When it comes to tools of the trade, every home office could use a compact printer. One with a wireless function even allows you to use WiFi to print directly from your phone or tablet. Before splurging on a new one, though, you should decide whether you want an inkjet or laser printer. An inkjet printer uses ink cartridges, and the superior printing quality is perfect for things like wedding invitations, official documents and color images. The downside is that ink cartridges dry up during long periods of inactivity, so you’ll have to regularly replace the cartridges whether or not you use the printer. If you do a lot of printing, and quantity is more important than quality, then you should consider a workhorse laser printer, which uses a toner cartridge that can produce up to 10,000 pages compared to an inkjet’s 1,000 pages. Once you’ve settled on inkjet or laser, it’s time to choose a brand.
On average, Epson all-in-ones take 11.4 seconds to print a black-and-white copy, which is two seconds shorter than most models. They also rule when it comes to printing two-sided documents. The fastest Epson duplexer (XP-640) delivers 5.5 ppm, compared to 3.6 ppm for competitors.
HP has been producing computers since the late ‘60s and printers since 1984, so the company has had plenty of time to perfect its craft. Although the all-in-one models are somewhat slower when it comes to making black-and-white copies(they take an average of 24.2 seconds compared to13.4 seconds in other models) they excel at reproducing color, offering smooth transitions and fine detail.
Canon printers have a number of things working in their favor. They’re among the best multifunction copiers, and they’re fast and easy to use. A Canon can produce a high-quality letter-size glossy photo in less than two minutes. They also have the ability to scan directly to email or PDF.
