Do You Still Need a Printer? Of Course You Do!

Despite everyone’s move to digital paper, digital photos, and the cloud, we still all need to print a few things once in a while, and some of us need to print a whole lot all the time! To help you find your way through the maze of printer options available, we’ve compiled this guide to the best inkjet and laser models.

As a rule of thumb, inkjets are great for small-volume printing that requires color, and are the only printers to consider for album-worthy photographs. Meanwhile, laser printers are vastly superior for large-volume printing, with color laser models suitable for business presentations.

Our Latest Recommendations for Summer 2021

For Summer 2021, we’ve updated this guide with a number of new models from Canon and HP. While printer tech doesn’t change all that often, every brand regularly refreshes its lineups with new features and designs.

The Inkjet Option: Megatanks for Everyone!

We really like what Canon has done with its Megatank line, also marketed as Supertank. Whatever the name, one thing is for sure: it’s a breath of fresh air in the printer business, with honest printing, no tricks or scams. It holds enough ink to print at least 6,000 pages, and replacement ink costs next to nothing. Yes, Megatank printers are more expensive than traditional inkjets, but we believe transparency in pricing is important for consumers, and the high introductory price of this printer is offset by running costs of about half a cent per page, rather than the 25 cents most inkjets cost (yes, we do mean 50x higher!).

Ever since the Megatank arrived, the entire inkjet business has been turned on its head. All those “cheap” inkjets under $100 that cost well more than $100 to run each year have virtually disappeared. We think that’s great news, because the pricing of these products was deceptive, plain and simple.

The Laser Option: Perfect for High-Volume Printing!

Anyone needing ultra-fast or high-volume printing should absolutely go with a laser printer, available in both black and white (monochrome) and color models, as well as printer-only or multi-function models. Keep in mind that color lasers are not for photo printing, so think twice before you jump up to one of these models, because they tend to be quite a bit bulkier and more costly than monochrome models. They are intended for business color printing, for example flyers, brochures, and presentations.

Also, a heads up: given the huge transition from in-office to remote work, laser printers have skyrocketed in price, and supply has dropped tremendously. For example, while we used to recommend Brother brand printers almost exclusively, most haven’t been available at a decent price since 2020. We’ve therefore added a number of competitive models from Canon and HP to reflect the best deals on the market today.

Parting Thoughts

We provide links to Amazon throughout this guide, and these links will auto-convert for readers in Canada, the UK, and parts of Europe, with regional substitutions made automatically where necessary. Please help support continued development of this guide by using our links if you decide to purchase one the printers we recommend.