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Best Printers

Which Printers performed best in our tests?

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We tested 97 printers to determine the best-performing models. Our expert lab technicians tested each Printer based on the following criteria:

  • 8x10 photo cost ($)
  • 4x6 photo time
  • 4x6 photo cost ($)
  • Text speed
  • Text quality
  • Photo quality
  • Graphics quality
  • Copy quality
  • 8x10 photo time
  • Scan quality
  • Versatility
  • Ink and paper/month
  • Convenience
  • Power saving
  • Text cost (cents)

Below lists the Printers that rated best in each of the tests our experts looked for. Learn about how these tests were performed and find out which Printer is rated best when you subscribe.

Consumer Reports Ratings for Best Printers

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8x10 photo cost per print.


This Printer which tested best for 8x10 photo cost ($) has the following features: .

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This score reflects how quickly the model can print one 4x6 photo on photo-quality paper. 1 minute or less is excellent; 1 to 2 minutes is very good; 2 to 4 minutes is good; 4 to 6 minutes is fair; and longer than 6 minutes is poor.


This Printer which tested best for 4x6 photo time has the following features: Printing method, Platform, Standard-sheet capacity, Flatbed design for scanning and copying, Height (in.), Width (in.), Depth (in.), Borderless photos, Individual color tanks, Auto-duplexing, USB2 and Networking.

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4x6 photo cost per print.


This Printer which tested best for 4x6 photo cost ($) has the following features: Printing method, Platform, Standard-sheet capacity, Flatbed design for scanning and copying, Height (in.), Width (in.), Depth (in.), Built-in fax, LCD viewer, Memory-card reader, Borderless photos, Individual color tanks, Water-resistant photos, Automatic document feeder, Auto-duplexing, USB2, Networking and PictBridge.

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This score reflects how quickly the model can print text on five pages of plain, letter-sized pages. 30 seconds or less is excellent; 31 to 60 seconds is very good; 61 to 90 seconds is good; 91 to 120 seconds is fair; and longer than 120 seconds is poor.


This Printer which tested best for Text speed has the following features: Printing method, Platform, Standard-sheet capacity, Flatbed design for scanning and copying, Height (in.), Width (in.), Depth (in.), Built-in fax, LCD viewer, Memory-card reader, Borderless photos, Individual color tanks, Water-resistant photos, Automatic document feeder, Auto-duplexing, USB2 and Networking.

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This indicates how crisply and clearly a printer produced black text in a variety of faces, sizes, and styles. Models with higher scores produce more uniform type, with sharper edges and smoother curves.


This Printer which tested best for Text quality has the following features: Printing method, Platform, Standard-sheet capacity, Flatbed design for scanning and copying, Height (in.), Width (in.), Depth (in.), Borderless photos, Individual color tanks, Auto-duplexing, USB2 and Networking.

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This is our assessment of the appearance of each photo. Models with higher scores produce more natural looking photos, with smoother changes in shading and fewer problems with banding.


This Printer which tested best for Photo quality has the following features: LCD diagonal viewer size (in.), Memory-card reader, Borderless photos, Water-resistant photos, Can run on battery power, Rechargeable battery included, Carrying handle, Battery option ($), USB2 and PictBridge.

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Our assessment of the appearance of color graphics produced by the printer. Black and white lasers were judged on black and white graphics.


This Printer which tested best for Graphics quality has the following features: Printing method, Platform, Standard-sheet capacity, Height (in.), Width (in.), Depth (in.), Individual color tanks, Water-resistant photos, Networking and USB2.

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Copy quality is for graphics and text.


This Printer which tested best for Copy quality has the following features: Printing method, Platform, Standard-sheet capacity, Flatbed design for scanning and copying, Height (in.), Width (in.), Depth (in.), LCD viewer, Memory-card reader, Borderless photos, Individual color tanks, Water-resistant photos, Auto-duplexing, USB2, Networking and PictBridge.

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This score reflects how quickly the model can print one 8x10 photo on photo-quality paper. 2 minutes or less is excellent; 2 to 4 minutes is very good; 4 to 6 minutes is good; 6 to 8 minutes is fair; and longer than 8 minutes is poor.


This Printer which tested best for 8x10 photo time has the following features: Printing method, Platform, Standard-sheet capacity, Height (in.), Width (in.), Depth (in.), Individual color tanks, Water-resistant photos, Networking and USB2.

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Scan quality is for color photos, graphics, and text scanned at each model's default settings.


This Printer which tested best for Scan quality has the following features: .

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Versatility indicates features that increase a printer's utility or capabilities.


This Printer which tested best for Versatility has the following features: Printing method, Platform and Standard-sheet capacity.

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Estimated cost (in dollars) for ink and photo paper in a month of typical use, based on our tests and how our readers told us they print.

For inkjets: 23 text pages, 9 graphics pages, 2.4 large photos, 3.6 small photos, and 3.5 photos on plain paper.

For lasers: 62 text pages, 24 graphics pages, 1.7 large photos, 1.9 small photos, and 2.3 photos on plain paper.

Photos cost the most, text documents the least, so your results may vary from these figures, but they are useful for comparing models.


This Printer which tested best for Ink and paper/month has the following features: Printing method, Platform, Standard-sheet capacity, Flatbed design for scanning and copying, Height (in.), Width (in.), Depth (in.), Built-in fax, Individual color tanks, Water-resistant photos, Automatic document feeder, USB2 and Networking.

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Measures the ease of carrying out a series of common activities with the printer.


This Printer which tested best for Convenience has the following features: .

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This indicates how well the printer conserves power between uses.


This Printer which tested best for Power saving has the following features: .

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Text cost per print.


This Printer which tested best for Text cost (cents) has the following features: Printing method, Platform, Standard-sheet capacity, Flatbed design for scanning and copying, Height (in.), Width (in.), Depth (in.), Built-in fax, Individual color tanks, Water-resistant photos, Automatic document feeder, USB2 and Networking.