Printers: Reviews

Updated May 2011
After consulting dozens of expert reviews, and hundreds of user reviews, ConsumerSearch determined that a good quality inkjet printer can be had for less than $50. Many models can print great snapshots and decent graphics - and should suffice if you just need a basic printer. The one drawback is that ink costs are often high, so many inkjets are better for occasional printing, rather than high volume workspaces.
 

Basic inkjet printer

HP Deskjet 1000 *Est. $30 Compare Prices

PrinterInfo.com: Everything about the HP Deskjet 1000 is just "acceptable," Richard Baguley says -- photo quality, print speed, everything.

TrustedReviews.com: Simon Williams gives the HP Deskjet 1000 the same high score as several more expensive printers -- nine out of 10.

Computer Active: The same reviewer tests the HP Deskjet 1000 here as at TrustedReviews.com.

Amazon.com: With more than 40 customer reviews posted, the HP Deskjet 1000 maintains an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

Walmart.com: More than 100 users rate the HP Deskjet 1000 here, giving it just over 4 stars out of 5 on average.

Best family printer for documents, photos

Canon Pixma iP4820 *Est. $80 Compare Prices

PCMag.com: "An impressive combination of speed, output quality and paper handling" makes the Canon Pixma iP4820 the best Canon inkjet in a long time, M. David Stone says.

ConsumerReports.org: ConsumerReports.org tests nine inkjet printers, including the Canon Pixma iP4820.

PC World: Quick, quiet, high-quality printing earns the Canon Pixma iP4820 a spot on PC World's list of the top five inkjet printers.

CNET: Justin Yu isn't as happy with the Canon Pixma iP4820 as other reviewers are, giving it a middling score of 3 stars (out of 5). Photos and documents are "presentation-quality," he says, but the iP4820 lacks a scanner, fax function and wireless connectivity, and it can't print from a USB flash drive.

Amazon.com: The Canon Pixma iP4820 printer is well-liked at Amazon.com, with more than 60 reviews posted.

Wireless home-office printer

HP Officejet 6000 Wireless *Est. $80 Compare Prices

PCMag.com: Veteran printer reviewer M. David Stone takes a look at the HP Officejet 6000 Wireless for PCMag.com.

ConsumerReports.org: The HP Officejet 6000 Wireless is one of nine inkjet printers tested here.

ConsumerReports.org: Hewlett-Packard has agreed to pay up to $5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit claiming that HP inkjet printers said they were out of ink even when they weren't, or used color inks even when printing black-and-white pages, ConsumerReports.org says.

CNET: Justin Yu at CNET gives the HP Officejet 6000 Wireless high marks for its print quality, speed and wireless connectivity.

Macworld: Both the HP Officejet 6000 Wireless and its sibling, the HP Officejet Pro 8000 Wireless, make Macworld's list of the best inkjet printers.

Amazon.com: More than 60 users give mixed reviews to the HP Officejet 6000 Wireless.

Enthusiast photo printer

Epson Stylus Photo R1900 *Est. $300 Compare Prices

PCMag.com: While paper jams are called a problem, PCMag.com's thorough testing shows great results on photo prints and the result is a "very good" rating.

CNET: CNET tests thoroughly and gives the Epson Stylus Photo R1900 a rating of "excellent," although more than 20 owner reviews score it a bit lower.

Macworld: Macworld does hands-on testing and assigns a numerical score (4.5 out of 5). The review says the Epson Stylus Photo R1900 produces the best glossies on the market at this price and is fast as well.

PopPhoto.com: Testing is thorough at PopPhoto.com, but there is no rating system that would let you see at a glance how competing products stack up.

Shutterbug.com: Testing is thorough here, but there's no assignment of a numeric score or ranking to help you decide between printers.

Amazon.com: Although most of the approximately 90 owner reviews here are positive, about a third express dissatisfaction with the Epson Stylus Photo R1900.

Pro-quality photo printer

Canon Pixma Pro9000 Mark II *Est. $445 Compare Prices

PrinterInfo.com: This thorough review looks at all aspects of the Canon Pixma Pro9000 Mark II, reporting that it has good overall performance.

Imaging-Resource.com: Reviewer Mike Pasini praises the Canon Pixma Pro9000 Mark II, saying it's a faster version of the Pro9000 he liked so much in an earlier review.

TrustedReviews.com: Simon Williams, who ably reviews many printers for British site TrustedReviews.com, says the Canon Pixma Pro9000 Mark II is a good printer for photo buffs, but he admits he expected better print quality.

PCPro.co.uk: PC Pro gives the Canon Pixma Pro9000 Mark II a Recommended designation in this brief review.

Amazon.com: With about 100 user reviews, the Canon Pixma Pro9000 Mark II earns an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars and is one of the top-rated inkjet printers at Amazon.com.

Printers Runners Up:

Epson Stylus Pro 3880 *Est. $1,300

5 picks including: Amazon.com, PC Advisor…

Epson Stylus Photo R2880 *Est. $550

4 picks including: Amazon.com, PC Pro…

HP Officejet Pro 8000 Wireless *Est. $110

4 picks including: Amazon.com, PC Pro…

Canon Pixma Pro9500 Mark II *Est. $765

3 picks including: Amazon.com, PrinterInfo.com…

HP Officejet Pro 8000 *Est. $95

3 picks including: Amazon.com…

Epson B-510DN *Est. $580

3 picks including: HardwareCentral.com, PC World…

Epson Stylus Photo 1400 *Est. $280

2 picks including: Amazon.com, PopPhoto.com…

Canon Pixma iX7000 *Est. $335

2 picks including: Amazon.com, PCPro.co.uk…

Epson Stylus Photo R3000 *Est. $835

2 picks including: photo-i.co.uk, Technical Image Press Association…

     
 
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Epson Stylus Pro 3880 Inkjet Printer (CA61201-VM)
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Epson Stylus R2880 Large Format Photo Printer (C11CA16201)
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HP Officejet Pro 8000 Wireless Printer
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Canon Pixma PRO9500MkII Inkjet Photo Printer (3298B002)
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HP Officejet Pro 8000
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Epson B-510DN Business Color Ink Jet Printer (C11CA67201)
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Canon PIXMA iX7000 Inkjet Business Printer (3302B002)
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Epson Stylus Photo R3000
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