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Cheap Printers, Best Cheap Inkjet Printers
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Cheap Printers Buying Guide
If you're looking for a cheap printer to print the occasional web page, report, email, or confirmation, most budget inkjets will be just right. They're low in cost (less than $80), easy to set up, and small in size so they don't take up much space on your desk.
Inkjet printers from Canon, Epson, HP, and Lexmark rule the budget printers category. At first glance, many models seem to claim the same thing in terms of performance and features, but buyers beware: your cheap printer can quickly become an expensive investment if you don't know what to look for. To help you choose wisely, we've broken down the features you want to have and the performance you can expect so there are no surprises when you set up your bargain inkjet printer at home.
Back to top »What To Look For: Cheap Inkjet Printer Features
Inexpensive Printers Resolution.
Resolution is a popular way many people describe print quality. The higher the resolution, the better the printer's output. Remember, though, paper, ink technology, and the number of ink cartridges also contribute to print quality -- and inkjet technology is better than laser technology at printing photos and colorful images. Most budget printers, like the Canon Pixma iP2600 (starting at $45, Amazon
) and the HP Deskjet D2660 (starting at $49, Amazon
), have a high-resolution 4800x1200 dots per inch (DPI) for color prints and 600x600 DPI for black-and-white; the HP Photosmart D5460 (starting at $70, Amazon
) boasts 9600x2400 DPI for color and 600x600 for black-and-white; the Lexmark Z735 (starting at $55, Amazon
) features 1200x1200 for black-and-white, which is higher than the typical 600 x 600 black-and-white DPI for budget laser printers.
Cheap Printers Ink.
The biggest gripe about inkjet printers is the high cost of ink. Black ink cartridges typically run $20 or more and three-color cartridges generally start around $30, which means cheap printers can easily and quickly wind up costing budget-minded users more than their worth. We found user complaints about high ink cost across the board for every low-priced inkjet printer and manufacturer, although HP and Canon fared slightly more favorably among users overall than did Lexmark and Epson.Printers are so cheap compared to the cost of ink these days that you may be tempted to chuck the old one and buy something new. This Epinions inkjet printer review tells how one user settled on a Lexmark Z735 instead of shelling out $52 for a cartridge. Another ink-related grievance concerns the omission of a simple black ink cartridge in the original packing box; the Lexmark Z2300 (starting at $35, Amazon
Low-cost Printers Connectivity.
Budget inkjet printers are meant to sit on the desk and be attached to your computer, so it's no surprise that in most cases the only connection you'll find is a USB port. Note, however, that you won't always find a USB cord in the box; most cheap printers don't come with USB cords. Manufacturers assume you have one either from your old printer or from something else. If not, you'll have to buy one for about $15.Wireless capability is great for people who use laptops or need more space on their desks. Wireless is a common feature in mid-range $80-plus inkjets, but you can find a few less-costly inkjets with wireless, like the Lexmark Z2420 (starting at $59, Amazon
Mid-range inkjets commonly have PictBridge capability, which lets you print photos straight from your digital camera. You'll also find media card readers on many mid-range inkjets and on some cheap inkjet printers as well, like the HP Photosmart D5460. Ethernet ports are reserved for higher-end office models, like the HP Officejet K8600dn (starting at $699, Amazon
Inexpensive Inkjet Printers Installation and Software.
Basic printer set up is, for the most part, extremely easy. The Canon Pixma iP2600 gets raves on this score from Best Buy shoppers, as does the Lexmark Z2420 in printer reviews on Walmart.com. Complaints abound, however, about other printer installations that download unnecessary software (aka bloatware) onto your computer. After installing the HP Deskjet D2660 with the "typical install" on the accompanying disk, a user posting on the Walmart site grouses that the computer wound up connected to the HP server and preferences were changed. Bloatware can be annoying, so try to avoid it by choosing to "custom install" the printer's drivers.Value Inkjet Printers Paper Capacity and Handling.
Most budget inkjets have paper trays that can hold 30-100 pages and accommodate standard-sized envelopes and 8.5x11 paper. The Canon Pixma iP2600 features a little more paper-handling variety than most budget inkjet printers -- it can take paper as large as 8.5x14. The Epson WorkForce 30 Ink Jet (starting at $58, Amazon
) can print on card stock, and the HP Photosmart D5460 has a separate tray for small photo-size paper. If there's a specific size paper or envelope you need to print on, be sure to check the manufacturer's specifications.
Inexpensive Inkjet Printers Size.
Budget inkjets have a relatively small footprint and are lightweight. Averaging about seven pounds, they are typically compact and fit almost anywhere. Multifunction printers, also known as All-in-One (AIO) printers that can scan, fax, and copy, tend to have a larger footprint and weigh about twice as much. The Epson nx400 (starting at $94, Amazon
), for example, is an AIO and weighs 15 pounds.
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Products Mentioned in This Review
Lexmark Z2300Epson WorkForce 30 Color Ink Jet
HP Deskjet D2660
Lexmark Z2420
Canon Pixma iP2600
HP Photosmart D5460
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