Whatever you need to print, there is a home printer that can do exactly that. However, knowing how to choose a printer is not easy as it might seem, given the number of options on the market. Inkjet or laser? Color or black and white? There are a lot of questions you’ll need to answer. Luckily, with some simple yet easy tips and tricks, you will get the best home office printer out there in no time.
What makes a printer the best? Well, the best printer makes it easy to print all your photos, documents, and other hard copies. No matter if you want basic document printing or something that handles scanning, faxing, and copying, there’s a printer out there just for your needs.
Generally, the first thing you should do is decide on what kind of home office printer you need. There are different types of printers, for example laser printers, inkjet printers or UV printers, and each of them poses a certain set of advantages and downsides.
The question you should be asking yourself when deciding on what type of printer you should buy is what are you going to use it for. If color is not of great importance, then it’s a no-brainer, as a laser printer will be more cost-efficient as well as faster, and vice versa.
On the other hand, if you see yourself using a printer very often, perhaps a multifunction printer is the best choice for you. These printers do not just print from your computer, but they also allow you to scan existing documents and either save them as files or copy them.
Once you made up your mind on what type of printer you need, then it’s time to think about other things such as the budget, type of ink, speed, quality, wireless connectivity, and other additional features. There are a lot of things to take into consideration, but once you purchase your dream printer it will all be worth it.
1 Lexmark MB3442adw
If there’s one thing that can be said with certainty it’s that printers are one of the top 5 office equipment every business needs. With that being said, if you are looking for fast printing and copying, excellent print quality, and expandable paper input capacity, do not get fooled by the size of Lexmark MB3442adw, as it might be small but it’s extremely powerful.
Generally, Lexmark MB3442adw is a very compact all-in-one device that manages to include every important feature a business class printer should offer. This printer has a maximum monthly page volume of 8000 prints, so it is perfect for any small to medium-sized business.
On the other hand, this printer is definitely not on the cheap side of printers, costing around US$430. However, to be fair, its rapid print rate of 42 pages per minute as well as touchscreen interface justify the premium price tag.
2 Epson EcoTank ET-2800
If you print enough in color to justify buying an inkjet printer and you need an all-rounder that is compact and of good quality without necessarily going broke, the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 is perhaps the best option for you. This printer uses only around $5 worth of ink on a yearly basis, instead of $70 or more for a cartridge model.
The quality of this printer is right in the middle. The overall printer does not feel cheap, there are not any creaks or squeaky noises from the moving parts. The display screen is very small, so you will have to lean in close to see what it says. The viewing angle is not great, so you will have to look at it straight on, but luckily you can tilt the center panel to get the best view.
The overall performance of the printer is good as well as the size of the ink tanks and the price of replacement ink. This printer is great for anyone wanting a good quality printer for home use.
3 Canon PIXMA TR8620a
Canon PIXMA TR8620a printer is a typical printer designed for home offices. Unlike Epson EcoTank ET-2800 it has a pretty large touchscreen display with short how-to videos, automatic double-sided printing, and a five-cartridge system.
The appearance, performance, and features are pretty much identical to the Canon PIXMA TR8620, however, the difference is that the TR8630a does not support Bluetooth printing.
One downside of this printer is that it does not print as many pages as other office printers do, so you will need to spend a considerable amount of money on ink if you need to print large amounts often.