This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions.
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Shopping for a new printer can be overwhelming—how do you find a cheap printer that actually meets your needs? We have you covered! This helpful guide will show plenty of options for buying printers that are both high-quality and affordable, where you'll find the best deals on inkjet and laser printers, and which stores—in person or online—have the best prices and selections. We'll also help you figure out exactly what type of printer you need to buy for your home or office.
Steps
Before you take out your wallet, consider your needs.
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There are hundreds of printers to choose from. If you're not sure what to look for when shopping for a printer, you'll want to have an idea of what you're looking for. Figuring out the type of printer you want to buy can help you find the best retailer to shop for that product.
- If you'll be printing often and/or mostly documents, consider a laser printer. Laser printers are fast, and perfect for the office (including your home office), students, and people who don't need to do a lot of color printing.
- If you don't print that often and/or want to print mostly color photos, an inkjet printer might be right for you. Inkjets are more affordable than laser printers, but they do require more frequent ink cartridge changes.
- A single-function printer is just for printing, while an all-in-one printer (usually abbreviated as AIO) also has the ability to scan, fax, and make copies.
- If you want to print to both sides of a page without having to manually flip the page on the printer every time, you'll want to look for a printer that supports automatic duplexing, or double-sided printing.
- If you want to make it easy to send documents to your printer from your computer, phone, or tablet, opt for a Wi-Fi printer.
- If you plan to print from an Apple mobile device like an iPhone or iPad, it's important to seek out a printer that supports AirPrint. iPhones and iPads only support printing through this special technology, which, fortunately, is more common than ever.
If you have questions, go to your local electronics store.
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Computer and office supply stores are staffed by people who really know their stuff. Not only can you ask questions, but you can also see a display model, evaluate its size and sturdiness, and possibly even try a test print job. For the best chance at getting help and seeing a printer in person before you buy, check out these stores for wide selections and great prices:
- Best Buy has knowledgeable staff, excellent return policies, a massive selection, and low prices. You may even be able to find "open box" models, which are barely-used returns or former floor models, at a deep discount. Best Buy offers laser and inkjet printers from popular brands like Brother, Canon, Epson, and HP, as well as their low-priced in-house brand Insignia.[1] X Research source
- Office Depot and Office Max (now the same company) has more office options, but also carries a great amount of affordable home printers. They carry Brother, Canon, Epson, HP, Lexmark, and Xerox printers, as well as ink cartridges, toner, and paper. [2] X Research source
- Staples is another place with knowledgeable staff that carries Brother, Canon, Epson, Fujifilm, HP, Lexmark, Samsung, and Xerox printers. Staples also has a rewards program, which can save you money if you plan on buying ink, toner, and other printer accessories.
- Best Buy, Staples, and Office Max/Office Depot also have large online selections in addition to their physical stores. Some of their best deals are online-only, while others you'll only find in the store. You can even check out some of the options online before heading into the store so you know what to look for.
Try online electronics stores for the widest selection.
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Browsing for printers online offers benefits over shopping in person. Not only can you compare prices and features for hundreds of models you won't find in one particular store, you can also check out reviews of printers written by other consumers. It's also more convenient to have your printer sent to your home instead of having to carry to your car or on the bus. Some of the best online computer and office supply stores with the greatest balance of selection and affordability:
- Newegg is one of the oldest and largest computer supply stores on the web, and it's a great place to find new and refurbished printers at great prices. Newegg carries all of the popular brands, including Brother, Canon, Epson, Fujitsu, HP, Lexmark, and Xerox. Their selection is massive and their catalog is well-organized.
- TigerDirect is another one of the longest-operating computer and office supply stores online, focusing on small businesses and tech professionals.[3] X Research source You'll find Brother, Canon, HP, Lexmark, and Xerox printers at TigerDirect, as well as more office-specific brands like Datamax and Troy Group.
- B&H Photo and Video is a popular computer and pro-photography store that also carries a large selection of affordable printers. You'll find great prices for printers from Brother, Canon, Fujifilm, HP, Lexmark, OKI, and Xerox printers here, often at far lower prices than other retailers.
Browse department stores for special deals from big brands.
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Stores like Walmart, Target, and Costco offer top models at great prices. While department stores don't have as large of a selection as computer and office supply stores, you'll often find several options that you can buy online or in person and pick up on the same day. These stores also have more store hours than most electronics stores, which means that if you need to go get a new printer at 10:30 PM on a Saturday, you can probably do so!
- Walmart nearly always has the lowest prices available, but their selection may not be as good in stores as it is online. You'll still be able to walk into any Walmart at nearly any time of the day and get a printer right then. Walmart also has a great return policy and the most locations in the United States. Walmart carries the latest Brother, Canon, Epson, and HP printers.
- If you have a Costco membership, check out their electronics section to see which printers they have in stock. Costco has amazing prices for printers and other electronics, but you'll only benefit if you pay for a membership. Costco sells printers by Brother, Epson, HP, and Lexmark.
- Target has a smaller selection both online and in stores, but generally has high-quality printers at competitive prices and plenty of convenient locations. Target sells Brother, Canon, Epson, and HP printers.
Amazon nearly always has the cheapest printers, but be careful.
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You can buy anything on Amazon, including printers at great prices. Amazon's best deals are available to Amazon Prime subscribers, especially on Prime Day (which varies year to year) and Black Friday (in November). The only drawback is that when you buy a printer from Amazon, you may actually be buying it from a third-party seller who doesn't offer a warranty or fair return policy. When shopping on Amazon, read all of the fine print to make sure you understand the buying terms before making your purchase. But if price is the most important factor in your purchase, Amazon is the best option.
- You can also find refurbished printers on Amazon, which means you can pay a lot less for a better-quality printer that's been used and repaired. Buying refurbished is a great way to save money, but make sure any refurbished product you buy has a warranty in case something goes wrong.
Printer manufacturers often offer their own great deals.
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Dell, HP, Canon, and nearly all other major printer manufacturers sell printers online. You'll occasionally find amazing prices directly from the printer manufacturer that surpass even the deals you'll find on Amazon. This is especially true on Black Friday and Cyber Monday in November, as most products will be on deep discount.
- Although Apple doesn't make printers anymore, they do sell a few models on their website. Their printer selection isn't huge and the prices aren't very affordable.
- Computer manufacturers also sell printers from some of the most popular models. For example, on Dell's website, you can find Canon, Epson, Lexmark, and Xerox printers.
Find the cheapest price for a model with Google Shopping.
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Google Shopping lets you compare printer prices from multiple online retailers. If you have a printer model, brand, or type in mind, you can use Google's handy Shopping tool to find the best price available for that printer online. Just open Google, search for the printer model you want, and then click the Shopping tab at the top of the search results. You can further filter the results to show only certain price ranges and specs.
Expert Q&A
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QuestionAre Epson printers any good?Nicole Levine, MFANicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions.
wikiHow Technology WriterEpson has been around for a long time, so their printers must be decent. Their EcoTank refillable models get great reviews online. From what I can tell, Epson inkjet and laser printers (like most other brands) can be fickle when it comes to using third-party ink in their products. As long as you don't mind buying Epson-brand ink or toner, you'll likely be happy with an Epson printer.
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References
- ↑ https://www.bestbuy.com/site/printers/all-printers/pcmcat266500050030.c?id=pcmcat266500050030
- ↑ https://www.officedepot.com/a/browse/printers-and-accessories/N=5+1462036/
- ↑ https://www.tigerdirect.com/business/aboutus.asp
- ↑ https://www.bestbuy.com/site/buying-guides/printer-buying-guide/pcmcat342000050000.c?id=pcmcat342000050000