The Best Printer Deals This Week*
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
What do single-person home offices and enterprise-level, multiuser offices and workgroups have in common? Sooner or later, they all need a printer. Business-oriented printers designed to serve them span a huge array of models, and picking among them nowadays can be tricky: Most modern printers are dependable and produce high-quality output. Whether you’re in the market for a simple $50 machine for printing and copying the occasional document from your home office, or a high-volume $3,000 workhorse for churning out thousands of pages a month, you can worry less about buying a lemon and concentrate more on finding an office appliance that best matches your needs and budget.Poor print quality, paper jams, and other such frustrations are largely a thing of the past. Today’s reliable printer and scanner technology lets you concentrate more on creature comforts and saving money. Trying to decide how well a printer will serve your business entails evaluating factors such as monthly output volume, paper input capacity, usability features, and running costs. Do you need the ability to print and copy in color? Will a single-function model do, or will you need an all-in-one (AIO) printer that can make copies and scan documents and photos? These are the key questions, so we’ll take them in order. First, we’ll run through our top tested business printer picks, and follow them up with a buying guide to all you need to know to buy the best printer for your office of any size.
Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. See how we test.
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850
Best High-Volume Office Inkjet AIO Printer
Why We Picked ItThe Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 is an all-in-one printer designed to churn out 3,000 to 4,000 pages per month in today’s busy small and midsize offices and workgroups. Its high input capacity, relatively high volume ratings, excellent print quality, low running costs, and strong lineup of productivity and convenience features make it a shoo-in as our current favorite midrange color AIO printer. The ET-5850 delivers a balanced tradeoff between running costs and features, allowing you to print and copy thousands of color pages each month without breaking your organization’s monthly budget.Who It’s ForThe ET-5850 prints well and inexpensively, and it offers generous input capacity as well as lofty volume ratings. It’s an incomparable value for small businesses and workgroups that print a lot.
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
Learn More
Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 Review
Canon Maxify GX5020
Best Small-Office Inkjet Printer
Why We Picked ItA workhorse single-function printer, the Canon Maxify GX5020 stands out for its low cost per page, paired with print speeds and paper capacities that actually let you take full advantage of the potential savings. The printer’s 250-sheet drawer is supplemented by a 100-sheet rear tray, making it easy to have two different paper types or sizes loaded, and also easy to swap out the paper in the rear tray quickly if you need to print on yet another type or size. And this printer’s output looks good, too: Text quality in our tests was in the top tier among inkjets. Who It’s ForThe GX5020 is for small and home offices that print enough to justify its low running costs. If you won’t be printing enough for the low cost per page to lower the total cost, you should consider instead a printer that might have a higher running cost over time, but a lower initial purchase price.
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
Learn More
Canon Maxify GX5020 Review
Brother MFC-J6955DW
Best Small-Office Tabloid Inkjet AIO Printer
Why We Picked ItThe tabloid-size Brother MFC-J6955DW all-in-one printer is speedy and can scan both sides of a page at once, making it a compelling choice for small offices and workgroups. The MFC-J6955DW also offers good-enough output quality for most business needs. Graphics on plain paper delivered vibrant color and smoothly shaded gradients in our tests, and the MFC-J6955DW scores well on running cost too, at 1 cent per page for a standard letter-size monochrome black page and 4.9 cents for a color page.Who It’s ForThe MFC-J6955DW is the obvious choice for businesses who need to print and scan tabloid-size pages, making it an Editors’ Choice-winning inkjet AIO for printing, scanning, copying, and faxing in a micro or small office.
PROS
Fast
Prints and scans on up to tabloid-size paper
Single-pass duplex scanning
Three paper trays
Supports printing and scanning from mobile devices
CONS
Can’t print on or scan supertabloid-size paper
SPECS
Name
Value
Type
All-in-one
Color or Monochrome
Color
Connection Type
USB, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, NFC, Ethernet
Maximum Standard Paper Size
Tabloid
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)
30 ppm
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono)
30 ppm
Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended)
Not rated
Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum)
40,000 pages per month
LCD Preview Screen
Printer Input Capacity
250+250+100
Cost Per Page (Monochrome)
1 cent
Cost Per Page (Color)
4.9 cents
Print Duplexing
Automatic Document Feeder
Scanner Type
Flatbed with ADF; both Tabloid size
Duplexing Scans
Maximum Scan Area
11″ x 17″
Scanner Optical Resolution
1200×1200 pixels per inch
Standalone Copier and Fax
Copier, Fax
Learn More
Brother MFC-J6955DW Review
Canon Pixma G7020 MegaTank All-in-One
Best Home Office Inkjet AIO Printer
Why We Picked ItThe Pixma G7020 inkjet all-in-one delivers some of the lowest running costs available in a consumer printer, making it a great value for home offices that handle a mix of business and personal printing. This and other bulk-ink models’ highest appeal is their exceptionally low running costs—about 0.3 cent for monochrome pages and 0.9 cent per color print. Prints look good, too: Text is well-shaped and highly legible, good enough for any business use except those requiring tiny fonts.Who It’s ForThe G7020 is a terrific value for people who work from home and have moderate print and copy needs (say, between 300 and 500 pages a month).
PROS
Solid feature set, software bundle, and paper capacity for a bulk-ink model
Superb print quality, especially photos
Auto-duplexing print engine and ADF
Super-low running costs
Faster than previous MegaTank models
Up to 18,000 pages worth of black ink in the box
CONS
Last decade’s control panel
SPECS
Name
Value
Type
All-in-one
Color or Monochrome
Color
Connection Type
Wireless, Ethernet, USB, PictBridge
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)
14 ppm
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono)
9 ppm
Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended)
Not rated
Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum)
5,000 pages per month
LCD Preview Screen
Printer Input Capacity
200
Cost Per Page (Monochrome)
0.3 cents
Cost Per Page (Color)
0.9 cents
Print Duplexing
Automatic Document Feeder
Scanner Type
Flatbed with ADF (Standard or Optional)
Duplexing Scans
Maximum Scan Area
Legal
Scanner Optical Resolution
600 by 600 pixels per inch
Standalone Copier and Fax
Copier, Fax
Learn More
Canon Pixma G7020 MegaTank All-in-One Review
Epson EcoTank Pro ET-16650
Best Wide-Format Office Printer
Why We Picked ItEpson’s EcoTank Pro ET-16650 is a feature-rich wide-format all-in-one printer capable of printing pages up to supertabloid size (13 by 19 inches), as well as scanning and copying standard tabloid size (11 by 17 inches). As one of the company’s bulk-ink EcoTank AIOs, it also prints color pages at an exceptionally low cost per page. This makes it our top recommendation for a medium-volume wide-format AIO for small offices and workgroups.Who It’s ForSmall businesses with robust printing, copying, and other document processing needs (and the occasional need to print and digitize huge sheets) will find little to dislike about the EcoTank Pro ET-16650.
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
Learn More
Epson EcoTank Pro ET-16650 Review
Brother HL-L6210DW
Best Workgroup Mono Laser Printer
Why We Picked ItThe Brother HL-L6210DW is an excellent monochrome workhorse, able to chew through reams of paper quickly and cheaply enough to rival tank-based inkjets, while still providing the quality we expect from a laser printer. Output quality in our tests was a half-step below top tier for a mono laser for both text and line graphics. Running cost is also a strong point, which is particularly important for a printer that’s designed to print lots of pages. Brother offers a choice of four cartridge capacities, so you get to choose between buying a cheaper cartridge or getting a lower running cost. The costs per page range from 2.6 cents for the lowest yield (3,000 pages) to just 1.1 cent for the highest (18,000 pages). Who It’s ForThe HL-L6210DW’s strong points are its paper handling, text quality, and low cost per page, a trifecta that can make it the perfect fit for a medium or large office—such as a law office—that needs a printer to churn out a few thousand pages of relatively long documents every week.
PROS
Running cost as low as 1.1 cents per page
620-sheet paper capacity, expandable to 1,660 sheets
Auto duplexing
Ethernet and Wi-Fi network connection options
CONS
Slower duplex printing speed
SPECS
Name
Value
Type
Printer Only
Color or Monochrome
Monochrome
Connection Type
Ethernet, Wi-Fi, USB, 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)
NA
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono)
50 ppm
Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended)
8,000
Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum)
125,000
LCD Preview Screen
Printer Input Capacity
520 + 100 expandable to 1,660
Cost Per Page (Monochrome)
1.1 cents
Cost Per Page (Color)
NA
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
Learn More
Brother HL-L6210DW Review
Brother MFC-L5915DW
Best Workgroup Mono Laser AIO Printer
Why We Picked ItThe four-function Brother MFC-L5915DW all-in-one printer delivers fast laser printing and copying, a higher maximum paper capacity than most competition, and a low cost per page, making it an excellent choice for a large office or workgroup. Brother offers a choice of four cartridge capacities with costs per page as low as 1.1 cents for the one with the highest yield (18,000 pages). The base unit includes a 350-sheet capacity, using a 250-sheet drawer and 100-sheet multi-purpose tray. If you need even more capacity, you can purchase additional drawers that raise the maximum capacity to 1,120 sheets. Another important feature for a printer that’s most likely to be shared in an office or workgroup is secure printing, which lets you send a file to the printer while telling the printer not to print it until you enter a PIN at the front panel. Who It’s ForFor medium or large offices and workgroups with heavy-duty print needs, this printer offers a winning combination of low running cost and high capacity.
PROS
Lightning-fast 50ppm rating for both printing and copying
High 1,200-by-1,200dpi maximum resolution
Roomy legal-size flatbed
Single-pass duplexing ADF
5-inch color touch screen control panel
Toner cost is just 1.1 cents per page
CONS
Slower two-sided printing speed
SPECS
Name
Value
Type
All-in-one
Color or Monochrome
Monochrome
Connection Type
Ethernet, Wi-Fi, USB, 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)
50 ppm
Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended)
8,000
Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum)
125,000
LCD Preview Screen
Printer Input Capacity
250+100 expandable to 1390
Cost Per Page (Monochrome)
1.1 cents
Cost Per Page (Color)
N/A
Print Duplexing
Automatic Document Feeder
Scanner Type
Legal size flatbed with DADF
Duplexing Scans
Maximum Scan Area
Legal
Scanner Optical Resolution
1200×1200 pixels per inch
Standalone Copier and Fax
Copier, Fax
Learn More
Brother MFC-L5915DW Review
Brother MFC-L3780CDW
Best Workgroup Color Laser AIO Printer
Why We Picked ItThe Brother MFC-L3780CDW offers excellent output quality with relatively low print costs, making it our top recommendation for a color laser all-in-one printer for small offices or workgroups. Brother rates the L3780CDW’s print speed at 31 pages per minute, which is relatively fast for an entry-level color laser-class AIO, and it lived up to its rating in our testing. When using Brother’s super-high-yield cartridges, print costs are quite reasonable: about 12.3 cents per color page and 2.3 cents per black-and-white page. And while the $499.99 price is on the high side for an entry-level color laser-class AIO, it’s not unexpected these days for a capable and well-equipped model.Who It’s ForThe MFC-L3780CDW is an obvious choice for small and home offices and workgroups that need to print in color and demand excellent quality with running costs that won’t break the bank.
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
Learn More
Brother MFC-L3780CDW Review
Brother PocketJet PJ883
Best Portable Document Printer
Why We Picked ItThe top-notch 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. Brother has eight PocketJet 8 models, but they’re all variations of just two printers: a 200dpi version and a 300dpi version. At $630, the PJ883 is the second-most-expensive of the five 300dpi models, but it’s also the most versatile, offering USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi Direct connections. Output quality is excellent, and Brother serves up plenty of software options for Windows, Macs, and mobile devices. Who It’s ForIf you need maximum portability combined with lots of connection options, the Brother PJ883—with or without its optional battery—can easily be the printer you want.
PROS
Smaller and lighter than mobile inkjets
Surprisingly good output quality
Prints via USB, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, and Bluetooth
Thermal paper eliminates any need for ink
CONS
Pricey
Monochrome printing only
SPECS
Name
Value
Type
Printer Only
Color or Monochrome
Monochrome
Connection Type
USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, NFC
Maximum Standard Paper Size
Legal
Number of Ink Colors
1
Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks
0
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)
13.5ppm
Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended)
Not rated
Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum)
Not rated
LCD Preview Screen
Printer Input Capacity
1
Cost Per Page (Monochrome)
6 to 9 cents per page
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
Learn More
Brother PocketJet PJ883 Review
Rollo Wireless Printer X1040
Best Label Printer for Shipping Labels
Why We Picked ItThe $279.99 Rollo Wireless Printer X1040 is one of many label printers for small businesses and individuals seeking to print 4-by-6-inch shipping labels, but it stands out from the crowd by using Wi-Fi as its preferred connection. It’s also designed to work with the cloud-based Rollo Ship Manager, which can connect to multiple online platforms to handle and keep track of all your shipping in one place. Even better, Ship Manager offers discounts on shipping rates that most small firms would find it hard to negotiate themselves for their own volumes of mailings. Who It’s ForIts winning combination of features makes the Rollo Wireless an obvious choice for small businesses that print lots of shipping labels.
PROS
Wi-Fi connection for printing from PC, phone, or tablet
Uses non-proprietary labels and loads easily, with no waste
Quickly prints labels from 1.57 to 4.1 inches wide
Option to use Rollo Ship Manager to generate labels with shipping discounts
CONS
Doesn’t come with an app for designing or printing labels
Ship Manager currently discounts only USPS and UPS (no FedEx yet)
SPECS
Name
Value
Type
Printer Only
Color or Monochrome
Monochrome
Connection Type
Wi-Fi, USB
Maximum Standard Paper Size
4.1″ wide
Number of Ink Colors
1
Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks
0
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)
5.9 inches per second
Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended)
N/A
Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum)
N/A
LCD Preview Screen
Printer Input Capacity
Folded stack or, if using optional roll holder, 6-inch diameter roll
Cost Per Page (Monochrome)
3 cents
Cost Per Page (Color)
NA
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
Learn More
Rollo Wireless Printer X1040 Review
Buying Guide: The Best Business Printers for 2024
Should I Get a Monochrome Printer or a Color Printer?Color pages are often more attractive than their black-and-white counterparts, and they give you many ways to emphasize information. On the other hand, certain types of documents don’t benefit from color, and using it in these scenarios is little more than unnecessary expense.
(Credit: Xerox)
For instance, many front-counter scenarios don’t call for color. They require sharp, easy-to-read black text—and since the customer or patient is often waiting, usually they need it fast. Monochrome documents are also usually more efficient (or at least less expensive) for in-house memos and reports.When used properly, though, color makes an impact, conveying your message clearly and dynamically and helping to put your best foot forward when you’re trying to impress potential clients. It’s essential for producing your own brochures, flyers, and other marketing materials.Depending on your content and your printer, a color page can easily cost you three to five times as much as a monochrome one. Fortunately, running costs have generally declined over the years, putting high-quality color within the reach of most companies.Should I Get a Single-Function Printer or an All-in-One?An AIO printer can copy, scan, and (in some cases) fax documents. Most AIOs couple the printer with a flatbed scanner that can scan objects such as book pages as well as loose documents.
(Credit: Epson)
Sometimes the ability to copy and scan is actually counterproductive. You wouldn’t, for example, want your busy front-desk printer occupied—while your customers are waiting—by someone making copies. That said, most offices do at least a bit of document copying and scanning.If you decide to get an AIO, first look for one with an automatic document feeder (ADF) for handling multipage documents without user intervention. Without one, you’ll need to place pages on the scanner bed one at a time. With an ADF, you simply place a stack of pages in the feeder and let ‘er rip.ADFs can be either manual-duplexing or auto-duplexing. With the former, when the machine finishes scanning the first sides of the stack of pages, you need to flip the stack manually and place it back in the ADF to scan the other sides. Auto-duplexing does this for you, either by flipping the page (reverse duplexing) or by using dual sensors to scan both sides at once (single-pass duplexing). Single-pass is faster and presents fewer potential points of failure, making it a more desirable technology, but my experience testing many ADFs indicates both methods work well and get the job done.
(Credit: Canon)
Should I Get an Inkjet Printer, or a Laser Printer?Traditional wisdom is that laser printers are faster, more reliable, and less expensive to use, and that they have better output than their inkjet counterparts. But depending on what and how much you print, inkjet machines are often superior.Granted, laser technology—which applies toner to an entire page in one fell swoop—is inherently faster than the way most inkjets apply ink to paper, with a relatively small printhead moving back and forth, laying down line after line. Medium- to high-volume inkjets typically top out at about 25 pages per minute (ppm), while comparable laser machines are often 10ppm to 15ppm faster. Higher-end, high-volume laser printers achieve print speeds of 50ppm or more (as do HP’s PageWide laser-alternative inkjet printers, whose fixed printhead arrays don’t travel back and forth across the page). But 25ppm is plenty fast enough for most business environments.
(Credit: HP)
Aside from raw speed, are laser printers more reliable? There was a time years ago when some inkjet printers tended to be more prone to paper jams, clogged nozzles, and inferior output. But those days are over.As to whether inkjet printers are more expensive to use than lasers, while you can certainly find exceptions, that hasn’t been the case for some time now. Indeed, bulk-ink inkjets, most of which use large refill bottles or bags instead of small cartridges of ink, can be far less costly to use than their laser rivals. Also, it’s important to note that inkjet printers tend to use significantly less electricity than comparable lasers. In busy offices where the printer churns out page after page all day, that’s an extra, if hard-to-quantify, “consumable” you could save money on with an inkjet.Finally, the biggest misconception of all: that laser printers as a rule produce better-looking output than their inkjet competitors. Again, you’ll always find exceptions, but this hasn’t been cut-and-dried for quite a while. Where laser printers have always excelled, and to some extent still do, is in printing text or typesetting. Inkjet printers, on the other hand, usually print superior graphics, especially photographs.This is not to say that laser printers don’t print well. It’s just that inkjets have made great strides. In addition, most inkjet machines can print borderless document pages and photos, making your photos and other marketing materials look more professional. Laser printers, on the other hand, must leave about a quarter-inch of margin all the way around the edge of the paper.One aspect in which laser printers’ toner output does prevail over inkjet output is the durability of the printing. A laser print typically lasts longer without cracking or fading, and is not prone to smudging or streaking if exposed to moisture. That’s an advantage in environments where the longevity of hard-copy records, such as medical documentation, is important.For more on this question, see our in-depth inkjet vs. laser explainer.Should I Consider a Bulk-Ink Printer?Until recently, the per-page cost of consumables (ink or toner) was based primarily on the print-volume expectation and price of the printer. Lower-end machines with relatively low volume ratings cost more to use than higher-priced, higher-volume ones. Nowadays, while you can still find plenty of printers that follow that model, several major printer manufacturers are offering alternatives—what we call “bulk-ink” printers.These technologies (Brother’s INKvestment Tank, Canon’s MegaTank, Epson’s EcoTank, and HP’s Smart Tank Plus and Instant Ink) deliver running costs that are a mere fraction of the traditional replacement consumables model.EcoTank, MegaTank, and Smart Tank Plus are all cartridge-free technologies. Instead of pricey cartridges that often contain their own expensive printheads and electronics, these machines also store their consumables in internal tanks that you fill from inexpensive bottles.All three technologies deliver similar running costs of about 0.3 cent per monochrome and 0.9 cent per color page, with an exception being Epson’s recent, small-business-focused EcoTank Pro brand, which offers both black and color pages for about 2 cents each. EcoTank Pro marks a change from the earlier bulk-ink model, which was to charge a premium (as much as three to five times the cost of a comparable cartridge model) for a consumer- rather than business-class printer with an uninspiring feature set and mediocre volume and capacity ratings.Though they still cost three or four times as much as comparable non-bulk-ink printers, EcoTank Pro machines deliver the volume, capacity, and features most small offices require. So do many Brother INKvestment Tank and HP Instant Ink models—cartridge-based designs that aren’t quite as penny-pinching as other bulk-ink printers, but cost less to buy.
(Credit: Epson)
In any case, unlike a few years ago where your running-cost options were limited, today it’s much easier to find a printer with per-page costs appropriate to your printing and copying needs, though it may require a little more research up front. That’s where our reviews come in.What Do I Need in Paper Handling and Print Volume?If you and your colleagues need to print spreadsheets on legal-size paper, produce marketing material on premium glossy media, or occasionally print a sheet of labels or a company check, you’ll want a printer with multiple drawers or trays. Increased capacity is also a must if your office prints a great deal. Waiting for paper refills or constantly reconfiguring the drawer for different-sized media is a drag.Many printers come with a simple one-sheet override tray for printing one-off envelopes, forms, or labels. Some medium- and high-volume models come with (or can be expanded to use) multiple paper input sources, such as two drawers in the front of the chassis and a tray that pulls out from the back. Higher-end machines support paper-input expansion through add-on drawers and bins.Input capacity is related to a printer’s volume, which manufacturers usually gauge on a monthly basis. The two most common measurements are the duty cycle (the peak number of pages the printer is rated for churning out each month) and the maximum suggested print volume (also expressed in number of pages per month).
Recommended by Our Editors
Typically, these volume measurements are miles apart. When a machine’s monthly duty cycle is, say, 50,000 pages, the suggested monthly volume is usually 10 percent of that or less. When buying a medium- or high-volume printer, it’s best to let the suggested print volume be your guide. While a printer can run pegged out at its maximum duty cycle month in and month out, it will require less attention and last a lot longer if you hew closer to the suggested volume rating.What Kind of Printer Connectivity Do I Need?With the explosion of handheld devices such as smartphones and tablets, nowadays you have lots of ways to connect to your printer. The standard interfaces comprise two main kinds of wired connections (Ethernet networking, or connecting to a single PC via USB) and a whole bushel of wireless ones (802.11 Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, Near Field Communication or NFC, Mopria, Apple AirPrint, and more). Of this list of wireless standards, only Wi-Fi and AirPrint are actual local area network (LAN) protocols. The others are primarily peer-to-peer protocols that allow you to connect a handheld or other device directly to the printer without either piece of hardware being part of a LAN. NFC is unique among them, in that it allows you to connect to the printer by simply tapping the NFC-enabled device to a hotspot on the printer, usually on or near the control panel.
(Credit: Brother)
In addition to all these, most business printers and AIOs also support connectivity via several popular cloud sites, such as Google Cloud Print, Microsoft OneDrive, Box, and Evernote. Most of today’s business printers come with Ethernet (at 10Mbps, 100Mbps, or 1,000Mbps) and Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as a smattering of the other options listed in the previous paragraph. Ethernet is the fastest and most secure, and often preferable for office environments; Wi-Fi, which few printers lack nowadays, is highly convenient, as well as plenty fast enough for most uses. If you need to position a printer away from a spot where you can run Ethernet cable easily, make sure the Wi-Fi function is included in the price. A few printers, especially at the business high end, may make you add it via an add-on hardware option, which may not be cheap. In any case, most of today’s printers also provide free downloadable apps that let you connect your smartphones and tablets over a wireless network.What Kinds of Controls Should I Look For?The wider the feature set—the more a printer or AIO does—the greater the need for a robust control panel or web-based controls. In today’s business printers, we’ve never seen a more diverse set of printer command options, from simple panels consisting of a button or two and a few status LEDs to tablet-size, customizable color touch screens capable of presenting separate configurations for individual users or departments.In addition to executing walk-up functions, such as making copies or printing from cloud sites, these graphical control panels allow you to make security and other configuration changes, monitor and order supplies, and generate elaborate usage, security, and other reports. Similarly, and often more easily, you can also control, configure, and monitor most business printers via an onboard web portal that you access from your PC, phone, or tablet browser.How Do I Choose the Right Size Printer for the Job?Just as many different types and sizes of businesses need printers, a multitude of business printers exist to serve them, with a dizzying array of overlapping capacity, volume, feature-set, and expansion options. At PCMag, we divide printers and AIOs into three loosely defined categories based on how much work they’re called upon to do:Entry-level or small office/home office (SOHO): These machines serve small, low-volume print and copy environments of five or fewer users, producing no more than a few hundred pages each month.Midsize or small to medium business (SMB): These printers accommodate about five to 25 users in medium-volume print and copy environments, of up to a couple of thousand pages monthly.High-volume or enterprise: Devices at this level are designed to crank out thousands of pages each month. Often part of a fleet, they offer staunch security options and are usually highly expandable, sometimes with multiple add-ons such as staplers, sorters, and high-capacity paper-input drawers and bins.With the above information in hand, you’re ready to start narrowing down the dizzying number of single- and multifunction printer choices facing your business. The rest of this roundup below outlines our favorite business printers and AIOs of varying capacities, speeds, and sizes according to usage case. We hope they further your printer education and help you make the right choice, whether your company’s on the Fortune 500 or on the kitchen table.
