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It’s a common complaint from most printer owners. The price of the printer is often reasonable, but the companies make up for it with the ink. Many printers are no rejecting generic cartridges, so the buying choice is back to the originals.
Epson printers produce exceptional photos and documents, and the ink comes with the technology to enhance the quality of your prints. We are going to look at the Epson 252 vs 252XL. Once we have compared all of their features, we will add a side-by-side chart and some pros and cons to decide which is the best.
Let’s start with what the Epson 252 and the Epson 252XL have in common.
Epson 252 vs 252XL – Similarities
Epson Quality Tested
To ensure the ink in the Epson 252 and the Epson 252XL matches Epson quality, the cartridges are tested for color, purity, viscosity, surface tension and finally gas chromatography.
DURABrite Ultra Ink
The Epson 252 and the Epson 252XL uses DURABrite Ultra Ink. This evolving ink is pigment-based and supports all paper types. Because it is pigment-based, it doesn’t smudge, fade and it is water-resistant. Furthermore, it doesn’t bleed through, so it’s perfect for two-sided printing.
Instant Dry
Unlike other types of ink, the Epson 252 and the Epson 252XL ink dries instantly. When your prints come out of the printer, there is no risk of smudges or smears.
Durability
The length of time that prints will last when using the Epson 252 and the Epson 252XL isn’t stated. We do know that they are long-lasting so you can expect it to be for decades.
Side by Side Comparison
The following comparison chart shows all the features side by side.
Epson 252 | Epson 252XL | |
| Image |  |  |
| Epson Quality Tested | Yes | Yes |
| Available Packs | Black, Black 2 pack, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, C/M/Y 3 pack | Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, pack, C/M/Y/B 4 pack |
| Printer Compatibility | Workforce- WF-3620, WF-3640, WF-7620, WF-7110, WF-7610 | Workforce- WF-3640, WF-7610, WF-7720, WF-7620, WF-7720, WF-7210, WF-7110, WF-3620, WF-7710 |
| DURABrite Ultra Ink | Yes | Yes |
| Resistance | Smudge, fade and water | Smudge, fade and water |
| Durability | Long-lasting | Long-lasting |
| Instant Dry | Yes | Yes |
| Capacity | Standard Capacity- 300 pages | High Capacity- 3.5x more prints, 1100 pages |
| Price |
Next, we will look at the differences between the Epson 252 and the Epson 252XL.
Differences Between Epson 252 and Epson 252XL
Capacity
The larger the capacity, the less frequently you will need to change your cartridges.
Epson 252
These are standard ink cartridges with an approximate page yield of 300 pages.
Epson 252XL
With a high capacity, you will have 3.5 times more ink than the standard cartridges. Epson appears to have rounded this number up to 1100 per cartridge.
The Winner Is- The Epson 252XL
Read next – Epson 288 vs 288xl: Which Cartridge Ink is Better?
Available Packs
In most cases, buying the cartridges in a pack will save you some money. Even if it’s just a few dollars, it makes a difference when ink is so expensive.
Epson 252
You can buy an individual or 2 pack black cartridge, individual cyan, magenta, and yellow, or a pack of all three colors.
Epson 252XL
The black, cyan, magenta, and yellow come in individual packs and these work out to be much better valued than the Epson 252. The pack, however, contains a black high-capacity cartridge, and the 3 colors are only the standard capacity, so no actual savings.
The Winner Is- The Epson 252XL
Read next –Epson 273 vs 273XL: Which Cartridge Ink is Better?
Printer Compatibility
You can use these ink cartridges with the all-in-one Workforce range.
Epson 252
The cartridges are compatible with WF-3620, WF-3640, WF-7620, WF-7110, and the WF-7610.
Epson 252XL
You have a wider range of options with these cartridges including the WF-3640, WF-7610, WF-7720, WF-7620, WF-7720, WF-7210, WF-7110, WF-3620, and the WF-7710.
The Winner Is- The Epson 252XL
Pros and Cons
We will finish up with some pros and cons of the Epson cartridges.
Epson 252
Pros:
- Superior quality compared with generic cartridges
- Simple to install
- There is no smudging
Cons:
- Too many problems with the ink running out after just a few prints
Epson 252XL
Pros:
- Great value for money, generally printing more than estimated yield
- Reliable cartridges that don’t require frequent printing
- All of the prints were dry when they came out of the printer
Cons:
- The quality control of the cartridges needs to be improved
The Final Verdict
Seeing as the Epson 252XL is compatible with all of the same printers and more, it makes sense to choose these larger capacity cartridges. The ink is the same so you can enjoy exceptional prints and they are more convenient. Even though there aren’t savings with the Epson 252XL 4 pack, you tend to use more black ink than color, so we still felt it was the right choice.