The 7 Best Home Printers for Work, School, or Any Hobby

Years ago, a home printer was considered a luxury, but by the mid-2000s, it became a necessity. Whether for parents printing paperwork, kids printing schoolwork, or the whole family concocting new craft ideas, a quality home printer was a must-have. And though, in recent years, many have chosen to forgo a home printer due to concerns over lack of space, saving money, or the ability to digitally download things to our smartphones, a quality home printer is still a crucial component of modern home office life.

The Best Home Printers

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What to Consider

It may seem obvious to say, “Think about space!” when it comes to choosing the best home printer for you, but we’re actually talking about more than just size when we say that. Where do you plan on putting the printer? Is it just for you, or is the whole family going to use it? As convenient as it might be to have a printer right next to your workstation, the trade-off may be a parade of people coming in and out to pick up their personal printings while you’re trying to work. In those cases, it helps to consider either portability or simply placing the printer in a “neutral” area.

You should also consider the design of the printer, and how it will interact with the rest of your space. You may have the perfect spot picked out for it, only to find that the way the paper loads in, or where the door for the ink cartridges is, means having to awkwardly maneuver the printer whenever it needs a reload.

Speaking of what gets loaded in, make sure you're also considering both what type of ink it takes and what type of material it can handle. In terms of ink, you should think about the ease of availability for refills — online retailers, local brick and mortar stores, and even subscription services are a few options you can consider to get new ink on the regular. And as for material, while virtually any printer can handle standard paper, if you anticipate needing to print on thicker stock or larger formats, keep an eye out for more all-purpose printers.

So stop paying to print pages at the local library or hoping you can sneak in a few photocopies of your kids' school play flyers on the office copier. With printers smaller, cheaper, and with more functionality than ever, now is the time to add one of these best home printers to your space.