Do you ever stare at a wall of printers, feeling completely lost? Picking a printer can feel like a mission, right? You just want to print a school paper or a fun drawing, but suddenly you’re bombarded with terms like “inkjet,” “laser,” and “all-in-one.” It’s enough to make anyone want to just go to a print shop!
The truth is, not everyone needs a super fancy, complicated printer. Often, a “simple printer” is exactly what most people need. But even finding that can be tricky. You don’t want to buy something that’s too basic and can’t do what you need, or something so complicated it feels like a puzzle. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be stressful.
In this post, we’ll cut through all the confusing jargon. We’ll show you what to look for in a simple printer that’s easy to use and fits your needs. You’ll learn what makes a printer truly “simple” and discover how to pick the perfect one without any headaches. Get ready to say goodbye to printer confusion and hello to easy printing!
Our Top 5 Simple Printer Recommendations at a Glance
Top 5 Simple Printer Detailed Reviews
1. Canon PIXMA TS4320 Wireless Color Inkjet Printer for Duplex Printing
Rating: 9.1/10
Meet the Canon PIXMA TS4320 Wireless Color Inkjet Printer, your new best friend for printing, scanning, and copying at home or for your hybrid work setup. This printer is a smart choice for anyone looking for a capable machine without breaking the bank. Its sleek white design won’t take up too much space, and it’s built to make your printing tasks simple and efficient.
What We Like:
- It’s affordable and offers great value for all its features.
- Prints look sharp and colorful, both for text and pictures.
- Setting it up is quick and easy, even for your phone or computer.
- Dual-band Wi-Fi connects reliably anywhere in your home.
- Scanning and copying are straightforward with the built-in scanner.
- Automatic double-sided printing saves paper and time.
- It handles various paper sizes up to 8.5” x 11”, with or without borders.
- Its compact size fits nicely into any room.
- You can easily print from your phone or tablet using popular apps.
- It’s good for the environment, being EPEAT Silver and ENERGY STAR certified.
What Could Be Improved:
- Ink cartridges might need replacing more often for heavy use.
- The display screen is a bit small, which can make navigating menus a little tricky.
This Canon printer is a fantastic all-around option for everyday printing needs. It balances cost-effectiveness with useful features, making it a solid addition to any home office.
2. HP DeskJet 2827e Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer
Rating: 9.5/10
Meet the HP DeskJet 2827e Wireless All-in-One, a printer designed to make your home printing tasks a breeze. This compact machine handles everything from to-do lists and letters to recipes and important documents. It’s built for your busy life, offering color printing, scanning, and copying all in one convenient package.
What We Like:
- HP’s AI-powered printing is a game-changer, smartly formatting web pages and emails so you don’t waste paper.
- Wireless printing is super reliable, and it fixes connection problems on its own.
- The HP app makes printing, scanning, and copying easy from your phone or tablet.
- You get a 3-month Instant Ink trial, so ink is delivered right to your door.
- Its compact design fits perfectly in any home.
- The printer is made with at least 60% recycled plastic, showing HP’s commitment to sustainability.
- The intuitive ICON LCD screen makes basic printing straightforward.
What Could Be Improved:
- Print speeds are on the slower side, with 5.5 ppm for color and 7.5 ppm for black.
- The printer is designed to only work with HP cartridges, which could limit your options.
This HP DeskJet 2827e is a smart and user-friendly printer for your home. It simplifies printing with helpful AI and convenient app control, making it a solid choice for everyday needs.
3. HP DeskJet 2855e Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer
Rating: 9.3/10
The HP DeskJet 2855e is a fantastic all-in-one printer designed for busy homes. It handles all your printing, scanning, and copying needs with ease. Whether you’re printing school assignments, important letters, or your favorite recipes, this printer makes it simple. Plus, it comes with three months of HP Instant Ink, saving you money and hassle.
What We Like:
- It’s great for printing everyday things like to-do lists and letters.
- HP AI ensures your web pages and emails print perfectly, without wasted paper.
- You can print, copy, and scan all from one device.
- The 60-sheet input tray means you don’t have to refill it constantly.
- Wireless printing is super reliable and fixes connection problems on its own.
- The HP app lets you print, scan, and copy from your phone or tablet easily.
- Three months of Instant Ink are included, which is a nice bonus.
What Could Be Improved:
- Print speeds are a bit slow at 5.5 ppm for color and 7.5 ppm for black.
- It only has single-band Wi-Fi connectivity.
For home users who need a reliable and user-friendly printer, the HP DeskJet 2855e is a solid choice. It simplifies everyday printing tasks and offers convenient features.
4. Canon PIXMA TS3720 Wireless All-in-One Printer for Basic Home Printing
Rating: 9.3/10
The Canon PIXMA TS3720 Wireless All-in-One Printer in white is a straightforward solution for your basic home printing needs. It handles printing, copying, and scanning, making it a handy device for school projects, recipes, or quick document printing.
What We Like:
- It’s an all-in-one printer, so you can print, copy, and scan all from one machine.
- Setting it up is super easy and takes only a few minutes.
- The ink cartridges are simple to replace; there are only two, and they don’t make a mess.
- You can easily connect it to your Wi-Fi without needing a computer, and it works with both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands for a stable connection.
- Printing from your phone or tablet is a breeze with the Canon PRINT app, Apple AirPrint, and Mopria Print Service.
- It supports printing on various types of paper, including envelopes and photos, and can even print 5” x 5” square photos and borderless photos up to 5” x 7”.
- It comes with a 1-year warranty for your peace of mind.
What Could Be Improved:
- This printer only prints on one side of the paper at a time.
- Print speeds are a bit slow, with about 7.7 pages per minute for black and 4 pages per minute for color.
- The LCD screen is small, measuring only 1.5 inches, which might make navigating menus a little less convenient.
The Canon PIXMA TS3720 is a good choice for simple home printing tasks. It offers convenience and ease of use for everyday needs.
5. Brother Work Smart 1360 Wireless Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer with Automatic Duplex Printing and 1.8” Color Display
Rating: 9.4/10
The Brother Work Smart 1360 Wireless Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer is a do-it-all machine built for your home or home office. This printer handles printing, copying, and scanning, all in one neat package. It makes your documents look great with its vibrant color printing.
What We Like:
- It’s a true all-in-one, handling print, copy, and scan tasks.
- You can easily print from and scan to cloud services like Google Drive and Dropbox using the handy color screen.
- Automatic duplex printing saves paper by printing on both sides.
- The 20-sheet Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) speeds up copying and scanning.
- It prints at a decent speed, up to 16 pages per minute in black.
- You can connect wirelessly or with a USB cable.
- The Brother Mobile Connect app lets you manage tasks and check ink levels from your phone.
What Could Be Improved:
- The 1.8-inch color display is quite small, which might make navigation a bit tricky for some.
- The printer uses specific LC501 series inks, so you’ll need to make sure you have the right ones.
This printer is a solid choice for anyone needing a versatile and efficient machine for their home or small office. It offers a good balance of features to keep your workflow smooth.
Your Guide to Finding the Perfect Simple Printer
So, you need a printer. Not a fancy, do-everything machine, but a printer that just gets the job done. You’re looking for something straightforward, something that won’t make you scratch your head. This guide will help you find that perfect “simple printer.” We’ll cover what to look for, what makes a printer good or not so good, and who it’s best for.
1. Key Features to Look For
When you’re shopping for a simple printer, focus on the basics. These are the features that really matter for everyday printing.
What’s Most Important?
- Print Speed: How fast does it print? For simple tasks, you don’t need the fastest, but you don’t want to wait forever either. Look for a speed measured in pages per minute (ppm). Around 10-20 ppm is usually good for home use.
- Print Resolution: This tells you how clear your prints will be. It’s measured in dots per inch (dpi). A higher dpi means sharper text and images. For simple documents, 600 x 600 dpi is fine. If you print photos sometimes, aim for 1200 x 1200 dpi or higher.
- Connectivity: How will you connect your computer or device to the printer?
- USB: This is the most common and easiest way. Just plug it in.
- Wi-Fi: This lets you print wirelessly from your computer, tablet, or phone. It’s super convenient.
- Ink or Toner Type: Simple printers usually use either ink cartridges (inkjet) or toner cartridges (laser). Inkjets are good for color and photos. Lasers are great for sharp text and last longer for black and white printing.
2. Important Materials
Printers are made of plastic and metal. What matters more is what goes inside them: the ink or toner.
Ink vs. Toner
- Ink Cartridges: These are smaller and often cheaper to buy at first. They work well for printing colors and pictures. However, ink can dry out if you don’t print often, and cartridges can be expensive to replace over time.
- Toner Cartridges: These use a powder. They are usually more expensive to buy upfront, but the toner lasts much longer, especially for black and white text. Laser printers are known for being very reliable for text documents.
3. Factors That Improve or Reduce Quality
Several things affect how good your printer’s output looks and how well it works.
What Makes a Printer Great?
- Build Quality: A printer that feels sturdy and well-made will last longer. Cheaply made plastic might break easily.
- Ink/Toner Management: Some printers are better at using their ink or toner efficiently. This means you’ll buy replacements less often.
- Driver Software: The software that tells your computer how to talk to the printer is important. Good software makes printing easy. Bad software can cause lots of problems.
What Can Make it Worse?
- Clogging (Inkjet): If you don’t print regularly with an inkjet printer, the ink can dry up in the print heads. This causes faded or missing lines in your prints.
- Paper Jams: Printers that often get paper stuck inside are frustrating. Look for reviews that mention how often this happens.
- Expensive Ink/Toner: The cost of replacement cartridges can add up quickly. Some printers seem cheap, but their ink is very costly.
4. User Experience and Use Cases
A simple printer should be easy to use and fit your needs.
Who is a Simple Printer For?
- Students: Printing homework, essays, and study guides.
- Home Offices: Printing documents, bills, and occasional photos.
- Families: Printing school projects, recipes, or coloring pages for kids.
- Anyone who needs basic printing: If you just need to print text and don’t need fancy features, a simple printer is perfect.
Making Printing Easy
- Setup: The printer should be easy to set up. You should be able to connect it to your computer or Wi-Fi without a lot of trouble.
- Printing from Devices: If you want to print from your phone or tablet, make sure the printer supports it easily.
- Replacing Cartridges: It should be simple to swap out old ink or toner for new ones.
Simple Printer: Your Top 10 Questions Answered
Here are some common questions people have when looking for a simple printer.
Q1: What are the main Key Features I should look for in a simple printer?
A: You should look for good print speed (around 10-20 ppm), decent print resolution (600 dpi for text, higher for photos), and easy connectivity like USB or Wi-Fi.
Q2: Should I choose an inkjet or a laser printer for simple printing?
A: For mostly black and white text, a laser printer with toner is often more cost-effective and reliable. If you print color documents or photos, an inkjet printer is better.
Q3: How important is print resolution for a simple printer?
A: Print resolution is important for how clear your text and images look. For basic documents, 600 x 600 dpi is usually good enough.
Q4: What does “ppm” mean for print speed?
A: ppm stands for “pages per minute.” It tells you how many pages the printer can print in one minute. A higher ppm means faster printing.
Q5: Can I print from my phone or tablet with a simple printer?
A: Many simple printers now come with Wi-Fi, which lets you print wirelessly from your phone or tablet. Check the printer’s features to be sure.
Q6: How can I tell if a printer will be good quality?
A: Read reviews from other users. Look for comments about build quality, how often it jams, and if the ink or toner lasts a long time.
Q7: What are the biggest problems with simple printers?
A: Common problems include ink drying out in inkjet printers if not used often, paper jams, and the high cost of replacement ink or toner cartridges.
Q8: Is it hard to set up a simple printer?
A: Most simple printers are designed for easy setup. You should be able to connect them to your computer or Wi-Fi without too much difficulty.
Q9: Who uses simple printers the most?
A: Students, people with small home offices, and families who need basic printing for schoolwork or documents are the main users.
Q10: How can I save money on ink or toner for my simple printer?
A: Buy printers that use cheaper ink or toner cartridges. Also, print in draft mode when high quality isn’t needed, and make sure your printer is compatible with third-party ink/toner if you choose to use it.
In conclusion, every product has unique features and benefits. We hope this review helps you decide if it meets your needs. An informed choice ensures the best experience.
If you have any questions or feedback, please share them in the comments. Your input helps everyone. Thank you for reading.
My name is Gary Flores, the creator of deepskyblue-owl-132507.hostingersite.com.. With a passion for creating cozy, functional, and beautiful spaces, I share my personal experiences and expertise about everything related to home improvement. From practical tips to design inspiration, my goal is to help you make your home the best it can be.