Putting the Workforce Pro WF-7840 to the Test
A printer’s spec sheet only tells half the story. The real test is how it performs day in and day out under the pressure of real-world tasks. We spent weeks integrating the Epson Workforce Pro WF-7840 into our demanding workflow, throwing everything from multi-page reports and large-format scans to high-resolution photo prints at it. Our goal was to push past the marketing points and discover where this machine truly shines and where it might falter.
A True Wide-Format Powerhouse: Printing and Scanning Beyond A4
The single most compelling reason to consider the Epson Workforce Pro WF-7840 Wide-Format Printer Auto 2-Sided Print is its ability to break free from the constraints of letter and legal paper. For us, this was a game-changer. We loaded one of the 250-sheet trays with 11″ x 17″ (tabloid) paper to print out project plans and marketing proofs. The printer handled the larger size flawlessly, producing crisp, easy-to-read text and vibrant graphics with its DURABrite Ultra pigment inks. These inks are crucial for professional use; they’re water, smudge, and fade resistant, and the output is instantly dry to the touch, preventing smears when handling fresh prints.
The real magic, however, lies in the 50-sheet rear specialty tray. This is where you can print on media up to 13″ x 19″ (Super B). We tested this with a high-resolution poster on glossy photo paper, and the results were stunning. The 4800 x 2400 dpi resolution allows for incredible detail and accurate colour reproduction. This capability aligns perfectly with the experience of one user, a fiber artist, who praised the ability to handle all paper sizes up to 13″ x 19″ and called the machine a “great asset” for scanning hand-drawn work and refining compositions. The ability to scan large paper is indeed a massive bonus. The flatbed scanner accommodates up to 11″ x 17″ media, allowing us to digitize oversized documents and artwork in a single pass, something impossible on standard A4 scanners. This comprehensive wide-format functionality in one machine is a powerful value proposition for any creative or technical professional.
Workflow Efficiency Unleashed: Paper Handling and Duplexing
Productivity in a busy office is often measured in minutes saved. This is where the WF-7840’s design truly excels. The dual 250-sheet front-loading trays provide a total capacity of 500 sheets of plain paper. We configured our test unit with 8.5″ x 11″ paper in Tray 1 and 11″ x 17″ in Tray 2. The printer automatically selects the correct tray based on the print job’s settings, eliminating the need to constantly swap paper. This is a huge efficiency boost. Combined with the 50-sheet rear tray for odd sizes or specialty media, we felt we were always ready for any job.
The 50-sheet Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) is another pillar of this printer’s productivity. It’s not just any ADF; it supports single-pass, two-sided scanning and copying. We tested this by feeding a 30-page, double-sided contract into the feeder. The machine scanned both sides of each page in a single pass, digitizing the entire document in a fraction of the time it would take on a scanner that requires you to manually flip and re-feed the pages. This “complete duplex solution”—auto 2-sided print, copy, scan, and fax—is a feature typically found on much more expensive office copiers. During our extensive testing, we experienced no paper jams, a testament to its robust paper-handling mechanism. This mirrors the experience of one satisfied user who reported “zero jams in all paper sizes,” emphasizing the importance of using quality inkjet-specific paper. While we didn’t experience them, it’s worth noting some users have reported issues with the printer being “finicky” and failing to recognize paper sizes, suggesting that while the hardware is capable, it may have occasional software quirks.
Setup, Connectivity, and Usability: A Mostly Seamless Experience
Getting a complex machine like this up and running can often be a daunting task. However, we found the initial setup of the Epson Workforce Pro WF-7840 Wide-Format Printer Auto 2-Sided Print to be surprisingly straightforward. The 4.3″ colour touchscreen is bright, responsive, and guides you through every step, from removing the packing tape to installing the four initial ink cartridges. Connecting to our office Wi-Fi network was simple and quick using the on-screen keyboard. The printer immediately checked for and installed a firmware update, a process that took about ten minutes but ensured we were running the latest, most stable software from the start. This positive experience was shared by several users, one of whom stated, “Setup was a breeze.”
However, the online feedback landscape isn’t universally positive. One user reported spending an hour trying to resolve Wi-Fi connectivity issues before giving up, finding the process far too difficult for a modern device. This highlights a common theme with many networked peripherals: experiences can vary wildly depending on the user’s network environment and technical comfort level. For our part, we tested connectivity extensively. Printing from a Windows PC, a MacBook via AirPrint, and an iPhone using the Epson Smart Panel App all worked flawlessly. The Smart Panel app is particularly useful, allowing you to print, scan, and check ink levels directly from your phone. While our experience was smooth, potential buyers should be aware that a small subset of users have faced connectivity challenges that required more troubleshooting.
Print Quality and Ink Consumption: The DURABrite Ultra Reality
The ultimate measure of any printer is the quality of its output. Here, the WF-7840 produced consistently excellent results for business documents. Text was razor-sharp and black, even at small font sizes, rivaling the quality of a laser printer. Colour charts and business graphics were vibrant and saturated, with no noticeable bleeding. The pigment-based DURABrite Ultra ink is a key factor here, as it sits on top of the paper fibers rather than soaking in, resulting in sharper edges and better performance on plain paper. For general office tasks, the print quality is unimpeachable.
Photo printing is a more nuanced subject. We printed several 8″ x 10″ photos on Epson’s premium glossy photo paper. The results were very good, with accurate colours and plenty of detail. As one user happy with the printer noted, “when printing on photo paper you have to look really close to tell that they were printed at home.” However, it’s not a dedicated photo printer, and discerning photographers might notice slightly less tonal subtlety compared to a six-ink photo model. We also encountered the criticism from another user who found the print quality “unusable” due to streaking. In our testing, we only saw streaking when the print heads needed cleaning, a standard maintenance routine accessible via the touchscreen menu. After running the cleaning cycle, the issue was resolved. This suggests that some reported quality issues might be maintenance-related.
Finally, there’s the question of ink consumption. We were pleasantly surprised by the yield from the included “starter” cartridges. Corroborating one user’s experience, we printed well over 300 mixed-use pages before the low ink warnings appeared, which is quite generous for initial cartridges. Another user reported passing 400 pages before needing a replacement. Of course, printing full-colour, large-format photos will deplete ink much faster. The running cost is the primary trade-off against an EcoTank model, but for those who need the specific performance and speed of this Workforce Pro, it’s a calculated expense.
What Other Users Are Saying
After compiling our own findings, we delved into a broad range of user feedback to ensure a balanced perspective. The sentiment is largely positive, particularly from users who specifically sought out its unique wide-format capabilities. One creative professional summed up the core appeal perfectly: “Love the ability to handle all paper sizes up to 13 x 19… The ability to scan large paper is a bonus. As a fiber artist that hand draws, scans then uses the computer… this is going to be a great asset.” Many users, like one who was happy with printing over 300 pages on the starter cartridges, also praise the initial value and print quality, especially for photos on proper paper.
However, the feedback is not without its criticisms. The most common point of frustration appears to be software and reliability quirks. One high-volume user expressed disappointment, stating, “The newer ones have been such an issue… It constantly will not recognize 8.5×11 paper.” Another detailed their struggle with wireless setup, lamenting that “a product in 2023 that can connect to the internet should [not] take this much of an effort to do so.” These reviews suggest that while the hardware is powerful and feature-rich, some users may encounter frustrating software-related roadblocks that can hinder the experience, a crucial factor for those who are not technically inclined.
How Does the Epson Workforce Pro WF-7840 Compare to the Alternatives?
No product exists in a vacuum. To give you the clearest picture, we’ve compared the Epson Workforce Pro WF-7840 Wide-Format Printer Auto 2-Sided Print against three notable competitors, each catering to slightly different needs and priorities.
1. Brother MFC-J5855DW Wireless A3 Colour Inkjet Printer Refillable Ink
- More uninterrupted printing. Up to 1 year of printing with the INKvestment Tank’s high-capacity in-box ink cartridges (approximately 300 pages/month) and 2-year limited warranty.
- More impact. Our patented MAXIDRIVE print chip redefines printing technology with ultra-fast, durable, precision printing, with print speeds up to 30 ppm black/colour
The Brother MFC-J5855DW is a formidable competitor that also offers A3 (11″ x 17″) printing and scanning. Its main advantage lies in Brother’s INKvestment Tank technology. While it still uses cartridges, they contain a much larger ink supply and feed into an internal tank, resulting in a significantly lower cost-per-page and longer intervals between replacements. This makes it a compelling choice for users whose primary concern is long-term running costs for high-volume printing. However, the Epson WF-7840 pushes the size limit further, offering printing up to 13″ x 19″, a niche but crucial feature for artists and designers creating posters or larger proofs. The Epson also boasts a slightly higher maximum print resolution, which could be a deciding factor for photo-centric work.
2. Epson EcoTank ET-4800 Cartridge-Free Supertank Printer
- Innovative Cartridge-Free Printing ― No more tiny, expensive ink cartridges; each ink bottle set is equivalent to about 80 individual cartridges (2)
- Dramatic Savings on Replacement Ink ― Save up to 90% with replacement ink bottles vs. ink cartridges (1) – that’s enough to print up to 4,500 pages black/7,500 colour (3)
This alternative comes from Epson’s own stable and represents a completely different philosophy on ink. The EcoTank ET-4800 does away with cartridges entirely in favour of large, refillable ink tanks. The upfront cost of the printer is higher, but the replacement ink bottles are incredibly cheap, leading to an unbeatable cost-per-page. This makes it the ideal choice for home offices or businesses that print thousands of standard colour documents and want the lowest possible running costs. The trade-off is significant, however. The ET-4800 is not a wide-format printer; it’s limited to 8.5″ x 14″ (Legal) size. It also has a smaller paper capacity and is slower than the Workforce Pro WF-7840. Choose the ET-4800 for ultimate ink economy on standard documents; choose the WF-7840 for speed, capacity, and wide-format versatility.
3. Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 Wireless Color Photo Printer
- Epson strongly recommends the use of genuine epson inks for a quality printing experience non epson inks and inks not formulated for your specific printer may cause damage that is not covered by the...
- This printer is designed for use with epson cartridges only, not third party cartridges or ink; cartridges described as compatible, re manufactured, refilled or refillable may not work properly or at...
The Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 is tailored for a different user altogether: the home user or photo enthusiast. It’s a much more compact and stylish machine designed to fit seamlessly into a living space. Its key advantage is a five-ink system (including a dedicated Photo Black ink) that produces superior-quality photo prints with deeper blacks and smoother gradients than the four-ink WF-7840. However, it’s a light-duty machine in comparison. It lacks wide-format capabilities, has a much smaller paper capacity (100 sheets), a smaller ADF (30 sheets), and slower document printing speeds. The XP-7100 is the better choice for someone who prioritizes lab-quality photo printing in a small package, while the WF-7840 is the clear winner for anyone needing a high-capacity, versatile business and creative workhorse.
The Final Verdict: Is the Epson Workforce Pro WF-7840 Worth It?
After extensive testing and analysis, our verdict is clear: the Epson Workforce Pro WF-7840 Wide-Format Printer Auto 2-Sided Print is a powerhouse machine that delivers on its promise of professional-grade, all-in-one versatility. Its ability to print, scan, copy, and fax up to tabloid size—and print all the way up to 13″ x 19″—makes it an invaluable tool for small businesses, architects, designers, and creatives looking to bring large-format capabilities in-house. The massive 500-sheet paper capacity, true single-pass duplex ADF, and speedy performance solidify its position as a genuine productivity hub.
However, it’s not without its caveats. The machine is undeniably large and heavy, and its reliance on traditional ink cartridges means running costs will be higher than an EcoTank alternative. While our experience was largely positive, potential buyers should be aware of the mixed user reports regarding software and connectivity finickiness. If you have the space and your workflow demands the unique combination of high speed, large capacity, and true wide-format flexibility, this printer is an exceptional and highly recommended choice. It successfully bridges the gap between consumer-grade printers and prohibitively expensive commercial equipment. If this sounds like the solution your office has been looking for, we encourage you to check the latest price and explore its full feature set and see if it’s the right fit to unlock your professional and creative potential.
Last update on 2025-11-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API