We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Shopping Tech Products The 6 Best Home Printers of 2024, Tested by PEOPLE Including favorites from Canon, HP, Brother, and Epson By Katie Melynn Katie Melynn Katie is a commerce writer for PEOPLE focusing on home and family products that help make everyday life more enjoyable. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 29, 2024 05:22PM EDT In This Article View All In This Article Our Top Picks Reviews What to Know Behind the Scenes FAQ Why Trust PEOPLE? What Is PEOPLE Tested? Photo: People / Henry Wortock Having a home printer is almost a necessity in today’s tech-driven world. Not only does it make accessing important documents easier, but it can also save money if you need to print return slips, study guides, and other materials often. (And with the right home printer, you can finally get those selfies off your phone and into a frame.) We put 26 printers through their paces to see which ones were worthy of the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval. Whether you are looking to splurge on a high-end machine or want something for quick prints, there's an option for you. We found winners from Canon, HP, Epson, and Brother, with prices starting at just $48. Our Top Picks Best Overall: SALE Canon Pixma MG3620 Wireless Printer at Amazon $80 $48 Jump to Review Best Color: Epson Expression Home XP-4100 at Amazon $136 Jump to Review Best Monochrome: Brother HL-L2350DW Monochrome Laser Printer at Amazon $240 Jump to Review Best for Photos: SALE Canon Pixma TR4720 at Amazon $100 $68 Jump to Review Best for Home Office: SALE Canon Pixma TR8620a Printer at Amazon $200 $130 Jump to Review Best Investment: HP Color LaserJet Pro M255dw at Amazon $550 Jump to Review Best Overall Canon Pixma MG3620 Wireless Printer PHOTO: Amazon $80 $48 at Amazon $39 at Walmart $40 at Best Buy Our Ratings Setup 3.5/5 Ease of Use 4.5/5 Design 5/5 Speed 3/5 Effectiveness 5/5 Star Qualities High print quality Easy to set up and use Smart connectivity Red Flags Large documents took a long time to print during testing This printer is one of the easiest and most intuitive that we encountered. It prints, scans, and copies, and you can use the same interface for all three functions. It comes with ink cartridges, which are easy to switch out when you need to replace them, and it's also compact and sleek. The print quality is what sets this printer apart, especially given its affordability. It is one of the best values on our list and takes care of most at-home printing needs. The printer comes with everything you need to get started, including a CD with setup software. You can also set it up using your Wi-Fi connection, and it will walk you through the steps. The printer can be connected to Alexa, some phones, and the Canon app to easily print photos. The printing speed is decent but lags for longer documents. During testing, a single page started printing right away and printed in around 30 seconds. A 10-page document took almost a full minute to begin printing. It was over five minutes before it was done. This may not be the best option for your needs if you want something that prints quickly or at high volume, but for an affordable home printer, we think it's worth waiting a few minutes for a long document. Type: Inkjet | Scan: Yes | Print Speed: 9.9 images per minute (black and white), 5.7 images per minute (color) | Print Resolution: 600 x 600 dpi (black and white), 4800 x 1200 dpi (color) PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock Best Color Epson Expression Home XP-4100 PHOTO: Amazon $136 at Amazon View on Newegg.com Our Ratings Setup 4/5 Ease of Use 4.5/5 Design 5/5 Speed 3.5/5 Effectiveness 4/5 Star Qualities Good print quality on standard paper Versatile print options Red Flags Colors were not true with photo paper The setup of the Epson Expression Home XP-4100 required us to refer to the instruction manual a few times but was still easy enough to do from the control panel of the printer itself. (The included instructions answered any questions we had.) The same control panel can be used to select printing, copying, or scanning, as well as monitor paper and ink levels. This printer also works with smart devices, including phones, tablets, and Alexa. This printer worked best with standard printer paper when printing both black and white and color images and text. We noticed a difference in color when printing photos on photo paper, with reddish tints to brown colors that weren’t there when using standard printer paper. Over our two-month longer-term testing, we did have to order refills of ink, but it was simple to replace the cartridges once we got new ones. Overall, it performed well when printing in color and was a very good value for all of its features. Type: Inkjet | Scan: Yes | Print Speed: 10 pages per minute | Print Resolution: Not listed PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock Best Monochrome Brother HL-L2350DW Monochrome Laser Printer PHOTO: Amazon $240 at Amazon $297 at Walmart Our Ratings Setup 5/5 Ease of Use 5/5 Design 5/5 Speed 5/5 Effectiveness 5/5 Star Qualities Prints fast Ready to go right out of the box Red Flags No color printing option This is a monochrome printer, which means it only prints in black and white. If you need to print documents without color and want them done quickly and efficiently, this is a great option. It prints at a whopping 32 pages per minute. We printed a one-page document in just 13 seconds, and a 10-page file only took 32 seconds. The setup was also simple and fast. While this printer can print on photo paper, that slows it down some. Photos on glossy paper took 15 seconds for a single page. While not a big difference, if you are printing a lot of photos, there may be faster options or those that also print in color, or you can stick with a digital picture frame. Like other laserjet printers, this option is a bit pricey, especially considering that it does not print in color. But given the long life of its cartridges (we didn't need to replace the ink at all during our two months of testing) and fast printing, it is still a good value. Type: Laser | Scan: Yes | Print Speed: 32 pages per minute | Print Resolution: 1200 x 1200 dpi PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock Best for Photos Canon Pixma TR4720 PHOTO: Amazon $100 $68 at Amazon $100 at Target $69 at Walmart Our Ratings Setup 2/5 Ease of Use 3.5/5 Design 5/5 Speed 2.5/5 Effectiveness 3.5/5 Star Qualities Scan and print photos from smartphone Great value given the features Red Flags Lower quality on standard paper This printer is ideal for printing on photo paper, including glossy and matte papers. The print quality is only okay for standard black and white or color documents, and photos printed on regular printer paper did not look ideal. But when we printed the same images on glossy photo paper — wow! We would deem those prints to be frameworthy, which is impressive given the price of the printer. You can use this printer to scan and print photos from your smartphone or computer. This is a nice touch and works well as long as you have a strong Wi-Fi connection. The initial setup was a bit tricky because the printer did not come with an instruction manual, but we found one online and figured out all of the features through trial and error. The buttons and interface are intuitive, as long as you are willing to play around with it for a bit. Over our two-month testing period, we fiddled around with the paper tray and found that once it was positioned tightly around the paper, we could get much clearer prints for standard documents. Type: Inkjet | Scan: Yes | Print Speed: 4.4 pages per minute | Print Resolution: 4800 x 1200 dpi PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock Best for Home Office Canon Pixma TR8620a Printer PHOTO: Amazon $200 $130 at Amazon $202 $198 at Walmart $140 at Dell Our Ratings Setup 4/5 Ease of Use 4/5 Design 4/5 Speed 4/5 Effectiveness 5/5 Star Qualities Great design and style Connects to a variety of media Red Flags Paper tray can be tricky to line up The design, print quality, and value of this printer make it a great choice for your home office. It is sleek matte black with rounded edges, a small design detail that gives it a high-end appearance. We did note that all of the parts are also black, which made it hard to line up the paper tray at times. The rear paper tray extends up at an angle, cutting down on needed desk space overall. This printer also has a slot for your memory card so that you can print photos directly. You can also connect your smartphone or tablet using the Canon app. The print quality is best for black and white documents but also decent for color and photos as well. Over our long-term testing, we had no complaints about this printer's quality. Type: Inkjet | Scan: Yes | Print Speed: 10 pages per minute | Print Resolution: Not listed PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock Best Investment HP Color LaserJet Pro M255dw PHOTO: Walmart $550 at Amazon $399 at Walmart View on Bonanza.com Our Ratings Setup 4/5 Ease of Use 5/5 Design 5/5 Speed 5/5 Effectiveness 5/5 Star Qualities Ink cartridges last a long time Amazing speed and print quality Red Flags Does not scan or copy The speed and print quality of the HP Color LaserJet Pro M255dw are some of the best. While the printer is pricey, its cartridges last through many, many prints. You won’t be spending as much time or money worrying about replacing your ink, not to mention getting the dreaded “low ink” alert when you are already pressed for time. Over two months of testing, we printed photos on both glossy and matte paper, which all came out beautifully. We also used the printer for labels and other documents, which all printed out crisply. You do need to use the HP app for setup. Fortunately, there is a computer version as well as one for your smartphone. The rest of the setup and printing process is pretty straightforward. Small design features also stood out in testing, such as the ideal length of the cord to keep office clutter to a minimum. However, this printer only prints and does not include scanning or copying functions. Type: Laser | Scan: No | Print Speed: 22 pages per minute | Print Resolution: 600 x 600 dpi (black and white and color) PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock PHOTO: People / Henry Wortock What to Know About Home Printers Setup Requirements Getting a new home printer means setting it up and connecting it to your computer, smart home devices, tablet, or phone. Most use Wi-Fi connectivity to operate. Some include a CD-ROM setup disk, and if yours does, you will need to have a CD-ROM drive, which is hard to come by with new products. We recommend just sticking with the Wi-Fi connection. Some printers also require an app for setup or use, so make sure you allow ample time to set up your new printer and troubleshoot any app issues. Speed and Effectiveness If you will be printing a lot of documents, you want a printer that can keep up. Print speeds are fastest for black and white documents, slower for color documents, and slowest for photos. Check out our specifications to see the actual printing speed so you can get an idea of how long you will have to wait for your document to print. The Brother Compact Monochrome Laser Printer printed a black-and-white document in just 12 seconds, while some of the other printers we tested took up to a minute. In addition to speed, you'll want a printer that provides high-quality documents. Resolution is one way to measure print quality and effectiveness because higher-resolution prints will have more detail and crisper edges. Photo printers tend to have the best output but may not work as well with standard documents and paper. Some printers made for printing documents rapidly and efficiently don’t work great with glossy or matte photo paper. Consider what kind of printing you plan to do (color, black and white only, or photo prints), and look for a printer that is effective in that area. Value You don’t want to spend a fortune on a home printer; fortunately, there are plenty of options that are under $100. Our best overall pick, the Canon Pixma Wireless All-in-One Printer, falls into that range and delivers incredible color and black and white prints. If you're looking for a printer for regular or occasional use, this is an excellent option. If you're planning to do a lot of printing, some of the more expensive printers are worth the higher cost for their improved features and performance. Special Features If you’re looking for additional features, several of the printers we tested also allow you to scan and make copies. In addition, some models, like the Epson Expression Home XP-4100, connect directly to smartphones, tablets, or Alexa so you can print from devices other than your computer. Behind the Scenes To figure out which printers were the best for home use, we put 26 printers through a variety of tests, scoring them in several categories. Setup: First, we rated the setup process. We found that Wi-Fi settings impacted setup time, as well as instructions and apps that some printers required for operation. The easier the printer was to set up, the higher we rated it.Document Speed and Quality: Once each printer was connected and available for work, we printed out black and white single-page documents as well as color single-page documents. We timed the print job and compared the quality of the documents. Then, we repeated the process for a 10-page document.Photo Speed and Quality: Photo testing was done on both standard paper using the photo setting on each printer and glossy photo paper, with the same image printed on each one. Again, we recorded the time it took to print the photo and evaluated how the photos turned out.Additional Features: For printers with additional functions, such as scanning, copying, or phone-to-printer connectivity, additional documents were scanned, copied, or printed using these features. Each time, we recorded the time that it took to print as well as the quality of the output.Ink and Toner Replacement: We also went through the steps to replace the ink or toner, noting how easy it was to do so.Long-Term Testing: We then sent the printers home with our testers for an extra two months of testing to make sure that each printer held up over an extended period of time and noted whether or not we needed to order more ink in that time frame. Frequently Asked Questions What is the difference between an inkjet and laser printer? The difference between an inkjet and a laser printer comes down to what is used to create the printed image. As their names suggest, inkjet printers use ink, and laser printers use a laser. Inkjet printers need replacement ink cartridges, while laser printers need replacement toner cartridges. Do all printers work with Macs and PCs? Each printer includes a list of compatible operating systems in its specifications sheet. Most of them support commonly used operating systems, including those in Mac and PC computers and laptops. You may need to update your operating system or other software to work with your printer, especially if your computer is older or has not been updated recently. Why Trust PEOPLE? Katie Melynn is a commerce writer for PEOPLE. Her work focuses on home and family products that help make everyday life more enjoyable and efficient. Katie holds a bachelor's degree in English from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master's in education from Johns Hopkins University. For this article, she researched some of the most popular home printers. In creating this list, she compared these printers based on factors such as price, size, printing speed, ease of setup and use, print quality, Wi-Fi connectivity, paper sizes, scanning and copying capability, and ink or toner consumption. This article was later updated by PEOPLE staff writer Cai Cramer, who incorporated long-term testing insights after our testers used the printers for three to six months, and it was edited by PEOPLE associate editorial director Erin Johnson, who regularly uses her home printer and values great print quality, speed, and an easy setup process. What Is PEOPLE Tested? We created the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval to help you find the very best products for your life. We use our unique methodology to test products in three labs across the country and with our network of home testers to determine their effectiveness, durability, ease of use, and so much more. Based on the results, we rate and recommend products so you can find the right one for your needs. But we don’t stop there: We also regularly re-review the categories in which we’ve awarded the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval — because the best product of today might not be the best of tomorrow. And by the way, companies can never buy our recommendation: Their products must earn it, fair and square. The 9 Best Standing Desks of 2024, Tested in Real Home Offices