Best Printer Options Available in 2024 to Meet Your Needs

When looking for the perfect printer, it is essential to know the options available to suit your needs, whether for home or professional use. With the advancement of technology, there are now printers that offer high performance in terms of quality, speed and cost.

So, choosing the perfect printer can be overwhelming with so many options available. With a saturated market, making the right choice is difficult at best. But finding a printer that delivers quality and value is key. We’ll take a look at some of the best printers available today, along with the features that make each one an excellent choice. Whether you’re looking for a budget-friendly printer or a high-end device for your heavy printing needs, here’s what you can do to help you choose the perfect printer for you. Check out the best and latest portable printers: Choose the perfect printer for your needs.

Best Overall Printer: Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500

Printer stands out Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 As a top choice for a printer for several reasons. While it may not be ideal for office environments, it is (almost) flawless as an AIO printer for homes.

This device can deliver high-quality, vibrant color photos and plain monochrome documents with sharp text, plus excellent scanning and copying. It also prints borderless photos up to 8.5 x 11 inches (up to 13 x 19 inches, you can consider ET-8550) Add a personal touch to family media collections by printing on CD/DVD discs.

The cartridge-free design offers significant long-term savings. Photo printing costs just four cents per photo, while ink bottles can last up to two years (or 6,200 color pages). Finally, this design means the printer is also environmentally friendly by conserving ink and reducing waste from discarded cartridges.

Pros:

• It includes an easy-to-use 4.3-inch touch screen.
• Compatible with iOS and Android operating systems.
• Print via Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi or SD card.
• High resolution, two-sided scanning.
• Colour printing at 12 ppm and mono printing at 16 ppm.
• Automatic double-sided printing.

Cons:

• Not ideal for large office environments.
• Huge in size.
• High initial cost.

Best Budget Printer: Canon Pixma MG3620

For an affordable home all-in-one (AIO) printer, a great option to consider might be the Canon Pixma MG3620This reliable 3-in-1 inkjet printer also scans and copies, delivering sharp, detailed documents and surprisingly vibrant color photos. While the print speed is just on the adequate side, at this price point, you can’t expect anything more. However, it does have a 100-sheet capacity and automatic duplex printing.

Thanks to the affordable cartridges, the cost of printing is low, and it supports a variety of connectivity options, including USB, Wi-Fi, Apple AirPrint, Mopria (for Android devices) and the Canon PRINT app. There’s also the luxury of Alexa integration, which not only helps with voice-activated printing but will also let you know when ink is low and even automatically reorder ink through Amazon.

Pros:

• Great value with cost effective printing.
• ENERGY STAR certified.
• 48-bit color depth for outstanding color accuracy.
• 4800 x 1200 resolution for clear text.

Cons:

• Not suitable for large offices.
• Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) is not supported.
• No duplex scanning.

Best All-in-One Printer (AIO): Brother MFC-J6955DW

Laserjet printers usually meet the high demands of a busy office. However, they have the advantage of: Brother MFC-J6955DW In this respect as a comprehensive inkjet solution perfectly suited to busy workplaces.

This versatile printer supports printing, scanning, photocopying and even faxing and does it all with quality and efficiency. With a print speed of 30 pages per minute and a resolution of 1200 x 1200 dpi (1200 x 2400 dpi for scanning), the speed is good and the documents are sharp and clear.

The MFC-J6955DW supports up to tabloid-sized (A3) paper, making it an excellent choice for duplex printing and scanning of large-format jobs such as posters or brochures.

Each dual tray holds 500 sheets of A3 paper, with larger capacity in the multi-purpose trays and automatic document feeder (ADF). This effectively reduces the need for frequent reloading, minimising interruptions.

However, it’s the high-yield ink system in this inkjet printer that makes it a winner. Its standard cartridges can print up to 3,000 black and white pages and 1,500 color pages, and it works XL Cartridges Optional to increase efficiency. Check out the things to check when buying a new printer.

Pros:

• Smooth and easy to use setup.
• Versatile connectivity, including NFC.
• Cost effective ink.
• A3/tabloid printing.
• Single pass duplex scanning.
• Good print speed.

Cons:

Best Photo Printer: Epson SureColor P900

To print professional-quality photos, you'll need a professional-quality photo printer. While Epson SureColor P900 Expensive, the image quality it delivers is exceptional. Vibrant colors and deep blacks across a variety of media types make it a good choice for professional photographers and artists looking for top-notch prints with longevity.

The SureColor P900 delivers outstanding prints up to A2 using ten pigment-based inks for stunning colour and monochrome output. Additionally, the printer features a dedicated ink channel for each colour, which not only improves image quality and efficiency, but also reduces maintenance.

However, the P900 is a more expensive printer and is more appealing to professionals. If you're looking for a portable, high-quality device to print photos from your smartphone, tablet or laptop, consider the Kodak Step PrinterIt uses Zink (zero ink) technology and produces high-quality 2 x 3 inch photos on durable, sticky-backed paper. It connects to any iOS or Android device and is not much larger than a small paperback book. It easily fits in a bag and is perfect for parties and travel. Check out our Mi Pocket Photo Printer review – Are small photo printers worth the money?

Pros:

• It includes an easy-to-use 4.3-inch touch screen.
• Interior lighting for easy monitoring.
• Nozzles dedicated to photo and matte black ink.
• Easy setup.

Cons:

• Expensive.
• Slow to set high quality (but worth it) Complex compared to other locks.

Best Label Printer: Zebra GK420d

Printer Zebra GK420d Versatile and suitable for a variety of label types, including barcodes, name tags, addresses, mailing or folder labels. It is also an excellent choice for printing standard 4″ x 6″ shipping labels.

It's a small, easy-to-use printer with good print quality. It prints using direct thermal technology (applies heat to the paper to form text) on direct thermal label paper. It's not designed to produce large quantities of material, but the print speed is still good at 5 inches per second.

However, if you're looking for a device with enough resolution to print complex graphics on your labels, you'll need something higher than the 203 dpi resolution offered by this simple label printer.

On the other hand, if you're looking for a dedicated shipping label printer, the Rollo USB printer is fast, reliable, compact, and requires little maintenance.

Pros:

• USB, serial and parallel connectivity.
• Good print quality.
• Easy setup.
• Fast printing.

Cons:

• No wireless connection.
• Calibration on Mac can be complicated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Do I need a Wi-Fi connection to connect the printer to my computer?

A wireless printer typically requires a Wi-Fi network to set up. This is unless your printer has Bluetooth connectivity. You can also use an Ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi if your printer has this option. This gives you the benefits of faster speeds and a more reliable and stable connection. Additionally, if you have a wired printer, you can connect it directly to your computer via USB, while Wi-Fi Direct means you can connect the two devices without needing a Wi-Fi network.

Q2: Can I print from my smartphone? If so, how?

Yes, you can print directly from your smartphone. You have several options, including Wi-Fi Direct, which facilitates a direct connection between your smartphone and the printer without the need for a Wi-Fi network.

However, if both the printer and smartphone are connected to the same network, you can print from a compatible app or the printing options on your device.

You may also be able to use cloud printing services from anywhere, such as Apple AirPrint. You can also use a mobile printer app to print remotely from your smartphone.

Q3: Can I connect to a printer via Bluetooth?

You can only connect to a printer via Bluetooth if the printer has a Bluetooth option. Be sure to check if the printer you are purchasing has this feature, if Bluetooth is your preference. Bluetooth is less common in printers and has a shorter range, but it is still a good option.