Epson WorkForce Pro WP-4533

Nearly identical in most ways to the Epson WorkForce Pro WP-4590 ($499.99 list, 4 stars) that I recently reviewed, the Epson WorkForce Pro WP-4533 ($399.99 list) adds Wi-Fi support that the WP-4590 lacks, but leaves out support for the PCL and PostScript printer languages that some offices require. Beyond that, it shares the same fast speed and good paper handling that makes both printers comparable to similarly priced lasers, and it offers the same low cost per page that makes them particularly attractive choices for micro and small offices and workgroups. The WP-4533 in particular is attractive enough to make it Editors' Choice.

Despite the $100 lower price for the WP-4533, it's best thought of as sharing the current top of the line spot for WorkForce Pro models. In essence, the WP-4590 is top of the line for offices that need PCL or PostScript in their printers, while the WP-4533 is top of the line for those that don't. Both printers, for example, offer identical MFP features. Both print, scan, and fax, including over a network; they both work as standalone copiers and fax machines; and both can scan to, but not print from, a USB key.

As with the WP-4590 also, the WP-4533 lets you print through the cloud. Connect to the Internet by way of a network, using either an Ethernet or WiFi connection in this case, and you can take advantage of Epson Connect Email Print, which assigns an email address to the printer, then lets you print a document by sending it as an email attachment.

Similarly, you can also print with Google Cloud Print and even print with Apple AirPrint if you have a WiFi access point on your network. (You can't connect directly to the printer with AirPrint). You won't find any mention of these two options in the material that comes with the printer, however. To find out how to use either choice, you have to go to Epson's Web site.

Paper Handling and Setup
The WP-4533's paper handling is better than you'll get with most similarly priced color laser MFPs. The 330 sheet paper capacity, divided into a 250-sheet drawer and 80-sheet multi-purpose tray, should be more than enough for most small offices, and the built-in duplexer (for printing on both sides of the page) is a welcome convenience. If you need more capacity, you can even add a second 250-sheet drawer ($99.99 list) for a total of 580 sheets.

For scanning, the WP-4533 offers a 30-page automatic document feeder (ADF) to supplement the letter-size flatbed. The ADF can scan legal-size pages as well as multipage documents, which is typical, but it also goes beyond that, adding the ability to scan in duplex by turning the page over when it scans. The duplexing options lets you copy both single- and double-sided originals to your choice of single- or double-sided copies.

Setup is absolutely standard fare. For my tests, I connected the WP-4533 by its Ethernet port and installed the driver and software on a Windows Vista system. The only potential issue is the size, since the paper handing capabilities require a relative large printer for an inkjet, at 15.1 by 18.1 by 16.5 inches (HWD).

Although that makes the printer a little large to comfortably share a desk with, and arguably a little large for most home offices, it's small enough so it should be an easy fit for a micro or small office. Also worth mention is that it weighs only 30.4 pounds, which makes it much lighter and easier to move around than comparable lasers.

Speed and Output Quality
On our business applications I timed the printer (using QualityLogic's hardware and software), at an effective 6.0 pages per minute (ppm). Not surprisingly, that makes it essentially tied with the WP-4590, at 5.7 ppm using the Epson driver. (At these speeds, a 0.3 ppm isn't statistically significant.) It's also essentially tied with the Editors' Choice HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus e-All-in-One ($299.99 direct, 4.5 stars) and faster than the comparably priced color laser Editors' choice Dell 1355cnw Multifunction Color Printer ($419.99 direct, 4 stars), which managed only 4.5 ppm.

As with the WP-4590, output quality is the only area where the WP-4533 behaves more like a typical inkjet than like a laser. Text quality is at the low end of the tight range where the vast majority of inkjets fall, which makes it good enough for most business purposes. Unless you have an unusual need for small fonts, you shouldn't have any complaints about it.

Graphics is absolutely par for an inkjet, which also makes it makes it good enough for any business needs, including PowerPoint handouts, for example. Depending on how critical an eye you have, you may also consider it good enough for output going to an important client when you need to convey a sense of professionalism.

Photo quality is at the upper end of the small range where the vast majority of inkjet MFPs fall, making it better than what you'd get with some drugstore prints and a lot better than you'll get from a color laser. For those businesses, like real estate offices, that need to print photos, that can be a welcome plus.

One other strong argument for the WP-4533 is its low cost per page. Based on ink cost and claimed yields for the cartridges, the running cost comes out to 1.6 cents for a monochrome page and 6.8 cents for a color page. That makes the WP-4533, along with WP-4590, one of the least expensive printers in this price range to print with. And that includes lasers as well as inkjets.

As I said about the WP-4590, the WP-4533 is one of the more impressive inkjets we've tested. Its speed, paper handling, and MFP features are all a match for comparably priced?and even more expensive?laser MFPs, and it offers everything a small office needs, including some notable extras like cloud printing. Clearly, if you must have PostScript or PCL, the WP-4590 will be your preferred choice. For the larger number of small offices that don't, however, the WP-4533 offers all the same capabilities plus WiFi at a lower price.

More generally, if you must have laser-quality text, you should also look at the Dell 1355cnw; and if you can benefit from a legal-size flatbed, you should look at the HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus. However, the low cost per page for the Epson WorkForce Pro WP-4533 is enough to make it Editors' Choice also, along with both of those printers. And the more you print, the more you'll appreciate the savings.

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