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Home Office Printer & Scanner Buying Guide
The cheapest printer to buy is not always the cheapest to own. This guide helps you pick the right type for how much and what you print, and shows the running costs to check before you buy.
Inkjet or laser?
| Mostly text, regular printing | Monochrome laser: lower cost per page, toner doesn't dry out |
|---|---|
| Photos and color documents | Inkjet or ink-tank: better color, refillable tanks lower running costs |
| Rare printing | Inkjet or a print shop. Ink can dry out if a printer sits unused for long |
| Lots of color pages | Color laser or ink-tank |
Features to look for
- Automatic two-sided printing
- Wireless and mobile printing
- A scanner with an automatic document feeder if you scan multi-page documents
- Scan to email or cloud folder
- A paper tray size that fits how much you print
Running costs to check
- Price and page yield of replacement ink or toner
- Whether third-party or refill ink is supported
- Cost of drums or maintenance kits on laser printers
- Power use in standby
Do you need a separate scanner?
- You scan lots of receipts or documents: a compact document scanner is faster
- You scan photos or books: a flatbed scanner works best
- You scan occasionally: an all-in-one printer or a phone scanning app may be enough