The Best Printer Deals This Week*
- Canon Pixma MG3620 Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printer — $46.99 (List Price $79.99)
- Epson Expression Home XP-5200 Wireless All-in-One Color Printer — $79.99 (List Price $129.99)
- HP LaserJet MFP M234dw Wireless All-in-One Monochrome Printer — $199.00 (List Price $239)
- Canon Color imageCLASS MF656Cdw All-in-One Laser Printer — $366.00 (List Price $449.99)
- HP LaserJet Pro M283fdw Wireless All-in-One Laser Printer — $429.00 (List Price $549)
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
Choosing a printer may sound easy. But once you start diving into all the available features, making a choice can quickly get daunting. Do you need a basic printer just to print, or do you want to scan and copy as well? And what about faxing, or scanning to and printing from the cloud, or even scanning and sending an email? How do you choose between inkjet and laser technology? What’s the real difference between a $200 model and a $500 model?
Don't fret: We've got you covered on all fronts. PC Labs tests dozens of printers every year, across everyday consumer models, big business machines, pocket-size photo printers, and more. Scroll down for our top tested picks across all these categories, then read on for a comprehensive guide to how to buy a printer.
Table of Contents
Brother MFC-J4335DW
Best Everyday Printer for Most Users
Why We Picked It
Shoppers with less than $200 to spend can choose from a number of all-in-one inkjets that don't take much desk space, but the Brother MFC-J4335DW goes beyond that with duplex printing, faxing (either as a standalone fax machine or from almost any app on your PC), a 20-page automatic document feeder, and low running costs of under a penny per black page and under a nickel per color page. The ADF doesn't handle double-sided pages, but you have to sacrifice something in this price range.
Who It's For
Both homes and small (to be honest, very small) offices can readily make room for this Brother printer. You won't use its fax capability often, but you never know when you might need it, and its competent paper handling joins its more-than-adequate text and better-than-adequate graphics quality.
PROS
- Duplex printing
- Fast print speed for the price
- Fax function
- Prints from and scans to mobile devices
- Low price plus low cost per page
CONS
- ADF does not support duplex scanning
- Text quality is poor at small font sizes and with some stylized fonts
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | All-in-one |
| Color or Monochrome | Color |
| Connection Type | USB, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Maximum Standard Paper Size | Legal |
| Number of Ink Colors | 4 |
| Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks | 4 |
| Direct Printing From Media Cards | |
| Direct Printing From USB Thumb Drives | |
| Rated Speed at Default Settings (Color) | 19 ppm |
| Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono) | 20 ppm |
| Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended) | 250 to 2,000 |
| Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum) | 30,000 pages per month |
| LCD Preview Screen | |
| Printer Input Capacity | 150 + 1 |
| Cost Per Page (Monochrome) | 0.9 cents |
| Cost Per Page (Color) | 4.7 cents |
| Print Duplexing | |
| Automatic Document Feeder | |
| Scanner Type | Flatbed with 20-page ADF |
| Duplexing Scans | |
| Maximum Scan Area | Legal |
| Scanner Optical Resolution | 1,200 by 2,400 pixels per inch |
| Standalone Copier and Fax | Copier, Fax |
Canon Maxify GX5020
A Solid Print-Only Alternative to the Brother MFC-J4335DW
Why We Picked It
Non-AIO inkjets are uncommon items these days. But if all you want to do is print documents and, perhaps, glossy-paper photos en masse, and maximize your savings on ink while doing it, look into this Maxify model. Cheap ink is its biggest selling point: You won't get a classic AIO scanning or copy function (though Canon offers a sort-of copy workaround, letting you shoot a document with your phone's camera and print it in one step), but you will get a bulk-ink design that takes refills from bottled ink. Our math based on Canon's yield claims and bottle costs works out to 0.5 cent per monochrome black page and 0.7 cent per color page. And that's before you factor in Canon's full-size ink bottles bundled with the printer. (Plus, before we forget to mention: The output looks very good.)
Who It's For
The Maxify is geared toward home offices, but it can serve the needs of a heavy-printing family, too. It's all about printing enough, day in and day out, to leverage the low ink costs, since the printer itself, like most bulk-ink/bottle-refill models, is priced on the high side for the feature set. But if you have a home business, plus a family that hits a printer hard for schoolwork or hobbies, it's an excellent longer-term money-saver.
PROS
- Low ink cost
- Ethernet, USB, and Wi-Fi connections
- Duplex printing
- Mobile device support
CONS
- High initial price compared with cartridge-based competition
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Printer Only |
| Color or Monochrome | Color |
| Connection Type | USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Maximum Standard Paper Size | Legal |
| Number of Ink Colors | 4 |
| Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks | 4 |
| Direct Printing From Media Cards | |
| Direct Printing From USB Thumb Drives | |
| Rated Speed at Default Settings (Color) | 15.5 ppm |
| Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono) | 24 ppm |
| Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended) | 200 - 3,300 |
| Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum) | 45,000 pages per month |
| LCD Preview Screen | |
| Printer Input Capacity | 250 + 100 |
| Cost Per Page (Monochrome) | 0.5 cents |
| Cost Per Page (Color) | 1.2 cents |
| Print Duplexing | |
| Automatic Document Feeder | |
| Scanner Type | N/A |
| Duplexing Scans | |
| Maximum Scan Area | N/A |
| Scanner Optical Resolution | N/A |
| Standalone Copier and Fax | N/A |
Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850
Best Inkjet All-in-One Printer for Businesses
Why We Picked It
A Best of the Year winner in 2020, Epson's EcoTank Pro ET-5850 no longer comes with the two years' supply of free ink it was introduced with, but it's still a great deal for high-volume office printing. This all-in-one boasts a 50-page ADF with single-pass auto duplexing, an ample 550-sheet paper capacity, and near-typeset-quality output for text (and impressive graphics, too). It's as fast as any of its inkjet and several of its laser competitors, and it'll cost you only about 2 cents per page for both monochrome output and, more impressively, color.
Who It's For
Assuming you stick to letter- and legal-size paper instead of the wide-format media supported by its EcoTank Pro ET-16650 sibling, the ET-5850 is virtually ideal for small businesses and workgroups that crank out 3,000 to 4,000 pages per month. It was arguably the first successful office implementation of the bulk-ink concept that slashed consumer printers' page costs—to under a penny for black and white—but those printers don't have the chops for busy office duty. This one does.
PROS
- Two years of unlimited ink
- Very low running costs
- Terrific print quality
- Auto-duplexing ADF
- PrecisionCore 4S printhead
- Excellent mobile connectivity options
- Two-year warranty with registration
CONS
- High initial purchase price
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | All-in-one |
| Color or Monochrome | Color |
| Connection Type | Wireless, Ethernet, USB, Bluetooth |
| Maximum Standard Paper Size | Legal |
| Number of Ink Colors | 4 |
| Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks | 4 |
| Direct Printing From Media Cards | |
| Direct Printing From USB Thumb Drives | |
| Rated Speed at Default Settings (Color) | 25 ppm |
| Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono) | 25 ppm |
| Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended) | 3,300 |
| Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum) | 66,000 pages per month |
| LCD Preview Screen | |
| Printer Input Capacity | 550 |
| Cost Per Page (Monochrome) | 2 cents |
| Cost Per Page (Color) | 2 cents |
| Print Duplexing | |
| Automatic Document Feeder | |
| Scanner Type | Flatbed with ADF (Standard or Optional) |
| Duplexing Scans | |
| Maximum Scan Area | Legal |
| Scanner Optical Resolution | 1,200 by 2,400 pixels per inch |
| Standalone Copier and Fax | Fax, Copier |
Brother MFC-L3780CDW
Best Color Laser All-in-One Printer
Why We Picked It
Color laser all-in-one printers are neither cheap (this one's $500) nor compact (about 50 pounds), but the Brother MFC-L3780CDW is a worthy workhorse with a recommended monthly usage of 4,000 pages. It has a 50-sheet automatic document feeder, a multipurpose tray, and a 250-sheet paper drawer. It bolsters the usual Ethernet and Wi-Fi office network membership with versatile connectivity for mobile devices. And its output quality is exceptional.
Who It's For
This is a printer built for business use, but its price isn't so out of reach that smaller companies can't consider it. The MFC-L3780CDW will tempt large and small enterprises alike with its rock-solid performance and competitive running costs (about 12.3 cents per color page and 2.3 cents per black-and-white page).
PROS
- Prints, scans, copies, and faxes
- Relatively fast
- Competitive toner costs
- Excellent print, copy, and scan quality
- 50-page single-pass auto-duplexing ADF
- Wide range of wireless connection options, including NFC
CONS
- Modest 30-sheet multipurpose tray
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | All-in-one |
| Color or Monochrome | Color |
| Connection Type | Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Maximum Standard Paper Size | Legal |
| Number of Ink Colors | 4 |
| Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks | 4 |
| Direct Printing From Media Cards | |
| Direct Printing From USB Thumb Drives | |
| Rated Speed at Default Settings (Color) | 31 ppm |
| Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono) | 31 ppm |
| Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended) | 4,000 |
| Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum) | 50,000 pages per month |
| LCD Preview Screen | |
| Printer Input Capacity | 250 |
| Cost Per Page (Monochrome) | 2.3 cents |
| Cost Per Page (Color) | 12.3 cents |
| Print Duplexing | |
| Automatic Document Feeder | |
| Scanner Type | Flatbed with ADF |
| Duplexing Scans | |
| Maximum Scan Area | Legal |
| Scanner Optical Resolution | 1,200 by 1,200 pixels per inch |
| Standalone Copier and Fax | Copier, Fax |
Canon imageClass MF452dw
Best Mono Laser All-in-One Printer
Why We Picked It
Photo-perfect color inkjets get all the attention, but compact, low-cost monochrome laser printers will never die for small offices and workgroups that mostly crank out black-and-white text documents. Heavy-printing families can use them too, especially if they have a student or students who print lots of worksheets or report drafts. For these uses, Canon's imageClass MF452dw is the mono laser AIO of the moment that others will have to beat, and the pricing is aggressive, too. It's part of an imageClass line with slight feature variations, and this model adds faxing if you need it. A big, easy-to-use touch panel and flexible paper handing for both printing and scanning make it a great utility player, and the mono output quality is excellent.
Who It's For
Small offices and workgroups will benefit from the AIO features the most, but don't discount this model for a heavy-printing home. You won't use it for photo or image printing, but for raw document input and output, it's a super deal.
PROS
- Top-tier text, graphics, and photos for a mono laser
- Auto-duplex printing
- Duplexing ADF for scanning and copying
- Wired and wireless network connections
- Easy Wi-Fi Direct connections to mobile devices
CONS
- ADF doesn't duplex for faxing
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | All-in-one |
| Color or Monochrome | Monochrome |
| Connection Type | USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Maximum Standard Paper Size | Legal |
| Number of Ink Colors | 1 |
| Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks | 1 |
| Direct Printing From Media Cards | |
| Direct Printing From USB Thumb Drives | |
| Rated Speed at Default Settings (Color) | N/A |
| Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono) | 34 ppm |
| Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended) | 750 to 4,000 |
| Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum) | Not rated |
| LCD Preview Screen | |
| Printer Input Capacity | 250+100 (expandable to 900) |
| Cost Per Page (Monochrome) | 2.25 |
| Cost Per Page (Color) | N/A |
| Print Duplexing | |
| Automatic Document Feeder | |
| Scanner Type | Flatbed with Single-Pass Duplexing ADF |
| Duplexing Scans | |
| Maximum Scan Area | Legal |
| Scanner Optical Resolution | 600 x 600 dpi |
| Standalone Copier and Fax | Copier, Fax |
Brother HL-L9310CDW
Best Color Laser (Print-Only)
Why We Picked It
Making copies? There's a Xerox machine for that. Scanning? Bah humbug! The Brother HL-L9310CDW is a single-function laser printer, period. It's ready to crank out page after page (up to 6,000 each month) with flawless, vividly colorful Excel and PowerPoint graphics and typesetter-quality text, at speeds only the most expensive enterprise printers can beat. It offers plenty of connectivity and expansion options, plus extensive fleet security features.
Who It's For
Midsize and large offices and workgroups will embrace the HL-L9310CDW with open arms, enjoying everything from its color touch-screen control panel to its competitive running costs. Certified for everything from remote computing to electronic medical-records handling, it's a workhorse with superb output quality and versatility.
PROS
- Terrific print quality.
- Fast print speeds.
- Low running costs.
- High-yield toner cartridges.
- Highly expandable paper capacity.
- Enterprise and fleet security features.
- Ample standard and mobile connectivity.
CONS
- Somewhat pricey.
- Color touch screen is a bit small.
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Printer Only |
| Color or Monochrome | Color |
| Connection Type | Wireless, Ethernet, USB, NFC |
| Maximum Standard Paper Size | Legal |
| Number of Ink Colors | 4 |
| Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks | 4 |
| Direct Printing From Media Cards | |
| Direct Printing From USB Thumb Drives | |
| Rated Speed at Default Settings (Color) | 33 ppm |
| Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono) | 33 ppm |
| Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended) | 6,000 |
| Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum) | 80,000 pages per month |
| LCD Preview Screen | |
| Printer Input Capacity | 250 |
| Cost Per Page (Monochrome) | 1.2 cents |
| Cost Per Page (Color) | 7.5 cents |
| Print Duplexing | |
| Automatic Document Feeder | |
| Scanner Type | N/A |
| Duplexing Scans | |
| Maximum Scan Area | N/A |
| Scanner Optical Resolution | N/A |
| Standalone Copier and Fax | N/A |
Canon ImageClass LBP236dw
Best Mono Laser (Print-Only)
Why We Picked It
The Canon ImageClass LBP236dw edged out Lexmark's MS431dw thanks to significantly faster speed for two-sided (duplex) printing. Also in the plus column? It has a lower list price than most ($299) and an acceptably low running cost. For small or midsize offices that need duplex printing, it's the very model of a midrange to high-volume monochrome workhorse.
Who It's For
If you rarely or never print in duplex, the Lexmark MS431dw will give you essentially the same performance and capability as the Canon, but not much of a savings on price. That makes the LBP236dw the clear choice for most monochrome printing needs, so small and medium-size offices and workgroups that just need solid black-and-white printing without copying or scanning capability will find it right in their wheelhouse.
PROS
- Top-tier mono laser output quality (or close to it) across the board
- Auto-duplexer
- Ethernet and Wi-Fi network connection options
- Supports mobile printing for Android and iOS devices
CONS
- User manual covers two printers, without making clear which info applies only to the other printer
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Printer Only |
| Color or Monochrome | Monochrome |
| Connection Type | USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Maximum Standard Paper Size | Legal |
| Number of Ink Colors | 1 |
| Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks | 1 |
| Direct Printing From Media Cards | |
| Direct Printing From USB Thumb Drives | |
| Rated Speed at Default Settings (Color) | N/A |
| Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono) | 40 ppm |
| Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended) | 750 to 4,000 |
| Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum) | Not provided |
| LCD Preview Screen | |
| Printer Input Capacity | 250+100 (expandable to 900) |
| Cost Per Page (Monochrome) | 2.25 cents |
| Cost Per Page (Color) | N/A |
| Print Duplexing | |
| Automatic Document Feeder | |
| Scanner Type | N/A |
| Duplexing Scans | |
| Maximum Scan Area | N/A |
| Scanner Optical Resolution | N/A |
| Standalone Copier and Fax | N/A |
Epson EcoTank Pro ET-16650
Best Wide-Format Office Printer
Why We Picked It
The Epson EcoTank Pro ET-16650 wide-format AIO prints well and inexpensively, and it comes with two years of unlimited free ink, making it an exceptional value for small businesses and workgroups. That's not unique, but it's also a wide-format model that fits super-tabloid-size paper (13 by 19 inches) as well as letter- and legal-size paper. It can copy, scan, and fax (as well as print) big pages, and it offers a handy automatic document feeder.
Who It's For
With support for super-tabloid media, the Epson delivers admirable convenience and print quality for businesses that produce their own marketing materials. It's not the fastest AIO, but it's plenty fast enough for light to medium duty in almost any office setting.
PROS
- Two years of unlimited ink
- Excellent print quality
- Very low running costs
- Auto-duplexing ADF
- Thousands of pages worth of ink in the box
- Two-year warranty with registration
- Excellent mobile connectivity options
CONS
- High initial purchase price
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | All-in-one |
| Color or Monochrome | 1-pass color |
| Connection Type | Wireless, Ethernet, USB, Bluetooth |
| Maximum Standard Paper Size | Supertabloid |
| Number of Ink Colors | 4 |
| Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks | 4 |
| Direct Printing From Media Cards | |
| Direct Printing From USB Thumb Drives | |
| Rated Speed at Default Settings (Color) | 25 ppm |
| Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono) | 25 ppm |
| Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended) | 3,300 |
| Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum) | 66,000 pages per month |
| LCD Preview Screen | |
| Printer Input Capacity | 550 |
| Cost Per Page (Monochrome) | 2 cents |
| Cost Per Page (Color) | 2 cents |
| Print Duplexing | |
| Automatic Document Feeder | |
| Scanner Type | Flatbed with ADF (Standard or Optional) |
| Duplexing Scans | |
| Maximum Scan Area | Tabloid |
| Scanner Optical Resolution | 1,200 by 2,400 pixels per inch |
| Standalone Copier and Fax | Copier, Fax |