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The best printers you can buy: Inkjet, photo, and laser options
Most of us have some type of home office by now, thanks to hybrid working schedules. Your setup should include a printer, and if you don't yet have one as part of your home office, you've come to the right place.
When it comes to printers you can utilize in your home, it's best to stick to inkjet, photo, or laser printers. Any of these types of printers are great for work, school, crafts, or general household operations like printing out recipes or to-do lists.
Also: The best cheap printers (starting at $105)
ZDNET experts and I have analyzed the best printers within each category no matter what your home setup looks like.
- Long-lasting ink bottles
- Zero cartridge waste
- Smartphone and tablet printing
- Installer software can be difficult
Epson EcoTank ET-3760 features: Scan, copy, and print two-sided | Voice-activated printing | 8 ppm (color), 15 ppm (monochrome)
The EcoTank printer comes with ink tanks that can be refilled from bottled ink. Epson estimates that one set of ink bottles provides the equivalent of about 80 cartridges. If you print often, especially in color, this cartridge-free approach can save you a lot of money.
The EcoTank's print speed is 15 pages per minute for black and white, and 8 pages per minute for color. Additionally, this unit includes Wi-Fi direct so you can print without connecting to a router. A big advantage is that it includes enough ink to print 7,500 pages in black and 6,000 in color, which may justify the printer's upfront cost.
Also: The best inkjet printers
In addition, it has an auto-document feeder, two-sided printing, and activation compatibility for even more productivity.
"I found this printer to be reliable and capable of producing vibrant and detailed prints," Peter Michaels, the CEO of parental monitoring app Yeespy, told ZDNET. "It is suitable for small businesses or individuals who require a versatile all-in-one solution."
Michaels continued:
Its EcoTank system, which uses refillable ink tanks instead of cartridges, offers cost-effective printing and reduces the need for frequent ink replacements. Based on my experience, I would recommend the Epson EcoTank ET-3760 for its quality, cost-effectiveness, and versatility.
- Mobile printing with HD smart app
- Ink delivery to your home
- Copy and scan
- Not touchscreen
- Low paper capacity
HP DeskJet 3755 features: Three color options | 60-sheet input tray and 25-sheet output tray | 5.5 ppm (color), 8 ppm (monochrome)
While the standout feature of this printer is its price, it's worth noting that you'll never have to run to the store when you run out of ink again. This printer already includes two full cartridges in the box, and with the HP Instant Ink subscription, you can get your first four months free. After the trial period, you'll pay less than $1 per month, with shipping and ink cartridge recycling included.
This Deskjet 3755 printer is cloud-enabled and connects via Wi-Fi. It's also compatible with Amazon Alexa, allowing for voice controls. You can scan documents directly to Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud. It can print from 3.5 inches all the way up to 8.5 x 14 inches, and it can even handle envelopes.
Also: The best cheap 3D printers under $300
Drew Romero, of software consulting company Tkxel, has hands-on experience with the DeskJet. "I would recommend it for its compact size, wireless capabilities, and decent printing quality," Romero told ZDNET. "It's suitable for individuals with limited space or those who need a printer for basic printing needs."
Plus, it features a 60-sheet paper tray and can print at 8 pages per minute in black and 5.5 pages per minute in color.
- Under $100
- Lightweight
- Fast scanner
- Two-sided printing could be higher quality and faster
Canon Pixma MG3620 features: Three color options | Auto two-sided print | 5.7 ppm (color), 9.9 ppm (monochrome)
If you're looking for a quality printer for less than $100, this is the one. You can print from your Android or iOS device, as well as your computer, via Wi-Fi. Additionally, you can quickly scan and copy documents.
The Canon Pixma can print at a speed of 9.9 pages per minute for black and white and 5.7 pages per minute for color. It also has a larger 100-sheet paper tray.
Also: This Anker 3D printer blew me away with how fast and easy it is to use
Michael Doubinski, CEO at PennyGranny, has more than 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship and hands-on experience with this printer. Doubinski told ZDNET:
As the CEO of a portable housing company, I have to visit locations of properties often. A wireless printer becomes very beneficial as it brings quick printouts of photos from property sites. The printer, Canon Pixma MG3620, has become a reliable companion during my location surveying trips. I can take pictures from my tablet or iPhone, and it delivers the printouts conveniently. It works through the app Canon Print. Scanning from an iPhone or tablet takes a few seconds. As it's compact, I can carry it with ease. The print results are always exceptional. The photos I get are crisp and clear. I also use it in my office for printing out the official documents.
This printer's wireless setup is seamless and easy, allowing you to start printing quickly.
- Wide color gamut, separate matte black and photo black inkwells
- 1.28-inch print nozzle head for an increased printing surface
- A plugin, print studio for last-minute enhancements
- Expensive
Canon imagePrograf Pro-1000 features: 17-inch printer | 11-color setup | Chroma Optimizer ink system
The Canon imagePrograf Pro-1000 printer is for those looking to maximize the quality of their images in hard copy. The 17-inch wide-format printer comes with an 11-color setup, the Chroma Optimizer ink system, air feed, and nozzle monitor to improve the print speed and hardware performance.
Also: The best photo printers
At $850, it's obviously an expensive printer, but it prints high-quality photos. Therefore, if you're a professional or photographer, this is the photo printer to get.
- Portable and lightweight
- Print photos from camera roll
- Add filters and frames to photos
- Small photos
- Pricey film
Fujifilm Instax Mini Link features: Three color options | Bluetooth compatible | 12-second printing
This portable printer is more for fun than anything else. It spits out snapshot-sized prints, similar to the size of old-fashioned Polaroid photos. You can add fun filters and frames to your photos, and you can even print photos from videos, making it a fun option to bring to parties or on vacation.
"Call me old-fashioned, but I am still a huge fan and believer in real printed photographs, photographs of my favorite moments that decorate my office, bedroom, my home," Cath Brands, Chief Marketing Officer at Flintfox, told ZDNET. Brands continued:
Last year, I received Fujifilm's Instax smartphone printer as a gift, and it really became one of my favorite gadgets to carry around. This unique printer is so simple and easy to use, and I love the idea of printing out pictures straight from my phone using a simple app. Before receiving this gift, I never really cared much about photo printers, but I can't imagine living without one now.
It takes about 12 seconds for a photo to print, and then 90 seconds for it to fully dry. Approximately 100 photos can be printed continuously when fully charged.
- 4 x 6 photo size
- Great photo quality
- Border and borderless printing
- Paper and ink replacements add up
Kodak Dock Premium features: Supports 90 Sheets | Sheet size: 4 x 6 inches | Works with phones and tablets
If you're looking for a mobile printing solution to produce hard image copies on the go, the Kodak Dock Plus instant photo printer is the best portable option. This mobile printer connects to your Android or iOS mobile device via Bluetooth and is able to print color images at a 4 x 6 ratio, which is arguably one of the most popular image sizes for displaying photos.
This photo printer is for those looking to print photos at a reasonable size with reasonable quality, rather than for professionals or on-the-go fun.
- Great ppm rate
- Voice-assistant compatible
- Decently priced
- No scanner
Brother HL-L2350DW features: 32 ppm | Amazon Alexa compatible | Wi-Fi printing
This is a monochrome laser printer. That's it -- no faxing, copying, or any of that fancy stuff. It just prints lots of pages quickly and efficiently. The printer itself is relatively compact, offers a 250-sheet paper capacity, and a print speed of 32 pages per minute.
Also: The best laser printers
This powerful little printer can connect via USB or Wi-Fi, and you can even print directly from your smartphone. It's also reasonably priced at $150 on Amazon.
- Compact
- Fast
- Easy to set up
- No Wi-Fi connection
- Doesn't copy or scan
Brother HL-L2300D features: Amazon Alexa compatible | 27 ppm | Automatic two-sided printing
This printer is an inexpensive workhorse. If you need to print a lot of black and white pages for a reasonable price, this is the printer for you. The Brother printer costs roughly $120 and offers duplex printing at 27 pages per minute. With a 250-sheet paper tray, it's a capable device.
However, it only connects via USB 2.0 -- no Wi-Fi, AirPrint, or Google Cloud Print, not even Ethernet. You just need to plug in a USB cable from your computer to the printer and print away.
- Lightweight
- Compact
- Simple to use
- Resolution isn't the best
- Wi-Fi connection issues
HP LaserJet M110w features: 21 ppm | HP Smart app | Weighs 8.34 pounds
Most laser printers are pretty large, but if your home office is a smaller space, this printer is only 7.45 x 13.63 x 6.26 inches, meaning it can fit comfortably on your desk.
Review: HP LaserJet Pro MFP
It connects over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and USB, and can print up to 21 ppm. This printer utilizes the HP Smart App so you can print, scan and copy from your phone -- from anywhere.
What is the best printer?
The best inkjet printer is the Epson EcoTank ET-2760 Wireless Color All-in-One, the best photo printer is the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000, and the best laser printer is the Brother HL-L2350DW.
Printer | Price | Speed (pages per minute for monochrome) | Type |
Epson EcoTank ET-2760 | $380 | 15 ppm | Inkjet |
HP DeskJet 3755 | $80 | 8 ppm | Inkjet |
Canon Pixma MG3620 | $69 | 9.9 ppm | Inkjet |
Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 | $849 | 1ppm | Photo |
Fujifilm Instax Mini Link Smartphone Printer | $99 | 12-second printing | Photo |
Kodak Dock Premium | $129 | 1 ppm | Photo |
Brother HL-L2350DW | $150 | 32 ppm | Laser |
Brother HL-L2300D | $120 | 27 ppm | Laser |
HP LaserJet M110w | $119 | 21 ppm | Laser |
Which printer is right for you?
While each of these printers is a great pick for your home office, it ultimately depends if you want an inkjet, photo, or laser printer. Plus, is speed or printer size more important to you? Consider how you'll use the printer and how much you're willing to spend, too.
Choose this printer... | If you want... |
Epson EcoTank ET-2760 | The best overall option that will save you money on ink cartridges. One set of the included ink bottles provides the equivalent of about 80 cartridges. |
HP DeskJet 3755 | An all-in-one inkjet printer that has an ink cartridge subscription so you never run out. It's also compatible with Amazon Alexa, allowing for voice controls. |
Canon Pixma MG3620 | A budget-friendly inkjet printer under $100 that prints fast. The Canon Pixma can print at a speed of 9.9 pages per minute for black and white and 5.7 pages per minute for color. |
Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 | A photo printer for professionals for high-quality photos. It comes with an 11-color setup and the Chroma Optimizer ink system. |
Fujifilm Instax Mini Link | A mini photo printer that's portable and fun. You can even add fun filters and frames to your photos before printing. |
Kodak Dock Premium | A printer that can print 4 x 6 photos and works with phones and tablets. This mobile printer connects to your Android or iOS mobile device via Bluetooth. |
Brother HL-L2350DW | The best laser printer you can buy that prints at 32 ppm. It offers a 250-sheet paper capacity, and a print speed of 32 pages per minute. |
Brother HL-L2300D | A laser printer with solid features at a low price of $120. It's easy to set up and has automatic two-sided printing. |
HP LaserJet M110w | A compact and wireless laser printer for small home office spaces. This printer utilizes the HP Smart App so you can print, scan and copy from your phone. |
How did I choose these printers?
I chose these printers through a combination of extensive research and testing the products myself. I paid attention to customer reviews and ratings, pricing, renowned brands, and different features each printer has.
What is an inkjet printer?
An inkjet printer is simply a printer that uses ink to print documents. However, these devices have come a long way from the frustrating days when you ran out of ink. Now, inkjet printers have zero-waste cartridges, connection to Wi-Fi and cloud services, and the ability to print directly from your smartphone.
What is a photo printer?
Photo printers offer a wide variety of formats along with some unexpected gimmicks. Interestingly, two of our top photo printers are from the old school film brands: Fujifilm and Kodak. Somehow, that's comforting.
I've included smaller photo printers that are for more casual and fun printing, as well as one high-quality option for those photos that you want to frame and remember.
What is a laser printer?
The main difference between inkjet printers and laser printers is that inkjet printers use ink to print while laser printers use, you guessed it, lasers. Laser printers are best for handling heavy volumes of text-based documents since they print at faster speeds, and they are also more economical and eco-friendly, since you won't have to worry about buying cartridges and the proper ways to dispose of them.
What features are important in a printer?
When buying a printer, you'll want to pay attention to various things, including type (inkjet, photo, laser, etc.), speed (pages per minute), capacity, compatibility, paper handling, energy efficiency, and price, to name a few.
Jordi Hilpert, a review writer for 10printers, pointed to a few key considerations to keep in mind when buying a printer, with your needs coming first. "Determine the purpose of the printer and the volume of printing you expect to do," Hilpert told ZDNET. "This will help you choose between a personal printer, office printer, or specialized printer like a photo printer."
Aside from the type, take into consideration additional costs, such as monthly subscriptions or apps as well as ink cartridges.
What image format is best for photo printing?
Most images are in JPEG format, and this is the best-compressed image format for photo printing, especially when printing photographs and artwork. TIFF and PDF formats are also excellent for photo printing.
Are there alternative printers worth considering?
There are plenty more printers on the market aside from the ones listed above. Here are a few other options to look into for your home office from trusted brands:
BEST PRICE
HP OfficeJet Pro 8025e Wireless Color All-in-One Printer - A fast inkjet printer for at-home needs
This printer is one of the fastest inkjet printers at 20 ppm for black and white and 10 ppm for color.
BEST PRICE
Canon Selphy CP1300 Wireless Compact Photo Printer - A photo printer for water-resistant photos
If you want photos that last, this printer from Canon prints water-resistant 4 x 6 photos thanks to its Dye-Sub Technology.
BEST PRICE
Pantum P2502W Wireless Laser Printer - An alternative budget-friendly laser printer
At just $85, this laser printer is super cheap, but it also prints 22 pages per minute and comes with a 700-page starter cartridge.