In late times , with many of us run at least part of the time from home , it has become more necessary to have access to a printer in our homes . There are so many dissimilar types of printers uncommitted and it ’s crucial to make the right choice and buy one that suits your penury – and does n’t end up cost a chance in inks .
In this article we round off up the skillful printer usable for Mac owners , as well as for those who want to impress from an iPhone or iPad .
Which printer to buy: Inkjet or laser?
Laser printers are relatively expensive , chiefly direct at business user who need a eminent - performance gimmick that can make do with the workload in a busy place . For home user , and people who work from home or in a modest situation , we urge inkjet printer instead .
Inkjet technology has n’t change much in recent years , and most inkjet printer still stick to the traditional method of using magazine that take four unlike colorful inks – cyan , magenta , yellow and black , also fuck as ‘ CMYK ’ – for print everything from wide-eyed textbook document to glossy photographs .
There are a few variations , though , depart with basic mono ( black and white ) printers that just use fatal ink on its own for print alphabetic character and other text edition text file . At the other final stage of the spectrum there are narrow down photo printing machine that may employ five or six different coloured inks in edict to make really colourful , high - quality photo prints . Beware that there are hidden costs when it comes to the inks though , which we discourse below .
Mac compatibility
Another matter to consider as a Mac user is whether the features will all ferment with your Mac , and whether the printer has features like AirPrint , which will make the set up much simple .
Most printing machine these days are Mac - compatible , but we have seen quite a few pressman that mold better with Windows personal computer . The job here lie in the machine driver software package that controls the printing machine , which may be different on Macs and microcomputer . One common weakness is printing machine software system that provides duplex printing – two - sided impression , on both sides of the varlet – for Windows , but not on the Mac . So it ’s always deserving checking the technical info on the manufacturer ’s web site to make trusted that the Mac software allow with the printer let in all the same features as the Windows equivalent .
Of course , Macs have always been used for creative tasks such as graphic design and picture redaction , so many Mac users may prefer to opt for a more specialised printer that is designed for nontextual matter and photographic oeuvre .
You do n’t need to be a professional photographer , either , as many people now use their iPhone or iPad to shoot selfies , portraits and landscape photos when they ’re out and about . This has impart procession to a new generation of printer that are more focussed on mobile twist , so Apple user should check that the printer put up Apple’sAirPrintsoftware – which allows you to quickly print from an iPhone or iPad without having to install any other software or apps first .
All the printer tested below are AirPrint - compatible , which means you wo n’t need to install printing machine driver and that your Mac , iPhone and iPad will instantly link up to them .
Hidden costs
Above all else , you need to keep a close eye on the day - to - day running price of your printing machine . Many producer sell their printers as stingily as possible , but you may then find that you get stung in the pouch with the price of switch ink cartridges .
Many of the printer manufacturer offer to monitor your pressman to judge when it is about to execute out of ink , and you’re able to sign up for a service that will mechanically polish off ink cartridge to you . These deal often work out cheaper – and in some cases you may regain that you get a few months free as part of a bundle with the pressman . We ’ve seen five months free HP Instant Ink subscription bundle with new printers on Amazon for case .
With all this in mind , here ’s our guide to the best printers currently available for your Mac and other Apple devices .
Best Mac printer 2023
HP Envy Inspire 7220e
TheHP Envy Inspire 7200eis a compact all - in - one inkjet printer which excels at producing crisp text documents and color ikon include glossy photos quickly .
be just over $ 200/£100 to buy , the HP Envy Inspire 7200e is reasonably cheap to run as well , as it uses two HP 303 cartridges ( black , and tri - colour ) , so supplant empty is less hassle than a four- or five - pickup printer would be . The Envy Inspire 7200e can also take the larger forty - sized cartridges , which are undecomposed value for money . Busier user who need to publish hundreds of pages every month will be better off with an HP Instant Ink subscription – most places sell the Envy Inspire 7200e will bundle in six months of free Instant Ink .
While the Envy Inspire 7200e can impress on standard sizes of plain paper , it ’s limited to 4x6 in ( 10x15 cm ) , 5x5 in ( 13x13 cm ) and 5x7 in ( 13x18 curium ) shining paper size – that ’s hunky-dory if you ’re only looking to impress vacation photos , but a shame if you want to publish on letter / A4 showy . The only other drawback is the want of an robotic document tributary ( ADF ) , although the 1,200 x 1,200 dpi scanner , which read around 12 - 15 seconds to scan at 300dpi , means the Envy Inspire 7200e can act as as a photocopier .
The machine is easygoing to place up and configure thanks to AirPrint musical accompaniment , and it ’s aboveboard to get off print jobs to the 7200e via Wi - Fi from your MacBook . There ’s also the HP Smart background and iOS apps , which appropriate you to run diagnostic tests and print files from Apple iCloud . Should you need it , there ’s a USB - B larboard on the back for a wired connexion too.–Thomas Newton
Epson Expression Premium XP-6000
At just 349 x 340 x 142 mm , Epson ’s Expression PremiumXP-6000(known as theXP-6100 in the U.K ) is a unspoiled option where space is tight , yet it still squeezes in an impressive compass of features : you get printing machine , scanner and copier , duplex , AirPrint and the option to print on DVDs , among other things .
This is a top - of - the - cooking stove printer with an accent on high - quality photos . Its fifth , ‘ photo black ’ ink adds definition , develop very bright , sharp image , and dewy-eyed textbook looks good .
It ’s a quick machine , too . We recorded 13ppm for mono and 9ppm for vividness , easily tight enough for most home users or small offices , and a estimable 35 sec for postcard prints .
The XP-6100 is a good option if you want to print eminent - quality photos , or peradventure some eye - catching graphics for a school report . However , its running costs are a little gamey , which means it ’s easily suited to casual use.–Cliff Joseph
Brother DCP-J1800DW
This may sound like a bit of a first - creation problem , but I often want to impress smaller documents , such as reference labels , that only need A5 paper , but I terminate up wasting paper by printing on A4 simply because I do n’t have a separate supply of A5 at hand . And , consort to Brother ’s grocery enquiry , around 46 % of printer proprietor have the same problem with their office printers from meter to sentence .
That ’s where Brother ’s DCP - J1800DW could come in handy for many multitude . Brother claims that it ’s the first ‘ print and cut ’ model aimed at home / distant workers and pocket-sized concern that includes a build - in guillotine that can chop A4 paper in one-half and print an A5 papers for you alternatively ( leave behind you with a second piece of blank A5 paper that you could pull through for future use ) . The printing machine has just been launch in the UK and Europe , and should be useable in the US and other neighborhood quite presently .
In most other respects , though , the DCP - J1800DW is a fair conventional multi - function printer . Along with a four - colour inkjet printer with 1200×6000 dpi resolution , the DCP - J1800DW also includes a 1200x2400dpi electronic scanner and copier . The printer has a stock USB porthole for connecting to a Mac or PC , and also include both wi - fi and Ethernet for web impression , with support for Apple ’s AirPrint as well .
Brother quotes a mark speed of up to 17 pages per minute , but does n’t put forward whether this is for text , computer graphic or photo text file . However , we got a very respectable 14.5ppm for simple text text file and 12.5ppm for papers hold textual matter and computer graphic . Photo printing process was little slower , taking 57 second for a 4”x6 ” photo print on sheeny composition , but the DCP - J1800DW is n’t really stand for as a specialist photograph pressman so that ’s probably not a major problem for most people . Print quality was respectable in all cases , with crispy , politic school text and colourful graphics and photo production .
You are pay extra for that build - in guillotine , though . The DCP - J1800DW is fairly expensive for a unproblematic office pressman , and running costs work out at around 6¢/3p per page for text documents and 9.3p/9.3¢ for schoolbook and graphics even when using Brother ’s high - yield XL cartridge . Those prices are n’t too high-risk for a ceremonious magazine - based printer such as this , but there are now quite a few ‘ eco ’ printers – such as Epson ’s Eco - Tank range – that use large ink armored combat vehicle rather than replaceable cartridges to reduce running play costs quite dramatically . So while the A4 / A5 option provided by the DCP - J1800DW is very handy , its high toll have in mind that it ’s best suit for light office staff consumption rather than for busy offices that postulate to do a lot of print every day.–Cliff Joseph
Epson EcoTank ET-3850
Epson ’s EcoTank concept front - loads the cost by make the printer marginally more expensive but reduces the overall price of printing process by using a refillable reservoir . The ET-3850 offers a compact four paint EcoTank design with an constitutional ADF ( automatonlike document eater ) priced and specified for the home agency user .
The ET-3850 is small-scale at just 14.76 x 13.66 x 9 in ( 375 x 347 x 231 millimetre ) ( Width x Depth x Height ) and weigh 14.7 lb ( 6.7 kilo ) before ink or paper is sum up . It can link up direct to a computer using USB , via the connection using Wi - Fi or Ethernet LAN , progress to few restriction about where the pressman can be situate .
All composition is localise in a 250 - canvass tray at the very bottom because there is no manual provender . However , the printing machine ’s top host the ADF ( auto document feeder ) for scanning or copying multiple sheets . It can accept 30 page and scan 1200 x 2400dpi ( Horizontal x Vertical ) at just about five Page per hour . All printing controls are on a careen - adjustable front panel with a midget 5×4 cm covert .
The Ink reservoirs are on the front right , with the levels of ink clearly visible from the outside . let in with the ET-3850 are Epson 102 dyestuff in Yellow , Cyan and Magenta , all in 70ml feeding bottle , and there are also two black paint bottles , each with 127 ml inside . That ’s enough colour ink to fill all the tanks and another terminated fill for the black paint . That much ink represents 14,000 pages of black impression ( take over a 5 % coverage ) and 5,200 pages of colour output .
The prescribed Epson EcoTank 102 Genuine Multipack Ink Bottles be £ 37.99 in the UK . Those in America have a slightly dissimilar notation , as the ET-3850 sell there uses Epson 502 ink , price at $ 47.29 . Individual color or blacks can be bought , a black being around $ 15 , and each colour about $ 11 . This is one of the cheapest print per page printer we ’ve see . Even full varlet A4 vividness impression is n’t that expensive , at about 7p or $ 0.08 per page .
Once the ink is fully loaded , the pressman run through a ten - second summons where it disembowel ink into the printing machine quick for use , and then it proceeds with a photographic print alignment procedure . Bear this in mind if you take to publish something urgently.–Chris Martin
Epson Workforce WF-110W
This compact Epson printer is just a printing machine – it does n’t let in a scanner or copier as well – but is great if you are front for a domicile printer to squeeze into a sozzled spot .
It ’s also ideal if you need a printer that is compact enough to cart around with you : it quantify just 12.16 in ( 309 mm ) wide , ( 6.06 in ) 154 mm deep and 2.4 in ( 61 mm ) thick , and weighing 3.5 pound ( 1.6 kg ) . It even has a rechargable electric battery you may practice when it is n’t plugged in . So it ’s perfect if you often involve to publish affair out for client while out on the Book of Job , for example .
The printer uses a four - colour inkjet mechanism and offers 5,760 × 1,440dpi resolving printing . Print quality is impressive thanks to Epson ’s pigment inks , which are used for both color and mono printing and farm bold colour and exact text .
When we tested it the printer negociate 7 pages per minute for mono printing , and 4ppm for colour – but only when we were plug into the mains , When run on electric battery power the print fastness are a little lower : 4ppm for mono and 2ppm for gloss .
One of the drawbacks of such a compendious plan is that where other printing machine have the alternative of high - output cartridges , which can keep the cost down , there is only one size of black and colored ink magazine here . We got around 250 varlet from a £ 19 black cartridge and about 200 pages from a £ 15 tri - colour cartridge ( cyan , Battle of Magenta and chicken ) which which worked out at about 8p per page for color printing process , and 7.5p a pageboy for black and white – the latter is quite high .
Epson ’s ReadyInk service is available , but there is no price reduction or calendar month free , unlike with HP ’s combining weight .
The single newspaper tray can hold 20 weather sheet of A4 composition as well as small composition size and envelopes .
It ’s a wireless printer that connect to your WiFi mesh and also works with AirPrint ( so it ’s prosperous to publish wirelessly from all your Apple products ) , but you could also link up it to your Mac with a USB cable . There ’s also Epson ’s iPrint app which is uncommitted for Io as well as Android , and the printer also work with Google ’s Cloud Print service.–Cliff Joseph
HP Envy Pro 6420
The HP Envy Pro 6420 is a fashionable and space - saving all - in - one colour printer that ’s compatible with Apple AirPrint , mean produce this set up and running will be a breeze .
It ’s also price at under £ 100 and is cut across by HP ’s Instant Ink subscription plan so it ’s cheap to buy , and , with the right price architectural plan , can be trashy to race , too .
While there ’s no ascendency gore display on the HP Envy Pro 6420 itself , all print problem can be queued remotely via the HP Smart desktop and mobile apps for macOS and iOS . The HP Smart app for Io have you impress documents and images stored topically on your phone , as well as print data file and photos store in the swarm , whether that ’s iCloud , Dropbox , Evernote , Google Drive , Box , even Facebook .
The A4 flatbed scanner read documents at 1,200×1,200dpi , and it prints in black in at 1,200×1,200dpi too , while color image and nontextual matter are print at up to 4,800×1,200dpi .
impression speeds and running monetary value are par for the course for a home office all - in - one at this price range , but when demand with a rolling HP Instant Ink subscription , the HP Envy Pro 6420 becomes very tatty to run indeed.–Thomas Newton
[ Not trade in U.S. ]
HP DeskJet Plus 4120
The HP DeskJet Plus 4120 – also bed as the HP DeskJet Plus 4155 in the US – is an entry - level all - in - one people of color printer , image scanner , and copier that ’s cover by HP ’s extremely competitive Instant Ink subscriptions .
If offers wireless impression , via AirPrint or using HPs Smart app , so you may print from all your Apple devices , not just your Mac .
Running on two cartridges – a mordant ink cartridge , and a tri - color ink magazine – the HP DeskJet Plus 4120 is n’t any more expensive than your typical home printer , but with an Instant Ink subscription factored in , busy households , families , students , anyone who needs to print one C of pages every calendar month can make big savings here .
Able to skim and impress on report sizes up to A4 ( other paper size care include B5 , A6 ) at 1,200×1,200dpi , and replicate pages at 300x300dpi , the HP DeskJet Plus 4120 can also publish on glistening 10 cm by 15 cm photo newspaper .
The HP DeskJet Plus 4120 prints at up to 4800×1,200dpi in coloring material , and up to 1,200×1,200 in black ink , which means that as more colour ink is used for image , photo stop up looking more vibrant and detailed , whether you ’re print on plain A4 or glossy paper .
The only real downside is that textual matter calibre on the Normal setting is sub equality , but you could improve this by moving the quality up to Best . And while doing so will apply up more black ink , with the money you ’d save with the right subscription , this should n’t bear upon running toll in any major way.–Thomas Newton
[ Not sold in the U.S. No longer betray by HP UK . ]
Canon PIXMA TS7450
The Canon PIXMA TS7450 is an all - in - one colour inkjet printer , scanner and copier , aimed at home exploiter , families and bookman .
Easy to practice and versatile , the PIXMA TS7450 is both cheap to grease one’s palms and sanely trashy to range . While it uses cartridges and not a more economical ink cooler , the larger XL - sized cartridges predict hundreds of pages of contraband and colour ink print . The fact that it only need two cartridges to run help keep costs low .
Print speeds are good and quality is fantabulous , with text and graphics looking rich and sharp – although for pic you ’ll necessitate to place in some calendered paper , as prints of photograph on plain sheets are middling .
As well as being able to impress on standard A4 , A5 , B5 , and Letter - sized evident and glossy composition , the Canon PIXMA TS7450 features a 1,200 x 2,400 dpi scanner , and an automatic document feeder ( ADF ) , which lets you run down or copy up to 35 pages at once .
These apps are filled with practical printing templates such as business card and picture ID , but are also come with a lot of play feature article and creative options.–Thomas Newton
