- Speed through critical documents - ISO print speeds of 15 ISO ppm (black) and 7.2 ISO ppm (color)
- two-sided print speeds of 7.5 ISO ppm (black) and 4.5 ISO ppm (color)
Un-boxing and setting up Epson WorkForce 635 with the provided "Extra High Capacity Ultra ink" cartridges was real easy. Since I was setting up this device to work with my wireless network, I did not need a USB cord (not included). I raised the Epson WorkForce 635 control console (keypad) with the built in small LCD monitor up and after a few keystrokes on the keypad, I was able to enter my wireless network name and password and I was connected. After glancing quickly at the quick guide, I turned off the printer and I installed the software. Once the installation was complete, I turned the "WorkForce" back on and I was able to print a test page in color that printed beautifully on plain 8.5x11 papers.
Here''s my detailed review on the performance of the "Epson WorkForce 635".
* As a Black and White printer: Excellent
* As a color printer: Very good to Excellent
* As a photo printer:
I tested the photo printing capabilities on different stocks including Kodak Premium Glossy Photo paper and Epson Premium photo paper and the overall quality was good. There was some lines on some of the photos especially visible in dark areas the blue sky, which required going to the Epson Utility and doing the head cleaning or the Nozzle check. Quite frankly, I didn''t expect to deal with head cleaning when I only had this printer for a few days. I have seen this issue with previous Epson printer that I owned in the past and some I still have. The Nozzle check and or head cleaning process does use up some of the valuable ink that you need to print photos or documents.
There are several ways to print your favorite photos: You can print directly from your computer utilizing the provided software or insert any popular memory card such as CF, SD, and you''ll be able to view and select and print your picture easily.
My test results were darker images directly from a memory cards versus printing directly from my computer. However, the "Epson WorkForce 635" has many options to even brighten or edit your pictures before you print. I was also impressed with the option to connect any USB Flash card or even USB Card reader to the front USB port next to the memory card slots. Reading the memory cards was fast and the total number of pictures was calculated very fast.
* As a color copier: Very good to Excellent. It was also a great advantage to be able to place a 4x6 photo on the scanner glass and be able to print a photo quality copy if you load 4x6 photo papers. This feature allowed me to make copies of older or other photos to quickly share with family members or friends.
* As a black and white copier: Very good to Excellent.
* As a fax machine: Very good to Excellent
If you read the online manual you''ll be directed to a link to install a fax software that allows you to fax a document wirelessly from your computer without having the actual paper in your hand. The software was not included on the provided disk but it is easily downloaded and installed to your operating system. I was even able to install it on my mac.
* As a wireless device:
Installation of the wireless set up was very easy and it is very convenient to be able to print from any computer within the range of the network (wired or wireless) PC or Mac. Everything worked fine!
* As a scanner: The quality was satisfactory and sufficient for most office or home requirements
* As a wireless printer: Fast!
* As a wireless scanner: This was an added advantage to be able to scan documents or even photos wirelessly to my computer.
Epson Customer Service: I needed to mention that unfortunately there was a defect on my "Epson WorkForce 635". There was a piece of cardboard or paper right below the scanner/copier glass that shows up on every scan and copy. This was clearly a defect in manufacturing the product and the lack of quality control. I contacted Epson customer service and they said they will be able to replace the unit with a new one. They gave me 2 options:
Option 1: They''ll send a replacement when they receive the defective unit-it could take up to "7 business weeks" as stated by Epson customer service. Epson will cover the shipping both ways. Just take the unit to the nearest FEDEX and provide the reference number.
Option 2: Pay $180 or the actual price by credit card, and they''ll send the replacement right away (about 5-7 days) and then you can send the defective unit after receiving the replacement. Once they receive the defective unit, they''ll credit your credit card the amount charged.
Conclusion: Overall, Epson WorkForce 635 is a great ALL IN ONE unit. It is definitely a bargain for what it can do in this price range and the overall ease of operation.
There are 2 reasons I didn''t give it 5 stars:
1-The repeated need to clean clogged headsthis is an inconvenience and a waste of time, ink and paper.
2-The defective unit I received shows lack of quality control and the inconvenience to repack and send the unit back and wait for replacement.
I will update this review once I receive my replacement unit.
***Update 11/17/2010
I received my replacement unit from Epson! The unit was new and all is well. They also included a new set of ink cartridges!
I had taken the defective unit to my local Fedex as Epson had requested and was able to ship it at their expense (they provided their Fedex account number). It took 6 days (including weekend) for the unit to arrive at Epson and a replacement unit minus the software and cord that I didn''t send (based on their instructions) was shipped the same day they received my defective unit. It took another 6 days for the replacement to arrive. The total wait was 12 days. . When I sent an email inquiring if they shipped the replacement, they replied promptly and acknowledged receiving the defective unit and provided a tracking number for the replacement as I requested!
* I would rate Epson customer service as excellent!
Buy Epson WorkForce 635 Color Inkjet All-in-One (C11CA69201) Now
As many others have done wonderful reviews on the Epson WorkForce 635 Color Inkjet All-In-One, I''m going to approach this review much differently in which I will be comparing the Epson WorkForce 630 ($79.99) vs. 635 (which goes for $132).When it comes to size, aesthetics even down to the box packaging (aside from the last single digit and that the 630 has French text included with the English on the packaging) but there are two major differences which may matter to you or may not (and I''ll go into this in the section titled differences), these two printers look very alike and share similar features. But what makes the 635 much more expensive than the 630? And is it better?
I. EPSON WorkForce 635 Data
* Color: Up to 5760 x 1440 dpi
* Black & White: Up to 600 dpi
Display
* 2.5"
Print speed
* Color: 7.2 Pages/min
* Black & White: 15 Pages/min
Connectivity
* USB host
* IEEE 802.11n
* Ethernet 10 Base-T/100 Base-TX
* Hi-Speed USB
* IEEE 802.11b
* IEEE 802.11g
Paper size / Tray Capacity
* Letter A Size (8.5 in x 11 in)
* Legal (8.5 in x 14 in)
* A6 (4.13 in x 5.83 in)
* A5 (5.83 in x 8.25 in)
* B5 (6.93 in x 9.83 in)
* Executive (7.25 in x 10.5 in)
* A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in)
* 250 sheets
Paper Formats:
The Epson WorkForce 635 can handle: Plain Paper, Cards, Transparencies, Stickers, Photo Paper, Glossy Photo Paper, Envelopes, Matte Photo Paper.
Features
* SDHC Memory Card
* MultiMediaCard
* Memory Stick
* SD Memory Card
* USB flash drive
* xD-Picture Card Automatic Duplexing
* 48 bitColor Depth (Internal)
* PC Connection Availability
* ENERGY STAR Qualified
Dimensions 17.6 x 21.9 x 9.1 inches
Weight 16.8 lbs
What do you get inside the box?
* Printer
* Plug
* Installation CD and Instructions
* All four printer cartridges: Black, Cyan, Yellow, Magenta
* Free paper from CreativeZone
II. INSTALLATION
Installation was quite easy. Make sure to follow instructions of how to install the printer cartridge as there are two plastic pieces. You only have to remove the one in yellow, do not remove the clear plastic. When you open the top section of the printer, the cartridge holder goes to the middle and you can easily snap all four cartridges. The next step for those using wireless is to select your wireless connection, enter your code and if it''s all good, you can then install the CD. Installing was easy and on my iMac, it only took around 10 or less minutes to install everything. It''s important to note that I used a custom install not manual and bypassed all third-party software and just installed the printer contents only and instruction guide only.
III. TESTS
PRINTING:
The first test was printing documents and wow! Printing was quick (especially compared to the Epson 440 I reviewed a few months ago). In fact, right after that, I printed my magazine interview article from Adobe InDesign to the printer with hi-res graphics and high quality printing and the printer was just printing quickly. I was amazed how full-color pages were just printing with ease. Colors also looked exactly how my layout looked.
So, I did a third test. This time, full color printing with images with darker colors to check on how deep the ink gets and if the claim of how dry the ink is, is true at all. I did two types of pages, one with heavy black and it printed quickly. The page was slightly damp but no ink run off, nor did it get on my fingers.
Fourth test and I printed a digital camera picture on photo paper and it looked very good, actually extremely good for an InkJet.
Final test for printing was using the automatic document feeder on the top of the printer which you can place 30 letter or A4 Sized sheets or 10 legal-sized sheets on the top. There is a slide edge and it works perfectly. I had no problems printing at all.
***********NOW, THIS IS MAJOR DIFFERENCE FROM THE 635 vs. the 630***************
A. TWO-SIDED PRINTING
The 635 can do two-siding printing. In fact, the printer is exactly the same with the 2-sided printing button missing from under the LCD. So, the big question is how important is 2-Side Printing for you?
Most people don''t utilize two-sided printing but I sure did back in college for spiral bounded presentation projects. And in my former corporate job, I used the function a lot for presentations. For my business, it helps to use it for events and test brochures. Especially if you are a graphic designer and are doing two-sided projects. No need for cutting and gluing both sides together.
But it all comes down to if you need this feature or not.
B. CARTRIDGE CAPACITY
The 635 has more capacity for Black and Color ink. The 635 can print 385 b/w pages and 755 color pages. The 630 can print 245 pages and 340 color pages. So, the difference is quite substantial. You will save money in the long run getting a 635 but that is if you do a lot of color printing.
COPYING:
Copying is easy as you can select the quantity, the quality and it copies and prints quickly.
SCANNING:
Unfortunately, while the printer is wireless, scanning is not and you need to use the scanner, you need to have it connected to the USB or you can have a flash card or USB Flash Drive in the front and save the image on that card. While it works well for scanning, for the work I do, I still prefer having a flat bed scanner for larger objects but many people should find the scanner to be quite adequate.
FAXING:
Connect it to a phone line and you have a fax machine without having to worry about toner. Very convenient to use and easy to setup.
IV. JUDGMENT CALL:
I absolutely love this printer! One because of it''s price and also two things that I always look for in a printer which are:
a) Bottom feeding paper and not top loading (top loading will often eat paper up and messup things inside your printer as opposed to bottom loading)
b) The rear of the printer has an access panel to remove jammed paper.
c) It''s wireless and allows for USB Flash and Compact flash Cards
And of course, the quality and speed that these 630 editions are known for. This is a wonderful all-in-one printer but as you look into the price on Amazon, there is nearly a $60-$70 difference between both the 630 vs. the 635.
Both are exact machines with the exception that the 635 does two-sided printing. It''s a very convenient feature and for college students or home offices that utilize that capability, it''s definitely worth it! But if you notice that you have no need for two-sided printing, then definitely go for the cheaper 630 version.
And the other difference is the 635 has more cartridge capacity for ink, especially if you are printing color. 755 pages for the 635 and 340 pages for the color ink cartridge and because this takes four cartridges, in the long run, you will probably save more money getting the 635 over the 630 (that is if you print a lot of documents in color).
Now if your main purpose is to find a printer that holds more paper, then the Epson WorkForce 840 is what you need as that holds 500 pages as opposed to the 635 which holds 250. (Note: The 840 also has a larger LCD screen by an inch, BUT the 635 has more color cartridge capacity and can print up to 755 pages as opposed to the 840''s 470 pages).
Overall, the 635 is a wonderful printer. The price is fantastic but if you just want a printer without the two-sided printing and you tend to only print mostly in black and white, go for the 630. If you want the two-sided printing and larger ink cartridge capacity, then definitely go for the Epson WorkForce 635.
In my opinion, I would go for the 635 because of the better ink cartridge capabilities and of course, the two-sided printing does help. But for it''s price and features, the Epson WorkForce 635 is awesome.
This printer is highly recommended!
Read Best Reviews of Epson WorkForce 635 Color Inkjet All-in-One (C11CA69201) Here
I wanted an all-in-one multifunction printer so I decided to do a thorough research on all the choices available, both color laser and inkjets. My final choice was Epson.Set-up was quick and painless. I used USB cable connection to download, update and synchronize everything between my laptop and Epson before using wireless. I advise others to do the same before using wireless function to avoid frustration/anger. Wireless printing is awesome, text and graphics are great quality, though the ink drying time is somewhat overstated by Epson. It still gets damp if your prints are graphics intensive. Copying/scanning using ADF is fast and easy, I have vaio and Windows 7, so can''t comment on Macs and Linux.
Overall pros: Great quality, speed, hopefully decent ink cost, high capacity ink cartridge.
Cons: Paper feed tray adjustment is not smooth, still cannot match "laser quality"
Suggestions for Epson: Give your machines extra high capacity cartridges like HP 8500, replace push buttons with a large touch screen LCD like Lexmark, or your own Artisan, and make inks more affordable.
Want Epson WorkForce 635 Color Inkjet All-in-One (C11CA69201) Discount?
This review is based on a comparison of the WorkForce 635 with the Canon Pixma MX870 at the two local Staples today, doing color and black and white copying on plain paper. Is the copier output a good surrogate for printer output (via a computer)? I thought it would be and, as a follow up, Epson technical support says so too. To be clear, I went for the purpose of seeing the 635, with the hope that it was the printer I am looking for vs. the Canon. I had read that it''s lighter, more compact, prints faster and has excellent text and color reproduction for an ink jet. Here''s what I found:Good news:
1) The Epson is consistently much faster than the Canon, and doesn''t have the initial processing delay the latter has. On two tries in standard quality, a fairly dense color 8-1/2x11 sheet with some text took ~1:30 with the Epson and ~2:20 with the Canon.
2) On a dense small print B&W page, credit card agreement size, the Epson had cleaner print in both standard and best quality. However, in best quality the Canon was almost indistinguishable and, while a little thicker in standard, is not bad at all. With larger size type, there was no difference.
Bad news:
1) Staples'' Technical Support and Protection card and brochure have covers that are the same puke green one sees around the walls of their stores. With the Epson in standard quality, that green came out decidedly yellowish and lost some of the graphical detail, while the Canon''s color came close to the original and maintained much of the detail. This difference was consistent across machines at the two stores and also between an Epson WF630 and a Canon MG5220. With best quality setting, the Epson moved a touch closer though was still yellowish, while the detail was much improved. Other colors were indistinguishable between the two.
2) On the full color sheet mentioned above, a glossy advertiser for some bookcases, the purple background lost some of its darkness on both printers, as is typical with ink jets. With the Epson, the natural (blond) bookcases became yellowish and lost much of their detail. The Canon''s standard quality was better than the Epson''s best. Full yellow portions, however, came out close to true on both printers.
3) Several times there wasn''t any paper, or maybe one sheet, and the printers couldn''t or wouldn''t do the job. While the Canon always gave an out-of-paper message, the Epson didn''t do so once; it just ran on and on. Not good. Moreover, one of the times I cancelled the Epson job it took a good three minutes to return to ready. The Canon always responded quickly.
4) On both printers, adjusting the paper size slides in the plastic paper trays gives real fear of breakage. The ones on the Epson clearly felt the stiffest to maneuver and thus most likely to go at some point. Canon''s were far from great, but probably satisfactory. I wouldn''t want to have to adjust either of these frequently. A nearby Lexmark Pro 901 was much better in this regard (tho not in some others).
So there it is. Wouldn''t it be nice to combine the best of both. I must say that the Epson''s inability to handle green, the loss of graphical detail, the lack of an out-of-paper message and worrisome paper adjusters are not small matters. The only question is how to measure those against the Canon''s slower processing and slightly thicker, though very good text.
I''m rating the Epson a 3 (3+/4-) because these are serious flaws, although for a text-mostly operation where one person handles the machine, it''s not a bad choice.
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Just unwrapped and installed my WorkForce 635.Every aspect of it so far has exceeded my expectations. The workmanship, design, quality, etc are all superior to competitors. (However, at $160, it should be top-notch)
Setup was a snap, and documentation is terrific (and real paper, not just a pdf). Oh, and a MAJOR bonus... four high-capacity ink cartridges are included! High-capacity! Unlike Brother, who intentionally incluces "Starter Cartridges"
Test page printed beautifully. Tried a fax worked just fine, and can do 2-sided as well. Scanned to PC, or to thumb drive via slot.
The drivers on the CD were (of course) out-of-date, but when installed it automatically checks for new driver updates and installs them.
I love the small footprint only had 18" of width, and very few all-in-ones would fit (hear that Canon?). Also fairly lightweight. Front panel tilts upward to make it easier to see an unexpected plus.
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