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While printers are not a strict necessity these days, they can be a useful addition to your work from home setup. Whether you need to print concert tickets, want to decorate your space with family photos or are tired of looking at your computer screen, a printer is a handy tool.
Many printers even have scanners onboard that come in handy for the reverse, digitizing what’s most important. Though printers might not be the flashiest or must-have tech, there are still plenty of great options. Thankfully, I’ve been testing the latest printers for a while now, often running dozens of machines simultaneously. It’s noisy, but the best overall options always cut through the chaos.
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With this HP Envy 6458E wireless all-in-one printer, you’ll pick up a home printing center that covers all the basics. Print, scan, and copy everyday documents for school, work, and side gigs simply and wirelessly. Intuitive setup with the HP Smart app means you’re ready on any device.
Includes the HP Envy 6458E wireless all-in-one printer, an HP 67 tri-color ink cartridge, and an HP 67 black ink cartridge.
Print, scan, and copy
Built-in Wi-Fi
35-page auto document feeder
Prints up to 10 pages per minute black, and up to 7 ppm color
Automatic two-sided printing
HP Smart app
Measures 6.8 by 14.2 by 17 inches
<div content="X – LIST ITEM" superlative="Best for multiple people" description="
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, though the scanning is a little slow. The graphic, text, and webpage text were all excellent, though the image quality on glossy paper was only good. This is a workhorse though, 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.
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The large footprint printer is fantastic for a small office or an at-home notary
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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 it has Amazon dash replenishment, though, as the inks are woefully undersized for the printer.
<div content="LIST ITEM" superlative="Best DTF printer for small crafting businesses" description="
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.
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.
” page-position linktext linkurl like=”~Fantastic color prints ~Built in cutting system ~Excellent durability in the transfers” dislike=”~Has to be used constantly ~White ink runs out fast” can-collapse=”true” can-truncate=”true” truncate-on-page-load=”true” offer techobjectinfo=”{"uuid":"7612df31-d9cd-48a6-bbdf-e8c0a3bfa218","slug":"procolored-f8-panda-generation-2","name":"Procolored F8 Panda (Generation 2)","productType":"PRODUCT","updateType":"EZMONEY","mod":1739749142429}” overridecredit=”James Bricknell / CNET” overridecaption=”” imagegroup=”{"uuid":"905eedea-a770-48f3-a7a1-83bd04dd6bcc","alt":"A black and white printer with a panda face on top. A thin version seats next to it on a black shelf.","caption":null,"credits":"James Bricknell / CNET","imageData":{"id":"905eedea-a770-48f3-a7a1-83bd04dd6bcc","filename":"procolored-panda-f8.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/915131f8fc20db05c7c8744c38d17c1783e752ed/hub/2024/09/18/905eedea-a770-48f3-a7a1-83bd04dd6bcc/procolored-panda-f8.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","dateCreated":{"date":"2024-09-18 19:49:55.000000","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false},"size":"","float":"","lightbox":false,"imageUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/915131f8fc20db05c7c8744c38d17c1783e752ed/hub/2024/09/18/905eedea-a770-48f3-a7a1-83bd04dd6bcc/procolored-panda-f8.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","imageCaption":null,"imageCredit":"James Bricknell / CNET","imageAltText":"A black and white printer with a panda face on top. A thin version seats next to it on a black shelf.","imageFilename":"procolored-panda-f8.jpg","imageWidth":3840,"imageHeight":2160,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated":"2024-09-18","imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}” usepricing=”true” ng-block=”{"id":"j1zls9u72ow1wt9","type":"listicle"}” edition=”us” data-key=”cnetlisticle__6743098f-1c16-4ead-b636-08c7766fc8c2″ index=”1″ contenttype=”Best List – Precap” pagelayout=”FAQ Markup + BL Precap” tagslugs=”gap-project,hv60,amazon-prime,freelance-update,sponsored-listicle,canon,hp” isbestlistredesign=”true” imagecredit=”James Bricknell / CNET” imagealttext=”A black and white printer with a panda face on top. A thin version seats next to it on a black shelf.” class=”c-bestListListicle”>
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The Canon Pixma TR4720 isn’t going to be 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.
The Pixma scored better in color reproduction when placed against other, more expensive all-in-one printers when printing on glossy paper. 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. My only real negative is the machine’s volume. You can tell it was built on a budget, but as far as budget printers go, this one’s pretty good.
<div content="X – LIST ITEM" superlative="A great midrange printer with a lot of ink" description="
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 abrasion. There was a little grain in the image, but nothing that better paper couldn’t fix.
My big bugbear with the 5101 is the rear-loading paper tray. It makes the printer deeper than a standard shelf, limiting where it can be put. It also limits the amount of paper it can store to just a few sheets, making it less than ideal for a larger workload. The lack of a scanner feeder on the top also slows you down, forcing you to scan each document a single page at a time.
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.
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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 — though 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, though 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.
<div content="X – LIST ITEM" superlative="Best sublimation printer" description="
Sublimation is the process of transferring ink from paper to other materials like t-shirts, mugs, and canvases. There are plenty of options if you are 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.
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 how easy it is to use, though I wish the inks were a little bigger. The price is excellent for a sublimation printer too.
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After testing the Expression, I was pleasantly surprised at how well this printer did. Being Epson’s budget option it could have been poor, but instead performed excellently at text reproduction and about average on the image quality. The setup was quick and easy and the Wi-Fi connection seems to be solid wherever I put it in my house. Print time was average at 1 minute, 15 seconds, but the text quality more than made up for the speed. All of the text, even the photocopied text was legible and smooth.
The only downside is how small the ink cartridges are on this printer. I know ink is where companies make the most money, but replacing these tiny cartridges every few weeks or months will get old quickly.
Not all 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.
<div content="X – LIST ITEM" superlative="Make your art come alive" description="
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.
This isn’t your standard printer, but if you want to make art that can go on a shirt or a mug, this is perfect.
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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.
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.
James Bricknell / CNET
Print and copy speed: The speed at which things print and copy are 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).
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 abrasion. Chromatic abrasion 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.
