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HP printers are some of the top choices for a variety of applications. It has an expansive lineup, with options suitable for just about anyone. You can find a printer through HP for offices big and small, casual home use, or even professional-level graphics. They are reliable printers capable of excellent quality. And they generally come with a nice set of features to make printing straightforward. Plus, you can be guaranteed to find something that fits your budget because of all the options. These best HP printers will help you get your digital files into the real world, no matter what they happen to be.
- Best for home use: HP DeskJet 3755
- Best for small business: HP Color Laserjet Pro Multifunction M479fdw
- Best for photos: HP Envy Inspire 7255e
- Best portable: HP Officejet 250 (CZ992A)
- Best on a budget: HP DeskJet 2755e
Things to consider before buying an HP printer
Before deciding on any printer, you should consider what you may be printing and how often. Though most HP printers are great general-purpose workhorses, some are more specialized and geared towards a specific use. Thinking about how you intend to use your printer will set you up for a better experience once you purchase one.
Inkjet or laser
Because HP makes both laser and inkjet printers, you need to decide which type makes sense for you. Of course, there are pros and cons to both, so it’s a matter of what you will be printing and what your budget is.
Laser printers produce images and text by using heat to melt powdered toner onto the paper. They are usually the preferred choice for office settings because they are economical to run and have fast printing speeds. However, they are typically more expensive to buy upfront and have a larger footprint.
Inkjet printers print by spraying microscopic drops of liquid ink onto paper. Because of the tiny size of ink droplets, they are capable of higher resolution and do a better job reproducing color than laser printers. As a result, they are the best choice for detailed graphics or anything that requires accurate color with smooth transitions between colors. And, because they are cheaper to buy and are smaller devices, they are ideal for home settings. However, the nozzles are prone to clogging if they sit unused for a long time, so if you rarely print, you may want to go with a laser printer. If you’re looking for a dedicated printer for photography work, check out our list of the best photo printers.
All-in-one functions
The majority of HP’s offerings are all-in-one printers. It offers a few print-only options, but they are all geared towards businesses, so they may not be suitable for most users. All-in-one printers will allow you to print, scan, and copy. Some offer fax abilities, though not all. If faxing is a necessity, be sure to get a model that can fax.
Print speed
Print speed may not matter for many, but if you need to print a lot or are simply an impatient person, you will want to look for a printer with a fast print speed. Printers list print speed in ppm or pages per minute. As mentioned, inkjet printers will be slower than laser printers, so if getting the fastest printer is a priority, look at laser options.
Duty cycle
The duty cycle reflects the number of pages you can print per month without the printer breaking down. For office settings, you will want a high duty cycle. It won’t matter as much for home use, but if you have a busy home with lots of school projects and paperwork to be printed, you may want to focus on options with higher duty cycles to be safe.
Additional features
ADF
An automatic document feeder (ADF) provides the ability to scan or fax a stack of papers without putting them in one by one. It will save you lots of time if you work with many paged documents.
Auto Duplex
Auto duplex printing allows you to print on both sides of the paper automatically, instead of manually putting the paper back through. This is also a big time-saver for larger documents. Likewise, auto duplex scanning allows you to scan both sides of a document simultaneously via an ADF.
Resolution
Resolution will determine the quality of your prints. It won’t matter as much for certain types of printing, such as text documents, and a lower resolution is acceptable. But, if you print detailed graphics or photos regularly and need them to be of high quality, you will want to get something with a higher resolution. Scanners also have a specific resolution, so if you need high quality scans for reproducing images or graphics, make sure you get a scanner with a high resolution as well.
Security
Cyber security is critical these days, especially for businesses. If your printer is on your office network, you will want to be sure that the printer has some built-in security features. You may also want features that allow you to control who can print what if you have an office with employees or a household with overzealous kids.
Here are our picks for the best HP printers in 2023
Best for home use: HP DeskJet 3755
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Why it made the cut: It’s an affordable and compact printer that produces quality photos and has lots of mobile connectivity options.
Key features
- Printer size: 15.9 x 5.5 x 7 inches
- All-in-one functions: Print, copy, scan
- Monthly duty cycle: 1000 pages
- Print speed: 8 ppm (black), 5.5 ppm (color)
Pros
- Affordable
- Comes in different colors
- Good print quality, especially for photos
- Compact size
Cons
- Slow print speeds
The 3755 comes from HP’s DeskJet line of printers, which are geared toward home use. As a result, it has a lower price point than the OfficeJet options. It also has a smaller footprint, so you don’t lose all of your desk or counter space to a bulky printer. It’s available with three different color accents–blue, seagrass, or stone–so you can add a pop of color to your home office should you like.
It’s important to remember that this is indeed a home printer. It is not built to churn out heavy print volume. The monthly duty cycle is 1,000 pages, which is plenty for most homes that print out things like school permission slips and recipes. But it may not be a good fit if you are a busy home that prints a lot. The print speed is also relatively slow at 8 ppm for black and 5.5 ppm for color. However, you can increase the speed if you don’t need a high quality print by using draft mode. In draft mode, you get up to 19 ppm for black and 15 ppm in color.
HP gives you lots of options for printing, with full wireless connectivity. You can easily and quickly print from your phone or tablet, no computer required. And you can even print directly from services like iCloud, Dropbox, and Google Drive, meaning you won’t have to clutter up your device with files. You’ll also be able to order ink right from the HP app. Or subscribe to the Instant Ink program to save some money and worry less about running out.
This printer has a max resolution of 1200 x 1200 dpi for black and white and 4800 x 1200 dpi for color prints. That will give you plenty of print quality for most applications, especially for photos. It’s not the fanciest printer out there, but it is a well-rounded choice for those who print a little bit of everything at home but don’t need the best quality. You can find many used versions if you’d like to save even more money and lessen your environmental footprint.
Best for small business: HP Color Laserjet Pro Multifunction M479fdw
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Why it made the cut: Small businesses that work with a lot of documents will appreciate the faster print speeds, high duty cycle, and single-pass auto duplexing ADF.
Key features
- Printer size: 16.8 x 16.3 x 25.7 inches
- All-in-one functions: Print, copy, scan, fax
- Monthly duty cycle: Maximum 50,000 pages, recommended 4,000 pages
- Print speed: 28 ppm
Pros
- High monthly duty cycle for busy offices
- Lots of mobile printing options
- Built-in security features
- Auto duplexing
Cons
- Lower resolution
- Running costs are a bit high
The needs of small businesses can vary greatly, but for those who need to print and scan a lot of documents, this laser option is the ideal choice. As is typical for laser printers, the Color Laserjet Pro Multifunction M479fdw is a bit of an investment up front, but it will be much cheaper to print than inkjet printers. This particular printer does have running costs a bit higher than other options, but it should only run you about 2.2 cents per black and white page and 14.2 cents per color page.
This printer is a full all-in-one, so if you have faxing needs, this will be able to tackle that. It has a 50-sheet ADF that allows for single-pass auto-duplex scanning, saving you time when scanning hefty documents. There are two paper trays that can hold up to 300 sheets. If you still find yourself refilling paper too often, you can purchase an extended tray that holds 550 sheets for a total of 850.
The resolution of the M479fdw is only 600 x 600 dpi, which is plenty for text files but won’t give you exceptional quality for other things. But, the text from this printer is very sharp and clear, even down to smaller fonts. It will do okay with basic graphics like charts and graphs, and the photos are passable in a pinch. You definitely won’t be getting gallery-quality prints, but it will be good enough for most office uses.
Best for photos: HP Envy Inspire 7255e
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Why it made the cut: With a resolution of 4800 x 1200 dpi for color prints, this model produces quality photos and is capable of borderless printing.
Key features
- Printer size: 18.1 x 7.5 x 15.1 inches
- All-in-one functions: Print, scan, copy
- Monthly duty cycle: 1000 pages
- Print speed: 15 ppm (black), 10 ppm (color)
Pros
- Quality photo prints
- Capable of borderless printing
- Can print on double-sided photo paper
- Accepts a wide range of sizes
Cons
- Color accuracy isn’t great
HP has a line of printers for most needs, with the Envy lineup being photo-focused printers. The Inspire 7255e offers a color resolution of 4800 x 1200 dpi and a black and white resolution of 1200 x 1200 dpi to get quality photo prints. Mind you, this is still considered more of a casual home printer, so your photos will not be gallery-level quality. The color accuracy isn’t great, and the fine details could be better. But, for casual prints to hang on the wall of your house, it will excel.
As with most HP printers, the Envy Inspire is an all-in-one option. It can print, scan, and copy. Should you have old family photos you want to scan in, the flatbed scanner has a resolution of 1200 dpi, more than enough to allow you to print them down the line.
The paper tray can accommodate a wide range of photo paper sizes, from standard sizes to panoramic or squares. In fact, you can buy this printer bundled with 4 x 12-inch paper, perfect for printing your panoramic landscapes. It has full wireless connectivity, including many mobile printing options so that you can print from anywhere. And for printing out documents, it has automatic duplexing to keep you from feeding the paper back through.
The Inspire 7255e does go through ink fairly fast, especially if you are printing photos. But you can sign up for HP’s Instant Ink program to have it delivered to you automatically before you even run out. The price of the printer itself is also very reasonable, especially for a photo printer.
Best portable: HP Officejet 250 (CZ992A)
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Why it made the cut: It is light enough to bring with you on your travels and still puts out quality prints, including photographs.
Key features
- Printer size: 15.0 x 7.8 x 3.6 inches
- All-in-one functions: Print, scan, copy
- Monthly duty cycle: 500 pages
- Print speed: 10 ppm (black), 7 ppm (color)
Pros
- Small and portable
- Excellent print quality, including photos
- Includes an ADF
- Has a touchscreen display for printing directly from the device
Cons
- Doesn’t come with a USB cord
- No auto duplex printing
If you are frequently on the go but need a way to print or scan without popping into libraries or hotel business centers, the OfficeJet 250 is the best choice. Its 15.0 x 7.8 x 3.6-inch footprint is small enough to bring in your bag for your trips. It weighs 6.5 pounds, which isn’t terribly light but still light enough to carry with you when needed.
The small size doesn’t mean the print quality is low. It has a max resolution of 4800 x 1200, the same as the Envy Inspire listed above. As a result, the print quality is excellent, even with photos. If you need to print out graphics or photos for clients when on the road, this will be able to handle it.
This HP compact printer also has all-in-one functionality. It can scan, copy, and of course, print. It has a 10-sheet ADF, a nice addition to a portable printer. If you need to scan in or copy documents with multiple pages on the go, you’ll be able to do so faster with the OfficeJet 250. Unfortunately, it cannot scan both sides of a page at once, so you’ll have to feed double-sided documents for scanning manually. Duplex printing is also manual, which is a downside.
The OfficeJet 250 has plenty of wireless printing options. You can print via WiFi, WiFi Direct, or USB, though you will need to purchase a USB cable separately. It also has mobile connectivity with both Android and iOS, allowing you to print from your phone or tablet easily.
Best on a budget: HP DeskJet 2755e
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Why it made the cut: If you need a cheap printer to print out the essentials, the DeskJet 2755e is very budget-friendly, and the 4800 x 1200 dpi color resolution means it still prints out quality materials including photos.
Key features
- Printer size: 16.7 x 6.1 x 12 inches
- All-in-one functions: Print, scan, copy
- Monthly duty cycle: 100 pages
- Print speed: 7.5 ppm (black), 5.5 ppm (color)
Pros
- Very affordable
- Can print on many paper types, including heavy cardstock
- Good connectivity options
- High resolution scanner
Cons
- No auto duplexing
- Fairly high running costs
Even in this digital age, things always pop up that require you to have access to a printer. Whether it’s a return shipping label, a document for your doctor, or a quick family snapshot, having access to a basic printer can be beneficial. But many people don’t necessarily need something fancy or expensive. The HP DeskJet 2755e is a great budget choice for those who need to print the occasional item.
It has a resolution of 4800 x 1200 dpi, the same as the more expensive printers listed above. So despite the budget price, you can still get quality prints from it. It even prints pretty high quality photos, so the range of print options is excellent. In addition, the scanner has a high resolution of 1200 dpi, enabling you to scan in old family photos or your child’s artwork and get quality results.
There are some downsides to the budget price. The printer is definitely not breaking any records in terms of speed. It prints at just 7.5 ppm in black and white and 5.5 ppm in color. The monthly duty cycle is only 100 pages, so this won’t be great for print-heavy households. It also goes through ink fairly fast, which will add up. Subscribing to HP’s Instant Ink service will help save some money, though. It isn’t the fanciest printer around, but it can get the job done and is very affordable.
FAQs
Q: What is the difference between HP OfficeJet and HP DeskJet?
The main difference between HP OfficeJet and HP DeskJet printers is their intended use. OfficeJet printers are intended, as the name suggests, for offices. They can handle a higher volume of printing, higher quality, and faster printing. DeskJet printers, on the other hand, are intended for home use. As a result, they aren’t able to handle as high of print volume and are a bit slower than the OfficeJet line. But they will be cheaper than OfficeJet as a result.
Q: Which type of printer gives the best quality?
The type of printer that will gives the best quality depends on what you are printing. For text, laser printers will give you the best quality. Laser printers can produce very sharp lines and text, which is, in part, why businesses prefer laser printers.
For detailed graphics and photographs, or anything that needs accurate colors, inkjet printers will provide better quality. Photo-specific printers are always inkjet for this reason.
Q: What is the disadvantage of a laser printer?
The main disadvantage of laser printers is the upfront cost. They are more expensive than inkjet printers. The toner lasts longer than ink, which will save money in the long run, but it is more of an investment.
As mentioned above, laser printers aren’t great for graphics, photos, or accurate color reproduction. So a laser printer will not be ideal if you need to print photos or graphic design materials.
Q: Is an inkjet printer good for home use?
An inkjet printer is good for home use. Inkjets are cheaper to buy, which is ideal for home users. The ink is expensive, but if you aren’t printing a lot, you shouldn’t need to worry about that much. They also will produce plenty of quality for what most are printing at home.
Final Thoughts
HP offers an expansive list of printers suitable for a wide range of users. The best printer for you will depend on what and how often you are printing and the other functions and features you may need access to.
Methodology
When selecting the best HP printers for this list, we aimed to include products from most of HP’s lineup. Since they have product lines intended for different users, we chose a range of printers that would reflect that. Print quality was, of course, a primary consideration. With the all-in-one options, we also looked at the scan and copy quality to ensure all functions would produce quality results. Connectivity was also important, and we picked units that allow a range of connection types and are easy to use when you need to print.
Abby Ferguson
Abby Ferguson is the Associate Editor for Gear and Reviews at PopPhoto, joining the team in 2022. She has been involved with the photography industry in various capacities since her undergraduate training at the University of Kentucky, with work ranging from client photography to program development and management of the photo department at Evolve, a vacation rental company.
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