Inkjet Printers: Expert and User Reviews

Our AssessmentPCMag.com is a prolific reviewer of inkjet printers. The reviews are balanced, comparative and thorough. Detailed benchmark results show comparative speeds, and all reviews are organized within an easily navigable comparison chart. Testers thoroughly describe text, graphics and photo quality, and let readers know how good each printer is in those regards relative to comparably priced printers. Many currently available printers are covered, from pro models to inexpensive printers. Each printer is rated, and six current models from Epson, Canon and HP receive Editors' Choice designations.

Our AssessmentShutterbug occasionally reviews inkjet photo printers, and it offers an image-quality-oriented perspective that is missing from many other reviews. Reviews are illustrated with print reproductions and screen shots of driver controls. The reviews are great in those regards, but insufficient in others. Products aren't rated or ranked, and all reviews are favorable. Text quality isn't addressed. Reviews don't include meaningful comparisons. Only high-end models are reviewed. Yet, if photo printing is your sole buying consideration, Shutterbug is an exceptional source for reviews.

Our AssessmentMacworld has reviewed lots of printers lately, and editors describe a very respectable testing process. Prints are evaluated by a panel rather than an individual reviewer but are not published. It would be helpful to include prints with the reviews so readers can form their own opinions. Only the occasional review is comparative, but ratings are satisfactorily varied. Consideration of the Mac interface and how the printers work with Mac-specific software make this one of the better resources for users of that operating system, however, all of the reviewed printers also work with Windows. The HP Officejet 6000 Wireless, HP Officejet Pro 8000 Wireless and Epson B-510DN are the standalone inkjet printers on Macworld's top-rated list, but the Epson Stylus Photo R1900 (reviewed, but not included on the top-rated list) gets a higher score than any of them.

Our AssessmentImaging-Resource.com, a website devoted to digital photography, reviews inkjet printers on occasion. The site mostly covers multifunction and photo printers, but a few current models from Canon, Epson and HP are reviewed. The printers are evaluated in detail. Reviews are comparative and lushly illustrated. Photos of prints are occasionally shown but only to illustrate Pasini's points rather than for comparative purposes. Printers are not rated or ranked. Some of the reviews seem too enthusiastic and unbalanced. The latest inkjet printer reviewed, Canon's Pixma Pro9000 Mark II, is highly praised.

Our AssessmentTrustedReviews.com is a U.K. website that regularly reviews inkjet printers, but many are not sold in the U.S. The reviews are balanced, occasionally comparative, objective and performance-oriented. Print speed, quality, noise and cost per use are tested and briefly discussed. Each model gets an overall rating of 1 through 10, with sub-scores for value, print quality, print speed and features. Top-rated standalone inkjets range from pricey photo-centric models to a basic $30 printer, but full written reviews do a good job of explaining what each printer's strengths are.

Our AssessmentEditors of the Technical Image Press Association's 29 member magazines worldwide meet every year to vote on the best cameras, lenses, printers and other photo-related equipment. Pricey pro-level standalone inkjet printers win awards each year; this year, the Epson Stylus Photo R3000 is named the best non-large format photo printer. Each gets a one-paragraph explanation. TIPA says editors name the very best products in each category based on their own testing.

Our AssessmentTopTenReviews.com picks the 10 best products in lots of categories, including inkjet printers -- but it's vague about how it chooses which models to honor. Reviews are based on features, not testing, and although each printer gets a rating for "expert reviews" and "user reviews," it's not clear where those reviews come from. The HP Officejet Pro 8000 takes the top spot here.

Our AssessmentMost of the single-product reviews here are for all-in-one multifunction machines rather than regular inkjet printers. It's hard to tell which reviews were most recently posted, since the reviews themselves are not dated. Each printer gets a short write-up that focuses on warm-up time, print speed, quality and features. The Epson Workforce 30 is the highest-rated standalone inkjet printer here (4 stars out of 5), but printers are not compared to each other. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

Our AssessmentBritish publication Computeractive reviews some inkjet printers, though not all are available in the U.S. Reviews are extremely brief but include handy ratings for overall performance, features, ease of use and value. Comparisons are good but not detailed and not always direct. Prints are not reproduced. Recently, the Canon Pixma Pro9000 Mark II and HP Deskjet 1000 have gotten the highest ratings among standalone inkjet printers.

Our AssessmentBritish magazine PC Pro reviews a modest selection of inkjet printers that are available in the U.S. The reviews are short, but they succinctly cover most of the major buying considerations. Few reviews are directly comparative, but all products are rated 1 to 6 stars with reasonable variation.

Our AssessmentCustomers of Amazon.com contribute reviews and ratings of products they've purchased. Unfortunately, all types of current and discontinued inkjets are lumped together without adequate sorting tools. Many printers have similar average ratings, so reading the actual reviews tends to be more illuminating than relying solely on the rating system. Some printers have more reviews than others. Pricey printers from Canon, Epson and HP get the highest ratings overall. Among under-$100 inkjet printers, the Canon Pixma iP4820 gets the best scores.