Printer Reviews

The $300 HP Photosmart C6180 is a photo printer by name but has office-printer tendencies by function. The inclusion of an automatic document feeder, built-in networking (including wireless), and fax functionality make it attractive as an office printer, but its task speeds are too slow for all but the smallest offices. It offers great print quality, but it lacks photo features. While it excels in neither role, it’s a decent all-around all-in-one for a home user who wants a machine that can do everything. If your needs tend to the office functions and you have to have faster task speeds, the comparably priced Canon Pixma MP830 is a good choice, though you lose fax functionality and a bit of print quality. If you’re leaning toward a truly photocentric all-in-one, check out the $200 Canon Pixma MP600. Read full HP Photosmart C6180 Printer Review »

On the whole, the HP P2015dn is a good mono laser printer for the home, small office, or dorm room: it’s compact and fast and (usually) produces decent text and graphics. A reproducible print error, however, gives us pause. The Lexmark E350d series is a better value proposition: you get more features for less money along with better print quality and comparable print speeds. Read full HP LaserJet P2015d Printer Review »

With fast print speeds and high recommended monthly print volume, the Oki C6000n is clearly a printer for small work groups. For $700, you get a well-equipped, network-ready printer that produces great text and so-so graphics. (You’ll have to pay an additional $150 if you need a built-in duplexer.) If you don’t mind slightly slower print speeds, we recommend the cheaper Lexmark C530dn: it provides both built-in networking and a duplexer as well as better print quality for $200 less. And if print speed is a higher priority than print quality, consider the Dell 3110cn: for $500, you get speeds on par with the Oki C6000n, though the Dell’s print quality failed to impress us. Read full Oki C6000n Printer Review »

The HP Officejet Pro K5400 is a low-cost, high-quality color inkjet printer targeted at small- and medium-size businesses. The no-frills base model starts at a reasonable $150, and print costs are low, too. Many of the inkjets we’ve examined in at this price are multifunctional and print a bit slower than the K5400, but they do more overall, which makes if difficult to compare this printer to others in its class. For just a bit more money, you can get a monochrome laser printer–the type of printer most commonly found in offices–that prints faster and produces better text prints than the K5400, but you’d be hard pressed to get color for that price, and a low-cost laser printer certainly won’t produce photographs. Read full HP Officejet Pro K5400 Printer Review »

There are faster photo printers but few as versatile as the HP Photosmart D7160. If you’re looking for a dedicated photo printer that can churn out high-quality photos quickly, this isn’t the printer for you. If you need an all-purpose printer that can produce excellent text prints as well as good photos, however, the $150 Photosmart D7160 might fit the bill. It has some odd shortcomings, but overall, we liked this printer for casual home users. The slightly more expensive HP Photosmart D7360 offers more features, but slightly slower print speeds and the Canon Pixma iP6700D will give you better and faster photo prints, at the expense of text prints. Read full HP Photosmart D7160 Printer Review »