If you keep running to the nearby Xerox shop just to print your child’s homework sheet or a document, it’s time to buy a printer at home. A printer is a useful appliance which can print, scan and copy your documents in a jiffy. It saves you plenty of time and money in the long run by printing as many sheets as you like at a very low cost. You can print black and white documents or colourful worksheets for your kids in the comfort of your home.
By owning a printer, save yourself from daily printing requests from your kids or boss. Get to know how you can shop for the best printer by learning about the different printer types, a buying guide and a list of the top 10 popular and best printers for home use in India.
Different Types of Printers:
Customers find it challenging to choose the right model among the different types of printers in the market. If you want to purchase a printer for home use or office purposes, it’s important to learn about these 6 different varieties of printers:
- Inkjet Printers: These are the most popular printer types for home and office use which are affordable and easy to maintain. They use different coloured inks that are easy to replace and produce decent-quality images faster. However, ink cartridges are expensive and prone to drying out. There are paper jams and low print quality issues if you don’t use the right cartridges for the model.
- Laser Printers: Laser printers use laser beams and toner powder to transfer digital text and images onto physical paper. These printers produce sharper images very quickly and have no risks of ink spills of an inkjet printer. The outlines are done with more precision and speed due to the use of laser beams. On the flip side, laser printers are quite expensive and cannot handle varieties of paper.
- All-in-one Printers: All-in-one printers are multi-functional printers that combine a printer, fax, scanner and xerox(copying) in a single device. They are great space-savers and cost less than the price of individual machines. These printers use ink-jet or laser technology and work well for printing documents and high-quality images. The main drawbacks are a slower printing rate, lack of an automatic feeder and being expensive compared to stand-alone laser or inkjet printers.
- Supertank Printers: They are similar to inject printers, except they use large ink tanks instead of ink cartridges. Since the tanks are refillable, you don’t have to worry about the environmental pollution caused by disposing of plastic ink cartridges. Also, the inks are relatively cheaper than buying cartridges and last fairly long, making them ideal for high-volume printing.
- LED Printers: LED printers are quite similar to laser printers but use LED (Light Emitting Diode) rays instead of laser beams. They are reliable and long-lasting owing to very few moving machines inside the machines. The printing rates are faster, and the costs are cheaper compared to laser printers. However, the image quality is not that great as LED printers have fixed resolution with issues of uneven light distribution.
- Dot Matrix Printers: These printers contain a ribbon and a ‘hammer’, which hits it to create patterns of dots that form images. They are not as popular as the other printer types but have not entirely become obsolete. Large public enterprises like railways and courts still use dot matrix printers. However, they are not ideal for home or office usage as they are very noisy and produce low-quality images.
How To Choose The Best Printer For Home Use In India? (Buyer Guide)
Buying a printer can be time-consuming, especially if this is your first time. We are here to make your shopping process easier with the printer buying guide that explains the key aspects to consider before buying the best printer in India:
- Type of Printer: The selection process always begins with deciding the type of printer. Inkjet and laser printers are ideal for home usage due to their compact size and usability:
- Inkjet printers are a popular choice as they have a higher colour gamut and better precision of images. They are easy to use and affordable. However, ink cartridges are expensive and not long-lasting. If inkjet is your preference, then opt for a model with an ink tank that is refillable and cuts down the printing costs.
- Laser printers are super-fast machines and do not give wet prints like inkjets. They have excellent page yields and work well for high-volume printing. On the flip side, laser printers are expensive and work well for monochrome printing than colour printing.
- To summarize, inkjet printers are ideal for home use if you want to take a lot of colourful prints. Laser printers are suitable for office usage or monochrome printing as they involve a lot of cost for printing colours.
- Multi-Purpose Printers: Do you want your printer to limit itself to printing? If not, try all-in-one printers combining multiple features like scan, xerox and fax. They are priced slightly higher than standalone printers but worth every penny if you use the features.
- Speed: Speed refers to the rate at which printers generate printouts. Most printer brands claim that their products are the fastest in the market. A sure way to measure the printer’s speed is by checking its PPM.
- Pages per Minute, or PPM: PPM refers to the number of pages generated per minute. Again, the numbers will vary with what you are printing, the number of colours and the quality of the paper. Inkjet printers typically produce 15 pages per minute, while laser printers have 30-40 PPM rates.
- Clarity: Dots per Inch or DPI refers to the number of ink dots a printer can generate on an area of the paper. The more the number of dots, the better the quality of the image. However, modern printers have lower DPIs but better quality images. So, DPI may not be an exact measurement of the quality of a printer.
- Screens and Connectivity: Printers come in touch and non-touch screens. Touch screens naturally look and feel better than non-touch ones. Also, go for printers with Wi-Fi connectivity, letting you take print images even from your phone. Ethernet cable and USB slots should be mandatory connectivity options, even in Wifi printers.
- Maintenance and Cost: As pointed out earlier, inkjet printers are affordable, but the maintenance cost is high owing to the high cost of ink cartridges. Laser printers are expensive, but they give a better value for money in the long run. Supertank printers have one-time high costs but are ideal for home usage due to their significantly lower ink costs and maintenance.
10 Multifunction and Popular Printers For Home Use In India 2024:
Here is a roundup of the 10 latest and best printers for home use in India with pros & cons, product specifications and ratings.
1. HP Ink Tank 415 Wi-Fi Color Printer, Scanner & Copier with High Capacity Tank for Home/Office:
The HP Ink Tank is a must-have at your home if you require a lot of printing to be done for homework and assignments. The Best Wifi Ink tank printer under 15000 saves you from expensive printing costs by printing colour images at 20 paise per page and black and white at 10 paise per page. You can take about 8000 colour prints and 6000 b/w prints without worrying about replacing inks, again a mess-free process. The best part is its Wifi connectivity, which lets you take good-quality prints from your smartphone.
Product Specifications:
- Brand: HP
- Item Dimensions: 31 x 52.5 x 15.8 cm
- Printer Type: Inkjet with Ink Tank
- Printer Output: Color
- Weight: 4.67 kgs
Pros:
- Compact in design and lightweight.
- Produces high-quality prints.
- Affordable printing costs.
- Refillable inks with a mess-free experience.
- Quick installation.
- Wifi and mobile connectivity.
- Good after-sales service from HP.
- Added offer – 2000 learning worksheets for kids.
Cons:
- Slow printing, especially with Wi-Fi connectivity.
Ratings: 4.1/5
2. Canon E4570 All-in-One Wi-Fi Ink Efficient Colour Printer with FAX/ADF/Duplex Printing:
The Canon All-in-One printer is a smart addition to your home as it offers multiple features at a great price. The best-selling all-in-one printer can print, scan, copy and fax, thus reducing the need to hoard multiple devices. It runs on ink cartridges with a yield of 400 prints for Black and White and 180 prints for colour. Some good features include smart speaker compatibility, auto duplex printing, auto document feeder and mobile & cloud printing options.
Product Specifications:
- Brand: Canon
- Item Dimensions: 43.5 x 29.5 x 18.9 cm
- Printer Type: Inkjet with Ink Cartridges
- Printer Output: Color
- Weight: 5.8 kgs
Pros:
- Installation is easy and takes less time.
- Prints good quality images.
- Combines multiple devices in one.
- Multiple connectivity modes.
- Budget-friendly printer.
- Duplex printing function, which is a value-add for the price.
Cons:
- Very slow printing rates.
- Low yields with cartridges (need frequent replacements).
Ratings: 3.8/5
3. HP Smart Tank 670 All-in-One Wireless Integrated Ink Tank Colour Printer:
The HP Smart Tank 670 allows you to take high-quality prints at affordable costs from your smartphone. Setup is quite simple thanks to the detailed, guided videos with the HP Smart app. The printer packs many outstanding features like self-healing Dual bad Wifi, two-sided printing, automatic ink scanner, scanner and copier. The best part is the easy ink management by giving access to the capacity of ink tanks and filling them easily using the new spill-free bottle design.
Product Specifications:
- Brand: HP
- Item Dimensions: 43 x 36 x 22 cm
- Printer Type: Inkjet with Ink Tank
- Printer Output: Color
- Weight: 7 kgs
Pros:
- All-in-one printer which combines printer, scanner and copier.
- High-capacity ink tank.
- Controlled by HP Smart App, which is easy to set up.
- High volume printing at 10 paise for black print and 20 paise for colour print.
- Automatic duplex printing.
- Automatic paper sensor with smart guided buttons.
- Refillable, spill-free bottles.
Cons:
- The app has issues on iOS systems
Ratings: 4.1/5
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4. Canon Pixma G3000 All-in-One Wireless Ink Tank Colour Printer:
Canon Pixma G3000 is designed to offer high-quality printing at ultra-low costs, making it ideal for home and small business use. The all-in-one printer supports multiple paper sizes like A4, A5 Letter and Legal, which shows its versatility. The ink bottles deliver high page yields of nearly 7000 pages, saving you from worrying about ink costs or replacements. You can easily see the number of inks and replace them accordingly. Other plus points are its multiple connectivity options and guided smart app.
Product Specifications:
- Brand: Canon
- Item Dimensions: 44.5 x 33 x 16.3 Centimeters
- Printer Type: Inkjet with Ink Tank
- Printer Output: Color
- Weight: 5.8 kgs
Pros:
- Lightweight, all-in-printer.
- The package includes 6 ink bottles.
- High page yields of ink tanks.
- Low printing costs.
- Integrated ink tanks allow viewing of the contents inside.
- Supports multiple page sizes and types.
- Multiple connectivity options with smart app.
- Affordable pricing.
Cons:
- Slow print speeds.
Ratings: 4.2/5
5. Epson PictureMate PM-520 Photo Printer:
The Epson PictureMate is a great investment if you want to take professional-quality photo prints. The printer captures all your favourite memories into physical copies you can frame and share. It is a lightweight and portable machine, making it one of the best photo printers for home usage. You can easily print photos of various sizes, from borderless 4R to 5R and A5. It even has a screen to view photos from USB, thus reducing the need for a PC or laptop.
Product Specifications:
- Brand: Epson
- Item Dimensions: 20.32 x 20.32 x 30.48 cm
- Printer Type: Photo
- Printer Output: Color
- Weight: 3.82kgs
Pros:
- Professional quality photo printer at affordable pricing.
- Has an LCD screen for previewing photos.
- Works well with multiple paper sizes.
- Lightweight and portable machine.
- Runs on a rechargeable battery.
- Convenient printing with Wifi, Smartphone and USB.
- Borderless pics take only 36 seconds to print.
- Supports printing of passport-size photos.
Cons:
- The printing cost is high.
Ratings: 4/5
6. Epson L5290 Wi-Fi All-in-One Print, Scan, Copy, Fax with ADF Ink Tank Printer:
The Epson L5290 is an excellent home and small business printer. It is a lightweight, multipurpose printer that works as a scanner, fax and copier. The integrated ADF ink tank has high-yield ink bottles that enable spill-free, error-free refilling. You can easily set up the printer with the Epson smart Panel app. With a host of connectivity options, the printer allows you to print wirelessly from your smartphone.
Product Specifications:
- Brand: Epson
- Item Dimensions: 25 x 24.25 x 15 cm
- Printer Type: Inkjet with Ink Tank
- Printer Output: Color
- Weight: 1.8 kgs
Pros:
- Lightweight printer.
- Works as a printer, scanner, copier and fax machine.
- Seamless setup with the Epson Smart app.
- Comes with EPSON heat-free technology.
- High-yield ink bottles.
- Spill-free refilling process.
- Access to remove paper jams by opening the top and front covers.
- Wifi and Wifi Direct connectivity.
Cons:
- Doesn’t have a duplex printing option.
Ratings: 3.9/5
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7. Brother DCP-T820DW – Wi-Fi & Auto Duplex Color Ink Tank Multifunction (Print, Scan & Copy) All-in-One Printer for Home & Office:
Here is another best-seller printer from Brother which packs many amazing features to cater to home and small business usage. The multifunction printer is of ink tank type to produce a high page yield of nearly 7500 pages (B/w) and 5000 pages (colour). It comes with genuine ink bottles in 4 colours, including black. Some of its best-selling points are high printing speeds, great quality images, duplex printing, diverse paper and size support and multiple connectivity options.
Product Specifications:
- Brand: Brother
- Item Dimensions: 43.5 x 43.9 x 19.5 cm
- Printer Type: Inkjet with Ink Tank
- Printer Output: Color
- Weight: 9.6 kgs
Pros:
- All-in-one printer.
- Offers a host of connectivity options.
- Easy-to-refill ink tanks.
- Built-in Wifi for remote printing.
- High-speed printing.
- The tray has 150 paper capacity.
- Auto duplex printing to save paper.
Cons:
- Small display without a backlight.
Ratings: 4.4/5
8. HP LaserJet 136w Compact Monochrome Multifunction Printer with Direct Wi-Fi (Print, Scan, Copy):
The HP LaserJet is a compact, monochrome printer that fits anywhere, making it ideal for people with space constraints. It supports multiple page types and sizes, including labels, bonds and envelopes. The all-in-one printer is easy to set up and can be controlled with an HP Smart app. It can handle 10,000 pages per month (Duty cycle) and has a wireless connectivity option to take high-quality printouts on the Go.
Product Specifications:
- Brand: HP
- Item Dimensions: 48.2 x 44.7 x 36.1 cm
- Printer Type: Laser
- Printer Output: Monochrome
- Weight: 6.9 kgs
Pros:
- Compact, space-saving design.
- Elegant white and grey exteriors.
- Controls with HP Smart App.
- Can print from third-party apps.
- Wireless printing facility.
- Multipurpose appliance.
- Offer from HP- free 2000+ learning worksheets for kids.
Cons:
- The duplex printing option is not present in this model.
Ratings: 4.1/5
9. Canon Pixma TS307 Single Function Wireless Inkjet Colour Printer (Black), Standard:
If you are on a tight budget and will not use a scanner, fax or copier, then a single-function printer is the best choice. The Canon Pixma TS307 is a budget-friendly single-function printer under Rs. 5000. It has all the features of a printer, namely wireless connectivity, high-quality printing, photo printing etc. The additional feature is the Smartphone copy which makes it easy to copy documents with your smartphone via the Canon smart app.
Product Specifications:
- Brand: Canon
- Item Dimensions: 42.6 x 25.5 x 13.1 Centimeters
- Printer Type: Inkjet
- Printer Output: colour
- Weight: 2.5 kgs
Pros:
- Sleek and lightweight printer.
- Ideal for students.
- Multiple connectivity options.
- Smartphone copy option.
- Works for printing photos.
- Can handle a variety of paper types and sizes.
- Budget-friendly.
Cons:
- High printing costs.
Ratings: 3.6/5
10. Brother DCP-L2541DW Multi-Function Wireless Monochrome Laser Printer with Network & Auto Duplex Printing (Black):
Check out this best laser printer from Brother, which is ideal for home and small office usage. The all-in-one printer helps you increase productivity by offering high print speeds of up to 30 ppm. It has a print resolution of up to 2400X600 dpi, which produces crisp, professional-quality output. The duplex printing feature allows for printing dual-sided documents and booklets, thus saving paper and money. It has flexible connectivity options with flexible paper handling.
Product Specifications:
- Brand: Brother
- Item Dimensions: 39.9 x 40.9 x 31.7 cm
- Printer Type: Laser
- Printer Output: Black
- Weight: 11.2 kgs
Pros:
- Multi-function printer.
- Flexible connectivity options.
- Auto-duplex printing.
- High page yield of 2600 pages.
- 250-sheet capacity paper trays.
- The ‘Print from Anywhere’ option.
Cons:
- Only Monochrome printing (Black and White).
- Expensive.
Ratings: 4.3/5
Those are the 10 simple and best printers for home use in India which come from the four big players in the market – HP, Canon, Epson and Brother. Most of these models come with huge discounts on shopping sites like Amazon. Use our buying guide to shortlist your favourite printers and buy a model that ticks all your boxes.
1. What are ID Card printers?
ID card printers are specialized printer types that can print on hard plastic. They have thermal print heads which can embed the image on a plastic card. These printers are used for commercial purposes and are priced higher than normal printers.
2. What are the different types of commercial printers?
There are many types of printers for commercial use, like ID card printers, bar code printers, label printers, garment printers, screen printers etc., which have special purposes.
3. What are the best printer brands in India?
There are many top-rated printer brands in the Indian market including HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, Samsung etc. However, HP, Canon and Epson have huge popularity owing to their excellent track record and advanced printing technologies.