Printer Buying Guide: Best Printer Picks for Home, Office, and Small Business

When it comes to the purchase of a new printer for your home, office or small business, there are a lot of considerations to be made. How much and how often will it be used for printing? What features are a must have? Traditional ink cartridges or refillable tanks? It’s a lot to think about, but we’re here to make it easier.

Long gone is the time when scanning and copying were considered bonus features. Now they come stock with just about every printer on the market (though you can definitely find print-only machines, if you’re looking). Faxing is now the biggest feature consideration and is still fairly standard in printers aimed primarily for office use.

Inkjet vs Laser Printers

Before we dig too far into printers themselves, there’s one big question that needs to be answered: What’s the difference between inkjet printers and laser printers?

Inkjet printers, as the name implies, spray ink onto the page. They tend to be a bit less expensive than their laser counterparts while still producing great print quality for both document and photo printing – though if you want superb quality photo prints, you might want to opt for a photo-specific printer. The one caveat is that ink can dry up if the printer isn’t used frequently, leaving you with unusable cartridges.

Laser printers melt toner for their prints. While they tend to run a bit more expensive and are mainly found in businesses, they generally print faster than inkjet printers and have become far more common in homes and home offices over the past five years. Even though they start off a bit more expensive, if they’ll be used frequently for high-page and high-speed print jobs, so they often end up being the more economical choice of the two.

For crisp, easy text or basic color graphics, an inexpensive color laser printer is a strong recommendation. For more full-page color or color photos printed on photo paper, an inkjet is still going to be better, and a specialty photo printer even better than that. 

Home and Home Office Printers

We love the budget-friendly, fantastic all-arounder HP Deskjet 2755e. At a price of $84.99, this entry-level printer is ready for just about anything. It has scanning and copying capabilities as well as WiFi connectivity for print-from-anywhere capabilities. It also comes with three free months of HP’s instant ink subscription so there won’t be any worrying about running out of ink the night before a big presentation. 

Photo: Jacob Bobo 

The alternative to cartridge printers are refillable printers and the HP Smart Tank 651 and the Epson Ecotank ET 2800 are great options. Rather than replacing whole ink cartridges when they run out, re-upping your cartridge is as simple as adding more toner to the tank. Both even come with extra ink right out of the box.

If faxing is a must-have, the HP OfficeJet Pro 8135e is an excellent choice. It uses a traditional cartridge for printing, but, like the Deskjet, it comes with three months of HP’s Instant Ink service for free. There are also fax-capable refillable printers like the HP Smart Tank 7602 and the Epson EcoTank ET-4850, both of which have extra ink packed with them.

For at-home lasers, the color Brother L3780CDW is a workhorse that should last for many years. 

Business Printers

While inkjet printers can work for businesses, most will opt for a laser printer, such as the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4301 FDW or Brother MFC-L8900CDW. However, don’t overlook high-end inkjet printers such as the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850. 

Photo: Jacob Bobo 

All three of these printers are designed for small businesses and have scanning, copying, and faxing capabilities. The Epson EcoTank, unlike the other two, uses refillable ink tanks, which can really save a lot of money in the long run.  

Monochrome Laser Printers

The last type of printer many people look at is the monochrome laser. These printers only print in black and white and are great if documents are the number one priority. If you’re just looking for a small, fast printer there are a few options such as HP LaserJet M110w or the Brother HL-L2460DW. Both of these feature rapid print speeds and have large-capacity cartridges, so you’re not going to have to replace the toner often. If scanning and copying are a must, the Brother DCP-L2640DW and the Brother MFC-L2820DW are great options for multi-function monochrome printers.

Photo: Jacob Bobo 

From inkjet to laser and everything in-between, choosing a new printer can be a daunting task. If you still have questions, are looking for a more personalized recommendation, or want to see any of these in person, stop by your local Micro Center, where knowledgeable associates are ready to help find the perfect printer. 

Read more:

• See most popular Inkjet printers at Micro Center
• See most popular Laser printers at Micro Center
• See ink and toner at Micro Center