Epson XP-430 packs a multifunction printer into a small package [Review]

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Epson_Expression_Home_XP-430
This little Epson multifunction printer can handle big jobs.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Epson calls its new Expression Home XP-430 printer a “Small-in-One” for good reason: It packs a lot of functions into a compact size.

The sub-$100 unit scans and makes copies in addition to printing wirelessly via Apple AirPrint or Google Cloud Print. It’s not a productivity monster that would be suited for a really busy home office, but for a light-duty personal printer, it’s worth serious consideration.

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We currently use the Expression Home XP-430 at the Cult of Mac office, and it’s accommodated us well for the low volume of printing we do on a daily basis. It’s got a great, space-saving design and small footprint, a highly valued commodity in an office overflowing with products.

The XP-430 is one of Epson’s “Small-in-One” series of inkjet multifunction printers, and follows the XP-420 from 2015 with a couple of added features, including a larger LCD display and a different ink formulation.

With the XP-430, color printouts come out vibrant, while text visibility is above average. Plus, it can print from nearly any device and offers several good connectivity options including Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct, as well as the ability to scan, edit and share photos directly to Facebook or the cloud. Best of all, the XP-430 is a great value at $49.99 on Amazon.

Let’s take a closer look.

Epson Expression Home XP-430 multifunction printer
The Epson Expression Home XP-430 multifunction printer boasts a great, space-saving design.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Epson XP-430 features and design

The glossy-black Expression Home XP-430 weighs just 9 pounds and measures 15.4 inches wide, 5.7 inches tall and 11.8 inches deep with both trays closed. Open and with its two trays extended, it’s 15.4 inches wide, 11 inches tall and 20.4 inches deep inches — definitely more compact than most of its rivals.

The top-loading paper feeder accommodates 100 sheets of plain paper at a time, which is plenty for our small office, and can accommodate various types of photo and presentation paper. A tilt-up control panel houses a 2.7-inch color, non-touch LCD display, with a standard four-way controller and central OK button to the right of the LCD. The two trays and control panel can be folded up and out of the way, allowing the XP-430 to fit into tight spaces.

The flatbed scanner can scan or copy up to letter-size documents, but there’s no automatic document feeder for scanning multiple pages unattended. It also doesn’t do double-sided printing, as seen in the Canon MG5720 Wireless Inkjet All-in-One, our editor’s pick for budget MFP for home use. The XP-430 includes a memory-card reader that accepts cards in the SD family.

Wireless printing and scanning

I love having the ability to print without being tethered to a printer. There are a variety of ways to connect to the XP-430 from multiple devices, including a smartphone or tablet: via USB to a computer, via WiFi Direct for a peer-to-peer connection with a compatible device, and via 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi to a network.

Printing remotely from your iPhone or Android has its advantages, as you can use Epson’s range of free mobile printing apps. Or, use Google Cloud Print in Chrome for remote printing. There’s also bonus software included that enables scanning to Facebook and the cloud. It’s easy and convenient to print photos from Facebook and Instagram, or scan photos and upload them to the same services. Also included are tools for red-eye removal, photo restoration and more.

Print quality and speed

It took a matter of minutes to easily set up the Expression Home XP-430 wirelessly for my desktop and tablet. For plain, black text printing, the XP-430 pumps out about eight pages per minute; color and photo printouts took significantly longer at around 2.5 pages per minute.

That’s relatively slow, but I was impressed with the output quality: Black text is clear and easy to read. Color printing is good, though not comparable to photo-optimized inkjet printers. The printer comes with four individual DuraBrite Ultra Inks ink cartridges, which are smudge-, fade- and water-resistant. You only replace the ink that you need.

Epson Expression Home XP-430 multifunction printer
The XP-430 printer includes tools for red-eye removal, photo restoration and more.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Bottom line

The drawbacks are few for this compact multi-use printer: You can’t fax, it lacks an ethernet port, and the print speeds are relatively slow. Still, it’s lighter and smaller than most rival printers, making the Epson XP-430 a great choice if you need a multifunction printer for a tight space. Super-simple setup, good text quality, bonus software and a budget price point make the Epson a very satisfying printing solution for light-duty home offices or dorm rooms.

Buy from: Amazon

We received review units for this roundup. Read Cult of Mac’s reviews policy.

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