Best Printer for 2022 – CNET [CNET]

These days, nearly all of our work and business can be handled on a screen, entirely paperless. However, there are still times that hard copies are necessary. And those things that do need to be printed are often very important. As such, it is imperative that you never underestimate the value of a good home printer. 

Almost everyone should have a printer, even if it is only used on rare occasions. But despite this fact, shopping for the best printer for your needs isn’t easy. The sheer volume of printers on the market means that unless you’re intimately familiar with printer specs, you might as well be picking at random. And if the vast variety of printer options weren’t enough to deal with, printer prices are all over the place, too. Home printers as a whole is a highly dynamic market where prices can change from day to day. The takeaway: Unless you have an urgent printing need, it’s worthwhile to identify one or two printer models that would work for you, keep an eye out for printer deals and discounts and jump on a good price when you see it. Our list of the best printer options below is designed to help you do just that.

There’s good news — every printer profiled below can manage basic printing needs. For example, they can handle mobile printing and wireless printing from a phone or any PC, Mac or Chromebook. They can also print over a cabled connection and via wireless printer connectivity. (Note that some — but not all — printers support Apple’s AirPrint and Google’s Cloud Print protocols, which are usually less onerous than the printer vendors’ proprietary systems.) 

But what you intend to print will determine which model is right for you. If you’re mostly working with shopping lists, concert tickets or travel itineraries, print quality is arguably less important than print speed and price. If you’re using your printer for professional materials or photo printing, then color accuracy, printing quality and the inclusion of features like borderless printing will be primary considerations when you’re looking for the right printer.

Another factor to consider is the cost of ink and making sure that you have enough ink to print everything you need (there’s nothing more frustrating than having a printer but no ink in the ink tank for printing). Inkjet printers use liquid ink to print, whereas laser printers use toner cartridges containing powder. So even if you’re getting a great printer deal, just be sure to do some research into how you’ll refill the ink.

We’ve tested and reviewed the top models for home and small office use from the four major printer manufacturers: Brother, Canon, Epson and HP. Whether you print for business or personal use, at home or in an office, we’ve got the best printer for you. While several models on this list are no longer unavailable, we are currently in the process of testing a new round of printers, and will updates this list with our latest picks shortly. Check back soon for our most up-to-date choices on the best printers for this year.