Find the best printer for occasional use and print only when you want to, without worrying about running out of printer cartridges.
It’s no secret that many people print less these days. With everything available on our smartphones, few home offices need a printer for daily use. Printers are useful for printing work documents and children’s homework, but they can go unused for weeks before they are ready to print.
If you have an inkjet printer, it can quickly go dormant if you don’t print for even a short period of time. Printer cartridges dry out, print heads clog, and you inevitably have to invest in a new set of expensive replacement cartridges. Low cost compatible printer cartridges can cut some of this cost (more on that later), but if you want the best long-term print value, you need to find a machine that can withstand printer downtime.
In this quick guide, we highlight four of our favourite printers for the occasional print consumer. Whether you’re looking for black and white prints or colour photos, all of these machines are capable of producing high-quality prints when you need them, even if you use them infrequently. If you’re looking for a printer that won’t dry out, here’s what you need to know!
Also read: Best Printer For Book Printing
Best Printer For Infrequent Use | Comparison Table 2022
Table of Contents
Top Quality | 5-Star Pick | Great Prices
| Image | Title | Buy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP DeskJet 2755e Wireless Color All-in-One Printer with bonus 6 months Instant Ink with HP+ (26K67A) | HP | Check Price | |
| Canon PIXMA TR4720 All-in-One Wireless Printer for Home use, with Auto Document Feeder, Mobile Printing and Built-in Fax, Black | Canon | Check Price | |
| Canon Pixma MG3620 Wireless All-In-One Color Inkjet Printer with Mobile and Tablet Printing, Black, 2.6 | Canon | Check Price | |
| Canon TS302 Wireless Inkjet Printer, Black, Works with Alexa | Canon | Check Price | |
| HP DeskJet 3772 All-in-One Wireless Color Inkjet Printer, Scan and Copy, Instant Ink Ready, T8W88A (Renewed) | HP | Check Price | |
| Canon PIXMA TS202 Inkjet Photo Printer, Black, USB Connectivity (USB Cable Not Included) | Canon | Check Price | |
| Epson Premium EcoTank 2803 Series All-in-One Color Inkjet Cartridge-Free Supertank Printer I Print Copy Scan I Wireless I Mobile & Voice-Activated Printing I Print Up to 10 ISO ppm I 1.44" Color LCD | Epson | Check Price | |
| "HP Smart Tank 7301 Wireless All-in-One Cartridge-free Ink Tank Printer, up to 2 years of ink included, mobile print, scan, copy, automatic document feeder (28B70A)" | HP | Check Price | |
| HP Officejet Pro 8028 All-in-One Printer, Scan, Copy, Fax, Wi-Fi and Cloud-Based Wireless Printing (3UC64A) | HP | Check Price |
Prices and images pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Best Printer For Infrequent Use | 2022 Products Overview
1. HP DeskJet 2755e Wireless
- 6 FREE MONTHS INSTANT INK SUBSCRIPTION when you activate HP+ – Print up to 700 pages a month. Ink ships to you automatically so you never run out. After 6 months, the monthly fee applies unless canceled, and youll save up to 50% on ink.
- INCLUDES FREE HP+ SMART FEATURES – Activate HP+ free to get advanced features for mobile printing, security, automatic updates, and more. HP+ only works with an HP account, internet connection and Original HP Ink for the life of the printer.
- BEST FOR BASIC PRINTING – Print basic color documents like recipes, forms, and travel documents
- KEY FEATURES – Print, copy and scan in color, plus mobile and wireless printing
- EASY SETUP – Get started fast on any device with the HP Smart app that guides you step by step
- HP SMART APP – Print, scan and copy from your phone—whenever, wherever. Get advanced features for 24 months with HP+.
- WORRY-FREE WIRELESS – Get better range and more reliable connections using dual-band Wi-Fi with the self-reset
- This printer is intended to work only with cartridges with original HP chips or circuitry and will block cartridges using non-HP chips or circuitry. Periodic firmware updates will maintain the effectiveness of these measures.
Also read: Best Printers For College Students
Error: Unknown Link TypeCheck PriceAlso read: Best Printers For Art Prints
3. Canon Pixma MG3620 Wireless
- Mobile device printing: Easily print from your iPhone, iPad, Android or tablet
- Quick and easy wireless setup
- Powerful printing options: Airprint, Google Cloud Print, NFC, Mopria and Canon Print
- Compact and space-saving design
- Print on both sides of the page with auto 2-sided print
- Form factor: Print, copy, scan
- Max print speed color: 16
- Max print speed black white: 9.9
- Connectivity technology: Wi-Fi
Also read: Best Printers for Occasional Use
4. Canon TS302 Wireless Inkjet Printer
- Scan and copy documents with smartphone copy using the Canon Print app
- With AIRPRINTTM, its easy to print right from your iPhone, iPad and Mac
- Capable of printing at resolutions of up to 4800 x 1200 dpi
- PIXMA TS302 Wireless Inkjet Printer from Canon is well-suited for producing high quality-images in a low-volume environment. It can handle paper as large as 8.5 x 26.6
- including Letter size, and prints at speeds of up to 7.7 ipm in black and white. When producing borderless photos, it supports media up to 4 x 6 and produces an image in approximately 65 seconds. The printer features an easy-to-access rear tray for media loading, supporting 60 plain sheets or 20 4 x 6 photo paper sheets, and has a quiet mode for reducing noise during use
Also read: Home Printer With Lowest Ink Cost
5. HP DeskJet 3772 All-in-One
- The tiny all-in-one that packs a punch – This ultra-compact all-in-one printer is designed to fit wherever you need it – and quiet mode lets you print without disturbing others. Print speeds up to 8 pages per minute for black and 5.5 pages per minute for color.
- The tiny all-in-one that packs a punch – This ultra-compact all-in-one printer is designed to fit wherever you need it – and quiet mode lets you print without disturbing others. Print speeds up to 8 pages per minute for black and 5.5 pages per minute for color.
- Get ink your way, every day - Buy Original HP 65 Ink for quality prints or get HP Instant Ink Delivery Service: ink ordered by your printer, delivered to your door for as low as $0.99 per month,including ink cartridge, shipping and recycling.
- Your device, your choice – Easily print documents and photos from social media, scan on the go, and check ink status from your smartphone using HP Smart app.
- Scan with ease using HP Scroll Scan – Tackle most scan jobs in a snap and handle a variety of sizes – from plain paper to IDs – for a versatile and easy scanning experience.
- Wireless printing, even without a network – Reduce hassle with wireless printing and use of Wi-Fi Direct to print directly from your smartphone without connecting to a network.
Also read: Best Printers For Posters
6. Canon PIXMA TS202
- Fine hybrid ink system for detailed documents and photos
- Quickly refill paper with the dedicated rear paper tray
- With a great compact size, the Pixma TS202 fits almost anywhere
- OS compatibility: Windows 5 Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7 SP1; Mac 6 Mac OS X v10.10.5, macOS v10.12 (Sierra); Ink compatibility: Ink tank & fill volume PGI 246 black: 8.9 ml (Std.) , 12.0 ml (XL), CLI 246 color: 9.0 ml (Std.) , 13.0 ml (XL), PGI 243 black: 5.6 ml (Std.), CLI 244 color 6.2 ml (Std.)
- Output tray capacity - Rear paper tray 60 sheets of plain paper or 20 sheets of 4 x 6 / 10 sheets of 5 x 7 photo paper
7. Epson Premium EcoTank 2803
- Innovative Cartridge-Free Printing with EcoFit® ink bottles
- Each replacement ink bottle set equivalent to about 90 individual ink cartridges3
- Save up to 90% with replacement ink bottles vs. ink cartridges1
- Includes up to 2 years of ink in the box
- Copier and high-resolution flatbed scanner
- Ultra high-yield replacement ink bottles
- Your family needs a printer that’s fast, affordable, and easy to use. That’s why we developed the EcoTank ET-2803 — an innovative cartridge-free solution that uses high-capacity, easily refillable ink tanks.
Also read: Best Printer For Home Use With Cheap Ink
8. HP Smart Tank 7301
- BEST FOR BUSY FAMILIES – Print a variety of color documents in high volumes
- KEY FEATURES – Print, copy and scan, plus automatic 2-sided printing, 35-page automatic document feeder, borderless prints, mobile and wireless printing. Print up to 15 ppm black and 9 ppm color.
- FULLY LOADED WITH SAVINGS – Perfect for low-cost, high-volume printing—up to 2 years of Original HP Ink Bottles included; get up to 8,000 color pages or 6,000 black pages right out of the box
- EXCEPTIONAL HP QUALITY – Consistently delivers outstanding color graphics, photos and crisp text for all your prints
- SIMPLE, SPILL-FREE REFILL – Replenish ink with HPs easy-access, spill-free refill system. Simply plug the Original HP 32XL Black Bottle or Original HP 31 Color Bottles into the ink tank and let them drain—no squeezing, no spilling.
- EASY TO USE – Smart-guided buttons illuminate to guide you through everyday print, scan and copy tasks
- ESSENTIAL SECURITY – Protects from viruses, malware and helps maintain privacy and control with basic encryption and password protection
- RELIABLE CONNECTIVITY – Self-healing dual-band Wi-FiTM automatically detects and resolves connection issues, and easily share resources with Ethernet networking
- HELPING TO PROTECT OUR PLANET – Printer made from recycled materials—more than 25% by weight of plastic. Help stop deforestation and protect wildlife: Use FSC-certified HP-branded paper made with responsibly sourced fiber.
Also read: Best Canon Printers For Home
9. HP Officejet Pro 8028
- Smart Tasks eliminates steps in repetitive tasks by allowing you to scan to the cloud, email, and more in a tap
- Take control of print, scan, copy, and fax jobs with tap-and-swipe ease, using the 2.65” Color Touchscreen Panel
- Voice-activated printing enables your HP printer to work with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
- Up to 20ppm Black and White, 10ppm Color | 35-page Auto Document Feeder
- Compatible with HP 910XL High Capacity Ink Cartridges
How to choose a printer that is used infrequently?
Types of printers
If you choose an infrequently used printer, you may want to choose a laser model because toner lasts longer than ink cartridges. Both laser and inkjet printers can stop working properly if they are not used frequently, but there are important differences between the two. In the case of inkjet printers, nozzles can clog, while laser printers are considered more reliable.
Speed.
If you need an immediate solution to any printing problem, look at the printing speed. If you choose an office printer and want to print documents every day, this is essential to consider. If you need to print a large volume of documents, you may want to choose a model that can process large volumes quickly. However, even if you choose a printer for home use, it is best to choose a printer that can print many documents in a fraction of the time.
Size
If you do not plan to use the printer frequently, it is best to choose a model that takes up little space. Whether for office or home use, it is important that the printer you use occasionally be small and compact. This way, you can easily move the printer when it is not needed.
Resolution
Before purchasing a printer, think carefully about what you will be printing. If you will be printing images, you will need to purchase a highresolution printer. Unfortunately, many models do not allow for adjustable resolution. Laser printers generally have better quality, but they are also less expensive.
Budget
Even if your budget is limited, it is best to choose a laser printer. However, inkjet models are less expensive and are better suited for less frequent use. There is no need to spend money on expensive models unless you use them regularly. Therefore, you need to plan according to your budget and choose the printer that best suits your needs.
Control Panel:
The control panel determines how the printer is used and is easy to set up. Some have an LCD control panel that displays text and images. The less sophisticated printers offer smoother navigation.
Automatic document feeder
A single printer may seem to play many roles, but it actually has many uses.
With an automatic document feeder (ADF), it becomes an all-purpose printer that can copy and scan at the touch of a button.
If you are considering an ADF or would like to learn more about how the ADF works, please read on.
Paper handling
Finding the right printer for your needs can be a daunting task, as there are many factors to consider, from the price of the printer to the amount of paper you can print on at one time. However, if you have a general idea of the features you are looking for in a printer, it will be easier to narrow down your search.
Whether you need to print documents for work or school, or take pictures of your cat (which is perfectly legal), sometimes you need a device that can get the job done without any problems. For these everyday computing activities, most printers will do the job perfectly. These are entry-level printers that are fairly affordable and can get the job done without much trouble. They may not be as beautiful as more expensive models in terms of printing, but they will look great on your desk at home or in your business.
If you need more premium features, such as faster print times or better output quality, there are many options. If you want to impress your clients and friends with sharp images and vibrant colours, these devices are probably your best bet.
Not sure where to start? If so, we’ve compiled a list of great options for your needs below.
Best Printer For Infrequent Use | Video Explanation
Best Printer For Infrequent Use | Infographic
Frequently Asked Questions
Which printer is best for occasional use?
Considering the ratings, the many positive reviews, and the specifications, the HP LaserJet Pro is the best printer for occasional use out of all the models I have tested.
Which printer is the easiest to use?
For the HP LaserJet Pro M15w, this model is easy to use and can be quickly set up with the HP Smart HP tool to quickly print any document.
Will my laser printer dry out if I don’t use it much?
Laser printer toner cartridges are powderfilled and do not dry out if not used regularly. However, they can still fail to operate properly if they are not kept dry. To ensure high quality performance, it is important to avoid exposure to moisture.
If I only print occasionally, is a laser printer a good choice?
If you do not need to use your printer frequently, an inkjet model will be less expensive. Ink may seem expensive, but refill costs are lower than toner cartridges. Laser printers are ideal for those who need to print in high volumes. These models offer faster performance and can print even large documents quickly.
Final Conclusion.
Printers are one of the most important components of any home, educational institution, or office that needs to print a number of documents, but if for some reason they are not used, the ink can dry up later and cause a lot of problems.
With this problem in mind, we are reviewing the best printers for occasional use that will maintain the same quality no matter how long they are used.
In other words, these printers are a long-term investment and will stay the same as long as you use them, reducing maintenance costs. Inspired? You can buy these power supplies too!
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