Epson Expression Home XP-245: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the Epson Expression Home XP-245 right for you?

The XP-245 was the UK's bargain Epson of 2016-2018, regularly sold for under 40 pounds with 29 Strawberry cartridges. Thousands are still in cupboards and get pulled out for school projects, at which point the cartridges are usually dry. It has no screen, a 50-sheet tray and slow print speeds, but it does work with AirPrint and the Epson iPrint app. Its waste ink pads fill faster than larger models because of frequent cleaning cycles.

Best for: Occasional UK home printing on a budget

Setting up the Epson Expression Home XP-245

Hold the Wi-Fi button for WPS or use the USB-tethered setup from the driver installer; there is no display. Download the driver from epson.co.uk/support as Windows 11 does not bundle the scanner driver. Replace cartridges as a set if it has been stored for a long time, because the starter cartridges dry out.

1. Unbox and prepare. Remove every piece of shipping tape and packing material, install the ink cartridges, and load paper in the tray.
2. Join your Wi-Fi. Keep the printer close to the router for setup. Most printers only connect to the 2.4GHz band, so if your router broadcasts one merged network name you may need to split the bands temporarily. See our Wi-Fi guide if it will not join.
3. Install the setup app. Use Epson's official app rather than a driver you found on a search result — third-party driver sites are the most common source of printer malware.
4. Add the printer. On Windows 11: Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners › Add device. On macOS: System Settings › Printers & Scanners › Add Printer.
5. Print a test page and run a scan if this is an all-in-one, so you find any problem now rather than when you are in a hurry.

Ink, toner and supplies

The Epson Expression Home XP-245 uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• Epson 29 Black
• Epson 29 Cyan/Magenta/Yellow
• Epson 29XL high-yield cartridges

High-yield (XL) versions almost always cost less per page if you print regularly. On third-party ink and toner, read our honest assessment first, and note that some manufacturers push firmware that rejects non-original chips.

Full specifications