Thinking about an inkjet printer but not sure where to start? In this guide, we cover everything you need to know to make a smart buy. With so many printer types and features to consider, it can be helpful to narrow down what type of printing you will be doing first. There are inkjet printers for families, home offices, photographers and even high-volume inkjet printers that print thousands of pages for a surprisingly low cost. Before we get into our favorite printer models for each, let’s review some of the basics.
What is an inkjet printer? Inkjet printers spray ink through microscopic nozzles onto paper to create a print. The most popular kind of inkjet printers use ink cartridges to create a print, but if you print frequently, ink tank printers are another option that print using ink bottles. We feature both in our best of list below!
| Best for Home Offices | Best for Families | Best for Photos | Best High Volume Printer for Business | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP OfficeJet Pro 8028 | Epson EcoTank ET-2800 | Canon PIXMA TR8620 | Canon MAXIFY MegaTank GX7020 | |
| Release Year | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | 2021 |
| Technology | Inkjet | Inkjet | Inkjet | Inkjet |
| Wireless | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Prints in Color? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| InkTank | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Print Speed | 20 ppm (black) / 10 ppm (color) | 10 ppm (black) / 5 ppm (color) | 21 ppm (black) / 11 ppm (color) | 25 ppm (black) / 15 ppm (color) |
| Ink Series | HP 910XL ink cartridges | Epson 522 ink bottles | Canon PGI-280XXL/CLI-281XXL ink cartridges | Canon G-26 ink bottles |
| Black Yield | 825 pages | 4,500 pages | 600 pages | 6,000 pages |
| Color Yield | ~ 825 pages | ~ 4,500 pages each | ~ 820 pages | ~ 14,000 pages each |
| Photo Black Yield | N/A | N/A | ~ 6,360 pages | N/A |
Best Inkjet Printer for Home Offices
HP OfficeJet Pro 8028 – Buy on Amazon
The HP OfficeJet 8025 is the ideal printer for home offices that need all-in-one functionality and black and color prints. Print, copy, scan and fax features are all included, making it easy to tackle any project whether it’s for work or school.
Pros
- Equipped with a range of all-in-one features, including copying, faxing and scanning.
- Fast prints speeds of 20 ppm / black and 10 ppm / color
- Includes essential office features like an automatic two-sided printing, automatic document feeder and scan to email
Cons
- Wi-Fi connection can be spotty at times
The ink cartridges: The printer uses four HP 910 cartridges, which are offered in both a standard and high yield cartridge size. The high volume option is a better value for customers that print frequently, with the 910XL black cartridge printing 825 pages and color inks printing 825 pages. You can print the same name number of pages for less with compatible 910XL ink cartridges from LD Products, available for a fraction of the original brand price – the black cartridge is only $17.99 and each color cartridge is $12.99!
Best Inkjet Printer for Families
Epson EcoTank ET-2800 – Buy on Amazon
The EcoTank ET-2800 is Epson’s entry level ink tank printer. This EcoTank model is one of the most affordable ink tank options around and perfect for busy families that are juggling prints for work and school. Ink tank printers are a relatively new addition to the printing world. Instead of relying on printer cartridges, they use a refillable tank system and ink bottles to create a print. Similar to filling up your gas tank, when your printer’s ink levels are running low, you need to fill the tank with the appropriate amount of ink from the bottle. Customers that print a lot of pages every month love ink tank printers because they are one of the most economical ways to print. Ink bottles have way more ink inside them than your average ink cartridge and can print for thousands of pages before running out!
Pros
- Print / copy / scan features handle all of your home printing needs
- High page yield – The biggest advantage of these printers are their high yield ink bottles, which include enough ink to print thousands of pages
- All four ink bottles include dye-based ink, great for a wide range of basic black and color print jobs.
Cons
- Does not support faxing – faxing is available on more expensive models though!
- Does not support automatic duplexing – so you manually have to flip the page when double-sided printing, which can be annoying with large print queues.
- Slow print speed. With speeds of 10 ppm for black and 5 ppm for color, you are going to have to be patient if you are printing a lot.
The ink bottles: The ET-2800 printer uses Epson 522 dye-based ink bottles. The black ink bottle prints up 4,500 pages and each color ink bottle prints up to 7,000 pages. Save more with LD’s compatible Epson 522 ink bottles, at just $7.99 each.
Best Inkjet Printer for Photos
Canon PIXMA TR8620 – Buy on Amazon
The PIXMA TR8620 is a solid printer for printing high quality photos from the comfort of home. It uses 5 individual inkjet cartridges which provide plenty of color depth and is able to print 4” x 6”, 5” X 7” and 5” x 5” square borderless photos. It’s also great for handling everyday prints like work documents or school assignments.
Pros
- The best all-around option! Includes print/ scan / fax capabilities and prints amazing photos
- Compact and storable, great for home offices or even kitchen tables
- Front and rear paper trays can handle up to 100 sheets of legal sized paper or 20 sheets of 4”x6” photo paper
Cons
- Accessing the paper tray is a little annoying, you need to lift up on the front printer face and it will remain open for the duration of your print job.
The ink cartridges: The printer uses five cartridges offered in three sizes (standard yield, high yield and extra high yield). Two of those required cartridges contain black ink, with the larger PGI-280 pigment black cartridge handling text and the CLI-281 dye-based cartridge covering photo prints. LD-Brand compatible Canon PGI-280XXL and CLI-281XXL ink cartridges are the best way to save, at just $8.99 for black and each color cartridge.
Best Inkjet Printer for Businesses
Canon MAXIFY MegaTank GX7020 – Buy on Amazon
The MAXIFY MegaTank GX7020 is an ink tank printer that is built for business. With super high page yields, fast print speeds and compact size, it fits in seamlessly with any busy workplace. The printer is a big investment upfront, but the savings are huge when you factor in ink costs, with ink bottles printing up to 6,000 pages in black and 14,000 pages in color.
Pros
- Perfect for offices that want to do it all with one printer (text AND quality photos!)
- All-in-one functionality, including fax!
- Duplex printing and single-pass duplex scanning
Cons
- High upfront costs
- Slow startup
The ink bottles: The printer uses 4 GI-26 ink bottles pigment-based ink bottles, delivering crisp color and sharp text that is smear resistant. The black ink bottle prints up to 6,000 pages and each color bottle prints up to 14,000 pages. LD Products offers a low cost compatible version of the series, with each GI-26 ink bottle available for just $11.99!
*Savings based on price comparison between remanufactured/compatible cartridge prices on www.LDProducts.com and OEM cartridge and printer prices from the listed retailers: Amazon and Staples. All products are reviewed independently. As an Amazon associate, LD Products earns from qualifying purchases through links on this page. All prices effective as of June 1, 2023. OEM names are registered trademarks of their respective owners and are not affiliated with, and do not endorse LD Products.
