Comparison Epson EcoTank L3260 vs Epson L3160

— Pigment. Ink based on pigments — solid dyes, which are diluted in the form of microparticles in a liquid filler to a state of suspension. Compared to more popular water-based inks, these inks are noticeably more expensive, and the finished image may turn out to be somewhat less bright (compared to printing with water-based dye on the same MFP). On the other hand, pigment ink gives higher detail, which is especially important for photo printing. In addition, finished images resist humidity better and do not fade as quickly in bright light — this resistance is not enough for outdoor use, but indoors such prints can be stored for a very long time.

— Water soluble. Inks based on water-soluble dyes allow achieving high realism of colour reproduction in colour printing, they are well absorbed into the deep layers of paper and are cheaper than pigment inks. Also, water-soluble ink does not dry as quickly in the cartridge or print head of the MFP. They are recommended for use with inkjet paper — ordinary thin paper strongly absorbs dropsy, which can cause ink to show through on the back of the sheet. At the same time, water-soluble ink is afraid of moisture and direct exposure to ultraviolet light — when water gets on, the paint on paper “floats”, and it fades under the sun light.

— Pigmented / water soluble. Some MFPs have a print head that allows you to print with two types of ink at once. A common case is when their black cartridge is filled with pigment...ink, and the colour one is filled with water-soluble ink.

The maximum grammage that the MFP can print on. The grammage of the paper depends primarily on its thickness; thick paper is strong, but if it is thicker than allowed by MFP's manufacturer, the paper feeder simply cannot handle such sheets.

The maximum noise level coming from the MFP during operation. The smaller this value, the more comfortable the use of the device. For office use, this parameter is not so important, but you should pay attention to it if you are going to use the device at home. It is easiest to evaluate a specific noise level using special comparative tables. For example, the quietest modern MFPs can operate with 34-35 dB noise level which is approximately corresponds to a muffled conversation, and the heaviest and most performant models give out up to 75 dB — this is comparable to a scream or a loud laugh at a distance of 1 m.