Which of the following documents would print the fastest from an inkjet printer?

Home printers are versatile printing factories capable of generating colorful spreadsheets by day and personal family photos by night. The latest printers have a slew of additional features, including lower ink replacement costs. You also get the ability to print wirelessly, so you can easily print from any computer or mobile device—no annoying cables required.

The best all-in-one printers let you print, copy, scan and even fax from a single device. Shown ... [+] here: Our pick for best all-in-one printer overall, the Epson EcoTank ET-3850.

Most of our picks, like our selection for Best Home Printer Overall—the Epson EcoTank ET-3850—have advantages for home offices too. However, if all you need to do is print stacks of professional-quality documents, a laser printer (either monochrome or color) might make sense. But for greater versatility, a multifunction printer, also known as an all-in-one printer, may be the better choice—especially if you’re using a single printer for work and family. All-in-one printers can print, scan and copy documents; some add fax capabilities and an automatic document feeder as well.

Need more guidance on how to buy a printer? The advice at the end of this article makes choosing the best home or home office printer a lot easier than you might think. Here’s our list of best home printers you can buy right now.

• Best Home Printer Overall: Epson EcoTank ET-3850
• Best Budget All-In-One Home Printer: Canon Pixma MegaTank G3260
• Best Monochrome Laser All-In-One Home Printer: HP LaserJet Tank MFP 2604sdw
• Best All-In-One Home Printer For Families: HP Envy Inspire 7955e
• Best Photo Home Printer: Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550
• Best Office All-In-One Home Printer: Canon Maxify MegaTank GX7021
• Best Wide-Format Home Printer: Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000
• Best Budget Monochrome Laser Home Printer: Brother HL-L2370DW
• Best Portable Home Printer: Canon Pixma TR150
• Best Portable Photo Printer For 4 x 6-Inch Prints: Canon Selphy CP1500
• Best Premium Home Office Printer: Epson EcoTank ET-5850

Best Home Printer Overall

Print, Copy And Scan

Editor’s Pick

Epson

Epson EcoTank ET-3850

Printer type: Inkjet (supertank) | Features: Print/Copy/Scan | Print speed: 15.5 ppm (black) / 8.5 ppm (color) | Duty cycle: Up to 5,000 pages per month | Print resolution: 4,800 x 1,200 dpi | Scan resolution: 2,400 x 1,200 dpi | Total paper tray capacity: 250-sheets | Two-sided printing: Automatic | Copy speed: Up to 11 ppm

Best for: Speedy prints, copies and scans.

The Epson EcoTank ET-3850 strikes a strong balance between features and value. The ink tanks hold enough ink to generate 7,500 black and white pages or 6,000 full-color pages before needing a refill—and it comes with a full ink set. It prints letter- and legal-size paper and can print borderless images on premium photo paper. The front paper tray holds 250 sheets.

This printer uses a 2.4-inch color display along with buttons on the front panel to navigate among functions. Printing up to 8.5 x 11-inch photos or two-sided documents is also possible, but this slows down print speed. Epson supports wireless printing via several protocols, including Apple’s AirPrint and Mopria. In the mid-price range, this Epson printer will meet most expectations and needs for a home office.

Pros:

• Economical, refillable ink tanks
• Wireless printing using AirPrint, Mopria and more
• Auto document feeder with 30 sheet capacity

Cons:

• Middling color print speed

Best Budget All-In-One Printer

A Low-Cost Operator

Best Buy

Canon Pixma MegaTank G3260

Printer type: Inkjet (supertank) | Features: Print/Copy/Scan | Print speed: 10 ppm (black) / 6 ppm (color) | Duty cycle: Up to 3,000 pages | Print resolution: 4,800 x 1,200 dpi | Scan resolution: 600 x 1,200 dpi | Paper tray size: 1 tray / 100-sheets | Two-sided printing: No | Copy speed: Up to 10 ppm

Best for: General-purpose printing and scanning—and photo printing, too.

The Canon Pixma MegaTank G3260 provides a mix of value and strong performance. It prints, copies and scans, has wireless printing (including Apple AirPrint compatibility) and accommodates a variety of popular paper sizes—from 3.5 x 3.5 inches to 8.5 x 11 inches. Plus, when you use photo paper, it produces beautiful borderless prints in the sizes of your choice.

Each time you refill the tanks with compatible ink, that ink will last the average user about two years (up to 6,000 black pages or 7,700 color pages). It has a two-line LCD display and buttons to navigate the unit’s functions.

Pros:

• Ink tanks with low cost-per-page
• Borderless photo printing

Cons:

• Sluggish print speed
• No automatic document feeder
• Small display

Best Monochrome Laser All-In-One Home Printer

Refillable Toner Tanks

HP

HP LaserJet Tank MFP 2604sdw

Printer type: Laser | Features: Print/Copy/Scan | Print speed: 23 ppm | Duty cycle: 25,000 pages per month | Print resolution: 600 x 600 dpi | Scan resolution: 600 x 1,200 dpi | Total paper tray capacity: 250-sheets | Two-sided printing: Automatic

Best for: Printing in black-and-white at the lowest possible cost.

The HP LaserJet Tank MFP 2604sdw is part of HP’s Tank series designed with economical, refillable toner cartridges. The printer comes pre-loaded with what HP describes as up to two years’ worth of ink. It supports toner cartridge refills with enough ink to print up to 2,500 ($17) or 5,000 ($30) pages. Not only is this printer affordable to maintain on a cost-per-page basis, but it also quickly outputs long documents at a speedy 23 ppm.

This all-in-one printer has a 40-page automatic document feeder and a 250-sheet paper tray. The printer lacks a display; to control its features, you must use your computer or mobile device. Like other HP models, this printer supports a variety of wireless printing protocols, including HP Smart App, Apple AirPrint, Mopria and Wi-Fi Direct.

Pros:

• High print yield from low-cost toner cartridges
• Higher than average print speed

Cons:

• Just one paper tray

Best All-In-One Home Printer For Families

An Inkjet Model With Document Feeder

Good Value

HP

HP Envy Inspire 7955e

Printer type: Inkjet | Features: Print/Copy/Scan | Print speed: 15 ppm (black) / 10 ppm (color) | Duty cycle: Up to 1,000 pages per month | Print resolution: 4,800 x 1,200 dpi | Scan resolution: 1,200 x 1,200 dpi | Total paper tray capacity: 125-sheets | Two-sided printing: Automatic | Copy speed: Up to 19 ppm (600 x 600 dpi resolution)

Best for: Moderate print needs and scanning stacks of documents.

The HP Envy Inspire 7955e generates prints using two separate HP 64 (or HP 64 XL) ink cartridges. Print features include two-sided and borderless printing. It supports any paper size up to 8.5 x 14 inches, including labels and envelopes.

This printer features two paper trays and will automatically choose which paper to use based on the printing task at hand. The document feeder (for the copier or scanner) can hold up to 35 pages. It has a handy 2.7-inch touchscreen display for navigating options and the printer supports an array of wireless printing protocols, including Apple AirPrint and Mopria. If you sign up for the HP+ Smart Printer System and Instant Ink delivery, you get six months of ink cartridge supplies for free (monthly fee thereafter).

From our review of the HP Envy Inspire 7955e: Overall, the HP Envy Inspire 7955e does everything that HP promises the printer can do. It does not, however, perform all these tasks at an above average level. As a general-purpose printer, it offers decent value and performs well.

Pros:

• Automatic document feeder
• Easy touchscreen navigation
• Two paper trays

Cons:

• Uses ink cartridges, not ink tanks

Best Photo Home Printer

Create Large, Beautiful Photo Prints And Graphics

Amazon

Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550

Printer type: Wide-format inkjet | Features: Print/Scan/Copy | Print speed: 16 ppm (black) / 12 ppm (color) | Print resolution: 600 dpi | Scan resolution: 4,800 dpi | Total paper tray capacity: 170-sheets | Two-sided printing: Automatic | Copy speed: Up to 12 ppm (600 dpi resolution)

Best for: Creating oversized lab-quality prints.

The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 has a premium price, but it also is a premium all-in-one. It’s a superb choice for printing photos, graphics, flyers or worksheets. Unlike normal all-in-one models, Epson has optimized this printer specifically for photo output. It delivers detailed prints with vibrant colors by using a six-color ink system—two more than found in the regular EcoTank line. The printer is fast and reasonable to operate. You can create 4 x 6-inch photo prints in about 15 seconds, at a cost of about four cents each.

The 4.3-inch, full-color LCD touchscreen display on the front makes it easy to operate the printer. This wireless model also has such useful features as double-sided printing and it can print on up to 13 x 19 paper—larger than the typical printer. The ET-8550 has a 100-sheet plain paper tray, a 20 sheet 5 x 7-inch photo paper tray and a 50-sheet rear paper tray. It has both wireless and wired connectivity and works with various wireless printing protocols, including Apple AirPrint and Mopria. This model scans and copies up to legal size documents, but it lacks an automatic document feeder.

Pros:

• Prints wide-format images and documents
• Low-cost operation
• Outputs lab-quality photo prints

Cons:

• Requires more desk space
• Ink cartridges can get costly

Best Office All-In-One Home Printer

Dual Paper Trays Make This A Workhorse

Editor’s Pick

Amazon

Canon Maxify MegaTank GX7021

Printer type: Inkjet (supertank) | Features: Print/Copy/Scan/Fax | Print speed: 24 ppm (black) / 15.5 ppm (color) | Duty cycle: Up to 45,000 pages per month | Print resolution: 1,200 x 600 dpi | Scan resolution: 1,200 x 1,200 dpi | Total paper tray capacity: 600-sheets | Two-sided printing: Automatic | Copy speed: Up to 22 ppm (black)

Best for: Home offices and families with extensive printing needs.

The Canon Maxify MegaTank GX7021 is an ideal all-in-one printer for a high-volume home office or a family with a lot of diverse printing needs. Its refillable ink tanks can print up to 6,000 black and white pages or 14,000 color pages before the tanks need to be refilled—making it more cost-effective than cartridge-based inkjet printers. This printer is perfect for high-volume printing, with its 600-sheet plain-paper capacity distributed among three paper trays (two with a 250-sheet capacity in the front and one with a 100-sheet capacity in the back).

The built-in touchscreen provides a simple interface to switch among the print, copy, scan and fax functions. While optimized for busy home offices, this model can also handle the printing needs of your entire family. It even does an amazing job creating lab-quality photo prints from digital images when you use premium photo paper.

From our review: As an all-in-one inkjet printer for a home office, you’ll be hard pressed to find another printer that offers the features, ease-of-use and environmentally-friendly functionality as the Canon Maxify GX7021. Those who need the microscopic difference a laser printer can make will probably want to pay more for that privilege, but most people really don’t need to. This Canon model gets close enough for a wide range of needs. Check out our complete review of the Canon Maxify MegaTank GX7021.

Pros:

• Strong performance
• Three paper trays
• Low cost ink

Cons:

• Bulky size
• Heavy weight

Honorable Mention: HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e

HP

HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e

Printer type: All-in-one inkjet | Features: Print/Copy/Scan/Fax | Print speed: 22 ppm (black), 18 ppm (color) | Duty Cycle: Up to 25,000 pages per month | Print resolution: 4,800 x 1,200 dpi | Scan Resolution: 1,200 x 1,200 dpi | Total paper tray size: 250-sheets | Two-sided printing: Automatic | Copy speed: Up to 32 ppm

Best for: Printing longer documents in full color and at a fast speed.

The HP OfficeJet Pro serves as a printer, copier, scanner and fax machine—and it handles these tasks speedily. You get all the features you’d need for home office use, plus it can produce high-quality photo prints. Between the 250-sheet paper tray and 35-sheet automatic document feeder, this printer handles paper like a pro. Its major drawback, however, is that it relies on four separate ink cartridges as opposed to more cost-efficient ink tanks. The printer makes up for this by offering a fast print speed that goes up to 32 ppm in draft mode (which saves ink too).

With a monthly duty cycle of up to 25,000 pages, this affordable printer is ready to handle any task you throw at it. It works wirelessly via Chrome OS, the HP Smart app, Apple AirPrint, Wi-Fi Direct Printing and Mopria. If you sign up for the HP+ Smart Printer System and Instant Ink delivery, you get six months of ink cartridge supplies for free (monthly fee thereafter).

Pros:

• Fast print speed
• Good print resolution
• 250-sheet paper tray

Cons:

• Relies on four ink cartridges

Best Wide-Format Home Printer

Large Prints At A Not-So-Large Price

Amazon

Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000

Printer type: Wide-format inkjet | Print speed: 9.2 ppm (black), 9 ppm (color) | Print resolution: 5,760 x 1,440 dpi | Total paper tray size: 100-sheets | Two-sided printing: Automatic

Best for: Printing oversized documents on a budget.

Wide-format printers are indispensable if you need to print oversized documents, signs or posters. The Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 handles up to 13 x 19-inch paper, perfect for accommodating large graphic-oriented print jobs. It makes borderless prints at 5,760 x 1,440-pixels—much higher than the typical office home printer.

With six individual color cartridges—two more than a typical inkjet—the XP-15000 creates superb prints suitable for framing. It can easily print creative materials for a small business, plus it offers a 50-sheet tray for specialty media (like card stock). This printer can handle automatic two-sided printing.

Pros:

• Reasonable price for wide-format printing
• Optimized for lab-quality prints
• Prints directly on CDs and DVDs

Cons:

• Lacks versatility of all-in-one models
• No SD card slot

Best Budget Monochrome Laser Home Printer

Fast Monochrome Printing For Home Offices

Printer type: Laser | Features: Prints | Print speed: Up to 36 ppm (black) | Duty cycle: 15,000 pages per month | Print resolution: 2,400 x 600 dpi | Total paper tray capacity: 250-sheets | Two-sided printing: Yes

Best for: Zippy, low-cost monochrome printing.

Not only does the Brother HL-L2370DW printer have a low cost, but when you need to replenish the toner cartridges, the cost is a moderate $45 for a genuine Brother TN730 cartridge with a print yield of up to 1,200 pages. This model really distinguishes itself with is 36 ppm print speed, significantly faster than even most mid-priced laser printers. The print resolution is also impressive for such a low-cost printer.

The paper tray has a 250-sheet capacity. You also get wireless printing capacities, plus USB, ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity, Amazon Alexa voice control and automatic two-sided printing. This bundle from Amazon comes with one TN760 high yield toner cartridge and one TN770 super high yield toner cartridges—enough toner to last up to two years.

Pros:

• Excellent print resolution
• Above average print speed
• Inexpensive to maintain

Cons:

• Lacks all-in-one capabilities

Best Portable Home Printer

Create A Remote Office Virtually Anywhere

Printer type: Inkjet | Print speed: Up to 9 ppm (black) and 5.5 ppm (color) | Duty cycle: Up to 500 pages per month | Print resolution: 4,800 x 1,200 dpi | Total paper tray capacity: 50-sheets | Two-sided printing: Manual

Best for: Remote workers and mobile professionals who need a printer that travels with them.

The Canon Pixma TR150 works as a wired USB Type-C printer and as a portable wireless printer (compatible with various wireless printing standards, among them Apple AirPrint and Mopria). The printer measures 12.7 x 7.3 x 2.6 inches and weighs just 4.5 pounds, making it easily transportable in a briefcase or carry-on so you can use it wherever your work takes you.

The unit has a 50-sheet paper tray that supports 8.5 x 11 inch or 8.5 x 14-inch paper. A 1.44-inch OLED display helps navigate print options. An optional battery pack (sold separately for $100) allows you to set up and print virtually anywhere. When powered by battery, the printer will generate up to 330 printed pages per charge. This portable printer lacks the all-in-one versatility of the HP OfficeJet 250, but it costs nearly half the price. For the remote worker, this printer will quickly become a welcome piece of equipment for printing from hotel rooms, coffee shops, or just about anywhere else.

Pros:

• Easy to transport and set up
• Ideal for remote workers
• Decent print speed and print resolution

Cons:

• Battery pack sold separately

Best Portable Photo Printer For 4 x 6-Inch Prints

Showcase Your Favorite Images

Amazon

Canon Selphy CP1500

Printer type: Photo printer | Print speed: 41 secondsper 4 x 6 print | Print resolution: 300 x 300 dpi (using up to 16.7 million colors)

Best for: Printing your own lab-quality images.

The Selphy CP1500 is a portable, battery-powered printer which exists solely to print professional-quality 4 x 6-inch photos. You can send digital images wirelessly from your computer, mobile device or digital camera, or print from a memory card or USB drive. It uses dye-sublimation technology so prints look great, dry quickly and won’t fade or smudge for up to 100 years. The unit weighs 1.9 pounds so you can easily move it around, and it produces up to 54 prints per battery charge. This upgraded model even lets you to choose your print finish—glossy, semi-gloss, or satin.

The built-in, 3.5-inch display allows you to preview, edit and add filter effects to images (like sepia or B&W) before you print them. Another convenience: Paper and ink are sold together in bundles. For example, the Canon KP-101IN set includes ink and paper to create 108 4 x 6-inch prints for $34 on Amazon. It also works with 2.1 x 2.1-inch mini-sticker pages.

Pros:

• Portable design
• Ink and paper sold together
• Wireless printing

Cons:

• Limited print size options
• Single-task printer

Best Premium Home Office Printer

High-End Model For High-End Needs

Amazon

Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 Supertank Printer

Printer type: Inkjet (supertank) | Features: Print/Copy/Scan/Fax | Print speed: 25 ppm (black), 25 ppm (color) | Duty Cycle: Up to 66,000 pages per month | Print resolution: 4,800 x 2,400 dpi | Scan resolution: Up to 9,600 dpi | Total paper tray size: 550-sheets | Two-sided printing: Automatic | Copy speed: 23 ppm

Best for: A busy home office with extensive printing needs.

The Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 is a business-oriented color inkjet printer that also serves as a copier, scanner and fax machine. Because this printer relies on ink tanks, the ongoing cost of operation is very low—about $0.02 per page. The 4.3-inch color touchscreen makes it easy to manage the printer and its functions—which include wireless and two-sided printing. The two 250-sheet paper trays reduced the need to constantly refill the printer with paper—and each supports 8.5 x 11- or 8.5 x 14 -inch paper. With its high print resolution (4,800 x 2,400 dpi), this model produces crisp text and beautiful graphics output. Besides wireless printing, the ET-5850 easily connects to a network via ethernet.

Pros:

• Fast print speed
• High-print resolution
• Two 250-sheet paper trays

Cons:

• Expensive

Best Home Office Printer Deals You Can Buy Today

Looking for the best deals currently available on home printers? We’ve been scouring all of the biggest retailers to help you save money. Here’s what we discovered. Don’t wait, however, as many of these deals are only offered for a limited time.

Versatile All-In-One Printer Priced Less Than You’d Expect

This Canon all-in-one printer does it all: Prints, copies, scans and faxes. It has a handy automatic document feeder and a large touchscreen display. It also prints wirelessly at up to 15 ppm (black). Save $70 and buy it now at Amazon for $159.

Create Lab-Quality Photo Prints At Home

B&H Photo

Epson SureColor P700

Whether you’re an amateur or semi-professional photographer, the Epson SureColor P700 creates stunning, lab-quality photo prints at home when used with premium photo paper. The printer’s resolution is up to 5,760 x 1,440 dpi and it can print borderless prints up to 13 x 19 inches. B&H Photo’s sale saves you $200 off the regular price via a mail-in rebate.

Color Inkjet Printing For 47% Off

If you don’t mind an all-in-one inkjet printer that relies on traditional ink cartridges, this Canon Pixma TR7020 will print, copy and scan. It has an automatic document feeder too. Enjoy a print speed up to 13 ppm (black) or 6.8 ppm (color). Amazon has this printer on sale for just $123.

Get $50 Off This Ink Tank All-In-One

Staples

Epson EcoTank ET-2800

The Epson EcoTank ET-2800 uses ink tanks, which keeps your ongoing ink costs low. It prints at up to 10 ppm (black) or 5 ppm (color). It scans and copies too. Save $50 right now at Staples.

Low-End Printer, Bargain Price

Get this Canon all-in-one printer at Amazon and save $41. It prints at 8.8 ppm (black) and 4.4 ppm (color), slow compared with more expensive models. Plus, this printer uses ink cartridges, not more economical ink tanks. But if you’re looking for a low-end printer at a bargain price, this model only costs $79.

An Inkjet All-In-One Now Priced At $130

Head over to Amazon to snag this HP Envy all-in-one printer for just $150 and save $40. It prints at 10 ppm (black) and 7 ppm (color). It also handles two-sided printing. This model uses ink cartridges, not ink tanks.

This HP Envy All-In-One Is $50 Off

Amazon

HP Envy Inspire 7255e

This all-in-one printer is a good choice for printing digital images and most anything else. It prints, copies and scans, with print speeds up to 15 ppm (black) and 10 ppm (color). Its print resolution is up to 4,800 x 1,200 dpi (color). Save $50 and can buy this Envy Inspire 7255e for $180 at Best Buy.

Create 4 x 6-Inch Prints And Save

Amazon

Kodak Dock Plus 4x6 Instant Photo Printer

Amazon’s advertised sale price for the Kodak Dock 4x6 Instant Photo Printer, get an additional $30 instant coupon on the product page—bringing down the price to just $125. Use this instant photo printer to create lab-quality, 4 x 6-inch prints from your digital images via your smartphone, tablet or computer. The package comes with everything you need to create 90 borderless prints using Kodak’s 4Pass technology.

An HP All-In-One Inkjet For $95

Amazon has slashed $30 off the price of the HP DeskJet 4155e. It’s an all-in-one, color inkjet printer that’s now on sale for just $95. It’s a great home printer for anyone with basic wired and wireless printing, copying and scanning needs. Print speed is 8.5 ppm (black) or 5.5 ppm (color).

Premium Home Office Printing That’s On Sale

Amazon

Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5180

The EcoTank Pro ET-5180 is a premium, all-in-one printing solution for a home office. Right now, it’s on sale for $70 off, bringing the price down to just $580 on Amazon. Not only does this printer use refillable ink tanks, but it offers a plethora of features a home office worker will appreciate—like wireless printing, automatic two-sided printing and a 7 ppm (black) or 9.5 ppm (color) print speed. You also get a 250-sheet paper tray, auto document deeper and a 2.4-inch color touchscreen display.

What To Look For When Buying A Printer

Your choice of printer depends on how much you routinely print—a few pages per month or dozens each day—as well as whether you want to print photos or two-sided documents. You also need to consider if you simply require black and white (often referred to as monochrome or simply “black” in the printer’s specs) output, or you want full color printing at your disposable.

Let’s look at a handful of other common decisions, features and functions to look for when buying a new printer.

Wireless printing is a popular feature to look for when choosing a new printer.

Inkjet Printer Versus Laser Printer

Your easiest decision is probably whether to get an inkjet or laser printer. Lasers are a good choice if you print a lot of documents that need to be of professional quality to share with clients or colleagues in a small or home office environment. Monochrome laser printers are fast, reliable and relatively inexpensive—and best for text, but not graphics or photos. You can get a color laser, but those models are pricier and more complicated to maintain. If your printing needs sometimes include color—whether for home, home office or schoolwork-related tasks—an inkjet is your least expensive and most versatile option.

Laser printers can produce superior text quality as compared with an inkjet printer, making laser printers a good choice if your home office produces printed business correspondence, reports or collateral to be shared with others. To meet the average needs of a family—and for many small businesses—a full-color inkjet (either with ink cartridges or ink tanks) will be more economical and versatile.

All-In-One (Multifunction) Printers

A popular option for households or small offices, all-in-one printers can print, copy, scan and sometimes even fax—all from the same device. Some models include an automatic document feeder for copying or scanning multiple pages at once.

Two-Sided Printing (Also Referred to As Duplex Printing)

Full duplex printers can automatically print to both sides of a page. Duplex printers are nice to have at home, but essential in an office. Using this feature, you’ll save a lot of paper, so the environment and your wallet will thank you. On the downside, when using full duplex printing with an inkjet printer, you may need to use thicker paper (28 pounds instead of 20 pounds) to eliminate ink bleed through. This feature can also slow a printer’s output speed.

Beware: Some lower-cost models may print two-sided, but it’s a manual process. Also, some might have auto-duplexing for printing, but not for scanning. Pay attention to the specs and the printer’s design.

Print Speed

Not all printers are speed demons. Many printers report two different speeds—the time it takes for the first print to slide out of the printer and the pages per minute (ppm) once it starts printing. If you only print occasionally, print speed might not be that important, but it’s arguably the single most important feature if you print a lot of pages at a time.

Also, despite what a printer manufacturer reports is a particular printer’s ppm speed, when you’re printing graphics-heavy documents or photos, the printing speed will always be slower. Even the fastest inkjet printers will take up to 90 second to print one 8.5 x 11-inch photo, for example.

That said, if a printer offers a “draft mode,” this dramatically increases print speed, but lowers print quality. This mode will generate output faster and use less ink or toner in the process.

Connectivity

Most of today’s printers have wireless connectivity, so you can send files via Wi-Fi rather than plugging directly into the printer’s USB or ethernet port. Some printers can print from memory cards or USB flash drives. Most support wireless printing standards—including Apple AirPrint (for printing from your iMac, MacBook, iPhone or iPad), Mopria and Wi-Fi Direct.

Many of the more modern printers also can print directly from cloud-based services such as Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive or Dropbox. Some models also support Bluetooth connections.

Photo Printing

Any printer can spit out an image, but it won’t be something you’d want to hang on the wall. When printing photos, look for printers with higher print resolution, borderless printing or that can print on tabloid-size paper. The best photo printers use six colors (either in ink cartridges or ink tanks) to do a better job at producing lab-quality photo prints. To get the best results, print photos using premium photo paper.

Copier Speed And Scanner Resolution

When you use an all-in-one printer as a copier or scanner, speed and resolution matter. You also want to determine if it has a flatbed scanner or if the copier/scanner has an automatic document feeder (ADF) for easily scanning multiple pages at once. In terms of resolution, higher is better, but for scanning black and white text-based documents, 300 dpi should be adequate.

Ink Tanks Versus Ink Cartridges

Many of the latest inkjet printers now rely on high-capacity ink tanks, as opposed to individual ink cartridges. This is definitely a more economical option and eliminates the need of constantly having to swap out cartridges, as the ink tanks typically hold enough ink to last about two years.

Laser Printer Toner Cartridge Costs And Options

If you opt for a laser printer, a monochrome laser printer’s toner cartridges tend to be inexpensive. A high-capacity toner cartridge can print upwards of 10,000 to 12,000 pages before it needs replacing. If you buy generic toner cartridges for these printers, the cost will be under $50 each.

However, toner cartridges for color laser printers continue to cost much more (upwards of $150 each) and generate far fewer pages. Plus, color laser printers require multiple toner cartridges simultaneously, so the ongoing cost to maintain a color laser printer is much higher than a color inkjet printer.

Which Printer Brand Is The Best?

As you might imagine, there’s no single best printer brand; collectively, several companies offer the best printers of 2022. But depending upon what you’re looking for—affordability, high printing volume, photo and creative printing, or other criteria—you might prefer one brand over another.

Canon, Epson and HP—as well as a handful of other brands—all offer superb printer models that use either inkjet or laser printing technologies. If you're interested in office and productivity printing, HP and Brother are worthy of investigation, but if you want to make high-quality photo prints or get a multi-purpose printer than can do prints and other kinds of documents, Canon and Epson have several compelling choices. Focus on your needs and not a brand name when seeking a printer that matches your budget and your printing, copying and scanning requirements.

Is A Dedicated Scanner Better Than A Printer Scanner?

Yes, but not always. A typical standalone scanner may offer higher resolution scanning capabilities and better color accuracy. This can be useful for scanning color documents with lots of graphics or photographs, for example. Plenty of all-in-one printers include good quality scanners with a scanning resolution rivalling what a standalone scanner would offer.

If you’re willing to spend a bit for a standalone, flatbed or sheet-fed scanner, you won’t have trouble finding one that boasts an impressive 4,800 x 4,800 dpi or up to 6,400 x 6,400 dpi resolution. Some even offer up to 9,600 x 9,600 dpi resolution.

Meanwhile, what you’ll find built into a typical all-in-one printer will be a scanner capable of between 300 x 300 dpi and 1200 x 1200 dpi resolution. Obviously, the higher the resolution the better, especially if you'll be scanning photographs or documents with highly detailed graphics or illustrations. However, the higher the resolution you use, the larger the digital file size the scanned document will be.

What’s The Difference Between A Laser Printer And Inkjet Printer?

The quick answer is that a laser printer uses a laser and toner to render text and graphics, while an inkjet printer relies on using liquid (colored) inks precisely sprayed onto paper in tiny droplets. The actual printing processes are totally different.

In general, a laser printer produces sharper text and graphics, often at faster print speeds than a similarly priced inkjet. An inkjet printer can print both black and color documents. These printers can often also generate photo prints from digital images using photo paper.

Until recently, monochrome laser printers relied on toner cartridges, while inkjet printers relied on two or more ink cartridges to function. However, many printer manufacturers have introduced ink tanks—sometimes referred to as supertanks—instead of costly cartridges. The latest printers now use easy-to-refill ink or toner tanks and require no individual cartridges. This makes the printers much less expensive to maintain.

The ink capacity of an inkjet printer’s tank, for example, is typically equivalent to 20 to 30 individual ink cartridges. Most supertank models have four ink tanks. Models aiming to replace standard monochrome laser printers use a single ink tank for monochrome printing; and a few printers use six ink tanks to produce highly detailed photo prints.

Is A Laser Printer Or Inkjet Printer Better?

This all depends on what you’ll be using the printer for. For longer, text-based documents, a monochrome laser printer will generate high-quality and crisp text at a fast print speed (typically at least 20 to 30 ppm). A color laser printer will also generate high-quality text and graphics, also at a fast print speed. Color laser printers are often the fastest color printers, but more expensive inkjet models can come close to a laser printer’s speed. Laser printers are more costly to maintain and are not good at creating photo prints from digital images.

A color inkjet cartridge or supertank printer will have a range of print speeds, with the speed increasing as you move up to more expensive and more powerful models. Typically, the speeds will fall between 10 ppm and 20 ppm for black and white documents, with full-color documents lagging in speed. If the printer supports premium photo paper, you can print photos as well, but those speeds are slower than standard document speeds.

For average use in a home office, a mid-priced inkjet printer should suffice. If you go with a really low-cost inkjet printer, the speed and print quality—especially when printing photos or graphics—may disappoint. More expensive inkjet or super tank printers offer features like an automatic document feeder, built-in fax, extra paper trays and wide-format printing.

For a home office, a monochrome laser printer will generate higher-quality output at a faster pace. This is ideal for longer documents, printed correspondence, business reports, contracts or proposals, for example. A color laser printer is far more expensive to purchase and maintain than a monochrome laser printer, but it can create professional-looking, full-color documents that are suitable for clients.

How Much Should A Home Printer Cost?

For a dedicated inkjet printer, all-in-one inkjet printer, or photo printer for your home, plan on spending between $300 and $400 to get a printer with a reasonable print speed and high-quality output.

Plan on spending between $400 and $800 for home printer better suited for office and leisure use. This price range gets you a mid- to high-end inkjet or color laser printer with faster print speeds and higher quality output.

A dedicated monochrome laser printer will cost between $200 and $300. The individual toner cartridges are relatively inexpensive, but such printers only print black and white. Expect to pay significantly more for a color laser printer and the replacement toner cartridges required for these printers.

The cost of purchasing the printer is only part of the overall equation. You also want to consider the ongoing cost of maintaining the printer, which means keeping it filled with toner or ink.

Which Printers Have The Cheapest Ink?

For all their advantages, inkjet printers can be woefully expensive to maintain because name-band replacement ink cartridges are pricey. If low-cost ink is your overriding concern, consider an inkjet printer with ink tanks or a monochrome laser printer. Again, black laser toner is substantially less expensive than ink cartridges. (Color laser toner cartridges are much more expensive, however.)

Replacement ink for inkjet printers that rely on ink tanks is the most affordable (and environmentally friendly) option of them all.

These days, it's much more affordable to go with a printer that uses ink tanks as opposed to ... [+] traditional ink cartridges.

Among inkjet printers that rely on ink cartridges, consider printer models that store each color in its own cartridge. Printers which use combo cartridges are usually a lot more expensive to operate and maintain, because if you run out of any one color, you wind up needing to discard the entire cartridge along with any of its remaining ink. This is not an issue if the inkjet printer uses ink tanks instead of cartridges.

One problem with some inkjet printers is that the ink dries up on the printheads and can cause problems which need to be fixed by running a printer head cleaning utility after a period of disuse. For very sporadic printing needs, a monochrome laser printer may be your best option since it uses toner, which isn’t prone to drying out.

While some printers only work with the manufacturer’s “genuine” ink, most work with inks and toners sold by independent companies, like LD Products. Such inks are less costly than those sold by printer manufacturers.

Which Printer Uses The Least Ink?

While manufacturers provide cartridge yield data, the answer here varies depending on what type of content you’re printing. Most printers offer a “draft” mode that allows the printer to work faster and use less toner or ink, but the print quality will be lesser than in normal mode. This might suffice in some cases, but not if you’re sharing your output with clients or colleagues. And if you’re printing full-page, full-color photos, the printer uses more ink than usual.

Printers that rely on ink tanks, as opposed to ink cartridges, will save you a fortune over time.

If you use an inkjet printer only occasionally, preserve your ink cartridges longer (and prevent them from drying out) by removing them from the printer and storing them upright within a sealed plastic bag. Store the ink in a cool and dry place. Anytime you purchase new ink, leave it within its original packaging until you’re ready to use it.

Another way to preserve ink when using an inkjet printer is to always turn the printer off (using the power button) when you’re not using it. Doing so returns the ink cartridges to a capped position. If you notice print quality drop, use the printer’s built-in maintenance tools to clean and align the printheads, or unclog the ink cartridges.

What Is The True Total Cost Of Owning A Printer?

The price you pay to purchase a printer is only the beginning. To keep the printer functional, you’ll need to keep it stocked with ink or toner, as well as paper. If it’s a laser printer, a separate drum unit will also need replacing periodically.

In general, 20-pound multipurpose paper (or copy paper) will work with any printer. However, low-cost inkjet printers that offer two-sided printing will often benefit if you use thicker paper to prevent ink bleed through. When you use thicker paper, however, this reduces the capacity of the paper tray.

To calculate the cost per page to use any printer, take the cost for replacement ink/toner and divide it by the estimated page yield. For multipurpose paper, the per-sheet price is minimal. However, if you’re looking to create photo prints from digital images, you’ll need to use premium photo paper. Depending on the paper size and the quantity you buy it in, this can get expensive.

For occasional photo printing, you may be better off uploading your images to a one-hour photo lab. Using a printer to generate photo prints is more convenient, but the cost per print will typically be higher than what you’d pay a photo lab.

Especially if you see a printer with a very low up-front price, look carefully at the cost of replacing the ink or toner. Some printer manufacturers charge less for their printers upfront because the long-term profits come from high-priced ink or toner. As for the cost difference between color laser printers and inkjet printers, for people with high print volume needs, the higher maintenance cost of a color laser printer will be significant. But, if your monthly print volume is minimal, you’ll get much higher print quality for your investment.

How To Choose The Right Paper For Your Printing Task

Even if you purchase a top-of-the-line printer, how documents look depends on the type of paper you use with the printer. For most printing tasks, 8.5 x 11 inch 20-pound copy paper (also referred to as multipurpose paper) works just fine. It comes in reams of 500 sheets and works well with inkjet or laser printers.

Choosing the right type of paper for each printing task will impact the quality of what you're ... [+] printing.

However, if you are using an inkjet printer capable of double-sided printing, consider using thicker, 28-pound paper. The thicker paper will prevent ink from seeping through the page or causing the paper to curl due to the wetness of the ink before it fully dries on the page.

When creating photo prints from your digital images, you can achieve the best results (sometimes photo lab quality results, depending on the printer) if you use premium photo paper.

Most printer manufacturers with photo-capable printers sell their own branded photo paper in a wide range of popular sizes—as do most of the office supply superstores and companies like Kodak and Fujifilm. Companies like Hahnemuhle, Innova and Moab sell extremely high-end and specialized fine art or archival photo paper at a premium price.

That said, any premium photo paper—from any paper manufacturer—will work with any printer capable of generating photo prints, as long as that printer can accommodate the paper’s size and weight. Thus, you could use photo paper from Canon, OfficeMax, Staples, or Moab within your HP or Epson printer, for example.

Photo paper comes in a variety of popular sizes—such as 4 x 6 inches, 5 x 7 inches, 8 x 10 inches, 8.5 x 11 inches and 11 x 17 inches (which only wide-format printers can accommodate). Premium photo paper also comes in different finishes (such as glossy, lustre or matte). The photo paper you choose can directly impact the look and color of photos, as well as how long prints can last.

For your specialized photo printing needs, many companies sell specialty photo papers that work with most inkjet printers. Options include sticker paper, inkjet transfer paper and 100% cotton fine art photo papers.

About The Author

As a consumer tech staff writer for Forbes Vetted, it’s my job to stay up-to-date on the latest printers, computers, mobile gadgets and smart devices. When new consumer tech products hit the market, I typically have the opportunity to use them firsthand, which helps me stay current with the latest features and innovations. And I get to share my most exciting discoveries with the Forbes Vetted readers.

I have been writing about consumer tech for more than 25 years and have contributed thousands of articles to major daily newspapers, national magazines and popular websites. I’ve also authored dozens of how-to books covering a wide range of technologies, including smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and digital cameras.

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