What Ink Does the Epson EcoTank ET-4950 Use?
Last Updated:Quick answer: the Epson EcoTank ET-4950 uses Epson 502 ink bottles — not cartridges. Four bottles, one per tank, and there is no XL or high-yield version because EcoTank bottles only come in one size.
The most common wrong answer for this printer is Epson 522. That family fits the ET-2800, ET-4800 and ET-2903, and aftermarket sites cross-list it onto 502 machines constantly. Epson's own spec sheet for the ET-4950 lists 502 bottles. If a listing offers you 522 for this printer, it is wrong.
CastleScore · October 2026
87/100 — Highly Recommended
Epson EcoTank ET-4950
| Pillar (weight) | Score | What it is based on |
|---|---|---|
| Owner ratings (28%) | 81 | 4.13★ average across 729 ratings at Amazon (4.1), Walmart (4.2) |
| Expert reviews (18%) | 80 | PCMag 4.0/5 |
| Cost per page (24%) | 99 | About 0.3¢ per page blended (black + color) with our compatible 502 bottles (7,500 black / 6,000 color pages). |
| Reliability (13%) | 90 | No recurring hardware or connection complaints in owner reviews. |
| Features (12%) | 87 | Print, copy, scan, document feeder, auto two-sided printing, fax, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, touchscreen. |
| Value (5%) | 90 | Running cost and owner satisfaction |
Still sold new. Epson launched the ET-4950 in July 2025 as the successor to the ET-4850. When we checked, Micro Center had it at $369.99 (from $499.99).
CastleScore is Castle Ink’s own editorial rating, built from retailer star ratings, expert reviews, real cost per page and owner complaint patterns, checked October 11, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.
The ink bottles, pictured
502 Bottles 4-packOur own compatible ink bottles, photographed in-house.
Epson EcoTank ET-4950 ink at a glance
| Position | Family | Part Number | Volume | Approx. Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | Epson 502 | T502120-S | 127 mL | 7,500 pages |
| Cyan | Epson 502 | T502220-S | 70 mL | 6,000 pages |
| Magenta | Epson 502 | T502320-S | 70 mL | 6,000 pages |
| Yellow | Epson 502 | T502420-S | 70 mL | 6,000 pages |
| 4-pack (BCMY) | Epson 502 | T502120-BCS | — | — |
Those are the yields on Epson's current spec sheet for its seventh-generation EcoTanks. Some retailers still list Epson's older figures for the same bottles, 7,500 pages black and 6,000 color. We sell a compatible Epson 502 four-pack (black, cyan, magenta and yellow); one pack refills all four tanks. U.S. orders over $50 ship free, and orders placed by 4 PM ET ship the same day.
How to refill the tanks properly
- Check the tanks by eye. You don't have to wait for a low-ink warning: Epson says you can top up a partly full tank, and filling each tank to the upper line keeps the printer's ink estimate most accurate.
- Open the tank cover and unlock the cap for the color you are filling.
- Hold the bottle upright in the port. Epson's design meters the flow and stops when full — you do not need to squeeze.
- Close the cap firmly. Then reset the ink level for each color you filled: select those colors on the printer's screen and press Start.
Do not mix colors between ports. A wrong-color fill means a full ink-system flush at best.
About the Epson EcoTank ET-4950
The ET-4950 is the office-focused EcoTank: print, scan, copy and fax, with a 30-sheet automatic document feeder and a 250-sheet paper cassette. It is the model to buy from this family if you handle multi-page documents rather than the occasional letter.
Rated at 18 ISO ppm black and 9 ppm color (7 and 5 when printing on both sides), with automatic duplex printing, a 2.4-inch color touchscreen, dual-band Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct and Ethernet. The ADF scans both sides of a page automatically, up to legal size.
Common problems on this model
Tanks look full but the printer says empty
The printer counts ink used rather than measuring the tank. After refilling you may need to reset the level manually from the maintenance menu — otherwise it keeps reporting the old figure.
Faded or missing colors after sitting idle
Tank printers are more prone to dried nozzles than cartridge printers because the ink path is longer. Run a nozzle check, then one head cleaning. Printing a color page once every two weeks prevents most of it — see whether ink dries out.
Maintenance box message
EcoTanks route waste ink into a maintenance box. When it fills, the printer stops printing until you replace it. It is a consumable, not a fault: the ET-4950 takes the user-replaceable Epson T04D100 box.
Won't connect to Wi-Fi
The ET-4950 has dual-band Wi-Fi and an Ethernet port, so a network cable is a reliable fallback. See our printer Wi-Fi setup guide.
What EcoTank ET-4950 owners ask
These are the questions that come up most for this printer on retailer Q&A pages, Epson's support pages and owner reviews, answered in our words.
Can it fax in color, or fax to email?
Yes to both. It faxes in color or black at 33.6 Kbps, stores 100 pages in memory, and can send received faxes to email or a folder. It also does PC-fax.
Why did the ink in the box run out sooner than the bottle ratings?
Epson's spec sheet says the in-box bottles yield less than replacements because some ink is used to charge the printer at setup.
What is the difference between the ET-4950 and the ET-3950?
Epson launched them together in July 2025. The ET-4950 adds fax and the touchscreen.
Will it work on a mesh Wi-Fi network?
Yes. It supports Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Agile Multiband, which helps devices move between mesh access points, and it has Ethernet if you'd rather use a cable.
How much paper does it hold?
250 sheets of plain paper, 20 sheets of photo paper or 10 envelopes, up to legal size.
EcoTank ET-4950 quirks worth knowing
- Broadcast faxing (one fax to several numbers) is black and white only, even though single-recipient faxes can go in color.
- Consumer Reports found a slight drop in quality on the second side of two-sided prints when it tested the ET-4958, and expects the same from the ET-4950.
- It replaces the ET-4850, which Epson has discontinued, and takes the same Epson 502 bottles.
- Waste ink goes into a user-replaceable maintenance box, Epson part T04D100.
FAQ
What ink does the Epson EcoTank ET-4950 use?
Epson 502 ink bottles in black, cyan, magenta and yellow.
Does the Epson EcoTank ET-4950 use Epson 522?
No. 522 fits the ET-2800, ET-4800 and ET-2903. This printer takes 502, and the two are not interchangeable.
Is there an Epson 502XL?
No. EcoTank bottles ship in one size only — there is no XL tier to buy.
Can I use compatible 502 ink without voiding the warranty?
Using third-party ink doesn't void the warranty, but Epson won't cover damage it attributes to that ink. See the legal answer.
Does the ET-4950 use different ink from the ET-4800?
Yes, and this catches people out. The ET-4800 uses Epson 522; the ET-4950 uses Epson 502. Same family name, different bottles.
Is the ET-4950 worth it over the ET-2980?
If you scan or copy multi-page documents, the ADF alone justifies it. If you print single sheets from a phone, the cheaper ET-2980 does the same job on the same ink.
Other printers that use Epson 502 bottles
Epson EcoTank ET-4760 · Epson EcoTank ET-2760 · Epson EcoTank ET-3950 · Epson EcoTank ET-15000 · Epson EcoTank ET-2750 · Epson EcoTank ET-3843 · Epson EcoTank ET-4750 · Epson EcoTank ET-2850
More Epson ink guides: Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4830 · Epson WorkForce WF-2950 · Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 · find any printer
Replacing it? Our highest-rated alternatives
- Epson EcoTank ET-2980 — CastleScore 90
- Epson EcoTank ET-2850 — CastleScore 86
- Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820 — CastleScore 80
Sources
Ratings and prices were checked on October 11, 2026 and will change over time.
Need replacement Epson ink cartridges? Shop Epson ink cartridges at Castle Ink. Compatible, up to 70% less than OEM, and shipped the same day when you order by 4 PM ET.