Last update on 2024-12-06 / As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more about us.
Having a printer at home makes it easier when you need to print forms, documents, handouts for presentations, papers for college (some professors still prefer printed!), etc.
Choosing the best one isn’t simple, though, as there are plenty of brands and models in the market.
We will help you learn what you should look for in printers and also will recommend some top models available right now.
What to look for when buying a printer for home?
The first step in choosing a printer is to identify your demand. You need to consider your daily print volume, whether you need a color printer, and the material you want to print on.
Laser or ink?
In general, laser printers are more reliable than their inkjet counterparts. However, a laser printer is ideal for those who need to do more black-and-white prints. In laser printers, the famous ink cartridges are replaced by toners that, despite being more expensive, end up having a better cost-benefit ratio.
Now, if you need to print more documents in color and with a higher level of detail, inkjet printers can give you more bang for your buck. Although you get fewer prints with a single cartridge, each print will cost you less. A color inkjet printer can be prohibitively costly.
Inkjet and inkwell
Even among printers using ink, there is a difference among the resource each printer uses. Some use a different number of cartridges, while some use inkwells. Check the difference:
- Two ink cartridges: This is a pretty standard model. One cartridge is for black ink, while the other is for all colors.
- Four ink cartridges: This has one cartridge for black and three for colors. The colors are cyan, magenta and yellow. Because of this, these printers are referred to as CMYK.
- Inkwells: Inkwells are refillable. Over time, inkwells save money for you over cartridges.
Resolution
The two most common resolutions for printers are 600 dpi and 1200 dpi. It is pretty straightforward: the higher the resolution, the more detailed and sharper your printing will be. If your focus is printing text documents, a 600 dpi model is fine for you.
Although those two resolutions are the most common, nowadays there are printers up to 4800 dpi.
To print pictures, art, graphics, or anything that requires colors to be printed as beautifully as possible, then investing in a good resolution should be your primary concern.
Speed
Printers have different printing speeds. Check out the PPM (pages per minute) number before making a decision, especially if you need to do a lot of printing and don’t want to keep waiting for a long time.
Printers focused on regular consumers can go all the range from 5 to 25 PPM.
Additional Features
All-in-one printers can also scan, copy and send faxes. They are ideal for the day-to-day life of students, self-employed professionals and those working as a home office for offices and companies of different sizes.
Read Lenovo ThinkPad For Home Use.
Having an all-in-one printer is also ideal for people who are used to handling documents, invoices, bills and printed vouchers and who also enjoy printing photos.
Is wireless better?
In general, printers available on the market have 3 connection types: USB, Ethernet and Wi-Fi.
To use your printer only with a desktop computer, a USB connection will solve your problems. If you need to connect your printer to multiple computers, the best connectivity option is Ethernet. And if you intend to use it with laptops, desktop computers and smartphones that are not close to each other, Wi-Fi is best for you.
Many printers also offer Bluetooth connection, which also helps when you need to print from a mobile device.
Additionally, some recent models come with support for Google Cloud Print and Apple Air Print. These let you print when you aren’t even at home.
Best wireless printers for home use with cheap ink
Brother MFC-J4335DW INKvestment Tank All-in-One Printer
Last update on 2024-12-06 / As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more about us.
If you’re looking for a high-quality product that is also low-priced and can save you a lot of ink money in the long run, this Brother model is what you have been looking for. It uses INKvestment Tank, which means it supports cartridges and also reservoir tanks. Its printing speed is impressive for its price, too.
If you are looking to print photos, this printer perhaps isn’t the best for you, as users have reported that those are printed in an acceptable quality but nothing really outstanding.
Pros
- Great for printing black and white documents
- Amazing choice for small offices or families
- Can print from Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service
- Ethernet and USB ports
Cons
- Not the best option to print photos
- No Bluetooth or USB flash drive support
- Color printing takes a long time
HP ENVY 6455e Wireless Color All-in-One
Last update on 2024-12-06 / As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more about us.
This model is very cheap and highly functional as a printer to have at home and print ordinary things every day.
Many reviews scrap this printer because it uses too much ink to print each page. However, with Instant Ink, you still cut a lot of the cost you would have buying ink.
The exceptional thing about HP printers right now is the HP+ and Instant Ink support provided by the company.
HP+ is a smart system that gives you info about your printer right on your phone. If you choose to activate HP+ when you buy this printer, you get 6 free months of Instant Ink, a service that delivers ink right at your door before you run out of it.
After six free months, you can subscribe to HP Instant Ink and save up to 50% in ink costs.
Pros
- Excellent color accuracy
- Great for printing photos
- Multiple functions
- Compact
- Instant Ink
Cons
- It uses plenty of ink to print
- Slow printing
- No support to USB flash drives
Canon PIXMA TR4520
Last update on 2024-12-06 / As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more about us.
Some families mostly need a printer to print photos at home.
This Canon PIXMA TR4520 is an all-in-one inkjet printer that creates photographs with sharp details and somewhat realistic, vivid colors.
While its color document page yields are low, its cost-per-print for pictures is reasonable, so you won’t spend too much money over time.
It boasts excellent scanning capabilities, including a flatbed scanner with hinges that can raise slightly to scan heavier things like magazines, an automated document feeder, and built-in fax.
It features enough connections, including Ethernet and a direct connection to your computer, as well as wireless compatibility with Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service.
Pros
- Great for printing photos at home
- Currently supports Alexa
- Cheap
Cons
- Poor yield
- Slow printing
- No Wi-Fi direct
Epson Workforce Pro WF-4820
Last update on 2024-12-06 / As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more about us.
Epson WF-4820 is in the high price range in this list, but it also boasts the best overall quality.
For home use, it’s one of the greatest printers you’ll find at a budget price range.
Its touch-sensitive display panel is simple to use, and by tapping the Help button, you get access to how-to diagrams.
It has a flatbed scanner for digitizing, an automated document feeder for multi-page documents, and even a fax function.
Overall, it prints swiftly, so you won’t have to wait long when printing.
Plus, the photos turn out of good quality, with precise colors.
You can print from a wide range of sources, including Apple AirPrint, Mopria Print Service, and USB flash drives.
Pros
- Prints photos with high quality
- Fast printing
- Easy to use
Cons
- A bit above the average price range for home use
- No duplex scan
- Poor black page yield (recurrent problem on home printers)
Final Thoughts
No printer you can buy to use at home will match a professional printer, but depending on what your needs are, most of them will be good enough.
Pay attention to the fact that most home printers truly have a poor black page yield, so you should focus on other aspects when choosing.