10 Best Inkjet Printers Reviews and Buying Guide

Why Do You Need an Inkjet Printer?

An inkjet printer, as you know, is a computer peripheral. It can produce a hard copy of documents by spraying ink on the paper. Typically, this printer can produce copies with a resolution of a minimum of 300 dots per inch. Some of these printers are capable of producing full-color hard copies of documents at 600 dpi or even more. Nowadays, many models of this printer come with other facilities like a dedicated fax machine, photocopier, and scanner along with the printer.

One of the benefits of the best inkjet printer is that it will be an affordable option. This printer is generally given away when customers purchase a considerable peripheral or a personal computer from computer superstores. However, you can find this printer in different cost ranges. Even, the cheapest of this model of printer can meet most of your personal printing needs. When you take the case of high-end inkjet printers, they can provide you with digital images on special papers.

Quick Summary

Now, as you intend to buy the best inkjet printer, your question will be what are the best options available in the market. To help you with the right selection, we have shortlisted the top 11 options in the market here:

1. Printer for easy Printing from your Smart Devices: Pixma MG3620 Inkjet Printer from Canon
2. The Best Printer for Home Printing Needs: MG Series PIXMA MG2525 Inkjet Photo Printer from Canon
3. The Best Printer for printing day-to-day color documents: 4155e DeskJet All-in-One Color Printer from HP
4. The Printer that will Let you Save Money on All Reorders: PIXMA TR4520 Wireless Printer All-in-One from Canon
5. The best cartridge-free printer: EcoTank ET-2720 Wireless Color Printer from Epson
6. The Best Printer with Ultra-Compact Design: 3755 DeskJet Compact Printer from HP
7. The Best Printer for Small Businesses: OfficeJet Pro 8210 Wireless Color Printer from HP
8. Best Printer to Save Time and Money in Printing: Expression Home XP-4100 Color Printer from Epson
9. Best Printer for Home-Office Use: Pixma G3260 Wireless Color All-in-One Printer from Canon
10. The Best Printer that Heals Wi-Fi Issues itself: OfficeJet Pro 8025e All-in-One Printer from HP:
11. Best Printer for Basic Color Document Printing: Wireless DeskJet 2755e All-in-One Printer from HP

The Best Inkjet Printer – Detailed Reviews

Now, knowing top options alone is not enough. You will be looking for detailed inkjet printer reviews of these top options. Here are the reviews:

1. Pixma MG3620 Inkjet Printer from Canon

If you are looking for an inkjet printer that will let you easily print from your tablet, Android, iPad or iPhone, this printer can meet your requirements. With its easy and quick wireless setup, you can quickly start using this unit. With its powerful printing options, you can print documents from Google Cloud Print, Mopria, NFC, Airprint, and Canon Print apps. It helps you unlock the power of printing with your handheld devices. You can print and even scan from your phone using many compatible applications.

With its space-saving and compact design, this printer carries the added advantage of letting you print on both sides of a paper with its automatic two-sided print feature. The utmost printing speed in color mode is 16 and in black and white mode is 9.9.

Further, this unit uses genuine Canon ink for delivering smudge-resistant and crisp professional-quality prints. You can share the same with your family and friends as well. Apart from working as a printer, this unit can function as a copier and a scanner as well.

Pros:

• Lets you easily print from your mobile devices
• Ensures quick and easy wireless setup
• Space-saving and compact design
• Enables printing on both sides of the paper
• Offers powerful printing options

Cons:

•  No tray for the paper to stay when it comes out from the printer

2. PIXMA MG2525 MG Series Inkjet Photo Printer from Canon

This best inkjet printer from Canon has been created by the brand as an all-in-one printer made in the most appropriate size. It has all the best features that a printer should have. It can handle different paper sizes ranging from 4 x 6 to legal size papers. This Windows 8 compatible printer comes with black pigment ink text.

It has been created as a simple printer for your home printing needs. Not only a printer but also this unit can function as a copier and as a photo printer to you. The printer has been made as a lightweight unit for your printing needs.

You can use this unit for printing 4 x 6-inch paper. It has been designed ideal for printing not only plain paper but also envelopes and glossy photo paper.

Pros:

• The best printer for your home printing needs
• Prints on different types of paper including envelops and glossy photo paper
• Affordable pricing
• Supports optional XL ink cartridges
• Provides the opportunity to replace cartridges less often

Cons:

• Loud printing
• Slow printing

3. 4155e DeskJet All-in-One Color Printer from HP

This product is part of our inkjet printer reviews of the best units because it lets you print fundamental color documents like travel documents, forms and recipes. It lets you scan, copy and print in color. The other features include wireless printing, mobile printing, mobile fax, and an auto document feeder. This unit comes with an optional HP+ System that enables your printer to think in advance. In turn, the unit becomes more secure, ready, and productive. Needs an internet connection and an HP account and the manufacturer recommends the usage of original HP ink for the life of the printer.

When you go for this printer, you will get 6 free months of instant ink along with an extra year of HP warranty. You will get these benefits when you activate HP+. You can get started quickly on any device with the HP smart app. Above all, the app will guide you step-by-step for a quick startup.  This app will help you not only print but also scan and copy from your phone whenever and wherever you need. Further, you will get advanced features for 24 months of HP+.

Pros:

• Lets you print fundamental color documents
• With HP+ assures no instances of ink running out
• Worry-free reliable wireless connection
• Auto document feeder
• Scan, print and copy in color

Cons:

• The paper feed holds only 35 sheets at a time.

4. PIXMA TR4520 Wireless Printer All-in-One from Canon

This printer comes with the Canon print app and Wireless connect. With these additions, you can use your smartphone to easily and quickly set up the printer and you can print right from your tablet or smartphone as well. Like many other printers from Canon, this printer has been designed easy to use with features like Auto power on/off, Mopria print service, AirPrint, built-in ADF, and Wi-Fi.

When you choose this inkjet printer, you can save 10% on all your ink reorders with its Dash Replenishment. When activated, the printer will measure the ink level and will place reorders automatically when it finds that the ink level is low. Also, you can subscribe to this service for free and you can cancel it at any time.

You can ask Alexa to print your shopping list and to-do list. Even, you can ask Alexa to color pages, crosswords and much more. Even, you can ask Alexa to detect when the toner or ink is running low and to order when more is required. Also, you can save 10% on all toner or ink smart reorders.

Pros:

• Easy-to-use printer
• Meets your wireless home printing needs
• With the Canon print app, you can print from cloud-based apps like Facebook and Instagram

Cons:

• Takes a long time to print every page

5. EcoTank ET-2720 Wireless Color Printer from Epson

Apart from being easy to use, this printer from Epson has been created as an affordable and fast printer. This innovative cartridge-free solution uses easily refillable and high-capacity ink tanks. So, you are relieved of the instances of running out of ink and can also save a lot on ink replacements.

This best inkjet printer comes with genuine Epson print quality along with a high-resolution flatbed scanner. Along with a convenient color display, this printer turns out to be the best choice for your basic home printing needs. The unique feature of this printer is its innovative cartridge-free printing. It comes with high-capacity ink tanks, which means that you need not have to experience any expensive and tiny ink cartridges. The exclusive EcoFit ink bottles from Epson will make your filling free of any worries and easy. With this printer, you can experience dramatic savings on your replacement ink.

You will get up to two years of ink in the box. You will get it with every replacement ink set. In turn, the chances of the frustration of ink running out are eliminated entirely. This printer reduces the amount of cartridge waste getting into the landfills with this printer with EcoTank.

Pros:

• Cartridge-free printer
• Let you save on replacement cartridges
• Meets your basic home printing needs effectively
• Comes with high-capacity ink tanks

Cons:

• Not very strong wi-fi signal

6. 3755 DeskJet Compact Printer from HP

HP has designed this printer to be instant ink ready. The purpose of this facility is to make sure that you do not run out of ink. This compact printer apart from helping with wireless printing will also help you scan and copy.

Further, HP has made sure that the power of the printer, which is part of our inkjet printer reviews will be in your hands. The brand does it by providing the printer with the HP Smart App. The purpose of this app is to permit you to easily set up your printer. Further, it will let you scan from your smartphone. Also, it will let you order toner and print from cloud services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud.

Further, as the ink is delivered to your home, you can get the first four months of ink-free of cost. This is possible by enrolling in the HP Instant Ink. You need not compulsorily do it as it is offered as an optional service by HP. You can use this option at any time like at the time of setting up your printer. This compact printer has been designed to fit your life and space. In fact, it has been designed ultra-compact to fit any space in your home or small office. Also, it supports different paper sizes.

Pros:

• Ultra-compact design to fit any space
• Can print on different paper types from plain paper to stiff media.
• Can handle printing on different paper sizes
• HP Scroll Scan for handling all scanning jobs with ease
• 7 Segment with LCD Display

Cons:

• Takes a long time to print from the phone directly

7. OfficeJet Pro 8210 Wireless Color Printer from HP

This printer from HP can provide you with everything you need to achieve impressive prints. Right from two-sided, borderless color prints to the Built-in Wi-Fi Direct, you can easily print using this printer by giving the print command from many of your devices. It has been designed to deliver impressive productivity for your small business printing needs.

The associated HP Smart App will let you make the printer setup easily. Further, you can easily scan documents with your camera and can print from your smartphone as well. It supports a wide range of paper sizes including photo media, index cards, envelopes, statements, B5, A5, Executive B5, and A4 letter sizes.

This inkjet printer uses HP original ink and original HP 952 cartridges. With these things, you can get up to 2 times the pages as compared to regular inks. When you use the HP JetAdvantage Management Solution, you can set it to control your fleet. It will help you easily add new solutions and devices, you can update features, and can apply corporate policies with ease with it. The printer will let you manage your budget with professional-quality color at up to 50% less cost per page as compared to laser printers.

Pros:

• Ideal for your small business printing needs
• Allows printing from different devices
• Uses HP Original ink and cartridge
• Helps make impressive prints

Cons:

• At times, the printer continues to show error codes.

8. Expression Home XP-4100 Color Printer from Epson

Epson has designed this printer for use only with Epson Cartridges. The brand recommends that third-party cartridges or ink that claims to be compatible with this printer might not work properly. Further, if you wish to save time printing, this printer will help as it saves time and also paper with auto double-sided printing. Further, it assures simple navigation and setup. Also, it comes with high-resolution 2.4 inches color LCD that will help you easily scan, copy and print documents.

This complete wireless solution will let you easily print from your smartphone, Android tablets, iPhone, and iPad. It comes with a Wi-Fi Direct Connect facility as well. With its operating temperature between 10 and 35-degree Celsius, this printer helps you get affordable individual ink cartridges.

Further, this best inkjet printer lets you print hands-free as you can engage in voice-activated printing. You can print a wide range of documents and projects that encompass your to-do-shopping lists. You can touch documents and photos immediately after printing with this unit as it uses instant dry Clarian Ink.

Pros:

• Lets you save time and money
• Prints double side automatically
• Hands-free voice-activated printing
• Instant dry clarian ink
• Affordable individual ink cartridges

Cons:

• Copying and Scanning take long times

9. Pixma G3260 Wireless Color All-in-One Printer from Canon

Regardless of whether you look for a printer to digitalize your old family photos or you wish to frame new ones, this printer will help you as you can do these things in vivid colors. It prints photos stunningly with its five-ink system and can even copy, scan and fax. So, with this printer, you can get more done in your home office. It lets you connect wirelessly and it is best suited to handle your day-to-day printing tasks.

The wireless technology that this printer uses lets you print from anywhere virtually. You can easily connect the printer to your home network via the ethernet port. The speed of printing will be 15 ppm in the case of color-less printing, which will be 10 ppm for color printing.

This unit is part of our inkjet printer reviews of the best printers because it comes with integrated tanks. The front-mounted reservoirs in this unit will let you easily and quickly keep an eye on the levels of ink and you can refill as required. It assures an impressive yield of up to 7700 color and 6000 black pages per set of the ink bottle. For an easy user-interface experience and greater usability, it offers a two-line LCD display.

Pros:

• Best suited for home-office printing
• Two-line LCD display
• Front-mounted reservoirs lets you know ink levels instantly
• Versatile print options
• Impressive page yield

Cons:

• The LCD screen is not backlit
• Turns off automatically when kept idle for a while.

10. OfficeJet Pro 8025e All-in-One Printer from HP

This inkjet printer has been designed as the most suitable for small businesses and home offices. With this printer, it will be possible for you to print professional-quality color documents. You can print presentations, brochures, and reports using this printer. With this printer, you can get quick color printing, fax facility, scan, and copy facilities are also available. Further, you can get two-sided printing, wireless and mobile printing, and an auto document feeder with this printer.

With this unit, you can print up to 20 pages per minute in black. It can print 10 pages per minute when you print color documents. This unit comes with self-healing Wi-Fi, automatically identifying and resolving connection issues. The HP Smart App that you will get on the purchase of this unit will let you print, copy and scan from your phone. Above all, you can do it from anywhere. You can get advanced features for 24 months along with HP+.

With document protection, Wi-Fi Security, password protection and basic encryption that this printer offers, you can safeguard your sensitive business data. With HP+, you can get improved cloud-based security features as well.

Pros:

• Self-heals Wi-Fi issues
• Wireless and mobile printing
• Quicker printing speeds
• Two-sided printing
• 6 months of instant ink with HP+

Cons:

• Louder printing

11. Wireless DeskJet 2755e All-in-One Printer from HP

If you are looking for a printer that can print some basic color documents like forms, travel documents, and recipes, this printer from HP can meet your requirements. With HP Smart App, you can easily set up and start using this printer. In addition to enabling wireless printing, it also enables mobile printing. Apart from printing, you can use this unit for copying and scanning as well.

This best inkjet printer offers dual-band Wi-Fi for better range and for dependable Wi-Fi connections. When you opt for HP+ when buying or immediately after buying this printer, you can make the printer smarter with advanced features. These features make your print from any device. Also, with HP+, you will get six months of instant ink for free.

Pros:

• Best printer for basic color document printing
• You can print, copy and scan with this printer
• You can print up to 700 pages a month
• Enables printing from any device with HP+

Cons:

• Set up is a bit hard

What Is An Inkjet Printer?

The process of inkjet printing dates back to the early 20th century. Although the concept of inkjet printing gained wide popularity among the population, it was only after the 1950s that extensive attempts were made to develop the concept into a full-fledged technology. And by 1970, prototypes of an inkjet printer were created on an experimental basis and multinational corporations named Epson, Canon, and HP, are credited with the development and sale of the first versions of an inkjet printer.

Inkjet printing is the process in which an image uploaded into a digital source is reproduced accurately by ejecting appropriate ink onto the paper. The ink is ejected out of the system in the form of droplets to ensure accuracy. There are several inkjet technologies used in various models and kinds of inkjet printers. Some of them are thermal inkjet, thermoplastic inkjet, piezo inkjet, and drop-on-demand inkjet. There are various inks also used in different printers like solvent inks, UV-curable inks, and dye sublimation inks.

Inkjet printers are still a crowd’s favorite due to multiple reasons. They are comparatively less noisy than the previously used models of printers. The quality of the pictures that they produce is also quite better than the previous ones. They are affordable and easy to use, and thus, very popular among the general masses. Owing to this popularity, many frontrunners of the market manufacture different versions of inkjet printers with varying features.

How Does Inkjet Printer Work?

There are numerous types of inkjet printers available in the market based on the differences in various features. Inkjet printers tend to differ based on the ink used, the technology used, and the apparatuses used in the system. Even though they are numerous versions of inkjet printers available on the market, the basic working parts are mostly similar. Generally, an inkjet printer mainly consists of an ink cartridge, ink, ink supply pump, pressure regulator, paper distribution system, and nozzle. If any of these parts are met with an error, the smooth functioning of the inkjet printer will be challenged.

Let’s look into the working elements and the working principles of an inkjet printer a bit deeper below:

Ink distribution system

The ink distribution system is the core of an inkjet printer. It mostly consists of the ink cartridges, ink, and the ink supply apparatus.

Ink cartridges: Ink cartridges differ in various models of inkjet printers. They tend to differ in color and number generally. There are monochromatic printers that can be used to print only one color along with the white of the paper. In such printers, there is only one cartridge present. But for multi-colored ones, mostly multiple cartridges will be present inside the system.

Ink: The ink is the crucial element in a printer. It differs in various ways like its composition. But the basic features that all kinds of inks maintain are a particular level of viscosity, convenient surface tension for movement, and the concentration of the color. Mostly there are four types of inks that are used in inkjet printers. They are solvent inks, UV – curable inks, dye sublimation inks, and solid inks.

Solvent inks have high equilibrium vapor pressure which allows them to move faster. They are fade-proof, water-proof, and have high durability. UV- curable inks are cured by providing ample exposure to UV light. It allows the ink to provide better coloration to the image than any other ink. Dye sublimation inks are generally used to print on clothes or fabric, especially polyester fabric. Solid links are wax-like textured inks that achieve mobility once provided a raised temperature. It is resin-based and is also known as hot-melt inks.

Nozzles or Printing Heads

Nozzles or printing heads are the part through which the ink is expelled out onto the paper for printing purposes. There are different types of printing heads like fixed head nozzles and disposable head nozzles.

The fixed-head nozzles, as the name itself, suggests, come with an in-built nozzle that is non-removable. It has its fair share of advantages and disadvantages. When it is positive that you need not spend any money on replacing the nozzle every time you refill the cartridge, it is also negative in case the nozzle happens to break, as replacing a permanent nozzle may cost you more.

When it comes to the disposable nozzles, they are supposed to be removed whenever an ink cartridge run out of ink and the entire ink system should be replaced. It thus causes more money in terms of purchasing the replacement sets but is easily reparable and replaceable in case the nozzle meets with any problem.

Paper Distribution System

The paper feeder or distribution system includes multiple elements like the paper feeder, paper roller, paper feeder motor, etc. Some of the major components are described below.

Paper feeder or Paper tray: The paper feeder is the part through which the paper to be printed is inserted. It is usually situated in the posterior part of the printer and opens as default action when the printer runs out of paper. The capacity and size of the paper feeder depend upon the model and manufacturer of the printer.

Paper rollers: Paper rollers are simply the part that spread each of the paper appropriately for fine printing. It is connected to the paper tray and it pulls out each sheet of paper and rolls it out in a systematic manner.

Interface Port

An interface port or outlet is what assists the printer to be connected to any other device like a computer. Most printers come with a USB port which makes them compatible with most smart gadgets.

What Are the Benefits of Inkjet Printer?

Inkjet printers, even after decades of creation, top the sales charts. This popularity of them, amidst better and more advanced devices, owes to its multitude of positive aspects. Some of the major positives associated with inkjet printers are listed below:

1. Quiet Operation

The quietness with which an inkjet printer operates is one of its major advantages. It is far less quiet than its counterparts like the laser printer or the dot matrix printer. This feature makes it suitable for offices and study rooms where silence is greatly appreciated.  

2. High-quality Images

Inkjet printers are often considered the producers of better-quality images as they are highly pigmented. Even when compared to the very popular laser printers, inkjet printers stand way ahead in picture quality and clarity. If the document to be printed consists of a greater number of images, an inkjet printer is always the most reliable one. Its technology makes it better at blending colors and printing them appropriately without causing any mix-ups.

3. No Prep-time Necessary

Many popular kinds of printers like laser printers and dye-sublimation printers need to be warmed up before even starting the process of printing. It is not possible for them to right away start functioning. But when it comes to inkjet printers, no preparation time or warm-up time is required. You can simply switch the machine on and start using it right away. This saves time and money both for the customer.

4. Less Expensive

It is a well-known fact that inkjet printers cost less in multiple angles. When we consider installation, it requires little to no installation cost as it can be used right out of the box that it comes in. Also, in comparison with their counterparts, inkjet cartridges are way cheaper in the market. Thus, it does not cause much of a maintenance cost too. These devices can be refilled numerous times and thus, can be reused for a long period unlike many of their counterparts.

5. Flexible and Convenient

Inkjet printers are flexible in the sense that they can be used to print on almost any surface and texture. Although it is mostly used to print on normal papers, it is ideal to use on textured photo papers, glossy papers, and several clothes. This flexibility is nearly exclusive to them.

They are quite convenient to use and carry around too. They do not demand any professional assistance in installation and thus, anyone can use it right away conveniently. Also, being a weightless device, an inkjet printer can be carried around without any difficulties, unlike a laser printer which is a bit on the heavier side.

How to Choose An Inkjet Printer?

As inkjet printer is a popular choice in the market, numerous manufacturers have tried to create their version of an inkjet printer. As a result of the constant attempts at producing the best quality printer, there are many premium quality inkjet printers available in both online and offline markets. But at the same time, subpar machines are also available in the market and a relatively unaware customer can be taken advantage of such products by the manufacturers. So, it is extremely important to be aware of the ideal or desirable qualities to be looked in an inkjet printer, and some of such major features are provided below:

1. Size of the printer

Printers are available in all sizes. It is totally up to the customer as to which one to choose according to their printing needs. So, consider the quantity or the number of prints that you may have to take within a point of time, and choose a model that supports such printing. If you are planning to purchase a printer for school and home projects, it is better to settle on a smaller one. In such a way, streamline your needs before proceeding to purchase an inkjet printer.

2. Connectivity of the printer

As technological advances are on the rise in the market, inkjet printers with the most modern technologies and features are being presented before the customers. One such advancement is the presence of wireless printers. They are so convenient to be used inside a closed space or while traveling and all. So, if you intend to own an advanced model of inkjet printer, you can simply go for the wireless one. Or else, you can always resort to the traditional wired ones that are not at all behind the wireless ones in terms of quality. There is a third type of inkjet printer that can be connected and used via Bluetooth. The convenience and comfort of the customer is the only deciding factor when it comes to such distinctions.

3. The pigment quality of the printer

There are various types of printers available that can print or not print colors. It is the user’s choice as to which one is ideal for him or her. There are the black and white ones, monochromatic tones, and multi-colored ones present as choices. If you want to print heavy-texted documents, it is only necessary for you to have the black and white ones. But your needs mostly include colors and images, go for the colored one.

4. Speed

Inkjet printers usually have a reasonable speed of printing. But it does change between various models and as a buyer, you need to check for this specification. Check the number of pages that your favorite model can print in a minute and compare it with its counterparts before making a final decision.

5. Functionalities

As mentioned earlier, the latest additions to the inkjet printers consist of modern features and most of them offer more than just printing. Many inkjet printers available in the market these days can scan, copy, and print at the same time. So, before settling on a traditional print-only inkjet printer, explore these latest additions to make the best decision.

6. Price Range

Like any other devices, inkjet printers and their cartridges are available in various price ranges in the market. Generally, inkjet printers are reasonably priced and many offer their printers for even fewer prices. It is fine to purchase a less expensive one that fits your budget, but be aware of the red flags and make sure that you are not ending up with a faulty product.

7. Miscellaneous features

There are a couple of other factors that should be keenly looked at in an inkjet printer. They are the size of the paper feeder, model of the printer, type of ink to be used, etc.

There are paper feeders of different sizes. Look for the kind of paper feeder that your prints are supposed to be.

As far as the model of the printer is concerned, identify whether you need a portable model or a desktop model that can’t be shifted easily.

Multiple types of inks are available in the market. Look for the specifications in your printer’s manual and make sure the ink used by the printer is easily available, less expensive, and non-toxic.

Inkjet Printer – Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Now, with these inkjet printer reviews, you might wonder which one to shortlist. It depends on the purpose for which you wish to buy the printer. Here are some of them to shortlist based on your needs:

• The Best Printer for Home Printing Needs: MG Series PIXMA MG2525 Inkjet Photo Printer from Canon
• The best cartridge-free printer: EcoTank ET-2720 Wireless Color Printer from Epson
• The Best Printer for Small Businesses: OfficeJet Pro 8210 Wireless Color Printer from HP
• Best Printer for Home-Office Use: Pixma G3260 Wireless Color All-in-One Printer from Canon.

Haisley

Hello, I am an associate writer and researcher of MyChineseRecipes. My goal is to make the most complex things to be simple and easy. Simplify makes life easier.