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Best Printer for 2024

 5/9/2024 9:38:53 AM GMT

Need a new printer? At today's prices, it only makes sense
to buy a wireless multi-function model that will meet all your needs.


Why a wireless and a multifunction printer? First, with a wireless printer, the connection to your computer can go through your wireless router, so placement is no longer tied to the length of the cord attaching the printer to your PC/laptop. And, your not even limited to placing it in the same room, so if you have multiple users in the same household that connect to the printer through your network, you can put it in a central location that can be easily accessed by everyone.

This also saves the expense of buying multiple printers, so you can spend a little more to upgrade a shared printer. Second, the cost difference between a multi-function and a print-only printer is so small, it makes no sense to forego the copying and scanning capabilities of a multi-function printer, and for certain applications, it may make sense to have fax capability.

Ok, now you know you should buy a wireless multi-function printer, so the easy part is over. Next, should you buy an inkjet printer or a laser printer? This gets a little trickier, but the first question you need to answer is whether or not your printer absolutely must have the capability to print in color.

If the answer is yes, then any of our recommended inkjet printers has you covered. But, there is one other option, and that's a color laser printer. If you print a lot of black & white text pages, and only need a few color pages, then a color laser printer may be the best choice for you, as the per page printing price for black & white is cheaper on the laser printer, and laser printing results in a bit crisper page.

The drawback is the up-front cost of a color laser printer is at the high-end. If color pages are what you print the most, then your best bet is an inkjet printer. Inkjet printers also typically take up less room, so if space is a consideration, then an inkjet printer may be more suitable.

If you print primary black & white text pages, and don't really care about color, then the laser printer is the clear choice. Although laser printer toner cartridges are more expensive up-front, they are noticeably cheaper on a cost per page basis. Also, toner maintains its integrity over longer periods than inkjet cartridges that have a tendency to dry up and clog the print head if not used regularly.

Bottom line: inkjet for color and some black & white; laser for black & white and no color, or, if you can afford it, a high-end laser printer to include color capability.

Many factors are taken into consideration to determine the best printers available, including print speed, cost per page, security features, weight and size, paper type/capacity, and features such as duplex printing. In determining the best inkjet and laser printers available, we took all of these factors into consideration, plus build quality, user experiences, and affordability.



The NetDigz Editors rate the Canon MF644Cdw as the Best Premium Laser Printer.
   Photo by Canon Pinterest Pin for Best Premium Laser Printer
 
The Canon MF644Cdw laser printer delivers high-quality output at relatively fast speeds, making it an excellent choice as the best printer for home and small-business print and copy applications. It has print, scan, copy and fax capabilities, a 50-page automatic document feeder, single-pass auto-duplex capture of both sides of two-sided pages, a 250-sheet paper tray, and a single-sheet override tray for printing envelopes and other one-off media.

Standard interfaces are 1000BaseT Ethernet, wireless 802.11b/g/n via your Wi-Fi router, USB 2.0 for a cable connection to a single PC, and peer-to-peer Wi-Fi Direct for printing from mobile devices. You can also print from or scan to thumb drives and other USB storage devices.

Mobile connectivity includes Apple AirPrint, Mopria for Android, Google Cloud Print, and Canon Print Business that allows you to print from and scan to many popular cloud sites from your Android or iOS device. With impressive performance as a full color laser printer, the Canon MF644Cdw is more than capable for most business and desktop publishing applications, as well as the best wireless printer for home use.



The NetDigz Editors rate the Brother DCP-L2550DW as the Best Laser Printer for the money.
   Photo by BrotherPinterest Pin for Best Laser Printer for the money
 
The Brother DCP-L2550DW is a black & white multi-function laser printer that can print, copy, and scan multi-page documents, but lacks fax and two-sided duplex print capabilities (upgrade to the Brother MFCL2750DW for fax and duplex printing).

It's best suited as a home printer or for personal use where text/document printing is the primary need. The DCP-L2550DW has good print speed, a modest price tag, and possesses a wide range of connectivity options, including - direct to PC via USB cable, local area network or Ethernet port via your Wi-Fi router, and peer-to-peer with Wi-Fi Direct.

Printing from mobile devices is provided by AirPrint for iOS, Mopria for Android, Google Cloud Print, and the Brother iPrint&Scan app. It has a 250-sheet main tray and a 50-sheet automatic document feeder.

Producing crisp, clean text documents, the Brother DCP-L2550DW (or MFCL2750DW with fax and duplex printing) is the best printer for small business and best home office printer for the money.


The NetDigz Editors rate the HP LaserJet Pro M29w as the Best Budget Laser Printer.
  Photo by HPPinterest Pin for Best Budget Laser Printer
 
The HP LaserJet Pro M29w is a wireless multi-function laser printer that prints, scans, and copies, but does not fax. It features a compact design that minimizes space requirements, and it delivers professional high-quality black & white pages.

It's best suited for a home office or personal use where text/document printing is the primary need. The M29w has decent print speed, an extremely attractive price tag, and provides connectivity directly to a PC with a USB cable or via local network on your Wi-Fi router. Mobile printing capability is enabled through Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print 2.0, or Mopria Print Service for Android. It has a 150-sheet paper tray and produces laser quality crisp, clean text documents.

With outstanding performance and low operating costs, the HP LaserJet Pro M29w provides a compelling option as the best small printer with an entry-level price.


The NetDigz Editors rate the HP OfficeJet Pro 9015 as the Best Premium Inkjet Printer.
  Photo by HPPinterest Pin for Best Premium Inkjet Printer
 
The HP OfficeJet Pro 9015 is the best all in one printer that produces quality output at a reasonable cost per page, providing excellent results for a printer for home use or as a premium personal printer. This feature rich printer has a 35-sheet auto-duplexing automatic document feeder for copying, scanning, and faxing two-sided multi-page originals, and is equipped with a 250-sheet paper tray.

Standard connectivity is via Ethernet, the local network of your Wi-Fi router, direct to PC via USB 2.0 cable, and peer-to-peer Wi-Fi Direct. Mobile connectivity is provided through Apple AirPrint, Mopria for Android, and the HP Smart App.

Output is near laser quality, so if you don't want to pay for a color laser printer for the best black & white printing, you won't feel short-changed with the text document output.

The HP OfficeJet Pro 9015 is an easy choice as the best premium inkjet printer available when color output is the priority.



The NetDigz Editors rate the Brother MFC-J497DW as the Best Inkjet Printer for the money.
  Photo by BrotherPinterest Pin for Best Inkjet Printer for the money
 
The Brother MFC-J497DW is an inexpensive All-in-One inkjet printer that prints well in low volumes and is suitable for home or small-office use. As is often the case with inkjet printers, its running costs run on the high side.

It has strong output quality overall, supports borderless printing for photos, and is equipped with a 20-sheet auto document feeder and a 100 sheet paper tray. Standard interfaces include - wireless networking via your Wi-Fi router, peer-to-peer via Wi-Fi Direct, and direct connect to PC via USB 2.0 cable. Mobile connectivity is provided through Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Mopria for Android, and Brother's iPrint&Scan.

With a solid feature set and a design that fits into a small space, the MFC-J497DW provides a lot of value at a lower price.


The NetDigz Editors rate the HP DeskJet 2755 as the Best Budget Inkjet Printer.
  Photo by HPPinterest Pin for Best Budget Inkjet Printer
 
The HP DeskJet 2755 is an all-in-one printer that also scans and copies, and has a build quality that feels solid and sturdy. It is the best printers for photos on a budget, with excellent color accuracy and passable print quality.

Its color cartridges are low yield and require replacing often, but the cartridges are affordable through third-party cartridge support. There is a 50 sheet paper tray and standard connectivity includes - wireless networking via your Wi-Fi router, peer-to-peer via Wi-Fi Direct, and direct connect to PC via USB 2.0 cable. Mobile connectivity is provided through Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Mopria for Android. It's compact size is great for small spaces.

Undeniably, this is an entry-level printer suited only for personal use, but you can get your basic printing done at a great price making it the best budget printer using inkjet cartridges.



Printers: Laser | Inkjet | Wireless | Canon | HP | Brother