Which new printer is best for you?

A printerAs with everything from televisions to cameras to computers, printer technology evolves and improves with every year. Printer manufacturers release new models every calendar year that offer new features, improved capabilities and, in some cases, fixes for problems that have plagued users in earlier models.

In 2012, printers are faster than ever before, providing crisp and clean images and text. Still, they manage to print more quickly and use less ink, making them so much more efficient. Other trends this year include larger formats and wireless capabilities. Here’s a closer look at some of the top printers of 2012, for all possible budgets and printing needs.

HP Envy 110 e-All-in-One

Want a printer that is environmentally friendly while also providing high-quality printing? Then this is your printer. The world’s only PVC-free printer, the Envy inkjet printer, is also Energy Star certified and offers green features like automatic two-sided printing and an ink cartridge recycling program.

In addition to the low environmental impact, the Envy offers quick and quiet printing and produces lab quality photo prints and crisp documents. And in addition to the wireless capabilities, the Envy has built in AirPrint capabilities, meaning you can print from your iPad, iPod touch or iPhone. Best of all, the Envy is affordable, just around $200.

Canon Pixma MX432

Are you working from home? Do you need an affordable machine that prints, scans and copies? Then the Canon Pixma MX432 might be a good option for you.

Costing about $100, this sleek machine does everything you need for a low price. While this inkjet has a slightly slower speed than some other comparable printers, it provides excellent photo printing and includes wireless and AirSoft capabilities for convenient printing on the go.

HP Officejet Pro 8500

If you need fast and high-quality printing plus the capability to scan, copy and fax, then this is the model for you. One of the most user-friendly printers on the market, it boasts a large LCD screen that allows you to set your preferences with just the touch of a button.

For an inexpensive all-in-one (this model runs just under $300) the HP Officejet prints quickly, with about 15 pages per minute in black and white, 11 pages per minute in color, both with professional-looking resolution and quality. The drawback to this model is that it does not have wireless capabilities, but you can scan directly to e-mail or print from a memory card.

Epson Artisan 835/Epson Artisan 1430

If you print lots of photos at home, then the Epson Artisan 835 is definitely a printer to consider. Unlike other inkjet printers that use four color ink cartridges plus a black cartridge, the Epson uses a six cartridge system.

The two extra ink colors, light magenta and light cyan, allow the Epson to print photos with a greater range and depth of colors, meaning that your snapshots look professionally printed. This printer is more than adequate in other areas as well, providing crisp black and white printing at nine pages per minute, plus scanning, faxing and copying capabilities. This printer costs around $300.

If you would rather have greater photo printing capabilities than multiple functions, consider the Epson Artisan 1430. This printer is geared toward the photographer, printing gallery-worthy prints up to 13” x 19”. With a price tag of less than $300, this printer is far more affordable than other wide format models, making it the ideal choice for amateur photographers or craft enthusiasts who want to print larger photos and documents.

The Artisan 1430 also includes wireless capabilities, plus Epson Connect, which allows you to print from your smartphone, tablet or other mobile device.

Printers have come a long way from the slow and inefficient dot matrix models of the early days of home computing. The best model for you depends on how you plan to use it; if you plan to print mostly documents, look for a model that prints quickly and efficiently, while a photo printer should provide high-quality color prints.

If you take lots of photos or do work on a mobile device, choose a compatible printer that allows you to print directly from your device. Test a few models, compare the quality and make the right printer decision for you; if nothing else, there will plenty of new models to choose from next year.

11 thoughts on “Which new printer is best for you?

  1. It is amazing how printers are not as expensive as they used to be. Once upon a time it was rare to own a printer in your home, now nearly everyone has printers in their home. It is great for home personal use and business purposes. This way, we can create invitations, business pamphlets and business cards from our own home.

  2. Certainly technology is improving and you’re getting more efficient and improved version than earlier. I already have my HP digital printer which I bought about 3 years ago, though I hardly use it. But yes these new printers certainly save more money as they now require less ink and consume less power.

  3. I recently bought a Canon Pixma ix6550 which is a competitor to the Epson. I was amazed at the quality of print when you put it into photo mode. Another thing that amazes me is just how cheap you can get the consumables when you get the generic ones. Not sure about the quality from the generics but I will definitely give them a try.

  4. Personally I would recommend the HP Envy 110 . I have one myself and the two-sided printing in particular is one of my favourite features. Like you mentioned it prints quickly and quietly, a great compact printer!

    • Christopher (admin team)

      Looks like a good printer John, the question is how much does the ink cost!

      Thanks for adding your view, welcome to the community 🙂
      Christopher – Admin Team

  5. Most of todays modern printer produce very good quality prints but if you want to get the absolute best quality that the printer is capable of then consider creating a custom icc profile for your particular printer, paper & ink combination rather than using the generic one.

    We use custom icc profile for printing fine art prints & the difference in colour accuracy is definately worth the extra expense when compared to using the standard driver & icc profile.

    Although creating your own custom icc profile can be expensive (due to the profiling software/hardware) you can have these created for you, just google online profiling service

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