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Cheap Printers, Cheap Inkjet Printer

Related Guides: Desktops, Multifunction Printers and Scanners

If you're looking at cheap printers for home use -- that is, for printing the occasional web page, email, document, or photo -- all you need is a good cheap inkjet printer. With so many products on the market, you'll have no trouble finding a cheap inkjet printer that's easy to set up, small in size, and costs no more than $85.

Once upon a time you had to choose among print-only inkjets for daily printing needs, dedicated photo printers, and multifunction printers that print, scan, copy, and maybe fax. But rapidly evolving technology means functionalities once reserved for upmarket units -- such as scanning and printing direct from a camera -- are increasingly showing up on inkjets at price points that frugal shoppers can relate to. And the best news: the best cheap printers are up to the challenge of delivering quality output.

Printers from Canon, Epson, HP, and Lexmark rule the cheap printers category. At first glance, many models make the same claims in terms of performance and features, but buyers beware: your cheap inkjet 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 cheap inkjet printer at home.

The best cheap printers can handle more than run-of-the-mill print jobs. Indeed, the best cheap printers also spit out mean photo prints, be they images downloaded from your computer, camera, or smartphone. If you plan to use your new printer to reproduce visual images, resolution makes all the difference; indeed, it matters more than if you'll just be printing text. The best cheap inkjet printers offer at least 4800x1200 dots per inch (dpi) for color printing, with overachievers coming in at 9600x2400 dpi. (The higher the number, the better your photos will look.)

Other factors also demand consideration. Ease of installation is critical, particularly if you rank among those who struggle to keep up with the latest technology. Many cheap printers require USB cables, although more and more companies are offering wireless printers. In terms of paper size and paper holding, most cheap printers handle 30 to 100 pieces of paper or envelopes. Cheap printers are fairly portable and easy to maneuver, too, with weights varying but topping out at slightly more than 12 pounds. The one downside with these handy devices is the speed with which the ink, particularly the color ink, disappears, and the high cost of new cartridges.

We've focused our research on cheap inkjet printers that excel in photo and text printing, although a few that we like have copy and scan capabilities, as well. The cheap inkjet printers that made our list cost between $49 and $79, give or take a few pennies, and satisfy users' demands for relatively headache-free installation and ongoing operation, speedy printing, and excellent print quality. Cheap inkjet printer reviews indicate that ease of use involves more than just installing the necessary software and connecting the printer to your computer. Users also care about paper that doesn't jam and alerts that accurately report when ink cartridges need replacing. Quiet operation is important, especially during those late night print marathons just before the holidays or the due date for a big project. And finally, consumers expect crisp and clear text output and vibrant and sharp color output, although their standards generally aren't as high as those of the experts.

With all this in mind, here are our picks: For best cheap inkjet printers, we chose the Canon PIXMA iP4820 Premium Inkjet Photo Printer (starting at $79, Amazon) and Canon PIXMA iP2600 (starting at $57, Amazon) for their performance-to-price ratio. In the good basket we put the Canon PIXMA MP495 Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One (starting at $49, Amazon) and HP Deskjet 3050 All-in-One Printer (starting at $59, Amazon) for their wireless capabilities and good output. Excessive ink usage, mediocre photo printing, and noisy print runs prompted us to pass on the Lexmark Z2300 (starting at $31, Amazon) and Epson WorkForce 30 Color Ink Jet (starting at $62, Amazon).

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) is one offender. If ink were included at this thrifty price the cost would be on par with the competition, but tacking on the extra $20 you'll have to spend to print your first job takes this inexpensive inkjet out of the race for some users. Users posting printer reviews on Amazon.com also complain about the small and hard-to-find cartridges for the Lexmark Z2300. In such a tightly competitive market, at these budget prices it's not necessary to settle for a cheap printer that doesn't come with ink.

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). Many frugal users are thrilled with the wireless option in a budget printer, according to printer reviews on Amazon.com: there are no messy wires, it connects with your home network, and it travels well.

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). But value-conscious shoppers aren't missing much by not springing for these features. PictBridge and media card readers are important only if you're planning to print a lot of photos, and if that's the case you might want to consider a dedicated budget photo printer. Ethernet ports are important only if you're networking lots of computers.

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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Lexmark Z2300
Epson WorkForce 30 Color Ink Jet
Canon PIXMA MP495 Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One
HP Deskjet 3050 All-in-One Printer
Canon Pixma iP2600
Canon PIXMA iP4820

HP Deskjet D2660
Lexmark Z2420

 

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