Most of these are inkjet printers and will help you get your work done seamlessly. Do note that if you are planning to mostly print monochrome documents, a laser printer turns out to be a clever buy. So before we get to the best printers for students, let’s check out the difference between laser printers and (All-in-one) AIO inkjet printers for students. But first,
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Laser Printers vs All-in-One Inkjet Printers – Which is the Best for Students
Let’s talk about the primary difference between a laser printer and an inkjet printer. As you may already know, an inkjet printer relies on ink, whereas a laser printer uses a toner to churn out prints. An inkjet printer is a perfect pick for you if you plan to print photos, text documents, or graphics-laden pages. A laser printer, on the other hand, is more apt for printing just monochrome pages. At the end of the day, you’ll also have to factor in the upfront cost associated with these printers. Laser printers are usually more expensive than their inkjet counterparts. That said, the print-per-page rate of laser printers is much less when compared to their inkjet counterparts. Hence, you will have to calculate the approximate number of sheets that you will print along with the type. And, this should help you in deciding the right type of printer for you. With that settled, let’s check out some of the best printers for college students.
1. Canon PIXMA TS3450 Inkjet Printer
Connectivity: USB, Wi-Fi | Type: Inkjet Printer Duplex: No | Paper tray: 60 sheets Dimensions: 12.87 x 17.13 x 5.71 cm
Setting it up is a breeze, and the Wi-Fi connectivity means you can print your documents directly from your phone. Plus, the USB connection simplifies the process of printing documents from your laptop. Canon advertises a speed of 7.7ipm (images per minute) and quite a few users have pointed out that they are satisfied with the speed. Note that it can’t print professional-level photos, even though Canon advertises it as being a document & photo printer. More notably, the printer doesn’t come with an auto-duplex feature. As such, if you want to print both sides of a sheet, you will have to do so manually. All things considered, if you want to save money and want a fairly basic printer, the Canon PIXMA TS3450 is a decent pick. The icing on the cake is that Canon ships ink with the printer too.
2. Epson WorkForce WF-3820
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet | Type: Inkjet Duplex: Full Duplex | Paper tray: 250-sheet, configurable Dimensions: 14.92 x 16.73 x 9.8 cm
It even prints fast and has a somewhat compact form factor. To wit, the device is rated at 21 ppm for black and white printouts and the folks at PC Mag could get the advertised printing speeds. Great, right? At the same time, the multiple connectivity options, including USB and Wi-Fi Direct let you get about your printing jobs with ease. Finally, the printing quality is precise. The 25-sheet paper tray is discrete, and you can rest assured that your paper will not collect dust when not in use. Ultimately, the Epson WorkForce WF-3820 is a mid-range printer. Correspondingly, it lacks some premium features like ADF. What’s more, since it’s primarily aimed at small businesses and home offices, the cost of ink can run a bit high, especially for college students. That said, if you want a reliable printer with low upfront cost (and if your stream involves a lot of printouts), then this one proves to be a good printer for students in the UK. Alternatively, you can check out the Brother MFC-J497DW Inkjet printer too.
3. HP OfficeJet Pro 9012e (colour + inkjet)
Connectivity: Ethernet | Type: Inkjet Duplex: Yes, Auto-Duplex | Paper tray: 250 sheets Dimensions: 12.65 x 18.11 x 9.21 cm
Do note that the HP OfficeJet Pro 9012e is a wired printer. While you lose out on wireless printing, it should be stated that the device delivers quality prints. And the coloured touchscreen at the top allows you to go through tasks seamlessly. One of the major strengths of the HP OfficeJet Pro 9012 printer, especially for students, is its scanning ability. The scans are great in terms of quality and color reproduction. Moreover, the copy function can take anything you throw at it. For instance, it can deliver 99 duplicates in a single run. Again, the printing speed is not one of 9012e’s biggest strengths, and you will have to be patient when printing a bunch of documents. On the upside, the running cost of this printer is quite competitive.
4. Brother DCP-L2530DW Laser Printer
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, USB, AirPrint, Ethernet | Type: Inkjet Duplex: Yes, Auto-Duplex | Paper tray: 250 sheets Dimensions: 12.65 x 18.11 x 9.21 cm
Apart from high-quality prints, you get a host of premium features like double duplex printing, LCD screen, and wireless connectivity. The latter means you can invoke a printout directly from your phone. Now, as prefaced previously, the L2530DW laser printer is a tad expensive, but you will save money while printing. More importantly, the device can be set up in a jiffy and you need not subscribe to any ink programs either. Suffice it to say, the Brother DCP-L2530DW offers the best bang for your buck and is one of the best printers for college students in the UK.
Print Away
Apart from the ones above, there are tens and dozens of affordable printers out there. However, it’s worth noting that you may eventually end up spending more if you buy cheap printers. Either the print quality is not at par or the ink dries up, thereby spoiling the printer altogether. So, we recommend coughing up a bit extra to reap benefits down the line. The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.
