Acquiring the best printer for your small business can save you a shocking amount of time and money in the long term.
That’s because there are so many horrible choices that will break down constantly, rake up thousands and thousands of dollars in ink cartridge costs, or both.
Today’s business landscape is highly competitive, so small businesses need efficient tools to ensure smooth operations. There is little sense in buying a cheap printer to save money, only to fix it every other day or pay an exorbitant amount for the ink.
As anyone with a business can tell you, a reliable printer is a crucial component of nearly any office setup.
With that said, let’s talk about how to pick the best printer for your small business and see which ones are available on the market right now.
Best Printers for Small Business in a Nutshell
If you are in a hurry and wish to know which printers are the best, we recommend the following.
- Best Overall Printer: HP Color LaserJet Enterprise MFP M480f
- Best for Durability: Brother MFC-L8905CDW
- Best for Color Accuracy: Canon PIXMA G620 Megatank
- Best for Multifunction: Canon Maxify GX4020
- Best Value: Brother MFC-J4335DW
If you wish to learn more about these printers and why they are the best for small businesses, keep reading; we will review them in detail.
Key Takeaways:
- Efficiency Matters: Investing in a reliable printer can significantly save time and reduce operational costs.
- Business Needs: Assess your specific printing requirements, including volume, speed, and quality, before making a decision.
- Top Picks: HP Color LaserJet, Brother MFC-L8905CDW, and Canon PIXMA G620 are standout options for various business needs.
- Cost Considerations: Balance initial purchase price with long-term running costs, including ink and maintenance.
- Functionality: Multifunction printers offer added benefits like scanning, copying, and faxing, which can enhance overall productivity.
Printer Statistics You Should Know
- The global printer market was valued at over $45.2 billion in 2021, with a projected growth rate of 5.07%.
- In 2020, there were 36 million printer units shipped around the world
- Both office and home printing dropped 13.7% in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 64% of businesses suffered print-related data losses in 2020
- Digital printing is rising, with experts expecting a 7% growth in the digital printing industry between 2022 and 2027.
How to Pick the Best Printer for Your Small Business
Picking the best printer for your small business is often more complicated than it sounds.
Of course, you could buy the first, cheapest one you see, but if you don’t consider various factors, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise later, especially if you discover that it has reliability issues or is missing required features.
So, how do you pick the best printer for your small business?
Start by assessing your needs and determining what your business primarily needs a printer for:
- Will you be printing a high number of documents every day?
- Does it need to print quickly to keep operations smooth?
- What devices will you be printing from?
- Do you need a printer for marketing materials? Both? Identifying your needs is essential, as some businesses need printers with ultrafast printing, a scanner, copying capabilities, or color printing, while others do not.
What Influences the Cost of a Printer?
This affects the cost of a printer itself, as multifunction printers tend to cost more than plain old regular printers.
Furthermore, the type of printer matters as well, which might depend on factors like the printing volume. If you print many documents, a laser printer might be more suitable than an inkjet printer.
Also, don’t forget to ensure that the printer you wish to buy is compatible with your OS and the applications you intend to use.
Remember: You will have to refill the ink, so ink cost needs to be considered, as well as the printing quality. Quality matters, especially for marketing materials, while speed can be a crucial factor if your business tends to get busy often or have large quantities of text documents to print.
Our Top Recommendations for Picking the Best Printers
This guide has prepared a carefully crafted list of the best printers for small business, denoting what each one is best for along with its benefits and drawbacks.
Compare your needs with the choices on this list to see if you can spot the best option.
Once you identify your needs and form a shortlist of the printers or types of printers that make the most sense for your small business, it’s time to dive deep into each one to figure out which one to choose.
You can consider the brand reputations of various printers and look up user reviews for brands or even specific models but be careful as fake reviews are unfortunately common nowadays. That is the best deal if you can find a printer that fits all your needs and has a warranty and support.
And, of course, it is in your best interest to get the best possible printer for the least amount of money, so simple price is another factor that should not be ignored.
List of the 5 Best Printers for Small Business
Now that you know what to look for in the best printer for a small business, here are our top picks. Each of these excels in a specific aspect, so consider your needs and capabilities and pick the best one for your company.
Please note: The prices included are at the time of writing. They can and will change over time.
1. HP Color LaserJet Enterprise MFP M480f
Price: ~$1,000
The HP Color LaserJet Enterprise MFP M480f is generally regarded as the best overall printer for small businesses, especially regarding factors such as quality and speed. It is a mid-volume color laser AIO printer that boasts incredibly detailed printing without breaking the bank on ink and other running costs.
It can print as many as 29 pages per minute, making it among the fastest options on the market. It also features an automatic document feeder, which can hold as many as 50 pages. This is a great feature to have if you need to print a lot of documents quickly.
It also allows you to print, copy, scan, and fax. It features a 4.3-inch touchscreen, it is easy to use and navigate, and you can print from various sources — including PCs, tablets, and laptops, which is possible thanks to the integrated Wi-Fi.
The main downside of this printer is its purchase price of just under $1,000 though its relatively low running costs help make up for it over time.
2. Brother MFC-L8905CDW
Price: ~$635
Those from the Brother series tend to be trendy if you are looking for a fast, durable printer at a reasonable price (about $635 on Amazon). It is an all-in-one color laser multifunction printer that offers great text quality. It warms up very quickly and can print up to 32 pages a minute. It comes with an integrated flatbed scanner large enough to scan Legal-size sheets. It also features an automatic feeder with a lot of paper capacity and single-pass duplex scanning. That way, you can process multiple pages and print double-sided sheets much faster.
You also won’t have to pay a fortune for toner cartridges, as they are relatively affordable and tend to last a long time. Of course, this will also depend on how much you use it. However, there is an extra expense, as you must replace the drum separately. On the plus side, this is not something you must do often, and you will likely be able to get up to 30,000 prints before it needs a replacement.
The printer also has USB, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi connectivity, which offers great diversity in printing sources.
This printer starts to become less competitive when it departs from text documents as its photo quality isn’t top tier (though it’s decent enough).
3. Canon PIXMA G620 Megatank
Price: ~$299
Regarding color accuracy and photo printing in general, Canon’s PIXMA G620 Megatank is one of the best in the business. It is ideal for small businesses who want to print colorful, vibrant photos and marketing images for a low price because of its incredible print quality. This is possible thanks to its 6-color dye-based ink cartridges.
The printer does not take up a lot of space and is lightweight, allowing you to lift it and move it around with only one hand. Printed photos also dry quickly, so you don’t have to worry about smudging ink. As such, it is perfect for printing marketing materials. You can connect it to Wi-Fi or USB and print directly from it.
This printer is also quite cheap at $299 and has surprisingly low running costs but it does have a few downsides that disqualify it as the best printer option for many small businesses. It doesn’t have an automatic document feeder and it prints quite slowly, making it a relatively poor option for office work and basic high-volume text document printing.
4. Canon Maxify GX4020
Price: ~$330
Regarding multifunction printers for a business, the Canon Maxify GX4020 is a fantastic choice. This four-function printer is perfect for a small office but it’s also an excellent choice for those working from home. The model is known for its speed, output quality, and various features. It has a 250-sheet front drawer, as well as a 100-sheet tray.
It can print, scan, copy, and fax, and it features automatic duplex printing and scanning. It is an excellent choice for those needing to print large documents, mainly due to its paper-handling capabilities. Its initial price is slightly on the expensive side and it is somewhat slower than cartridge-based competitors but running costs are quite low. But, other than that, it is a top-tier printer that will serve you well for a long time.
5. Brother MFC-J4335DW
~$150
Last but not least, we have Brother MFC-J4335DW — another Brother printer that offers incredible value for the money. It features everything you need in a four-function AIO for everyday use and stands out regarding price and performance. Its paper handling is excellent thanks to a 150-sheet tray, and it will let you print around 600 sheets per month without having to refill it more often than once per week.
You also get auto duplex printing (but its ADF doesn’t support duplex scanning) and a bypass tray that feeds single sheets for extra convenience. The ink is low-cost, so refilling it will not cost a fortune either. On top of that, it is a small-size and lightweight printer that you can quickly move around, making it perfect for homes or small offices.
The main downside of this printer is its relatively poor quality at smaller font sizes so if you need to print documents with small font regularly, it may not be the best option for you.
Is It Worth Getting the Best Printer for My Small Business?
Depending on your needs and budget, getting the best printer for your small business can be a worthwhile investment. A cheap printer may cost more than a decent one when accounting for running costs whereas a proper printer can serve you in the long term, enhance the productivity of your business, and print professional marketing materials that typically go a long way in attracting customers to your company.
Not to mention that a reliable printer can continue to serve you well even as your business grows, so you won’t have to replace it quickly for a faster and more competent model. Buying a cheap printer may seem like a better option, especially if you are on a tight budget, but it may be far more expensive in the long term than buying a quality printer and being set for years to come.