Starting a sticker business can be an exciting venture, but the initial investment in equipment can be daunting. Finding the right printer that balances quality and cost-effectiveness is crucial, especially when you’re on a budget. If you’re searching for the Best Epson Ecotank Printer to bring your sticker designs to life, look no further than the Epson EcoTank ET-2800. After years of printer trials and tribulations, I’m excited to share my experience and explain why this model could be the perfect workhorse for your sticker shop.
My Printer Graveyard: A Journey to the EcoTank ET-2800
Let’s just say I’ve had a complicated relationship with printers. My garage likely houses a collection of defunct machines, each with its own tale of woe and premature demise. This history of printer mishaps means I speak from experience when I offer a printer recommendation. I’ve put various models through their paces, learning the hard way what works and what doesn’t for a sticker business. So, when I recommend the Epson EcoTank ET-2800, know that it comes from a place of both triumph and past printer-related pain!
Before discovering the EcoTank ET-2800, I experimented with a couple of popular choices in the sticker-making community:
Brother MFC-J497DW: Beautiful Prints, Unsustainable Ink Costs
When I first launched my sticker shop, Sleepy Unicorn Studio, I opted for the Brother® International Compact MFC-J497DW Wireless Color Inkjet All-In-One Printer. Initially, I was thrilled. The print quality was exceptional, producing stickers that were vibrant and professional-looking – truly some of the best stickers I had seen.
However, the honeymoon phase didn’t last long. The Brother MFC-J497DW, despite its excellent output, had significant drawbacks for a sticker business that prints regularly:
- Ink Consumption Nightmare: This printer devoured ink cartridges, especially yellow, at an alarming rate. Ink costs quickly spiraled to $30-$50 per month, even in the early days when my print volume was lower than it is now.
- Sluggish Print Speeds: While advertised to print color at up to 3 pages per minute, in reality, it felt agonizingly slow. Production bottlenecks became a regular occurrence.
- Not Built for High Volume: It became clear that this printer was designed for occasional home use, not the demands of a growing sticker business. It simply wasn’t robust enough for continuous printing.
Eventually, my Brother printer gave up the ghost, struggling to feed sticker paper. In a moment of perhaps misplaced loyalty, I tried to repurchase the same model, hoping for better luck. Unfortunately, I received a refurbished unit with the same paper feeding issue. It was time to move on and explore other options.
Canon PIXMA G6020 Supertank: Glossy Paper Preference, Matte Paper Struggles
Based on recommendations from other sticker creators, I next tried the Canon PIXMA G6020 All-in-One Supertank. This printer has its merits and isn’t inherently bad, but it proved to be less than ideal for my specific sticker paper preferences.
If you primarily print on glossy printable vinyl, the Canon PIXMA G6020 might be a viable option. However, if you, like me, favor matte printable vinyl and cardstock (I’m a loyal fan of AIVA Matte Printable Vinyl), there are better choices available.
Here’s why the Canon PIXMA G6020 wasn’t the right fit for my needs:
- Grainy Print Quality on Matte: Compared to the Brother printer, the print quality on matte vinyl was noticeably grainy. Despite meticulous setup and driver updates, the crispness I desired was consistently lacking.
- Sacrificing Quality for Ink Savings: While the supertank ink system promised cost savings, it felt like a trade-off in print quality. The vibrancy was acceptable, but the overall finish wasn’t as refined.
- Glossy Paper Performance (with Imperfections): The Canon did perform better on glossy paper, but it tended to leave faint “pizza cutter marks” from the paper feeding mechanism, which was undesirable.
Regrettably, the Canon PIXMA G6020 had to be returned. Order backlogs were mounting, and the search for a reliable sticker printer continued.
Epson EcoTank ET-2800: A Sticker Printing Revelation
In a moment of desperation, I sent my husband on a mission to Best Buy to acquire the Epson EcoTank ET-2800. You can also conveniently buy it on Amazon if leaving the house isn’t your preference! After the Canon experience, my expectations were tempered, but the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 proved to be a genuinely delightful surprise.
- Excellent Print Quality: The print quality rivals that of the Brother printer. It consistently meets and even exceeds my expectations, producing stickers with sharp lines and vibrant colors.
- Incredible Ink Efficiency: The EcoTank system is a game-changer for ink costs. My monthly ink expenses plummeted from $30-$50 to approximately $60 per year. This is not a typo!
- Vibrant and Accurate Colors: With proper settings, the prints are beautifully vibrant and color-accurate.
- Minor Color Adjustment: My only minor observation is that my specific unit leans slightly magenta. However, this is easily corrected using the printer’s color settings to slightly reduce magenta for perfectly neutral grays.
In January 2023, I invested $203 in the Epson ET-2800, plus an additional $50 for a 4-year warranty (printer-killer insurance!). If you find it for less, it’s an even better deal!
Why the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 is a Smart Investment for Your Sticker Business
The initial cost of the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 might seem substantial, especially when you’re also investing in other sticker-making supplies. However, when you break down the long-term cost savings and efficiency gains, it becomes clear that this printer is a truly wise investment for any sticker business. The numbers speak for themselves.
To illustrate the cost-effectiveness, let’s look at a simplified breakdown of my average sticker production costs:
- AIVA Matte Printable Vinyl: $0.56 per sheet
- Oracle 215 Glossy Laminate: $0.32 per sheet
- Total Material Cost per Sheet: $0.88
Rounding up to $0.90 per sheet to account for ink and simplify calculations, we can estimate the production cost per sticker. The number of stickers per sheet varies, but for this example, let’s assume a conservative estimate to demonstrate the point.
Let’s consider the cost breakdown for a typical 2×3″ sticker:
- -$0.10 Production Cost (materials & ink, estimated for a 2×3″ sticker)
- -$0.48 Packaging Materials (Envelope, Thank You Card, Backer, Cellophane Bag, Logo Sticker)
- -$0.63 Domestic Shipping (Etsy’s calculated shipping cost)
- -$0.20 Listing Fee (Etsy listing fee per sale/renewal)
- -$0.26 Transaction Fee (Etsy’s transaction fee on product sale)
- -$0.06 Transaction Fee (Etsy’s transaction fee on shipping)
- -$0.40 Processing Fee (Payment processing fee)
Total Cost per Sticker Order: $2.13
Now, let’s look at the revenue from a single sticker sale at my standard price (without discounts):
- $4.00 Sticker Cost
- $0.85 Shipping*
Total Revenue per Sticker Order: $4.85
This results in a profit of $2.72 per sticker, representing a healthy 56.27% profit margin. You can find more details on pricing and profit strategies in my blog post about using Etsy promo codes to increase sales. Multi-sticker orders further increase profit margins.
* My shipping pricing strategy involves charging $0.85 for the first sticker and an additional $0.10 for each subsequent sticker. This helps to keep single-sticker order costs competitive while ensuring profitability on larger orders and covering potential shipping upgrades.
Rapid Return on Investment
Considering an estimated printer cost of $225 (your actual cost may vary), and a profit of $2.72 per sticker, you would need to sell approximately 83 stickers to recoup the printer’s initial investment. For a sticker business, especially one with consistent marketing efforts, this is an achievable milestone in a relatively short timeframe.
Even in my initial months of operation in September and October 2021, when stickers were priced lower at $3.00 each, the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 would have almost paid for itself quickly! And remember, this calculation doesn’t even factor in the massive ongoing savings on ink costs compared to cartridge-based printers. These savings directly contribute to faster business growth and increased profitability, allowing you to reinvest in your business or pay yourself sooner.
Unbelievable Ink Cost Savings: Seeing is Believing
Since switching to the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 on January 3, 2023, through October 14, 2023, I have printed over 511 full-color, high-quality prints without needing to replace any ink. And this is using the initial ink that came with the printer! The replacement cost for all four colors (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) of genuine Epson ink is around $60.
This means the effective cost of the $225 printer is realistically closer to $165 plus the included ink, which is an exceptional value considering its performance and longevity. The long-term cost savings are undeniable.
On October 14th, I finally ordered replacement ink, primarily because the black ink was running low. However, as you can see in the image below, the color ink levels were still remarkably high. In fact, I could have realistically only replaced the black ink ($15) and continued printing. I opted for the full set of four colors to have them on hand for future needs.
To put this ink efficiency into perspective, with my previous Brother printer, I was spending an average of $40 per month on ink cartridges, totaling approximately $480 per year. That annual ink expense alone could buy multiple new printers! The EcoTank system’s ink savings are truly transformative for a sticker business.
To maintain your printer warranty and ensure optimal performance, I strongly recommend using genuine Epson brand ink. Ordering directly from Epson’s website is a reliable way to guarantee authenticity and potentially find the best prices.
Ideal for Sticker Paper: Rear Feed Advantage
A often-overlooked feature when choosing a printer for stickers is the paper feed mechanism. Printers with bottom cassette paper trays are prone to jamming, especially with thicker sticker paper. Even some Epson models with bottom trays can experience this issue.
The Epson EcoTank ET-2800’s rear paper feed is a significant advantage for sticker making. It handles printable vinyl exceptionally well, minimizing paper jams and ensuring smooth, consistent printing. For even greater jam-free reliability, consider using Buttercrafts matte printable vinyl, specifically designed to be anti-jam with Epson printers.
Invest in the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 for Sticker Success
The Epson EcoTank ET-2800 has genuinely revolutionized my sticker-making process. Its combination of affordability, exceptional print quality, and incredibly low ink costs makes it the best Epson EcoTank printer choice for anyone starting or growing a sticker business. It’s a budget-friendly workhorse that delivers professional results without breaking the bank.
If you’re excited about the possibilities of the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 or have any questions about launching your own sticker shop, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m here to support you on your creative journey. Ask away, and let’s create some amazing stickers together!
