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To a large extent, a printer's size and weight are dependent on the paper handling features you need, but even so, there are considerable variations. Make sure the printer will fit in its allotted space , and isn't too heavy to move around if you decide to renovate. Very compact printers are available for people who live and work in dorm rooms or other tight spaces. Be sure to consider the minimum and maximum paper size you print on, paper thickness, and whether you need a duplexer to print on both sides of the page. You'll also want a paper capacity that won't require adding paper more often than feels comfortable. A good rule of thumb is that you shouldn't have to refill paper more than once a week, on average.

The HP OfficeJet 3830 AiO printer makes scans a less-complicated affair, giving you a 35-page paper feeding tray so you can put your whole stack of papers in, hit “scan,” and walk away. The automatic paper sensor tells the printer where to pull the paper from. For even more brilliant, borderless photos and prints, the HP OfficeJet 5260 comes with 2 free years of the HP Instant Ink subscription service. You can’t go wrong with an efficient printer that is smart about ink use and a supporting ink purchase plan that’s free for 24 months. See your shared print queue and know when your photo is next in line, then scan your printed photo to unlock content. It has a special sticky backing so you can choose to use your prints as full-color stickers.
The 10 Best AirPrint Printers
With Wi-Fi connectivity, it can print from the cloud, including iCloud, Dropbox, and Google Drive. One of its most important features is AirPrint support, so it can print from an iPhone or Mac. For non-Apple devices, printing wirelessly can be done via the HP Smart app or Wi-Fi Direct. The best AirPrint printers may differ depending on your preferences and needs. More and more manufacturers are offering AirPrint support on their printers to appeal to Mac and iPhone users as a compatible device for their Apple-powered home office. AirPrint printers are no different from regular printers, except they work without having to install any software or change printer settings.
It is a wireless model, too, so that cuts down on fussing over wires to your main device, whether that’s a laptop or smartphone. You’d think being on a budget would limit your options, but even excluding some of the more expensive models from your list, there’s still a lot of choices out there to sift through. More and more, our homes run on WiFi connectivity, and your printer should be no different. With a Bluetooth or wireless printer, you can have photo prints, documents, labels and more ready to go without fussing with cords. It also means that every computer in your house can be synced with your printer at any given moment. While a hard-wired option is still handy, we recommend checking if your new printer is compatible with WiFi.
What printers are best for working from home?
It has a scanner but lacks an automatic document feeder, meaning scanning multi-page documents can be very time-consuming. You'll also have to be patient when printing, as it only prints nine black or six color pages per minute. Overall, it's a good option if you're looking for an affordable printer and don't mind a few compromises. Home-office printers are a subset of business printers ($100 to $2,500 or more), which range from compact models for low-volume use to gigantic floor-standing units that can anchor a department. Most business printers are lasers , and many are monochrome, intended primarily for text rather than graphics and photos. For many businesses, speed and paper capacity are paramount, and security is important as well, which is why many business printers offer security features such as password-protected printing.
These programs can save you a considerable amount of money, particularly if you print mostly in color and print close to the number of pages included in the plan. Generally, business models use laser or similar technology and are geared toward text, or text and graphics, while home printers are generally inkjets and favor photos and graphics. Within each printer category, quality for each kind of output varies widely. Some business printers can handle all three types well enough for in-house printing of brochures and other marketing materials, for example. For photo printing, the iX6820 combines FINE print head technology and genuine Canon photo paper for borderless photos that can last up to 300 years when stored properly. Additionally, the iX6820 offers a quiet mode for nearly zero noise when printing small quantities of paper.
Best For an Office
We were impressed with the photo quality we were able to print on the 3830, and the details in our printed photos were exceptionally clear. When picking out your new budget printer, be sure to choose one that is compatible with an efficient ink and toner cartridge, as that can save you a lot of money in the long run. You might even find that some models offer XXL extra high yield cartridges- so look out out for that if you know you’re going to be going printing-crazy. This HP printer is a cheap, yet high-performing model from a brand you know you can rely on.

Eric Watson is a tech writer who specializes in consumer technology. He tested the HP OfficeJet on our list, and particularly liked that it's an all-in-one printer. Measuring 14.3 x 7.32 x 2.7 inches and weighing just 6.5 pounds, the OfficeJet 250 is lightweight, but it’s still on the larger end for a battery-operated printer.
What to look for in an affordable printer
Measuring at 12.7 x 7.3 x 2.6 inches and weighing 11.6 ounces, it can fit in most luggage and backpacks. It comes with black and color ink and a USB power cable that you can connect to a computer or a compatible power source. There’s also an optional detachable battery if you want to go completely cordless with this printer. The top-notch Brother PocketJet PJ883 delivers good speed and output quality for a mobile thermal printer, plus offers lots of connection choices, an optional battery, and support for both PCs and mobile devices. The Lexmark MS431dw single-function monochrome laser prints well and at a decent clip with competitive running costs, making it a good value for busy offices and workgroups.
If you'll ever change from Apple branded devices, or can make do with just wireless printing options, you'll be able to choose from far more printers than just the AirPrint compatible models. We print text documents of varying size, ranging from one page long to five pages, to 20 pages, to simulate the experience of printing letters, boarding passes, essays, manuscripts. We print documents that feature a mixture of text and graphics, such as pie charts and bar graphs, to simulate printing out reports and contracts. We also print off graphical images to test how long it would take for a printer to run off copies of a PowerPoint presentation. If a printer can print photos, we run off copies of the same royalty-free image on plain A4, glossy A4, and glossy 6 x 4-inch paper to test how long it would take for holiday snaps to be printed.
Setup should be easy as the OfficeJet 3830 comes with a clear instruction sheet, a power cable, and a phone cable . As this printer is meant to be used wirelessly, it does not come with a USB connector. Beyond questions of technology and output type, there are several more finely grained categories of printer. HP's OfficeJet Pro 9015e All-in-One Printer churns out quality output at a low cost per page, making it a good value for small offices with light- to medium-duty copy and print volume requirements. Size and form factor are also important considerations when thinking about a new printer. Is the machine going to sit on an already-messy desk, or do you have a separate printer stand?

Priced around £100, the Envy 6420e may be a bit more expensive than other budget models on this budget list, but it has a number of great features that will make it a fantastic addition to your home. It has cloud connectivity that makes sure it has the latest software updates installed, alongside built-in WiFi that means you can print documents straight from your laptop or phone. Six months of HP’s Instant Ink subscription service means you will remain topped up before ever running dry. As always, the bigger PG-545 XL (£25.49) and CL-546XL (£25.49) cartridges give you more ink, 400 and 300 pages’ worth respectively, and so the cost-per-page here falls to 6p and 8p. The Canon Pixma TR4550 is not covered by any subscription plans, which may make it cheaper to run for busy households, but it is ultimately an all-in-one colour printer that’s reasonably inexpensive to run and costs £50. If you need a new home printer, the HP DeskJet 2720e should be able to handle any basic task you throw at it – including both black/white and colour documents.
The Epson Smart Panel App makes setup a breeze, taking you through every step via your smartphone. Non-smartphone users can set it up with the built-in screen, which mirrors the setup instructions, making it hard to go wrong. Little difference exists between the cost of a color printer and the cost of a black and white printer.

If photos are on your agenda, you need an inkjet or dedicated small format photo printer. If the only color output you print is graphics, you probably want an inkjet as well, but if you print infrequently, an inexpensive color laser may be the better choice. Laser printers have the advantage of being able to sit for months without being used, and then simply turn on and work, without the clogged nozzles or wasted ink for cleaning them that inkjets sometimes need. If you plan on doing any scanning or copying, but not so much that you need a standalone scanner, you should look to an all-in-one or multifunction printer. Decent AIOs aren’t that much more expensive than their printer-only counterparts.