Epson Expression Home XP-412 review

If you’re into photo printing, Epson tends to have the edge in like-for-like comparisons of low-cost printers and MFPs. There is a slight over-emphasis of magenta tones that makes red elements of photos look a little over-saturated. However, the effect this produces is more often vibrant than detrimental to the overall image. Some of our skin tone test images looked unnaturally flushed, but we were particularly pleased with the printer’s reproduction of low-contrast images and those with a lot of dark tones. Six 6x4in photos printed in 17 minutes and 35 seconds, while our pair of 10x8in pictures took just over 10 minutes.

Epson Expression Home XP-412 Scanner

As well as being a rather capable photo printer, the XP-412 has an excellent scanner for its price. On paper it’s a typical 1,200×2,400 CIS scanner, but we were pleased to find that it did an excellent job of distinctly capturing low-contrast tones, subtle shading and fine detail. Its 150dpi document scans were clearly legible, although we still generally recommend scanning at 300dpi if you plan on archiving your scans in the long term. Unfortunately, scan speeds are a little slow, with a 300dpi A4 scan taking 35 seconds, as does a 600dpi photo scan. You’ll need more patience for a 1,200dpi photo scan, which took two minutes and seven seconds. Copy speeds are similarly sluggish: 18 seconds for a mono sheet and 33 seconds for colour. Copy quality’s very good, with clear and legible text and accurate reproduction of the colour and contrast of illustrations.

Epson Expression Home XP-412 Conclusion

The XP-412 is a reliable MFP that lends itself to scanning and photo printing, as well as putting in a decent performance when it comes to documents. However, if you can afford the extra £10 for the Canon Pixma MG5550, you’ll find it a faster, cheaper and a better buy.