When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Here’s how it works.
Don’t let a bad printer jam you up from making project deadlines or finishing team assignments. You can get a lot of functionality and many features for a relatively low price tag. But with thousands of printers on the market, how do you even begin to choose the best one for your small business?
Article Overview
- What Type Of Printer Should You Get?
- Laser vs Inkjet (Video)
- Comparison Table
- Best Printers By Type
- Save On Ink And Paper
- Best 3D Printers
What Type Of Printer Should I Get?
A majority of printers on the market today come with a number of built-in functions in addition to printing, but some of these features run up the cost. Besides the bells and whistles to look for, you’ll also want to evaluate the printing needs of your business (how often you’ll print, what types of documents you’ll print, the quantity of pages, etc.) before deciding on what type of printer is best for you.
Do you have a need for a copier, scanner and fax machine? All-in-one printers are commonplace these days, and they can perform all of these functions as well as printing.
Or do you only need to print documents occasionally? If so, a plain printer (one that only prints) could be your best bet. Obviously, the price of plain printers is significantly less than multi-function printers. You can get a decent plain printer for a fraction of the price.
Laser vs Inkjet (Video)
Let’s talk about the types of ink. Is it better to get inkjet vs laser? This video is around seven minutes but worth a watch if you want to learn more about the pros and cons of these two kinds of printers.
Comparison Table
We know that’s a lot to digest on one screen, so we’ve compared all the top picks side by side so you can see them all at a glance.
Printer | Price | Resolution (dpi) | Ink Type | Pages Per Minute | Pages Ink Yields | Dimensions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HP OfficeJet Pro | 1,200 | Inkjet | 20-24 | 1,000 | 17.2″W x 15.6″D x 12.53″H | |
HP Color Laser Jet Pro | 1,200 | Laser | 22 | 1,350 | 16.5″W x 16.6″D x 13.2″H | |
Canon Pixma Pro | 4,800 | 8-ink dye | 1.2 | n/a | 27.2″W x 15.2″D x 8.5″H | |
Epson Expression | $126.98 | 5760 x 1440 | Inkjet | 5-10 | 50 | 14.8″W x 22.8″D x 9.5″H |
Epson WorkForce Pro | $629.00 | 2,400 | Laser | 20 | 900 | 20.8″W x 24.3″D x 21.8″H |
Canon imageCLASS | $169.00 | 1,200 | Laser | 30 | 1,700 | 15.4″W x 16″D x 14.8″H |
Brother MFC | $639.00 | 1,200 | Inkjet | 10-12 | 550 | 15.7″W x 13.4″D x 6.8″H |
Canon Pixma | $189.00 | 4800 x 1200 | Inkjet | 10-15 | n/a | 14.7″W x 14.4″D x 6.3″H |
Best Printers For Small Business (By Type)
Since there are so many different types of printers, we broke down our recommendations for best printers into the following categories. To jump to one that you’re interested in, simply click on a link below.
All printers we review are compatible with both Windows and Mac computers.
All-In-One (Inkjet) | All-In-One (Laser) | Photo | Wireless | Inkjet | Laser | Home | Budget
All-In-One (Inkjet): HP OfficeJet Pro 9025 All-in-One Review
The HP OfficeJet Pro 9025 is an excellent choice for a home or small- to mid-sized office. The cost is hard to beat for the number of features it has.
It also has good printing speed for an inkjet. Printing quality is superior for documents, marketing pieces and photos. And you get a generous 1-year warranty with phone, email and chat support.
The only potential downside with the HP Office Jet Pro 9025 is its bulkier size for a home printer.
Pros |
Cons |
|
|
Price & Tech Specs
- Price:
- Ink yields: 1,000 pages (B&W)
- Print speed: 24 pages per minute for B&W and 20 per minute for color
- Resolution: 1,200 dpi
- Printer dimensions: 17.2″W x 15.6″D x 12.53″H
- Paper sizes supported: Letter, Legal, Government Legal, Executive; Statement, 3 x 5 in; 4 x 6 in, 5 x 7 in, 13 x 18 cm, 8 x 10 in, 10 x 15 cm, Envelopes (#10, Monarch, 5.5bar) and Cards (3 x 5 in, 4 x 6 in, 5 x 8 in)
All-In-One (Laser): HP Color LaserJet Pro M283fdw Review
If you’re a laser lover and want to print a lot of color text and graphics, the HP LaserJet Pro is the best all in one on the market. It’s expensive compared to inkjets, but for a laser jet, it’s an affordable option. Plus, its size is extremely compact for a laser printer.
It has the highest ink yield of any printer we featured (double in some cases), so you’ll get a lot of bang for your ink buck. The HP Color Laser Jet Pro is an excellent option for companies that print a high volume of black and white (invoices, contracts, etc.) but also need to scan or send the occasional fax.
Pros |
Cons |
|
|
Price & Tech Specs
- Price:
- Ink yields: 1,350 pages
- Print speed: 22 pages per minute (B&W and color)
- Resolution: 1,200 dpi
- Printer dimensions: 16.5″W x 16.6″D x 13.2″H
- Paper sizes: Letter, Legal, Executive, Oficio, 4×6″, 5×8″, A4, A5, A5-R, A6, B5, B6, 16K, Postcard, Double Postcard, Envelopes (No. 10, B5, C5, DL, Monarch)
Photo: Canon Pixma Pro-100 Review
Many all-in-one printers can also print photos, but the quality varies pretty widely. If you’ll be printing a lot of photos or want to step up your photo printing, the Canon Pixma Pro-100 is an excellent mid-range choice.
Unlike many other inkjet printers that have 4- or 5-ink systems, the Canon Pro-100 has an 8-ink dye based system to give you the most optimal and vivid color with every print. Its Optimum Image Generating System analyzes each area of your photo and chooses the best color mixture, so your prints look amazing.
It also does excellent grayscale printing, so your black and white prints are high quality. It’s a great solution for the amateur or professional photographer (or if you just want professional looking family photos to hang on your walls).
Pros |
Cons |
|
|
Price & Tech Specs
- Price:
- Ink yields: unavailable
- Print speed: estimated 51 seconds for 8×10 print
- Resolution: 4,800 dpi
- Printer dimensions: 27.2″W x 15.2″D x 8.5″H
- Paper sizes: 4″ x 6″, 5″ x 7″, 8″ x 10″, Letter, Legal, 11″ x 17″, 13″ x 19″
Wireless: Epson Expression Home XP-4100 Wireless Review
Don’t want to hassle with cables? Then a wireless printer is the way to go. A lot of today’s printers incorporate wireless printing technology, so you can easily send a print job from your laptop, tablet or smartphone without having to hook up to your printer. And wireless technology doesn’t add much to the printer’s cost.
The Epson Expression Home XP-4100 printer is our pick for best wireless and also happens to be another excellent inexpensive inkjet printer. It makes wireless printing a breeze, whether you’re printing documents or photos. You can quickly and easily print wirelessly from both Windows and Mac-based devices (computers, smartphones, tablets) using several different mobile printing solutions: WiFi direct, Airprint and Google Cloud printing.
The Epson XP-4100 is also an (almost) all-in-one printer, so you can scan and copy as well.
Pros |
Cons |
|
|
Price & Tech Specs
- Price: $126.98
- Ink yields: Estimated 50 pages
- Print speed: 10 pages per minute for B&W and 5 per minute for color
- Resolution: 5760 x 1440 optimized dpi
- Printer dimensions: 14.8″W x 22.8″D x 9.5″H
- Paper sizes: 3.5″ x 5″, 4″ x 6″, 5″ x 7″, 8″ x 10″, Letter, Legal, A4, B5, A5, A6, half letter, executive, user definable (3.5″ – 44″ in length)
Inkjet: Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4630 Review
Inkjet printers are more versatile than laser printers. So, if you plan on printing color text and graphics in your documents or printing photos, inkjet is the way to go. There are some larger color laser printers, but they’re generally much more expensive than a comparable inkjet printer in terms of printing quality. The Epson Workforce Pro WF-4630 is one of the best, most sturdy mid-range inkjet printers on the market.
If you’re a small- to medium-sized business, take a serious look at this printer. It has fax, copy and scan capability, speedy, laser-quality printing, and a 300-page paper feed capacity. The price, functionality and durability are hard to beat compared to similar printers. Its bulkier size may not work well for some as a home printer, but if you have space and do a lot of printing at home, consider the Epson Workforce series.
Pros |
Cons |
|
|
Price & Tech Specs
- Price: $629.00
- Ink yields: 900 pages (B&W)
- Print speed: 20 pages per minute (B&W)
- Resolution: 2,400 dpi
- Printer dimensions: 20.8″W x 24.3″D x 21.8″H
- Paper sizes: 3.5″ x 5″, 4″ x 6″, 5″ x 7″, 8″ x 10″, 8.5″ x 11″, 8.5″ x 14″, user definable (3.5″ – 47.2″ in length)
Laser: Canon imageCLASS MF267dw Review
Laser printers are better for crisp black and white documents and printing speed. So, if plan to output lots of paper, we recommend the Canon imageCLASS MF267dw. It has the fastest output of any printer we recommend and can print or copy up to 30 pages per minute.
You can also get scanning and faxing functions, which is perfect for any smaller-sized business. The wireless technology makes printing from anywhere in your office a breeze. Laser printers are known for speed and excellent quality printing, and this Canon is no exception.
Pros |
Cons |
|
|
Price & Tech Specs
- Price: $169.00
- Ink yields: 1,700 pages
- Print speed: 30 pages per minute
- Resolution: 1,200 dpi
- Printer dimensions: 15.4″W x 16″D x 14.8″H
- Paper sizes: Paper: Letter, Legal, Statement, Executive; Envelope: COM10, Monarch, C5, DL; Custom (min. 3″ x 5″ to max. 8.5″ x 14″)
Home Office: Brother MFC-J880DW Review
The Brother MFC-J880DW printer is one of the best printers on the market. We chose the all-in-one Brother as the best home printer versus the HP OfficeJet Pro 9025 largely based on the Brother’s compact size, which makes it more ideal for a home printer.
Although the printer speed is about average, that shouldn’t be a major problem with most home printer needs, the cost and warranty are very attractive for home office use.
Pros |
Cons |
|
|
Price & Tech Specs
- Price: $639.00
- Ink Yield: 550 pages
- Print speed: 12 pages per minute for B&W and 10 per minute for color
- Resolution: 1,200 dpi
- Printer dimensions: 15.7″W x 13.4″D x 6.8″H
- Paper sizes: Letter, Legal, Executive, Envelope (C5 Envelope, Com-10, DL Envelope, Monarch), A4, Photo 4″x6″, 3.5″x5″, 5″x7″, 5″x8″
On A Budget: Canon Pixma TS702 Review
With this low price tag, the Canon Pixma TS702 is hard to beat for its price and quality color prints. We’ve chosen it as our best cheap printer, but don’t be fooled by its inexpensive price tag. The Canon Pixma TS702 is a sturdy inkjet printer that gives you some great features.
In addition to printing high-quality documents, it’s an excellent photo printer. If you’re looking to save money and don’t need faxing, scanning or copying functions, the Canon is a great choice for a cheap home printer.
Pros |
Cons |
|
|
Price & Tech Specs
- Price: $189.00
- Ink yields: only replace individual ink at a time (# of pages unlisted)
- Print speed: 15 pages per minute for B&W and 10 per minute for color
- Resolution: up to 4800 x 1200 dpi
- Printer dimensions: 14.7″W x 14.4″D x 6.3″H
- Paper sizes: 3.5 x 3.5 Square, 4 x 4 Square, 4 x 6, 5 x 5 Square, 5 x 7, 7 x 10, 8 x 10 Letter, Legal, U.S. #10 Envelopes
Save Money On Printer Ink And Paper
What about ink costs? This is a huge factor, especially if you’ll use your printer (and print in color) fairly regularly. You can save a ton of money over the long haul by choosing a printer that either has reasonably priced ink (or toner for lasers) or that allows you to set your printing to only black and white. Another tip is to switch to eco mode which uses reasonably less ink if you are just printing a draft or unimportant document. Check out the most popular printer ink on Amazon.
You can also save money when you buy printer paper online to stock up.
What Are The Best 3D Printers?
Printers are advancing leaps and bounds in terms of functionality and affordability. Our experts compare the top 3D printers which are now available for general consumers and businesses. Although you can still purchase a basic printer that doesn’t do much else, the cost of all-in-one printers is so attractive, it’s hard to pass up such features that used to break the budget just a few years ago.
Which printer are you leaning towards? Let us know in the comments!
Tagged With: Comparison