Printers are very useful to have on hand for so many reasons. From working from a home office to doing schoolwork or running an Etsy store, a printer is a key office and school work essential item and can even help you with some pretty cool at-home projects.
Why I like it:
Of the printers I've tested so far, the OfficeJet Pro is the most versatile. It allows work-from-home business people to scan, copy and print with ease, while offering up decent image quality for the occasional printed image. It also comes with three months of free ink, based on a standard usage if you sign up for HP Plus. While HP Plus gives you extra helpful app choices for free and the ink, the downside is you can only use HP inks while subscribed to it.
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Pros
- Super fast printing and scanning, Large paper tray, feed scanner
Cons
- Dimpling in photos, Pretty darn loud
Why I like it:
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Pros
- The color laser works surprisingly well to re-create imagery on brochures
- The print speed for 10 pages is excellent (25 seconds)
- The printer stayed connected to the WiFi with no signal loss at all
Cons
- I would like to have a larger paper tray than 250 sheets
Why I like it:
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Pros
- Excellent color reproduction in photos with very little chromatic abrasion
- Solid app for wireless photo printing
Cons
- Clearly built on a budget with some flimsy parts
- It's very loud when printing so best to keep it in an office
Why I like it:
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Pros
- The ink tanks can last upwards of a year if used sparingly
- The photo quality is excellent with little to no chromatic aberration
- Surprisingly fast for a photo printer at 40 seconds per 10 pages
Cons
- The tiny paper tray and lack of feeder for the scanner make it less ideal for small offices
Why I like it:
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Pros
- A good price for a dedicated sublimation printer
- Great connectivity choices for easy printing
- Compact design makes it easy to fit in any craft room
Cons
- The inks are too small for larger scale operations
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With 90% of back-to-school shoppers at the start of the school year saying they were trying to cut costs of school supplies, according to a recent CNET survey, you may have skipped picking up a printer this go around. But if the holiday sales are bringing you back in or if a printer may be the perfect gift for someone you know, these are the top models we'd recommend after testing more than 30 in the past two years. Because while most printers do the same thing, some do it much better and more efficiently than others.
What is the best printer overall?
For a home office with just one or two people using it, the HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e is the best overall choice. The print speed was excellent and all the printed words were crisp and clear. This isn't a photo printer, and it shows, but it works well enough for daily imagery tasks. If you're using it to print brochures or Word documents, this is an almost perfect printer for you.
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Updated to bring talk about Prime Day and what you need to know about it in terms of printers.
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Pros
- Super fast printing and scanning, Large paper tray, feed scanner
Cons
- Dimpling in photos, Pretty darn loud
Why I like it:
Of the printers I've tested so far, the OfficeJet Pro is the most versatile. It allows work-from-home business people to scan, copy and print with ease, while offering up decent image quality for the occasional printed image. It also comes with three months of free ink, based on a standard usage if you sign up for HP Plus. While HP Plus gives you extra helpful app choices for free and the ink, the downside is you can only use HP inks while subscribed to it.
The last model had some issues with graphics and imagery, but this new upgrade is much better. The graphics in my brochure testing were sharp and accurate, and the images were a little dotty but still looked good from the inkjet printer. The text was excellent, with clearly defined edges, even the Comic Sans parts. It's a bit larger than some of the printers I tested, but the deep paper tray and auto-feed for the scanner make the size worthwhile.
Who is it best for?
If you work from home but need all the advantages of an office printer, the OfficeJet Pro is an excellent choice. In terms of sheer printing speed, the HP is ahead of most inkjets in its price range. It printed the 10 pages in just 32 seconds and scanned and printed them in 58 seconds. Not as fast as laser printers maybe, but still impressive.
Who should avoid this?
If you're a hard-core image connoisseur looking to print dozens of high-resolution images, there are better machines for you. The OfficeJet Pro 9125e is so good because it's a generalist for the average person working from home or a small family. If you are printing hundreds of pages this won't be right for you either. You'll need a laserjet for that.
Pros
- The color laser works surprisingly well to re-create imagery on brochures
- The print speed for 10 pages is excellent (25 seconds)
- The printer stayed connected to the WiFi with no signal loss at all
Cons
- I would like to have a larger paper tray than 250 sheets
Why I like it:
The Brother laser printer is the standard for any small business. It prints extremely quickly -- just 25 seconds for 10 full pages -- and every page was crisp and clear. The color printing works well, too, with the web page test showing excellent images on every page. It's a workhorse that has yet to fail me. I'm also a big fan of the excellent Wi-Fi connection. It's been solid since I first turned the Brother on and works perfectly from every device I've tested it with. Just connect and print every time.
Who is it best for?
If you use your printer consistently in a small business setting, I recommend the Brother. The 250-page paper tray is a little limiting so if you're printing giant essays, it may not be the way to go but for a laser printer in an office of two people, it's a real winner.
Who should avoid this?
If you are a photography buff, this isn't the right printer for you but it wasn't too bad for printing home photos. I wouldn't use this for a big office, as the paper tray size is limiting.
Pros
- Impressive text quality
- Quiet printing
- Amazon Dash button ready
Cons
- Ink cartridges are incredibly small
The Brother MFC-J1010DW is a terrible name for a pretty good printer in this price bracket. Photos came out clear and sharp as did the graphics on the website and brochure test. Even the text was very sharp. For an all-in-one printer at this price, it did every job well. It's good that Amazon has dash replenishment though, as the inks are woefully undersized for the printer.
Pros
- Fantastic color prints that can be heat pressed onto just about any product
- Built in cutting system and self-cleaning print head make working with it a breeze
- Excellent durability once the sticker is transferred.
Cons
- Has to be used constantly or the print head can break
- White ink runs out much faster than the standard inks
Why I like it:
DTF printing is a fairly new technology that combines the color choices of screen printing with the ease of heat transfer vinyl, which you might see on a Cricut vinyl cutter. To use it, you print a full-color image onto a special film, cover the back in a special powder, and cook it in a small oven to create an adhesive layer. From there, you use a heat press to seal it into an item of clothing or other surface. Procolored makes several DTF printers, with the Panda F8 being a more consumer-friendly version than their other, larger machines. It works very well to make small batches or products, so using the Panda F8 to print unique clothing items for your Etsy store is better than using a Cricut or sublimation printer, especially for shirts that are not white.
Who is it best for?
This is for any small business creative who makes shirts or other apparel for sale. If you have an Etsy store where you sell your creations, having a DTF will pay for itself in short order.
Who should avoid this?
My biggest issue with the Panda F8 is the need for it to be in constant use. The ink delivery system is unstable, so it needs constant use to keep it from getting stale. That's fine if you have a lot of orders, but if you don't, you'll need to print stuff anyway to keep it going. If you aren't going to be filling orders every day, or at least printing every day, then this might not be for you.
Pros
- Excellent color reproduction in photos with very little chromatic abrasion
- Solid app for wireless photo printing
Cons
- Clearly built on a budget with some flimsy parts
- It's very loud when printing so best to keep it in an office
Why I like it:
The Canon Pixma TR4720 isn't winning any awards in any category. In all of my testing, it came out around the middle of the pack in just about every category. While that could be seen as a negative in a printer that costs several hundred dollars, for one that is as cheap as the Pixma, it's encouraging.
When printing on glossy paper, the Pixma scored better in color reproduction than other, more expensive all-in-one printers. Some printers suffer from dimpling when printing images, but the Pixma didn't, and the skin tones were far better on the Canon image than on other brands.
Who is it best for?
The Pixma is for all those people who want a printer in the house, but don't have a specific use case. You might want to print the occasional picture for the fridge or a small document. It's perfect for owning and using once a month.
Who should avoid this?
If you actually need a printer on a daily basis, choose our best overall pick. If you want a truly great image printer, try our best photo printer list. The Pixma is great for occasional use, not for long term enjoyment.
Pros
- The ink tanks can last upwards of a year if used sparingly
- The photo quality is excellent with little to no chromatic aberration
- Surprisingly fast for a photo printer at 40 seconds per 10 pages
Cons
- The tiny paper tray and lack of feeder for the scanner make it less ideal for small offices
Why I like it:
HP's latest Smart Tank is a midlevel all-in-one with some really nice features and a few that are missing. In all our tests, it did very well, especially the website printing test, where all the graphics were as crisp and clear as the text. The image test was good too, though not as good as that of the more expensive Smart Tank 7301. The colors were vivid, and there was no sign of chromatic aberration. There was a little grain in the image, but nothing that better paper couldn't fix.
Who is it best for?
Overall, the 5101 is a good choice if you want excellent color recreation at a reasonable price. And because it's an ink tank system, the ink should last at least a year, even if you use it daily.
Who should avoid this?
The large ink is great, but it would be helpful if it had a large paper tray too. If you're likely to print a large number of documents, then a good laser printer is still the better option.
Pros
- A good price for a dedicated sublimation printer
- Great connectivity choices for easy printing
- Compact design makes it easy to fit in any craft room
Cons
- The inks are too small for larger scale operations
Why I like it:
Brother has recently entered the sublimation market with the SP1, and it's a pretty impressive offering. Like all modern printers, it has Wi-Fi printing, and, using the Artspira app on your phone or tablet, you can create really great layouts for printing just about any design on anything you can heat press. I appreciate its easy use, though I wish the inks were a little bigger. The price is excellent for a sublimation printer too.
Who is it best for?
There are plenty of options if you're looking to convert a standard printer to use sublimation ink, but if possible, you should buy a dedicated printer like the Brother SP1 for the job if you have a small business or Etsy store that relies on sublimation.
Who should avoid this?
This is not a normal printer. If you're looking to print documents, then pick our best overall. This sublimation printer is for those who want to make art to sell.
Pros
- Thermal printing is very fast, and this printer is faster than most at 72 labels per minute
- Very small footprint means you can print labels just about anywhere
- Thermal printing is sharp and clear on every label I've printed
Cons
- There isn't a built-in holder for label rolls so the external one makes the whole printer bigger
Why I like it:
I like the Munbyn thermal printers a lot. My use case is simply for printing postage labels, and for that, it works incredibly well but it can also print fun labels that my daughter enjoys sticking around the house. It prints very fast and every label comes out crisp and clean. This is important if you want your packages to reach their destination. I would have liked a built-in holder for the roll of labels to keep the footprint small but that doesn't really detract from the usefulness of the machine.
Who is it best for?
Anyone who sends a lot of packages could use a printer like this. We use one in the CNET office to send our review products back and it never fails. You can also use it to make creative labels for your products, such as jars and boxes.
Who should avoid this?
Like the sublimation printer above, this is not a normal printer. If you're looking to print documents, then pick our best overall. This is specifically for thermal labels for shipping or for fun stickers for your kids.
Not all of the printers we test make it to the top table. Some of them are good but don't quite make the top of our list, some we replaced with a new version and some are so bad that we omitted them entirely. Here are some of the home printers that nearly made it or have been on the best list but replaced by different models.
Pros
- Compact
- Extremely fast printing
- Made for purpose
Cons
- App can be a little janky
- No space for thermal roll hooks
I love a tool that is for one purpose and it does that purpose almost perfectly. The Nelko thermal printer is specifically designed to print labels for packages -- although it does print other labels, too -- and if, like me, you have an Etsy or Shopify store, it can be invaluable.
Most of the tests I've designed for this article don't apply to the Nelko, although the print speed per page is shockingly fast, so it is not comparable to the other printers here. It's also at the top of the pack of the thermal printers I've tested. The app-controlled Bluetooth connection makes it even easier to print shipping labels. Simply purchase them through Etsy on your phone and print them using the app. You can even crop the image to remove the white space. It's so simple I should have bought one years ago.
My only gripe with the Nelko is the lack of roller hooks. I like that the printer is small, but there is no room for a roll of thermal stickers, limiting you to single sheets, or jury-rigging something to fit.
Pros
- The double paper tray is great for a small office
- Excellent text quality makes it perfect for large document production
Cons
- The bulky size makes it a little too big for a home office
First off, this is not a typical printer machine. The bulky square shape is not something you would want to see in a fashionable home office. It is solidly constructed, though, and unlike some of the other products in this price range, it doesn't have any creaky plastic pieces. It's built well and it shows.
Because of the extra paper tray, the Epson can hold a large amount of paper for use. This makes it perfect if you and another person use it daily. It prints fast too -- the fastest in our test, although scanning is a little slow. The graphic, text, and webpage text were all excellent, although the image quality on glossy paper was only good. But this is a workhorse, designed for high-volume text, not imagery.
My only real issue with the Workforce Pro was the size of the ink cartridges. It's great that there are two large paper trays to hold a lot of paper, but if the amount of ink you have doesn't match, then you'll have a problem.
Pros
- Compact
- can use different inks,
- fast
Cons
- No Wi-Fi
- Some flimsy components
The Sawgrass SG500 is purpose-built to print using sublimation ink and paper. It works great, too. You can print up a storm of artwork to put on T-shirts for the whole family. While this has a larger ink well than the Brother, the creaky feeling of the plastic and the extra hundreds of dollars it costs means it can't quite hit the top slot.
Pros
- Fast printing
- Sleek design
The Munbyn is good -- for a thermal printer. It printed quickly and its labels were crisp and sharp, with no issues reading barcodes. However, it fell when trying to connect to the app. I found the app needed a lot of work, and it failed to connect more times than it connected. It's also a hundred dollars more than its peers and not worth the extra money.
Know what you want your printer to do
What you intend to print will determine the best printer for you. If you're mostly working with shopping lists, concert tickets, or travel itineraries, excellent print quality is arguably less important than print speed and price. If you're using your printer for professional materials or photo printing, then color accuracy, printing quality, and features like borderless printing will be primary considerations when choosing the right home printer.
Inkjet versus Laser or other types
The two main types of home printers are Inkjet and laser. Both have different benefits and pitfalls. There also other choices if you have specific needs.
- Inkjet: Inkjet printers spray tiny droplets of colored ink onto a page to produce images and words. They use multiple pots of wet ink that shoot from multiple jets to create a wide gamut of colors. If you use the right glossy paper, the picture quality is excellent. If you're printing a mix of images and words in your home office, you should use an inkjet printer. Brochures and webpages look best on an inkjet printer.
- Laser: Laser printers use a dry toner and heat to print pages. The toner is attracted to a charged area -- shot by lasers, hence the name -- then heated onto the page to make it stick. They are especially good at printing high-volume documents that contain little imagery. That being said, more and more laser printers can print decent images, and in color, so they are becoming more versatile. Use a laser printer if you're printing large documents or need a lot of volume. Toner can be expensive, but it lasts much longer than Inkjet ink.
- Other: Plenty of other ink types on this list are helpful in special niches.
- Thermal printers use heat on special paper to print sticky labels. Perfect for people who send a lot of packages.
- DTF printers print onto special film that can then be heat-transferred onto material like t-shirts and jackets. Great for small creative businesses
- Sublimation printers use special ink to allow you to print on paper, then heat press onto mugs, tumblers, and other merchandise. Also great for small creative businesses.
- UV printers spray special inky resin onto materials and use UV to cure it. Great for medium-sized businesses that want something very special.
Print only versus all-in-one
All-in-one printers are almost ubiquitous at this point, and if you're looking for something for a small home office, there's no reason not to get one. Scanning and copying built-in alongside printing just makes sense for a small business.
However, if your printing needs are just photography-based, or one of the other niche types on this list -- like sublimation or thermal printing -- then an all-in-one may not be worthwhile. You want a printer that does one job very well, rather than a jack of all trades.
Budget
Another factor to consider is the cost of ink and ensuring you have enough ink to print everything you need. (There's nothing more frustrating than having a printer but no ink in the tank.) Inkjet printers use liquid ink to print, whereas laser printers use toner cartridges containing powder. Even if you're getting a great printer deal, be sure to research how to refill the ink, so you can choose the best printer for your overall budget. Some new printers include an ink subscription in their original price tag, so that may be something to consider.
For a long time, CNET's methodology for testing printers didn't change. Our original testing was designed in the days when Wi-Fi printers were rare and faxing was an important consideration when choosing a device. These days, Wi-Fi is standard, app-controlled printers are everywhere, and what and how we print has changed considerably. I designed a new set of printing parameters in 2022 that I hope will mesh with how we use printers nowadays.
- Print and copy speed: The speed at which things print and copy is important in our daily lives. Printing a quick theater ticket or copying a document needs to be done speedily and accurately. Testing this is easy; I simply used a stopwatch and printed 10 pages of text of varying sizes and typefaces. I used Fillerama to generate random text from Star Wars and Monty Python and changed the font size randomly across the page. I also used different fonts, like Arial and Times New Roman, to see how they'd print. I even added Comic Sans to the mix, because some people still think it's a good idea to use it (for middle managers mostly). I use Amazon Basics Multipurpose printer paper on all my testing except the imagery tests to keep everything fair and even.
- Brochure and webpage test: When asked, people told me they use their home printer for printing online tickets from webpages as well as their resumes for job interviews. With that in mind, I used the standard brochure template from Google Docs, which I changed a little -- I made the font size smaller and larger and changed the font too -- to give that modern resume look. I also saved my article about becoming a Star Wars action figure into a PDF -- I needed to keep the ads the same on every test, so the live article wouldn't do. Sometimes we're in too much of a rush to select just the ticket, so printing the entire webpage is easier. This test simulates that.
- Receipt test: When you work from home, you often have to submit your receipts for travel and incidentals. One of the most common ways to do that, if you aren't lucky enough to have an app, is to tape receipts to a piece of paper and scan them into your computer. That way you can email them wherever they need to go quickly and easily. To re-create that, I taped my receipts from my food shopping to create a scan. I used a mixture of new receipts and ones that had faded in my wallet, then I checked the scan for legibility. Most scanners will enhance the image you're scanning, and that certainly helps with receipts.
- Picture quality test: As in previous CNET photo tests, I used the PhotoDisc Target file for my image tests. I printed images on the same Canon glossy paper and studied them according to the guidelines associated with this industry standard. I took special note of the skin tones at the bottom to make sure they were replicated correctly and also checked for chromatic aberration. Chromatic aberration is a purple hue that often surrounds images and can make even the best picture look cheap and tacky. I also checked for stippling, an image error that occurs on poorly calibrated inkjet printers.
The sale season is here and it is the best time to buy a printer. Amazon Prime Day 2025 sale is scheduled to take place July 8 to 11, and some early July 4 deals are already live. Now is the perfect time to take advantage of discounts on printers if you're considering purchasing one.
Ink subscriptions are becoming more common, with several printers on this list offering them as part of the original cost. Are they any good? It all depends on how much ink you use. If you're printing more than 100 pages a month, then yes, it likely is a good deal. Less than that and you may find you don't need it.
Most ink subscriptions offer you a certain number of months free, so it's worth trying it to see if it can fulfill your needs, but remember to cancel it before you're supposed to start paying if you don't want it.
The most common printer types are:
- Laser: Uses light, heat, and toner to create text and images (best for text).
- Inkjet: Uses small dots of ink to create an overall shape (best for images).
- Sublimation: Same as an inkjet, but the ink sticks to materials like mugs or T-shirts.
- Thermal: Uses heat and thermal paper to produce text and images (best for labels).
Printer prices can vary from $100 for simple budget printers, to $700 or more for complex printers that can seem like magic. The best home printers, especially the all-in-one printers that scan and copy as well, tend to sit at the $200 to $300 mark. If you need something only for text, you can get a good one for $150.