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The HP OfficeJet Pro is a reliable multifunction printer that does most things well. Read More
Sleek and simple, the HP Envy 6055e is ideal for users with basic printing needs. Read More
We liked the Epson ET-4760's EcoTank system but were frustrated by the ink streaks created when printing to heavier paper. Read More
While connecting to it with a wireless device can be difficult, the Epson XP-6100 is an otherwise capable inkjet printer. Read More
This small, stylish printer offers AirPrint, Bluetooth, USB, and Wi-Fi connectivity, and can print out 13 pages per minute in black and white. Read More
Most of the work we do from home, whether for an employer, our own recordkeeping, or for school, can be completed and submitted digitally. Once in a while, however, you might need to print and sign a legal contract, scan receipts for your accountant, or free a photo that’s been trapped on your smartphone to hang on your wall. Situations like these are what make owning a reliable multifunction home printer so attractive.
After looking into some of the most popular printers on the market for weeks, the HP Officejet Pro 8035 (available at HP) is our pick for best home printer. It’s easy to set up, easy to use, and produces crisp black and white or colored documents. It scans well and makes excellent copies of anything you throw at it.
If your budget falls on the leaner side, the HP Envy 6055 (available at HP Store for $129.99) is a great choice. While it isn’t quite as easy to use as our top pick, it does a great job of printing simple black and white documents with crisp-looking text, quickly. However, we are less impressed with the color documents it produces.
Whether you’re looking for an at-home printer for your laptop or desk computer, we’ve got you covered with this review.
The HP Officejet Pro 8034e is the best printer for most people.
The HP Envy 6055 is a capable printer available at a reasonable price.
EcoTank ink easy to refill
Useful companion apps
Poor reproduction of scanned items
Unimpressive printing on heavier paper stock
Prints text documents well
Decent photo printing
Messy ink cartridges replacement
Poor wireless connectivity
Prints up to 13 pages a minute
Four methods of connectivity
Small, sleek design
Uses up the included ink quickly
Prints up to 24 pages per minute
Holds up to 250 sheets of paper
Can print on cardstock
Included toner may not last long
The sort of printing and, how much of it, that you plan to do, can help guide you to which type you should but.
The two most common types of printers for a home office setting are inkjet and laser printers.
Laser Printers: As their name suggests, laser printers use laser beams to project what you are printing onto a metal cylinder called a drum. Static electricity on the drum attracts powdered toner from the printer’s ink cartridge onto the drum. Under the heat of the lasers, the toner melts onto the paper. The melting toner creates a strong, distinct smell.
The good news is that a single toner drum can produce between 6000-7500 printed pages before it needs to be replaced. The bad news is that replacing a laser printer’s toner can be quite expensive. That said, depending on how often you print and how important speed is to you, investing in a laser printer could be worthwhile.
If you don’t print a lot, investing in a laser printer is a great idea. Toner cartridges don’t dry out when left unused the way that inkjet printer cartridges can. While Laser printers are best known for black and white printing, there are models that will print in color, and they’ve become more affordable in recent years.
Inkjet Printers: Inkjet printers propel drops of ink onto paper, either through vibration, heat or an electric charge. This tends to be a much more economical process than laser printing, but can be messier and lead to streaks in printed images and text as the dyes don’t dry as fast as the roller can move the paper through the printer.
Paper quality can have a large impact on the quality of an inkjet print job. Paper specifically designed for use with an Inkjet printer (like this Hammermill Paper (available at Amazon) will absorb ink better than standard printer or photocopy paper, leading to less streaked images and sharper-looking text.
There’s more to the cost of a printer than just the price of the machine itself. Printer cartridges of any kind are expensive, and it’s not uncommon for a new printer to come with a smaller introductory cartridge, meaning you shell out for fresh cartridges even sooner than you would.
The cost of replacing your ink or toner, combined with how much you print, can affect what your printer really costs.
For example, making 6,500 color copies on the HP Color Laserjet pro m479dw, cost around .07 cents per page. The same document on HP’s Officejet Pro 8035—an inkjet printer—has a cost per page of about .13 cents.
That adds up to a total savings of $390. What’s more, the Officejet Pro 8035’s XL cartridges can only print around 825 pages before they need to be replaced, adding to the total cost of printing.
A good printer should be easy to set up, with simple instructions. It should let you connect the printer to your home’s Wi-Fi router for wireless printing, or connect directly to your computer via USB. Using it should be intuitive: Its interface shouldn't produce cryptic messages or error codes that you have to look up online.
The more connections and devices a printer can handle, the more convenient it’ll be. It’s nice to be able to print straight from smartphones, tablets, Wi-Fi enabled cameras, and computers. Printing straight from USB media or SD cards is also a welcome feature. Scanning, copying, and printing documents or photos from any device should feel intuitive.
There are other convenience features that are nice to have, as well. Automatic duplex (2-sided) printing can save a lot of headaches. Other features, like faxing, may or may not be important to you.
Alex Kane is a senior editor at USA Today’s Reviewed and the author of the Boss Fight Books volume on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. He has written for Fangoria, PC Gamer, Polygon, Rolling Stone, StarWars.com, and Variety. He lives in west-central Illinois.
Lela Gwenn
Contributor
Lela Gwenn is a writer who lives in southern Delaware. She has written comics for Boom! Studios and Dark Horse Comics.
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