5 Best Printers for Home Use with Cheap Ink in 2024

When it comes to improving productivity in your office or home, printers still play a significant role. In a world where printers are still famous, finding the right printer tailored to suit your needs can be a little tiresome. Deciding the best printer for home use with cheap ink can be just as tricky.

Before buying a printer for home use, you need to make sure it comes with multiple functions that will allow you to easily print, copy, scan, and fax documents in the comfort of your own home office whenever you see fit.

When buying a printer for home use, you also need to look for something that can use cheap and as many different ink types as possible.  In this review, we look at everything you should consider before buying a printer for home use with cheap ink.

Which Printer Type is Best for You?

Like we said, finding the best printer to suit your tailored needs can be tough. There are so many printers in the current market with so many features to choose from.

In fact, in the current market, you can easily find an individual printer with just about any possible combination of all the variations available.

Most printers, even those advertised as photo printers, are models built for general purposes such as printing text, photos, and graphics.

You will find some special-purpose home printers like dedicated and near-dedicated photo printer, portable printers, and label printers. In your unique cases, you will also find 3D printers.

If you are only looking for a home printer model to print, then you need to carefully consider whether you want a printer that can only print or a model that will produce other forms of output as well.

Most general-purpose printers focus on print of they are meant for the office while those intended for home use tend to focus on photos.

You can opt for an all-in-one printer for both office and home use, in this case, particularly home offices. You also need to consider how you intend to use the printer carefully, and then pick a model that is desired for those roles.

The most common technologies used in printers include laser and inkjet. Even though these technologies tend to overlap in capabilities, they have unique differences. Laser and laser-class models, like LED-based and solid ink printers, tend to high-quality printer text compared to any inkjet printer.

On the other hand, inkjets will print high-quality photos compared to lasers. Therefore when it comes to choosing the technology you want, know whether you will be using the printer for text or pictures.

Which One is Better? Single-Function Printers or All-in-One Printers?

If you need a printer for more than just general-purpose printing, it will be best to opt for an all-in-one printer, also known as a multifunction printer.

AIO printers will offer you additional capabilities such as copying, scanning, and faxing from your personal computer, as well as scanning to email, and standalone faxing.

AIO office printers can also feature an automatic document feeder {ADF} that will help you copy, scan, or fax legal-size pages and multipage documents.

Printers with an ADF feature can also handle two-sided documents. All you need to do is scan the first page, flip it over, and then scan the other side. The feature can also help you employ two sensors that will instantly scan both sides in just a single pass.

If you are looking to find a printer for a specific function, it would be best to settle for a single-function computer. However, people looking for a printer with additional options, AIO printers are the way to go.

For either type, opt for web-enabled printers. Whether you are looking for a home or office printer, this feature will help you print out documents without having to work through your computer. All you need to do is directly connect the printer to the internet through Wi-Fi, and you can easily access and print anything you want from your computer.

AIO printers that are Wi-Fi enabled will let you print images and documents from your handheld devices. In the current market, you can also find models that will allow you to email your documents to the printer, and the printer will automatically print them out.

What You Need to Consider Before Buying Printers for Home Use

How Much Do You Need to Print?

If you intend to use a printer to print out just a few pages per day, then you need not worry about how much the printer model is designed to print, that is the monthly duty cycle.

However, if you are looking to print enough pages for the monthly duty cycle to matter, then you need to make sure the printer includes this information in its specifications before purchasing it.

Hence, before buying a printer for home use, you should first figure out how much you print, how much print paper you have to buy, and how often do you do this. Then go ahead and pick a model specifically designed to print that much.

You should also consider whether you need a duplexer to help you print on both page sides and the maximum and minimum paper size you need.

The best thing is to get a printer with enough input capacity to minimize the amount of time spent adding paper.

Output Quality

When it comes to output quality, printers tend to vary significantly. Consider output quality for graphics, text, and photos separately because output quality for one task doesn’t guarantee the same quality for the others.

Color and Ink Prices

If you are looking for a home printer, then you probably need color. However, if you need a home printer to print business documents as well, color output is not as crucial.

If you need color, then you should also consider the cost of maintaining the color toner cartridges that will come with the printer as well as the black cartridge.

If you want to print out high-quality trifold brochures or advertising handouts, consider laser printers. You can also find inkjet printers with color capabilities.

If your printing is limited to single-color printing, you should settle for a monochrome laser or LED printer.

Also, consider the prices of the ink. Sometimes, the ink can be pricier than the printer itself. Hence, when shopping for a home printer, consider whether you need color and if you do, consider the price of the ink as well.

Look for versatility, especially if the recommended or standard ink is expensive.

Connectivity

In the current market, you will find home printers with a USB port and Ethernet ports as well. Ethernet ports will allow you to share the home printer on your home network.

Consider a home printer with Wi-Fi capability to allow further you to print documents or photos wirelessly to your network. Wiring your printer to the access point using Ethernet will help you access your wireless access point whether the printer offers a wireless connection or not.

If your home printer supports Wi-Fi Direct, then you can easily connect directly to other Wi-Fi enabled devices in your house.

You will also find home printers that when connected to a mobile device, can connect and print using Near-Field Communication {NFC} just by tapping the mobile device to a specific spit on the home printer.

Speed

Speed is not a discerning consideration if all you print out is a page or two pages long. However, if your output includes longer documents, then speed is an important consideration.

Laser printers are perfect for those looking for speed for processing uncomplicated text documents in little time. A home printer with fast printing speed will prove worthy whenever you are in a rush to produce documents or photos.

Size and Space

Never underestimate how big some printers can be, which is why you should consider the space in your home and the size of the printer as well. In most cases, printers with extendable trays need a lot of space.

The last thing you need is to have a home printer that is impossible to share a desk with or a small footprint printer that appears taller than you.

The good news is, you can find compact home printers that can easily fit in tight spaces in home offices, apartments, and even dorm rooms.

Cost and Brand

It is essential to consider the total cost of owning a home printer before purchasing one. To know the total cost of ownership for the home printer you are looking to buy, calculate the cost annually for every kind of output whether the color document, monochrome, or photo.

You can do this by multiplying the cost per page against the number of pages you intend to print annually. To get the total cost annually, add these amounts, and then add the initial value of the home printer.

Once you have your cost of ownership, compare the figures between the home printer models available in the market.

You will also find different brands in the market to choose from. We recommend always consider brands with good reputations or elite brands. Such brands will produce printers capable of living up to your expectations.

Also, consider brands that provide excellent warranties for your peace of mind.

Best Printers for Home Use with Cheap Ink

1. Canon PIXMA MX492 – Best Cheap Ink Printer for Home Use

This wireless AIO printer is one of the smallest and most famous printers in the current market. Most users love that; it is small and stylish at the same time. This printer can fit even in the most modest apartment without consuming too much space.

It features Full-Photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering {FINE} Technology which gives the printer an upper hand when it comes to quality.

This printer’s ink cartridges are affordable because it only uses Canon Cartridges. By buying this home printer, you have automatic access to Creative Park Premium content.

It will give you a rapid printing rate if you prefer a fast printer. It also comes with a wireless connectivity feature that makes life much easier for when because it allows you to print from your mobile devices.

It is one of the most affordable options on our list. Canon ensures excellent value for your money by offering you quality customer support for an affordable printer.

Pros

• Affordable
• Cheap ink refills
• Small and compact
• Top-quality images

Cons

• Not preferable for heavy printing.

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2. Canon PIXMA MG3620 – Best Budget Home Printer

This wireless AIO home printer is also one of the most affordable models in the current market. It is rather small and features rapid printing speed.

Thanks to the size and design, it is effortless to set up, especially for people who lack the skills. We love this model because not only is it affordable, it is also very versatile. It features different printing options, such as wireless printing.

However, this printer doesn’t offer the biggest paper holder, and so it may prove to limit people with heavy printing workload.

It can also prove challenging to choose from the settings because it lacks an LCD. You can also use this home printer with many different ink types which means that you get the leverage of selecting ink based on your specific needs.

This printer is perfect for people who just started a small business because it will help you save money on printing costs.

Pros

• Budget-friendly
• Small and compact
• Decent printing speed
• High printing quality

Cons

• Lacks all the high-end features

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3. Brother INKvestmentTank – Best Home Printer that Saves Ink

This Brother model is perfect for home users using to print large scale work and still save ink. Even though this printer is not as small and compact as others on the list, it is designed with a little design in mind.

In which case, users living in small apartments or who have very little space may need to create extra space for this home printer.

This printer is also perfect for long-term use thanks to the redesigned ink cartridges. According to the brand manufacturer, you are eligible to receive ink when you buy this printer for up to two years. It also features cartridges that will help you save ink often wasted.

It also features a wireless connectivity feature that will help you print from your mobile devices remotely. Even though the brand is often affordable, this model is a bit costly compared to other models by Brother.

However, even though it will cost you some money to purchase it at first, you will end up saving more in the long run.

Pros

• Fast printing speed
• Stylish
• Redesigned ink cartridges
• Wireless connectivity

Cons

• Expensive
• Large and needs space

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4. HP Envy 5055 – Best Stylish Home Printer

People looking for a home printer that will most likely accentuate your décor, HP Envy is it. This home printer is one of the most stylish printers in the current market.

It is designed to comfortably fit as well as improve the overall look of your home office. It comes with an LCD that will allow you to easily set it up with the right settings suited for your needs.

HP is also one of the top brands, especially when it comes to ink, which means that you can rely on them. They provide you with free ink for the first two months after making the purchase.

It also features a wireless element that allows you to connect and print from your mobile devices easily. This print will also offer great value to people running small businesses from their house.

Pros

• Two months of free ink
• Reliable brand
• Stylish design
• Affordable

Cons

• Uses specific HP ink only

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5.  Epson Expression ET-3700 – Best All-in-One Printer for Home Use

This Epson EcoTank Wireless AIO printer is our editor’s choice because of its HD printing quality and design features. This printer is perfect for those looking to save a little.

The printer is compact enough to fit on your desk. It is small enough to use and store away when not in use quickly.

It comes with ink that could potentially last you two years. We love that the ink is easy to refill. According to Epson, the ink is also 80% cheaper than having to buy the ink separately.

It makes the home printer much simpler because it can automatically print both sides of your page. It also features Wi-Fi connectivity which makes it easier when you want to print from your mobile device, especially when you are in a rush.

This home printer is very versatile and perfect form scanning and copying. This AIO will offer you great value as a home printer.

Even though it’s a little pricey, you will appreciate its advanced features. It also comes with a warranty that protects you for one year or 50,000 pages.

Pros

• Made for scanning, copying, and printing
• Comes with enough ink
• Wi-Fi connectivity
• Fast printing speed

Cons

• Expensive

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Best Printers for Home Use with Cheap Ink Conclusion

We reviewed these printers and features to help you get the best printers for home use that will guarantee value for your money.

These printers will help improve the quality of your work from home. Even though a printer can be one of the most challenging technology pieces to shop, we trust that this review will make things much easier for you.

Happy shopping!