In comparison to other options, a great all-in-one (AOI) printer should be able to handle almost, if not all, of your office’s needs. With that said, it should be capable of beyond the basic functions of printing papers, reports, and photographs, as well as copying and scanning. Some even offer the ability to fax documents, making it a multipurpose device for your office and home. But with so many choices in the market, where do you even begin? Finding a model with the proper set of features may be difficult given the variety of print technologies and brands available. So to help you out, I’ve made an easy-to-follow guide on how to buy an all-in-one printer this 2021.
So, whether you need a small and inexpensive device for home use or a more powerful printer that can handle high workloads, my all-in-one printer buyer’s guide is here to assist you in finding one that will properly meet your needs.
All-in-one printers (also known as multifunction printers or AIOs) are a type of printer that performs many tasks in addition to just printing text. Copying, scanning, and even faxing your papers are examples of such functions. Nowadays, you may now pick from a large choice of inkjet and laser-based all-in-one printers from a wide range of printer manufacturers and brands. Given the range of print technologies and brands now available on the market, selecting a model with the perfect mix of characteristics might be a little tough.
To assist you, I’ll go through some of the most important considerations to make when purchasing an all-in-one printer.
What’s The Purpose Of Your All-In-One Printer?
Since their invention, printers have gone a long way. They’re no longer just tools for printing text on paper. The best printers nowadays are all-in-one printers that have several functions such as photocopying, scanning, and sometimes even faxing. However, depending on your particular requirements and how you want to use your printer, the “best printer” may differ from person to person.
For the most part, you’ll want a printer that you can use to its maximum potential. The last thing you want is to purchase a printer that has features and functions you’re not going to be using. All-in-one printers aren’t cheap devices, after all. As a result, it’s important that you remember what you’d like your printer to do for you. To start, try asking yourself these questions:
Are you primarily looking for a basic printer to print text on a piece of paper for you? Or are you looking for a printer that can copy and scan high-resolution photos and documents as well? How about printing capacity? Do you require a printer that can handle huge workloads or will you only be printing a few documents? Is faxing a must-have feature or an afterthought?
Once you have the answers to these questions then your choices for AIOs will surely narrow down and picking one will be a touch easier. Apart from that, printers are reliant on the products you intend to print. You must also consider the text, images, photographs, labels, and whether you will print in color or black and white.
All-in-one printers may also be divided into categories based on their intended application. Will it just be for personal use? For your workplace? Or perhaps both? Regardless of its intended use, below are some features I highlighted that are focused on particular tasks.
You’ll most likely be worried about photo quality if you’re looking for an all-in-one printer for home use. As a result, an inkjet printer is your best bet. If you want to print photographs from practically any source, including cellphones, USB keys, memory cards, cameras, slides, film strips, and even original photographic prints, you’ll need a photo-lab all-in-one printer.
On the other hand, if you want to use an all-in-one printer for both your office or schoolwork, you’ll probably be more concerned with its text printing skills than with its photo printing capabilities. You will, however, require a laser or laser-class printer for this. The difference between these two categories is that the latter contains LED printers and, on rare occasions, inkjet printers.
Aside from that, you’ll want it to be fax-capable and feature an automatic document feeder (ADF) for scanning, copying, faxing, and emailing multipage documents. Certain all-in-one printers employ inkjets to create high photo-quality prints while also adding features like an ADF and a fax modem to meet your home office printing needs.
Although the capabilities of the two most prevalent technologies used in printers, laser and inkjet, are continuously overlapping, there are still significant differences between the two.
Inkjet printers – dye or pigment-based ink is used in inkjet printers. They’re an excellent choice for customers that need high-quality graphics and print a lot of them. Home users, as well as home, school, and small offices that print image-heavy documents, choose inkjet printers.
Laser printers – toner is used in laser printers to print text and graphics. They’re typically larger than inkjet printers and print at a faster rate. Due to its business-focused features, such as optional trays for greater capacity, huge replacement supply yields, and superior security features, laser printers are frequently chosen by larger enterprises and busy offices with high print volumes.
To put it simply, laser printers produce better-quality text than inkjet printers. Inkjet printers, on the other hand, tend to always produce better-quality images than laser printers can. It’s important to remember, however, that both technologies have evolved greatly in recent years. You may even discover that certain printers can easily meet or surpass your expectations.
When buying a printer for your house, you shouldn’t overlook how the printer connects to a computer or other devices to print papers and photos. Despite the fact that many printers on the market may connect to a wired or wireless network for easy sharing, most manufacturers prefer to have their printers connect directly to a single device. Knowing the advantages of each printer type, on the other hand, will greatly help you in making the best purchasing decision possible.
Wired Printers
Most printers still use a USB to connect directly to a computer, allowing the printer and computer to communicate at high rates. These wired printers are often easy to set up, and your PC’s operating system may be able to immediately detect and install drivers to get you started. A network may also be used to share a connected printer, allowing other users to send print jobs to it. Other users, on the other hand, will lose their connection if the printer’s PC goes down.
Wireless Printers
Unlike wired printers, wireless printers are commonly connected by Wi-Fi.
In addition to the regular network setup, you must provide your Wi-Fi password to allow the device to view and join the network. Because connecting an 802.11b device to a faster 802.11g network may cause data flow to be hindered, you must also find out whether the network type and printer capabilities are compatible.
Furthermore, a wireless printer will necessitate the installation of driver software on each computer that will have access to the printer.
Network Printers
If you want to provide many individuals instant access to your printer, you’ll need one that connects directly to your network. A connected network printer connects to a router instead of a PC and uses an Ethernet cable rather than a USB connection.
These printers, on the other hand, take longer to set up since you must enter your network credentials into the device to have access to the system. In addition, connecting a network printer requires the installation of software on each computer before it can print to the new device.
Which One Should You Choose?
At the end of the day, you are the only one who can decide which printer type is ideal for you. All you have to do now is make sure you buy the one that will meet and fulfill your needs.
Wired printers are typically the cheapest and easiest to set up for people who do not have a lot of knowledge when it comes to technical stuff. Meanwhile, network printers are a far better alternative for houses with a large number of family members or several users that need to share the same device.
Wireless printers, on the other hand, are always the best alternative when it comes to personal preferences. They combine the benefits of a wired network printer with the flexibility of being able to deploy the device anywhere as long as it finds a strong Wi-Fi signal, giving you the most ideal configuration possibilities.
Conclusion
Overall, whether you’re looking for a home or office all-in-one printer, I hope our buyer’s guide on how to buy an all-in-one printer was able to help you out in finding the most suitable model for you.
Do you already own an all-in-one printer for your home use? Did your favorite unit make it into our list? Was our article helpful? Let me know in the comments section below if you have any questions, suggestions, or insights to share. I would love to hear all your thoughts!
The Canon Pixma G6020 MegaTank is an excellent all-in-one printer that can handle a wide range of tasks. It has a supertank ink system that produces an astounding number of pages while having a pretty inexpensive refill ink, making printing in bulk very affordable. It’s also made for printing and copying in mid-volume for a family’s home office.
The G6020 comes with enough ink to print thousands of pages, much like the other entry-level all-in-one printers in the same range. However, many inexpensive bulk-ink printers demand you to compromise your productivity and other convenience features in order to achieve their low operating costs. This is not the case at all with the G6020.
Although it lacks an automated document feeder (ADF) for scanning and copying multipage documents, its large paper input trays, strong networking choices, and other useful features more than make up for it to be a good all-in-one printer for your home.
If you’d like to find out more, just keep scrolling to read our review below.
The most obvious reason to favor the Canon Pixma G6020 MegaTank is the use of refillable ink tanks, which enable significant ink savings and dramatically low print prices, thanks in part to the thousands of pages worth of ink that come free with the printer. However, the G6020 provides much more than just low-cost printing.
The compact form is suitable for use in any home office, but don’t let its size fool you. The G6020 also offers a plethora of handy features that will surely benefit any home. To be more specific, you get twin paper trays with a total capacity of 350 pages as well as an automatic duplexer for quick two-sided printing. Additionally, due to their built-in scanning and copying, both features give a speedy performance.
Overall, it has all a home office needs (as long as you don’t require faxing). And, despite its affordable price, it can handle far bigger workloads than the average low-cost inkjet in the market.
The maximum monthly duty cycle for the G6020 is 5,000 pages, however, Canon hasn’t officially provided a suggested monthly volume. With that in mind, I don’t think this implies you can print 5,000 pages every month on this small printer without it wearing out. As a safe recommendation, I would suggest not going over 3,000 pages per month.
Furthermore, the G6020 allows voice-activated instructions to do things like monitoring ink levels, reviewing alerts and other notifications, and printing hands-free via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant smart home devices, just like many inkjets from Epson and HP nowadays. You can also utilize Siri from Apple, Cortana from Microsoft, or other voice-activated services that are readily available.
Features & Specifications
Brand: Canon
Dimensions: 15.9 x 14.6 x 7.7 inches
Weight: 1 lb.
Technology: Inkjet
Printing Speed: 13.0 ipm (black), 6.8 ipm (color)
Paper Sizes: 3.5” x 3.5”, 4” x 4”, 4” x 6”, 5” x 5”, 5” x 7”, 7” x 10”, 8” x 10”, Letter, Legal, U.S.#10 Envelopes
The G6020 features a tiny body that makes it ideal for use in any home office. The model weighs 17.8 pounds and is measured 15.9 x 14.6 x 7.7 inches. For a model with ink tanks, this is rather compact compared to other similar printers. It has a duplexer for printing two-sided documents, but it lacks an automated document feeder (ADF) for multi-page copying and scanning.
When it comes to the overall design, the G6020 is definitely pleasing to the eyes and has fantastic build quality. Despite being entirely made of plastic, the printer feels solid and well-made. The scanner’s lid can stay open without assistance, preventing it from dropping while the ink tanks are being refilled. It can also stretch to handle thicker papers or volumes.
So you don’t have to manually open the tray and perhaps stop an ongoing print job, the front input tray contains a tiny window where you can view how much paper is left. It’s also worth noting that the printheads are completely replaceable, which makes it a lot easier to repair them if they ever get damaged or clogged.
The control panel also features a few physical buttons for choosing operations and browsing settings menus. For example, there are specific buttons for copying/scanning in black-and-white and color. Additionally, a tiny monochrome LCD sits in the center of the display. Owing to the absence of illumination on the two-line display, it might be a bit difficult to read in dimly lit settings.
Print Speed
The G6020 has a monochrome print speed of 13 pages per minute (ppm), which is 4.3ppm quicker than earlier MegaTank models but slower than most competitors in the same league.
To be more specific, the G6020 produced a five-page monochrome document in 33.5 seconds, or 9 pages per minute, which is just a little below the average. Keep in mind, the category average is 9.1 pages per minute. Furthermore, the G6020 produced a six-page document with a mixture of text and color images in 2 minutes, 46 seconds, or 2.2 pages per minute, which was slower than the industry average of 2.6 pages per minute.
In terms of print speed, depending on what you’re using the printer for, this can be a deal-breaker or it won’t be an issue at all. Like many entry-level printers, you can’t really expect the G6020 to have outstanding printing speeds, but it’s definitely decent enough for any casual user.
So if you’re only going to be using this as a home printer, then the slightly sluggish print speed shouldn’t bother you at all. Not to mention, despite its below-average print speed, what you can count on with the G6020 is its excellent printing quality.
Print Quality
The Canon Pixma G6020 MegaTank, like most of Canon’s previous Pixmas models, produces high-quality prints with well-shaped, readable text at all point sizes along with highly detailed, bright, and properly colored pictures.
The G6020 produced color graphics with a high level of fine detail, appealing textures, and vibrant, natural-looking hues. However, there was some very minor banding, but you’d have to hunt for these problems on purpose to really notice them. Color images printed on both sides were also equally amazing.
Overall, I have no issues with the print quality of the G6020, and I have no reservations about utilizing this printer in a more professional setting that requires marketing materials to create a strong first impression.
Ink Costs
The G6020’s use of refillable ink tanks results in exceptionally reduced ink prices, with text pages costing only 0.2 cents and color pages costing only 0.8 cents.
The G6020 comes with three bottles of black ink (enough to print up to 18,000 monochrome pages) and one set of color bottles (enough to produce roughly 7,700 color pages when paired with black ink).
Both monochrome and color printing are amazing deals, depending on what you print.
Despite the fact that you’ll pay two to four times more for the printer than you would for a comparable non-bulk-ink device without the supertank ink system, the refillable ink tanks on the G6020 will save you a lot of money in the long run.
In A Nutshell
Now that we have discussed the things we liked and disliked about the Canon Pixma G6020 MegaTank, here’s a narrowed-down list of the good and the bad with this particular all-in-one printer.
Pros
Ink tanks and refills are supplied, resulting in extremely reduced ink expenses.
Two paper trays and a duplexer are included.
Speedy scanning and copying.
Cons
Lacks an automated document feeder.
No faxing capabilities.
Our Final Verdict
The Canon Pixma G6020 MegaTank is an excellent home all-in-one printer. It features a terrific ink tank system that can produce a large number of black and color pages while keeping the ink bottles inexpensive, making it highly cost-effective in the long term. Its printing quality is just as good, but print speeds are a little slower than average. Because there is no automated document feeder on the built-in scanner, scanning multi-page documents can take a while too. But despite that, the G6020’s inexpensive entry-level price, low ink expenses, and top-notch print, copy, and scan quality, this all-in-one inkjet printer provides a lot of value.
Do you already own an all-in-one printer for your home use? Did you get the Canon Pixma G6020 MegaTank? Was our review helpful? Let me know in the comments section below if you have any questions, suggestions, or insights to share. I would love to hear all your thoughts!
Epson‘s WorkForce Pro product range caters to small workgroups and office settings, but they’re also terrific printers for home use. This particular lineup offers a diverse range of printers, including the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820, which we’ll be reviewing for today. This all-in-one printer is here for all of your printing needs. A compact device with a comprehensive range of capabilities that goes beyond printing to increase and maximize productivity.
With that being said, let’s dive in further and see what the fuss is all about. If you’d like to find out more and see if this all-in-one printer is worth the try, just keep scrolling to read our review below.
The Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820 is one of the best all-in-one wireless printers you can acquire for your home office or your small business if you’re on a budget. This is a low-cost printer that supports Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi via a router, Apple AirPrint, and Mopria Print Service. So you have a lot of options when it comes to networking.
Furthermore, this printer has an Ethernet interface and can print directly from USB flash drives. It’s well-built and strong for the price, and the cartridges and any potential paper jams are simple to remove and rectify. Among the scanning features of the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820 are a flatbed scanner, an automated document feeder, and built-in fax.
Three color cartridges are provided, and the total color document production is fairly decent. As a result, you just need to replace the color that has gone out, saving you money in the long run. This model prints photos at a respectable speed, with good quality and highly accurate colors. Monochrome sheets and documents, on the other hand, print almost instantly.
On the other side, its automated document feeder does not support duplex scanning. This makes processing long, double-sided sheets challenging for the machine. It also has low black page yields, which means you’ll have to replace the cartridge frequently if you’re printing monochrome pages in bulk. Apart from those little issues, this is a terrific all-in-one printer that you should really consider if you’re on a budget.
What We Love About The Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820
Design & Build
At first glance, the WF-3820 definitely shares a similar look with the rest of its siblings in the WorkForce line. This isn’t a bad thing at all. In fact, the overall design of the WF-3820 is a pleasant addition to any workstation. It not only features a rounded edge for a sleek appearance, but it also has a matte black finish that gives the printer a very premium and high-end appeal.
But the thing I like best about this printer is that it isn’t your usual chunky and bulky business printer. The WF-3820 is a pretty compact printer that fits easily into any small office or household, measuring only 16.7 inches by 14.9 inches by 9.8 inches. Not to mention, this equipment is rather easy to move, weighing only 19.4 pounds. Moving this from different areas of your office won’t be too much of a hassle.
Furthermore, the WF-3820, like the other printers in the same lineup, has a built-in ADF on top as well as a flatbed for scanning multipage documents. The ADF on the WF-3820 can hold up to 35 pages and is manual-duplexing. To scan the opposite sides, you’ll have to flip a stack of two-sided sheets.
It also incorporates a 2.7-inch color LCD touchscreen on the front panel for simpler control and printing preparation. You can view the display from a variety of angles thanks to the tilted panel.
The WF-3820 also has one 250-sheet drawer that may alternatively be configured to handle 50 sheets of premium picture paper or ten #10 envelopes in terms of paper handling and capacity. With a suggested monthly print and copy volume of 1,300 pages, it has a maximum monthly duty cycle of 26,000 pages.
Terrific Functionality
The WF-3820 is a wireless all-in-one printer that comes with a full suite of features, including printing, copying, scanning, and faxing. It delivers reliable performance for each function which can significantly contribute to your productivity.
Apart from that, it also introduces a new level of printing experience with its PrecisionCore Heat-Free technology. With a maximum print quality of 4800 x 2400 dpi, this equipment is capable of handling any document you throw at it. The automated duplexer also allows you to print two-sided documents without the need for user interaction.
Additionally, the WF-3820 also has a scanner, allowing you to store crucial documents in digital form on your computer or in the cloud. A flatbed or ADF scanner with a stable optical resolution of 1200 dpi can be used. This scanner can scan documents up to 8.5 inches by 11.7 inches and save them in the most common formats including PDF, JPG, and PNG.
If that’s not enough, the WF-3820 also works well as a fax machine, at a speed of 33.6 Kbps. This feature allows you to send and receive both mono and color faxes.
Decent Printing Speed
The Epson WF-3820 produces monochrome pages at 21 pages per minute (ppm) and color prints at 11 pages per minute (ppm), which is faster than your typical low-end business all-in-one printer. Personally, I don’t think this is the fastest printer on the market, but I would admit that it is fairly quick when compared to other inkjets in its class. If you’re going to be using this for casual printing or mainly for home use, then the printing speed should be more than enough to satisfy you.
High Quality Prints
When it comes to printing quality, the WF-3820 provides professional output quality. For each document, including text-heavy contracts, graphics-heavy reports, and even marketing pictures, this printer delivers terrific print outputs for its price. It produces very readable and well-shaped characters while working with text. Surprisingly, this inkjet printer could generate crisp and deep black color comparable to laser printers.
The WF-3820 also performs admirably in terms of charts and graphics. It performed well for tiny lines with no visible strokes, resulting in a smooth printout of Excel drawings and charts. Smooth color dispersion adds value to this entry-level commercial printer in a test with fills and gradients. Despite the fact that it is not a picture printer, the WF-3820’s photo printing capabilities are more than enough for the average user. Across some of the more complicated gradient fills and dark backgrounds, it creates vibrant colors with little to no banding.
Our Least Favorite Things
High Running Costs
Black pages cost roughly 3.6 cents each page and color pages cost about 11.7 cents each when you buy Epson’s highest-yield ink cartridges for this all-in-one printer. These figures aren’t out of the ordinary for business-oriented printers in this price bracket, but if you’re printing in large quantities, they’ll rapidly add up.
Before being enticed by a low purchase price, make sure you examine the printer’s lifetime cost of use. You have a variety of alternatives for lower-cost printing now that a number of bulk-ink printers are available. Certain printers may even initially cost more than the WF-3820, but depending on how much you print, you might save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars over the printer’s lifetime.
In A Nutshell
Now that we have discussed what we liked and disliked about the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820, here’s a narrowed-down list of the good and the bad with this particular all-in-one printer.
Pros
Overall design and build quality is excellent.
Impressive color accuracy for photo printing.
Lots of scanning features.
Generous connectivity options for you to choose from.
Cons
High running costs.
Yield for black pages is quite mediocre.
Our Final Verdict
To sum it all up, the Epson Workforce Pro WF-3820 is quite a game-changer. It combines ease and dependability with professional output quality without breaking the bank. Thanks to Epson’s sophisticated print technology, simple setup, and consistent print speed, all your printing concerns will be put to rest as this all-in-one printer will surely do everything for you without the frills and fuss.
Do you already own an all-in-one printer for your home or your office? Which one did you get? Was our review of the WF-3820 helpful? Let me know in the comments section below if you have any questions, suggestions, or insights to share. I would love to hear all your thoughts!
For those of you who either work or study from home, the best all-in-one printer for home use this 2021 is a huge must-have for your personal workspace. If you already don’t have one, then this is the perfect time to invest in one. It’s not only a necessity but also more cost-effective to have a printer that can handle all of your printing and scanning needs.
The best all-in-one printer, in comparison to other alternatives, should be able to do almost, if not all, your office demands. As such, it should be able to perform anything from printing papers to faxing documents, reports, images, as well as copying and scanning, making it a versatile tool for your workstation.
With that being said, the best all-in-one printers are more than capable of fulfilling your expectations. But with so many options in the market, how do you know which one is for you? To make things easier, we rounded up our top recommendations below for you.
So whether you require a tiny and economical device for home usage or a more powerful printer that can manage greater workloads, our list of the best all-in-one printer for home use this 2021 is here to help you in finding one that will best suit your needs perfectly.
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What Are All-In-One Printers?
All-in-one printers (also known as multifunction printers) are a type of printer that has a variety of functions in addition to printing. Such functions can include copying, scanning, and even faxing your documents. Nowadays, printer manufacturers provide a wide range of inkjet and laser-based all-in-one printers for you to choose from. So finding a model with the proper set of features can be difficult given the variety of print technologies and brands available in the market right now.
To help you, let me go over some of the most important things to keep in mind before you go shopping for an all-in-one printer.
Purpose Of Your All-In-One Printer
Printers have come a long way since their inception. They’re no longer just tools that can simply print text on paper. Nowadays, the best printers are all-in-one printers that offer a number of functionalities such as photocopying, scanning, and sometimes, even faxing. However, the “best printer” might vary from person to person based on your personal criteria and how you intend to use your printer.
For most of you, you’ll surely want a printer that you can utilize to its full capacity without wasting the money you spent on it. After all, all-in-one printers don’t come cheap. As a result, it’s important that you keep in mind what you want your printer to perform for you.
Are you primarily interested in having it print text on a sheet of paper for you? Or do you also want a printer that can copy and scan high-quality photographs and documents? What about printing capacity? Do you need a robust printer that can print out heavy workloads or will you just be printing light loads of documents? Is faxing capabilities important or not a priority? The list goes on and on.
Aside from that, printers are also dependent on the items you plan to print. Text, graphics, pictures, labels, and whether you’ll be printing in color or black & white are all options you need to consider as well.
Is Your Printer For Only For Home Use Or More?
All-in-one printers can also be classified according to your intended use. Will it just be for home use? For your office? Or both? We’ll be mainly focusing on all-in-one printers for home usage in this article, but if you’re also intending to use your printer for a home office or your remote studying needs, I’ll also be discussing below some features you can consider for these certain tasks.
If you’re searching for an all-in-one printer specifically for home usage, you’ll most likely be concerned about photo quality. This means an inkjet-based printer is your best option. You’ll also need a photo-lab all-in-one printer if you’re interested in printing images from nearly any source, including smartphones, USB keys, memory cards, cameras, slides, film strips, and even original photographic prints.
On the other hand, if you plan to utilize an all-in-one printer for your home office or school works as well, you’ll probably be more concerned with its text printing capabilities than with photographs. That said, you’re going to need a laser or laser-class printer for this. The distinction between these two types is that the latter category includes LED printers and sometimes, even inkjets.
Apart from that, you’ll also certainly want it to have faxing capabilities as well as an automated document feeder (ADF) for scanning, copying, faxing, and emailing multipage documents. Certain all-in-one printers offer models that use inkjets in order to produce good photo quality prints while also including amenities like ADF and a fax modem to cater to your home office printing demands.
Inkjet Or Laser Printers?
Although the capabilities of the two most prevalent technologies used in printers: laser and inkjet, are continuously overlapping, there are still significant differences between the two.
Inkjet printers – dye or pigment-based ink is used in inkjet printers. They’re an excellent choice for customers that need high-quality graphics and print a lot of them. Home users, as well as home, school, and small offices that print image-heavy documents, choose inkjet printers.
Laser printers – toner is used in laser printers to print text and graphics. They’re typically larger than inkjet printers and print at a faster rate. Due to its business-focused features, such as optional trays for greater capacity, huge replacement supply yields, and superior security features, laser printers are frequently chosen by larger enterprises and busy offices with high print volumes.
To put it simply, laser printers produce better-quality text than inkjet printers. Inkjet printers, on the other hand, tend to always produce better-quality images than laser printers can. It’s important to remember, however, that both technologies have evolved greatly in recent years, and you may discover that certain printers meet or surpass your expectations.
Wired Vs. Wireless Printers
One of the factors to consider when purchasing a printer for your home is how the printer connects to a computer or any other device to print out documents or photos. Although many printers on the market provide the ability to connect to a wired or wireless network for convenient sharing, most manufacturers tend to make their printers employ a direct connection to a single device. With that said, knowing the benefits of each printer type can significantly help you in making the best purchasing decision possible.
Wired Printers
Most wired printers connect directly to a computer through USB, allowing the printer and computer to interact at fast data transmission speeds. These printers are often simple to set up, and your PC’s operating system may be able to identify and install drivers for you automatically to get you started. A wired printer may also be shared via a network, allowing other users to send print jobs to the device. However, other users will lose their connection if the PC linked to the printer goes down.
Wireless Printers
Unlike wired printers, Wi-Fi is usually used to connect a wireless printer. To allow the device to view and connect to the network, you must input your Wi-Fi password in addition to the standard network setup. You must also ensure that the network type and printer capabilities are compatible since connecting an 802.11b device to a faster 802.11g network might cause data flow to be slowed. In addition, a wireless printer will require driver software to be installed on every computer that will have access to the printer.
Network Printers
You’ll need a printer that connects directly to your network if you want to provide many people instant access to it. A connected network printer connects directly to a router rather than a PC and utilizes an Ethernet cable instead of a USB connection. However, because you must enter your network credentials into the device to enable access to the system, these printers take longer to set up. Furthermore, connecting a network printer necessitates the installation of software on each computer prior to it being able to print to the new device.
Which One Should You Choose?
At the end of the day, only you can decide which printer type will suit you best. You only need to make sure that you’re getting the one that will meet and satisfy your requirements.
For folks who do not have much knowledge about the technical stuff, wired printers are frequently the cheapest and easiest to set up. Meanwhile, for homes that have a lot of family members or with several users that need to share the same device, network printers are a much better option.
But when it comes to personal preferences, wireless printers are always the best option for me. They combine the advantages of a wired network printer with the flexibility of being able to deploy the device anywhere as long as it detects a strong Wi-Fi signal, offering you the most options when it comes to setting up your gadgets.
Our Top Recommendations
1. Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850
Overview
The Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 combines cheap ink costs with a slew of business-friendly features that makes it worthy of claiming the top spot on our list here. Undoubtedly, this is one of the best all-in-one inkjet printers we’ve seen for home use, and it also works great for a small business or your home office.
The refillable ink tanks of the EcoTank design come with enough extra ink bottles to print thousands of pages. It’s a small business printer capable of printing over 3,000 pages each month, so it can certainly handle everything you throw at it.
Furthermore, the EcoTank Pro ET-5850 printer has scan, copy, and fax capabilities, as well as twin 250-page paper cassettes, a 50-sheet automated document feeder, and a big, easy-to-operate 4.3-inch touchscreen.
Not to mention, the ET-5850 provided some of the quickest printing we’ve seen, as well as crisp, clear text that rivaled that of a laser printer. Copying and scanning also showed the same speedy, high-quality performance, making this the ideal all-in-one printer for home offices in need of a full-featured multifunction printer.
The true allure, though, is the ink savings, with per-page prices as low as 0.4 cents for text pages and 1.6 cents for color pages. Although the initial cost is a little high, the mix of quality, features, and cheap running costs makes this one of the greatest investments you can make for your home and office.
2. Epson Workforce Pro WF-3820 Wireless Inkjet All-in-One Color Printer
Overview
If you’re on a tight budget, the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820 is one of the best all-in-one wireless printers you can get for your house. The Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820 is a low-cost printer that supports Wi-Fi Direct and Wi-Fi via a router, as well as Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service. So, when it comes to networking, you’ve got a lot of possibilities.
Aside from that, this printer also includes an Ethernet port and can print straight from USB flash drives. For the price, it’s really well-built and sturdy, and the cartridges and any possible paper jams are simple to remove and correct. The Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820 also has a flatbed scanner, an automatic document feeder, and built-in fax among its scanning functions.
The overall color document yield is decent, and three color cartridges are included. As a result, all you have to do is replace the color that has run out, which will save you money in the long run. In terms of printing speed, this model produces photographs at a reasonable rate, with acceptable quality and very accurate colors. Monochrome pages and documents, on the other hand, print quickly as you might expect.
Its automatic document feeder, on the other hand, does not offer duplex scanning. This makes it difficult for the unit to process long, double-sided papers. It also has low black page yields, which means that if you’ll be printing monochrome pages in quantity, you’ll have to replace the cartridge regularly. Apart from those little flaws, if you’re on a budget, this is a fantastic all-in-one printer that you should really consider.
The HP OfficeJet Pro 8035e (also known as the OfficeJet Pro 8025 in the UK) seems fashionable and small enough to fit easily on a desk in your home office without taking up too much room, thanks to its colorful accents of either coral, teal, or gray. For excellent wireless connectivity, it also has built-in self-healing Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, and Bluetooth. This eliminates the hassle of connecting your mobile devices for cloud printing using AirPrint or Google Cloud Print.
Not to mention, because it uses Alexa voice commands, you can easily talk to your printer to make it operate and come alive. Overall, this competent all-in-one printer has a lot to offer, including fast printing speeds, a large paper capacity, and user-friendly touchscreen controls.
The Brother MFC-J995DW is an all-in-one inkjet printer that can handle practically any task you throw at it. This printer features a flatbed scanner with high resolution and color depth, as well as a sheetfed scanner that can automatically handle multi-page documents. It supports Apple AirPrint for mobile printing, as well as Ethernet, USB cable, and Wi-Fi printing.
It has a great design that makes accessing the ink cartridges from the front straightforward, and it appears to be well-made overall. Because of its excellent INKvestment Tank Ink System, which produces a huge number of printed pages, you should not need to replace the cartridges very frequently, cutting the cost-per-print.
Despite the fact that the photographs have some little banding, they look to be detailed and of great quality. The two input trays can handle a variety of paper sizes, with the rear feeder working best for smaller picture paper.
You should be aware, however, that while the first page prints quickly, the printing performance for subsequent pages does not increase at all. In addition, the color accuracy is merely passable. This color quality should be sufficient for most casual printing, but it is not recommended if accurate color reproduction is necessary.
It’s also worth noting that the Brother MFC-J995DW does not allow Bluetooth printing. Regardless, this is a terrific multi-functional printer that is ideal for home use.
If you’re seeking a better photo printer for your house, the Canon PIXMA TR8620 is an all-in-one printer worth looking into. It has a lower page yield and cost per print than the Brother MFC-J995DW, as well as a slower printing speed, but it produces far better-looking pictures and supports printing over Bluetooth.
While the Brother MFC-J995DW reproduces colors more precisely, the difference between these two printers is minor, and you may not notice it if you’re only using this printer on a very casual basis. This machine produces photos with high-quality resolution and vibrant colors that are free of banding. In addition, the Canon PIXMA TR8620 supports Apple AirPrint, Mopria Print Service, and Wi-Fi Direct, to name a few networking options.
Features & Specifications
Brand: Canon
Product Dimensions: 13.8 x 17.3 x 7.5 inches
Product Weight: 17.4 pounds
Technology: Inkjet
Printing Speed: 15 ppm
Paper Sizes: Up to 8.5 x 11 inches.
Paper Capacity: 100 sheets.
Color: Black.
Extra Special Features: 4.3″ LCD touchscreen, 20 Sheet Auto Document Feeder, Canon PRINT app, and Auto 2-Sided Printing.
Pros
Excellent photo printing quality.
Has Bluetooth connectivity and a number of other connectivity options.
Cons
Slow printing speed.
Lower page capacity.
Rating: 9 out of 10.
Where Can I Buy The Canon PIXMA TR8620 All-In-One Printer?
6. Canon Color imageCLASS MF743CDW All-in-One Wireless Printer
Overview
If you’ve had enough inkjet printers on this list, the following printer may be a nice surprise. If you’ve been looking for a laser printer to put in your house, the Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw is a good option.
Although its cost-per-print is greater than that of other of the printers on our list, the printer itself is less expensive while still enabling you to use laser printing technology. It produces color documents in a fraction of the time and with far more accurate colors. Furthermore, because the drum unit is built into the new cartridges, you won’t have to buy it separately when replacing the toner.
Overall, the Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw is an excellent all-in-one printer for small home offices. It includes a flatbed scanner that can handle huge manuals or vast amounts of paper, as well as an automated document feeder that scans in both ways. While toner cartridges are more expensive, they have incredibly high yields, meaning they won’t need to be replaced as often, saving you money.
Not to mention, the Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw is fairly easy to connect to because it’s supported by a wide range of connecting methods for you to choose from.
Features & Specifications
Brand: Canon
Product Dimensions: 18.8 x 18.8 x 18.4 inches
Product Weight: 64 lbs.
Technology: Laser
Printing Speed: Up to 28 ppm (black)
Paper Sizes: Up to 8.5 x 14 inches
Paper Capacity: 50 sheets
Color: White
Extra Special Features: Works with Alexa, 5″ intuitive color touchscreen with smartphone-like usability.
Pros
Many connectivity options to choose from.
Supports Alexa voice commands.
Great high quality build and design.
Relatively low costs per print with monochrome pages.
Offers high-yielding cartridges.
Cons
Printing speed could be better for black and white pages.
Bulky.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10.
Where Can I Buy The Canon Color imageCLASS MF743CDW All-in-One Wireless Printer?
The use of refillable ink tanks, which provide substantial ink savings and radically cheap print costs, owing in part to the thousands of pages worth of ink that come included with the printer, is the most apparent reason to prefer the Canon Pixma G6020 MegaTank. But the G6020 offers so much more than just low-cost printing.
The small body is ideal for use in a home office, but it’s not short on features, including twin paper trays with a total capacity of 350 pages and an automatic duplexer for easy two-sided printing. Both provide quick performance, thanks to their built-in scanning and copying.
All in all, it has everything a home office needs (as long as you don’t need to fax). And, despite its low price, it can manage significantly larger workloads than the ordinary inexpensive inkjet, with a suggested monthly duty cycle of up to 3,300 pages.
When looking for a new printer, there are a few things to keep in mind. Obviously, you want a printer that is capable of producing high-quality results. However, we wanted to provide the best all-in-one printers for you on this list so that choosing a new printer would be less stressful for you. As a result, we researched a wide range of all-in-one printers that can do a little bit of everything well.
In our search, we chose these specific models as there were the ones that would operate best in a family home as well as in your home office. Hopefully, you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for here.
Do you already own an all-in-one printer for your home use? Did your favorite unit make it into our list? Was our article helpful? Let me know in the comments section below if you have any questions, suggestions, or insights to share. I would love to hear all your thoughts!
Everything has gone digital in this day and age. From the use of smartphones. computers, home appliances, and even the art we consume. With that said, if you’re wanting to start a profession or are just simply interested in digital art, a drawing tablet is one of the best gadgets to help you hone your skills. But with so many choices available in the market, it is quite easy to get lost and feel confused about which one is best suited for you. Fortunately, I’m here to help you out so you know which features and specifications to consider and look out for. So if you truly want to get your money’s worth and get the best drawing tablet you can get your hands on, just keep reading our guide on how to buy a drawing tablet this 2021 here.
If you’re new to digital art, attempting to learn everything there is to know about drawing tablets can sometimes be a difficult endeavor. There are several models to pick from on the market, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages as well as gimmicks and features exclusive to its brand.
It’s understandable that a beginner might be a little overwhelmed with so much information to take in. But at the same time, shopping for a drawing tablet can also be a lot of fun. Choosing your first drawing tablet can bring out a certain excitement for artists. It’s like starting a new adventure and you have so much to explore ahead of you.
On the other hand, if you’re still undecided about whether or not a graphics tablet is worth the money, then let me just go right to the point. It is well worth every penny. A drawing tablet includes capabilities that will allow you to improve your creativity and productivity in ways that you won’t be able to do with your traditional mediums of art.
Such an example is seen whenever you make mistakes. On a drawing tablet, a mistake can easily be undone with a simple press of a button and you won’t have to start all over again or waste more paint or paper covering it up. However, the same can’t be said when you’re painting on a canvas.
If you’ve spent your entire life creating art on paper, drawing on a screen may feel strange at first. But once you’ve grown used to the sensation, you’ll discover that digital art is a lot more fun and a great way to boost your creativity.
Knowing The Different Types Of Drawing Tablets
A large number of artists in the business refer to graphic tablets as “pen” or “drawing” tablets. A lot of manufacturers tend to interchange these terms as well, so it’s easy to get confused sometimes. While both of these devices are basically the same tools that allow you to express yourself in ways other than painting and sketching, there is a tiny yet major difference between them.
To help clear things out, below are brief explanations discussing the two.
Pen Tablets
To begin with, pen tablets do not have built-in screens. They’re just responsive pads with digital pens that have “express keys” to aid you in your drawing sessions. You’ll need to hook this into your computer or any external monitor in order to look at the art you’re creating in real-time.
Personally, I find using a pen tablet for the first time to be quite challenging and a little weird. You’ll have to become used to concentrating on two tasks at once. To ensure that what you’re drawing on the pad is accurate then constantly have to look back and forth between two monitors. Because of this, not a lot of digital artists would prefer this over a drawing tablet that has a built-in screen.
That said, there are also a decent lot of pen tablets in the market that are amazing and well worth the try. A good example of this is the Pen Tablet Medium from a new company called Xencelabs. This particular pen tablet was designed by former Wacom employees that used all their knowledge about digital art to create a premium device that can rival Wacom’s high-end drawing tablets without the high price point.
With that in mind, pen tablets are also usually a lot cheaper compared to their counterparts with built-in displays. So if you’re on a very tight budget, you can definitely consider getting this sort of model if you don’t mind the lack of a screen. Also, once you get the hang of focusing on two things at once, drawing on pen tablets will be a breeze for you.
Drawing tablets, on the other hand, have touch screens that may be utilized as extensions of your computer’s display. They typically perform the same functions as a pen tablet. But with the added benefit of a display so you don’t have to switch your gaze from your hand to your computer monitor to make sure your artworks are done to your liking.
Compared to pen tablets, though, they have higher costs so they’re generally more expensive too.
So Which One Should You Get?
At the end of the day, it’s completely up to you which of these drawing tablets would suit you better. Personally, I would suggest getting a drawing tablet with a built-in display as it is much easier to work with. But if your budget is limited or you simply prefer a non-display pen tablet, then the choice is yours.
Do keep in mind that both tablets lack storage and must be connected to another device such as a computer. However, a drawing tablet allows you to produce and show your work on the same surface, unlike a pen tablet.
Furthermore, regular tablets, like the Apple iPad or Samsung‘s Galaxy Tab, are also devices that can double as drawing tablets. They normally come with more functions than just digital art capabilities and can be used for other tasks for work and/or school. But they’re also a lot more costly since they are basically portable computers.
Finding the best drawing tablet for yourself can be a little frustrating if you don’t know where to start. Having endless options available in the market isn’t always the most helpful and can only confuse you further. To help make things easier for you, I’ve compiled a list of things you should keep an eye out for and consider once you’re shopping for a drawing tablet.
Size
When it comes to the size of a drawing tablet, it’s crucial to remember that both smaller and larger models have their own advantages and disadvantages. For starters, a larger drawing tablet often comes at a higher price, and you may not always get the best value for your money if you don’t require such a large device.
A larger drawing tablet, on the other hand, typically signifies a greater active area. In case you’re unaware, the surface on which you may draw is known as the active area. The larger your active area, the less zooming and panning you’ll need to do on various portions of your project. A smaller tablet, on the other hand, can provide a higher screen resolution for less money.
Many artists in the business believe that these more compact versions are sufficient for their drawing needs. So if you are just getting started with digital art, it’s best to invest in a small drawing tablet first to avoid wasting a lot of money in case you get bored of it too quickly.
Finally, think about the type of work you want to do. The sort of art you want to create will almost certainly be influenced by the size of your drawing tablet. As a result, I strongly advise you to choose a model with a large enough active area to fulfill your specific requirements.
Resolution
Before selecting a drawing tablet, the resolution is by far the most important factor to consider. Basically, the higher the resolution of your drawing tablet, the more you’ll be able to dive into the finer points of your digital work. If you have the funds, I strongly advise you to purchase the best resolution drawing tablet you can buy. But if you’re on a tight budget, you’ll have to make a few concessions here and there.
You must also consider if you are creating digital art as a pastime or as a job. For a small webtoon or even a simple logo design, fine detail may not be necessary, and you can usually get away with a lower-resolution drawing tablet. However, if you’re making photorealistic drawings or your profession requires precise details, you’ll need to invest in a drawing tablet with a much higher resolution to achieve the best results. Consider this as an investment in both yourself and your career.
Pressure Sensitivity & Tracking Speed
Pressure sensitivity is a feature found on many of today’s drawing tablets that allows you to vary the depth of your stroke based on how hard you press the pen on the active area. This will also offer you the most authentic experience similar to drawing on actual paper or canvas. But keep in mind each model may have a wide range of sensitivity and deliver a variety of sensations.
The amount of quality you can achieve with your digital work is heavily influenced by pressure sensitivity. Pressure sensitivity may not be an issue if you only need to create little drawings or you only do digital art for enjoyment. On the other hand, this is something to consider if you’re a professional or take your digital drawings seriously.
Meanwhile, the tracking speed is measured by PPS (points per second). This reduces the time it takes for a stroke on the active surface to be recognized by the linked computer. The majority of modern drawing tablets have extremely quick and immediate tracking rates.
Older versions of drawing tablets, on the other hand, still suffer from delays or lags. It’s advised to avoid these devices and instead go for the latest models or ones that offer excellent responsiveness.
Most drawing tablets allow you to customize the buttons or express keys to do certain tasks based on your preferences. Personally, I think this function will be quite useful to any digital artist. It saves you a lot of time, especially if you have to go back and forth on details on your designs frequently.
Depending on the drawing tablet you use, the amount of customizable buttons accessible and what each button can accomplish varies. So, if you know you’ll need a hotkey for a specific sketch, be sure the tablet you’re considering has this functionality. Most of the time, you’ll be able to program them for virtually almost anything.
Conclusion
Now that we have finally reached the conclusion of our guide on how to buy a drawing tablet, hopefully, I was able to narrow down your options for you and you can now decide on which drawing tablet to start your digital art journey with. Whichever you choose, I hope it’s one that you will surely enjoy using and will last you for the years to come.
Have you already bought your own drawing tablet? Was our guide on how to buy a drawing tablet this 2021 helpful? Let me know in the comments section below if you have any suggestions, insights, or questions to ask. I would love to hear all your thoughts!
