Epson starts home printing revolution with tank to replace inkjet cartridges

The millions of inkjet cartridges that households go through every year could become a thing of the past after Epson unveiled new ink tanks it claims will revolutionise the economics of home printing.

Until now, manufacturers such as Epson and Canon have sold home printers at significantly below cost price, relying on their expensive branded ink cartridges to make a profit, but Epson has now decided to turn its business model upside down, making its printers with refillable tanks that will last a typical user two years - based on a household printing 200 pages a month.

Epson's new inkjet printers will be priced to make a profit on sale, starting at £249 (HK$3,130) compared with the £70-80 typical high street price.

But the Japanese company said users would save 60-65 per cent from using a printer with a tank compared with buying cartridges, and are free to refill the tank with non-Epson-branded ink. The tank adds about a quarter to the size of the printer.

The move comes amid a consumer backlash that has resulted in many switching to cheaper generic cartridges, and declining sales as users share images on social media rather than print them. Print-at-home tickets for things such as airline boarding or cinema entry are being rapidly replaced by apps on smartphones and tablets.

In 2012 Lexmark quit the home printer market after heavy losses, swiftly followed by Kodak.

About 90 per cent of global sales are accounted for by Epson, Canon and HP.