Far from having said its last word, the multifunction printer with scanner is still useful at home. We have chosen for you the best multifunction printers for all budgets.
We thought it was almost obsolete with the generalization of digital, but the various lockdowns reminded us that it was often not possible to do without paper and, therefore, the printer. Many administrative procedures also require, still in 2023, hard copies of certain documents. And even if the applications for scanning a document with your smartphone have progressed a lot, a real traditional scanner is still the best solution to correctly scan a photo or document. Having a multifunction printer at home will always be useful for day to day, or just from time to time. As for the leading brands, things haven’t changed in years: Canon and Epson still reign supreme.
For this selection, we focus on the inkjet multifunction printers. For its part, although they are cheaper per page, laser models require a much higher print volume to be profitable, especially if you want color. Therefore, for most home uses, an inkjet model will be more suitable.
Do you often work from home? Set up the ideal office by consulting our guide to the best equipment for teleworking.
If you just want to print a few photos taken with your phone, consider smartphone photo printers.
behold the best multifunction printers :
Canon Pixma TS5351: the best compact and versatile printer
With its latest generation of printers, Canon has turned its attention to something that is often overlooked: clutter. And the TS5351a is really compact, at least when it’s not in use. Many hidden items in the chassis need to be unfolded before use. This is a very versatile multifunction printer.
Print quality is decent, both in color and in black and white. Same observation for the speeds, quite honest for the price. While it has historically tended to separate ink cartridges by color, Canon only offers two here, one in color and one in black and white. A choice that obviously increases the cost per page, which is therefore average.
Despite this flaw, the TS5351a is a good entry-level all-in-one printer option, however, even with the Wi-Fi feature, it appeals particularly for its small size. As for the size of the photos that the machine accepts, these range from A4 (210 x 297 mm) to 87 x 87 mm.
Canon Pixma TS6350a: the photo printer
If you intend to print on a more regular basis or if you intend to produce photographic prints worthy of the name, it’s once again at Canon that you’ll have to provide it.
This Pixma TS6350a multifunction printer takes up the compact design of its little sisters, but adopts a better finish. However, we regret that the screen is not bigger, as well as the absence of an SD card reader.
But it is especially in terms of print quality that the luxury movement is particularly felt, especially as soon as you test the photograph. The shots are precise, detailed and the colorimetry is quite respected. However, it will be criticized for a slight lack of speed on black and white documents for a jet printer.
With five ink cartridges, the cost per page is fair, especially when using the brand’s high-capacity cartridges. Finally, the maximum print size for this machine is A4 and it can go down to 89x89mm.
HP DeskJet 2720e and its sisters: the lowest price
Do you print relatively little and don’t want to invest too much in an all-in-one printer? The HP Deskjet 2720e, but also its very close cousins, the 2721e and 2723e, are classic all-in-ones. The three models are sold between 50 and 70 euros and are very similar.
In terms of functions, there too, nothing very original. There’s a flatbed scanner, as well as the ability to print wirelessly via Wi-Fi. Print quality is good, at least for black-and-white documents. If you need to print a lot and quickly, go your way… If, on the other hand, you want a low-cost auxiliary printer, it will be ideal.
There remains the question of cost per page. High if you buy the cartridges yourself, it gets pretty competitive when you go for the Instant Ink subscription. In addition to the attractive price, you don’t need to buy the cartridges yourself, HP takes care of it directly. As for the photo, the printer supports A4 format and up to 10×15, but you will have to accept the presence of borders.
Epson EcoTank ET-2826: for those who print a lot
Historically, if you print a lot, switching to a laser printer was the logical choice. However, for some time now, the situation has changed with the advent of tank printers.
Here, the traditional cartridge gives way to four tanks that you fill yourself with small bottles. The result is a much lower cost per page. Sold for 40 euros (9.99 euros per bottle of each color), the refill will allow you to print up to 13,000 pages! Epson even offers an “unlimited” Ready Print service for €15 per month. If you are a heavy consumer, the game may be worth your time.
The ET-2826 itself is a good all-in-one model, which will however be more comfortable for office work than photography. It also happens to be one of the fastest inkjet models on the market, with 15 printed pages per minute.
So many qualities that make it particularly attractive for those who do not want to invest in a laser printer, but need to print quite large volumes.
⚠️ Be careful though, it appears Epson has placed items inside their machines with a scheduled end of life. Therefore, you need to be very careful before buying a printer from the brand.
Choosing the right multifunction printer
Do I need to buy a USB cable?
Since the switch to USB in the 2000s, almost all printers have been sold without the USB Type-B cable needed to connect them to your computer. The manufacturer increased your margin and the reseller might offer you an overpriced cable at the same time as the printer.
Nowadays, we recommend that you do without a USB cable and use the Wi-Fi present in most printers. Not only is it faster, but you can also print remotely from any device.
Are the cartridges delivered with the printer full?
Even jet printers are systematically delivered with ink cartridges. However, these only offer a fraction of the capacity of a standard cartridge. Buy one ahead of time so you don’t run out of fuel when the time comes.
Should I buy the high capacity cartridges?
Most brands offer XL or high capacity cartridges. Sold more expensive, they are also much more durable. Informed to the page the cost is therefore much lower. Therefore, we highly recommend them.
Inkjet or laser multifunction printer?
The first question all printer buyers need to answer comes down to a simple question of what you plan to print: what and how often. Les imprimantes à jet d’encre utilisent des cartouches d’encre qui sont appliquées humides sur le papier et sechent quickly, tandis que les imprimantes laser utilisent du toner, un tipo de encre qui adhère au papier pour des résultats rapides et une utilization efficace resources.
Color inkjet printers are the biggest part of the market simply because they can print just about anything. And today’s inkjet printers and all-in-ones are fast, often with print speeds that rival or exceed their laser counterparts.
Laser printers are still a good option for office environments when most of the printing you need to do is monochrome. They are quieter and offer good print speeds while delivering lower cost per page output than color inkjet.
In short, it’s up to you to decide whether to give up the flexibility that a color inkjet MFP offers.
What multifunction printer for photos?
If you want to print your family photos on paper, opt for a dedicated (single function) photo printer. Although they are not multifunctional, the quality of the prints is generally better. However, the price you will pay for this type of printer depends on the cost of printing.
Are subscriptions worth it?
If the purchase of cartridges is still the norm, the American HP has offered a subscription service since 2015 where you buy a pack of pages per month. Contrary to what one might fear, the Instant Ink service is quite interesting, especially for small consumers. And there’s no denying the convenience of automatically shipping a new cartridge before the old one runs out.
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