Find The Right Printers

Kodak ESP 5250

Kodak's ESP 5250 multifunction printer isn't marred by the errors of its predecessors, but it still needs improvement before it can keep up with the competition. Right now, its pleasing photo quality and satisfactory output speed don't justify the $170 price tag and lack of features.

Specs: Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 1200 dpi

Brother MFC-990CW

The Brother MFC-990CW is a speedy, fully capable all-in-one device that earns our recommendation for an individual or a family that will make use of its touch screen and telephone/answering machine. Mechanical issues notwithstanding, this is the highest-scoring Brother printer we've tested to date.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 1200 x 2400 dpi, Cordless handset

Brother MFC-5890CN

The Brother MFC-5890CN all-in-one is hands down the worst printer to take up space in our lab. From the irritating initial set up to the horrendous output quality and slow print speed, this device is the easiest way to flush $200 down the drain.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 1200 x 2400 dpi, None

Canon Pixma MX860

The Canon Pixma MX860's auto-document feeder, large LCD screen, and quick print speeds are sure to increase your productivity, but it also includes plenty of software to nourish your creative interests. At $199, this multifunctional printer earns our recommendation.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 2400 x 4800 dpi

HP Photosmart C6380 all-in-one

The HP Photosmart C6380 is a good fit for beginning photographers who want more than just a simple printer. Its six-ink cartridge bay, and scanning and copying capabilities extend its versatility, and while the output quality suffers a few missteps, the C6380 remains a worthwhile deal for the money.

Specs: Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 4800 dpi

HP Color LaserJet CP1215

The Color LaserJet CP1215 is HP's entry-level printer built to serve small workgroups, but it suffers from frustratingly slow print speeds, a missing LCD screen, and other problems. Your $299 will go much further with the Dell 1320c, another color laser with faster print speeds for the same price.

Specs: Workgroup printer - Laser - Color, Legal (8.5 in x 14 in), Wired, 12 pages/min, 8 pages/min, PC, USB

HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One

The HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One printer makes it easy to increase productivity thanks to its streamlined user interface. The fax, copy, print, and scanning features boast helpful extras like double-sided printing, wireless connectivity, separate photo trays, and quick-access control panel buttons, all while maintaining lab-quality photos and a low cost to print. We highly recommend this printer to anyone who can benefit from its multifunctionality.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 4800 x 4800 dpi

Lexmark X7675 Pro

Aside from a few design hang-ups and a slower than average output speed, the Lexmark X7675 Professional all-in-one printer is a cut above other multifunctional printers. Its excellent quality prints, easy-to-set-up wireless connectivity, and generous five-year warranty catapult it to the top of our list of favorites.

Epson Artisan 800

The Epson Artisan 800 produces impressive color prints, photos, and text documents, and it outpaces the competition in almost all of our speed tests. We're impressed by its performance, but hesitate to recommend this printer based on the poor build quality and error-prone software.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 4800 dpi

Brother MFC 7440N

The Brother MFC-7440N prints quickly and is fairly inexpensive to sustain, but we simply can't get behind a printer with poor quality graphics, significant hardware defects, and a boring design.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Laser, 600 x 2400 dpi, None

HP Photosmart C8180 All-in-One

The C8180 multifunctional printer is an excellent choice for photo enthusiasts. It prints high-quality text and photos at a heavy price: the printer is s...l...o...w. If you always choose quality over speed, the c8180 will be a worthwhile addition to your digital toolshed.

Specs: Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 9600 dpi

Samsung ML-2851ND

Small businesses should take a serious look at the Samsung ML-2851ND's monolaser because of its excellent print speed, text print quality, autoduplexer, and networking features. It's a little more expensive than the competition, but its chart-topping test results speak for themselves.

Specs: Workgroup printer - Laser - Monochrome, A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in), Legal (8.5 in x 14 in), Wired, 30 pages/min, 28 pages/min, PC, Mac, USB, Ethernet 10/100Base-TX

HP Officejet J6480

The HP Officejet J6480 has a lot of built-in features that are rarely found included in a $200 printer. Shoppers looking for an all-inclusive multifunctional unit will be impressed with the robust hardware and rich print quality.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 4800 dpi

Canon Pixma iP100

It isn't cheap compared to standard printers, but the Canon Pixma iP100 has the highest resolution available in the mobile printer market and prints at an impressive speed to boot. If you simply must have a printer with you at all times, the iP100 should be the do-it-all at your side.

Specs: Photo printer - Ink-jet - Color, Legal (8.5 in x 14 in), Wired, Wireless, 20 pages/min, 14 pages/min, PC, Mac, USB, Infrared

HP Officejet H470 Mobile Printer

HP markets the Officejet H470wbt to the mobile business professional, but it chose aesthetics over performance. The sleek design and cost-effective cartridges give its rating a slight boost, but the degradation of print quality from the previous model is definitely a deal breaker.

Specs: Compact photo printer - Ink-jet - Color, A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in), Wired, PC, Mac, USB

HP Officejet H470b Mobile Printer

HP markets the Officejet H470wbt to the mobile business professional, but it chose aesthetics over performance. The sleek design and cost-effective cartridges give its rating a slight boost, but the degradation of print quality from the previous model is definitely a deal breaker.

Specs: Compact photo printer - Ink-jet - Color, A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in), Wired, Wireless, PC, Mac, USB

Dell Multifunction Monochrome Laser Printer 1125

Aside from a few complaints, we like the Dell 1125's overall package. The reasonable price tag also helps. We would recommend the Dell 1125 as a sensible solution for shoppers in the market for a text-specific all-in-one.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Laser, 600 x 600 dpi

Lexmark X7550

All-in-one printers are a tough sell, and we must insist that manufacturers release machines that produce prints with the same standard of quality as their individual counterparts. With that in mind, we can't recommend the Lexmark x7550 because of its poor quality prints and several mechanical snags.

Specs: Digital photo - Thermal inkjet - Color laser paper, Legal (8.5 in x 14 in), Custom (8.5 in x 17 in), Digital photo, Modem, PC, Mac, 1 year warranty

Brother MFC-685cw

The Brother MFC-685CW inkjet multifunction printer offers tons of great features at the expense of print speed and quality. If speed and quality are your priorities, look elsewhere.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 600 x 2400 dpi, Corded handset

Canon ImageClass MF4270

If your office printing, scan, and fax needs run to the basic, the Canon ImageClass MF4270 is a good fit, with brisk task speeds and consistent output quality.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Laser, 600 x 1200 dpi