Printers have become pretty common household gadgets these days. Whether you are printing documents for office use, or personal use or for a school project printers are necessary all the time.
More people than ever are working from home, education has turned online, and many people have started small businesses that they run from their home offices.
Printer come in great varieties from many brands. And some of the most popular brands include Canon, Brother, HP and Epson.
These brands offer many different kinds of printers suitable for tasks that range from simple document printing to professional photo and image printing.
If you are planning to do the same for your work or school, we’d like to shorten your shopping list by talking about the top printer brands and their best series of printers.
1. Canon
- PIXMA Series
- imageCLASS Series
- imagePROGRAF Series
- i-SENSYS Series
- SELPHY Series
- MAXIFY Series
2. Brother
- MFC Series
- HL Series
- DCP Series
- QL Series
- PocketJet Series
3. HP
- LaserJet Pro Series
- DeskJet Series
- OfficeJet Pro Series
- ENVY Series
- Smart-Tank Series
- Neverstop Series
- DesignJet Series
- PageWide Series
4. EPSON
- EcoTank Series
- WorkForce Series
- Expression Series
- SureColor Series
- Artisan Series
- PictureMate Series
- Stylus Series
1. Canon
Canon is a multinational corporation based in Japan. They are mainly known for their lenses and cameras, but as they specialize in optical and imaging products, they also make printers.
Their first notebook-sized inkjet printer BJ-10v was introduced in 1990, and their first full-color inkjet printer BJC-820 was introduced in 1992.
Since then, they have been making a wide range of different printers, for both home and office use.
A good portion of their product line is made of inkjet printers, but they also have a few fantastic laser printers, like imageCLASS D1620.
Their PIXMA series inkjet printers have gained a large amount of popularity for being fantastic home printers that print excellent photos. Their work-oriented printers are also known for having high page yields.
Canon has also developed a mobile app called Canon PRINT Inkjet/SELPHY, which lets you connect your mobile device to your Canon printer. Through the app, you can print different types of files and monitor the printer’s status.
1.1 PIXMA Series
As it is Canon’s largest printer series, PIXMA includes dozens of different printers aimed towards various user groups.
A large portion of the PIXMA series is specially crafted for home and small office use with their high-quality document and photo printing abilities combined with affordability and smart connectivity options.
The PIXMA Series printers include wireless connectivity options like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for fast and efficient printing. The PIXMA Cloud Link lets you print your documents in cloud storage such as Dropbox or Google Drive as well as upload scanned documents to them.
For those looking for high-yield, low-cost printing, the PIXMA G subseries include the MegaTank feature. MegaTank printers have large ink tanks that are refillable with cheap ink bottles, which brings down the cost-per-page significantly.
If you need to print on-the-go, you can get the PIXMA portable printers. These can easily fit into your bag and can be powered by batteries for maximum portability.
There are also professional photo printers in the PIXMA PRO subseries, which are focused on professional-grade photo printing on A3 and A2 papers. These can print gallery-quality photos with extremely high dots per inch (DPI) values.
Some popular models include:
- Canon PIXMA G6020
- Canon PIXMA TR4520
- Canon PIXMA TS9520
1.2 imageCLASS Series
The imageCLASS Series is built for small businesses that need fast and efficient printing capabilities.
They can print 40-45 pages per minute (PPM) and hold hundreds of pages for high-speed and hands-free printing. They come in both single-function printers and all-in-one printers that can scan, copy, and fax.
Canon Color imageCLASS MF743Cdw - All in One Laser Printer
imageCLASS Series printers also range from monochrome, black-only laser printers to color printers for different business needs. For increased efficiency and better work-flow, they also support duplex printing and scanning for double-sided documents.
Some popular models include:
- Canon imageCLASS MF445dw
- Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw
- Canon imageCLASS MF264dw
1.3 imagePROGRAF Series
Canon imagePROGRAF Series printers specialize in printing posters for businesses and schools. They can work with different kinds of poster papers such as matte coated papers and peel-and-stick rolls.
Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000
Their large size and heavyweight makes them unportable, but they will become a part of your business once they are set up.
imagePROGRAF printers also come with a free poster creation software so that you can easily create your posters. They use Canon LUCIA TD ink for top-grade color accuracy and a wide color gamut, which helps to print livelier, more colorful posters that last a long time.
Some popular models include:
- Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000
- Canon imagePROGRAF TA-20
- Canon imagePROGRAF TA-30
1.4 i-SENSYS Series
Canon i-SENSYS Series printers include various solutions for businesses with different needs. They include single-function color, single-function black and white, all-in-one color, and all-in-one black and white printers, so you can choose a specific model that’s suited to your needs for maximum efficiency and productivity.
The single-function printers focus on fast and low-cost printing with their affordable toners and cartridges and large paper handling capacities that can hold thousands of pages at the same time.
Canon i-SENSYS LBP6230dw Printer
The all-in-one multifunction printers add copy, scan, and fax functions on top of these.
Like all other Canon printer series, i-SENSYS Series printers also come with wide connectivity options such as direct wireless or Bluetooth connection.
Some popular models include:
- Canon i-SENSYS LBP6230dw
- Canon i-SENSYS L170
1.5 SELPHY Series
Canon’s SELPHY series printers focus on compactness and portable photo printing. SELPHY printers can easily fit into your backpack and print your special memories in many formats, such as square prints, postcards, and mini stickers.
Canon Selphy Photo Printer
You can connect directly or via the Canon PRINT app with your smart device and instantly print lab-quality photos. SELPHY also lets you edit and combine your photos with Layout Print and Shuffle Layout.
Some popular models include:
- Canon SELPHY CP1300
1.6 MAXIFY Series
Canon’s MAXIFY series business printers are made to deliver high levels of productivity to businesses. These all-in-one printers can print, scan, copy, and fax at the same time.
Their high-yield XL ink tanks can print color documents for a low cost while the auto 2-sided printing can print on both sides of a page at the same time.
Canon MAXIFY MB5120 Printer
For maximum productivity and efficiency, MAXIFY Series printers come with a wide range of connectivity options such as printing from mobile devices and cloud services.
With the Quick Toolbox software, you can access your printer settings remotely from one location and check your printer status, usage records, and set up cloud services.
Some popular models include:
- Canon MAXIFY MB5120
- Canon MAXIFY MB2120
2. Brother
Brother is another Japanese company that is known for its high-quality work and home printers. They were founded in 1908 and have been working with the Brother brand name since 1955.
Since then, they have produced a wide range of different electronic products, but they are most well-known for their printers.
They make excellent printers for both home and work. Their printers are best known for being exceptionally efficient in cartridge use. As expected, their home printers are mostly inkjet while their work printers are usually laser since they have a much higher page yield.
2.1 MFC Series
As it is one of Brother’s biggest printer series, MFC includes dozens of different printer models aimed toward various customer types. They include almost every type of printer, from monochrome single-function printers to color all-in-one printers, so there isn’t an overarching theme surrounding this series.
Similar to the DCP series, monochrome MFC printers deliver high-quality black and white documents at extremely high speeds, up to 40 pages per minute. They come in both single-function and multifunction capabilities for different business and home needs.
Brother Monochrome All-In One Laser Printer, MFCL2710DW
Unlike monochrome MFC printers, color inkjet MFC printer models are almost entirely made of all-in-one printers, meaning they can also scan, fax and copy.
Like MFC printers, they include all types of printers, from business printers with large paper capacities and duplex scanning and printing features to smaller, more affordable printers that focus on compactness and great photo quality.
Most MFC series printers have wireless connectivity options from your smartphone, tablet, and laptop. Some of them even support direct connection thanks to their near field communication technology. Plus, certain MFC printers work with Amazon Alexa, so you can use your voice for printing.
Some popular models include:
- Brother MFCL2710DW
- Brother MFC-J995DW
- Brother MFC-L5900DW
2.2 HL Series
Similar to the MFC series, Brother HL series laser printers include various printers for different purposes. The majority of this series is made of single-function monochrome printers, but there are also multifunction color printers.
The single-function monochrome HL printers are super affordable ways of printing high-quality black and white documents thanks to their simplicity. Color HL printers, on the other hand, are fantastic for small businesses as they bring many features together in a relatively compact size.
Brother HL-L2300D Monochrome Laser Printer
First of all, they can work with Amazon Alexa and support various wireless connectivity options like direct wireless connection from a smartphone, laptop, or tablet. They also support duplex printing for paper efficiency and can reach up to 33 pages per minute even in color.
Some popular models include:
- Brother HL-L2350DW
- Brother HL-L6200DW
- Brother HL-L2300D
2.3 DCP Series
Brother DCP series printers focus on delivering black and white documents fast and efficiently. They are designed for businesses that need to print large amounts of documents in a short amount of time.
DCP printers can reach up to 30 pages per minute and hold up to 250 sheets at the same time for maximum output speed and efficiency. They are multifunction printers, meaning they can also scan and copy. These laser printers use affordable toners at a low cost per page.
Brother Monochrome Multifunction Laser Printer DCPL2550DW
For convenient printing, DSP series printers also support a wide range of connectivity options such as Google Drive, Wi-Fi Direct, and Brother iPrint & Scan app with a smartphone.
Some popular models include:
- Brother DCP-L5600DN
- Brother DCP-L2540DW
2.4 QL Series
Brother QL series printers are specifically made for label and barcode printing. As they use thermal printing technology, they don’t require ink or toners.
They have pre-installed label options to choose from, but you can also create your custom labels with the software they include.
Brother QL-1100 Label Printer
QL printers can print labels of various widths and lengths. They are also incredibly fast as high-end QL series printers can reach up to 110 labels per minute with black text at 300 DPI.
Some popular models include:
- Brother QL-1100
- Brother QL-820NWB
- Brother QL-1110NWB
2.5 PocketJet Series
Aiming to deliver unrivaled portability, Brother’s PocketJet series printers are some of the smallest printers on the market and can print anywhere as long as they have power and paper. They don’t even need ink since they use thermal printing technology.
Brother PocketJet PJ763MFi
PocketJet series printers can work directly from a power output or with an optional battery. They can print decent and sharp black and white documents, but cannot print in color.
Some popular models include:
- Brother PocketJet PJ763MFi
- Brother PocketJet PJ762
- Brother PocketJet PJ773
3. HP
Founded in a garage in California in 1939 by Bill Hewlett, the Hewlett-Packard Company, or commonly known as HP, is one of the biggest technology companies in the world. After their founding, they produced a wide range of tech equipment, but their first printer, HP LaserJet, was introduced in 1984.
HP has a vast range of different printer series for both business and home use, though they also make cheaper printers aimed at students.
Like most of their competitors, they have a companion app called HP Smart.
HP Smart allows you to scan, print, and share files easily through your mobile phone, but it doesn’t support printing Microsoft Office files directly.
3.1 LaserJet Pro Series
HP LaserJet Pro Series printers focus on delivering fast and reliable laser printing capabilities for larger businesses. They can reach 45 ppm (page per minute) in both color and black printing and handle hundreds of pages simultaneously to support these output speeds.
There is a wide variety of printers in this series, from single-function monochrome printers to all-in-one color printers that can scan, copy and fax.
HP Color LaserJet Pro M479fdw Wireless Laser Printer
With a wide range of different connectivity options like the HP Smart app and cloud printing, you can improve your productivity and print your documents easily.
A large portion of the LaserJet Pro printer supports auto duplex printing for hands-free double-sided printing. They also feature built-in security essentials to stop attacks on your printer and protect sensitive data.
Some popular models include:
- HP LaserJet Pro M283fdw
- HP Laserjet Pro M118dw
- HP LaserJet Pro M479fdw
3.2 DeskJet Series
HP DeskJet series printers offer affordable and relatively compact solutions for home and small business users. These multifunction color printers combine their fax, scan, and copy abilities with their high-quality color printing and affordability.
HP DeskJet 2755 Wireless All-in-One Printer
DeskJet printers can print your family photos with great quality for their price. With HP Smart App, Bluetooth, and dual-band Wi-Fi connection, you can easily connect your devices to these printers and use them conveniently.
You can upload and share your scans to Google Drive and Dropbox. A good portion of them also support Amazon Alexa, so you can use your voice to command your printer.
Some popular models include:
- HP DeskJet 2755
- HP DeskJet 3755
3.3 OfficeJet Pro Series
Aimed towards businesses and offices, HP’s OfficeJet Pro printers have many features that will improve workflow and productivity.
First of all, they are all-in-one printers, so they can scan, fax, and copy as well. They can work with the HP Smart app and can directly print from cloud systems.
Plus, they can print up to 24 black/20 color pages per minute and hold up to 500 pages in their trays for hands-free feeding.
HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 Wide Format All-in-One Printer
For your different business needs, OfficeJet Pro printers can work with different paper sizes, from letter-size to 11 x 17”. Also, they feature automatic duplex printing, which can be a lifesaver if you need to print double-sided documents often.
Some popular models include:
- HP OfficeJet Pro 8025
- HP OfficeJet Pro 7740
- HP OfficeJet Pro 8210
3.4 ENVY Series
Similar to the DeskJet series, HP’s ENVY series printers are affordable and versatile aimed towards home and small business workers.
These all-in-one color printers focus on combining great photo printing quality with scan and copy abilities for versatility and flexibility.
HP ENVY Photo 7855 All in One Photo Printer
A large portion of ENVY printers supports automatic duplex printing for maximum productivity, and work with Amazon Alexa for voice-activated printing. They are also great for printing your family photos for a low cost, down to 6 cents per page.
With HP Smart App and Bluetooth 5.0 connection options, everyone in the family or the office can connect to the printer and print their documents easily. You can also scan directly into Google Drive and Dropbox.
Some popular models include:
- HP ENVY 6055
- HP ENVY Pro 6455
- HP ENVY Photo 7855
3.5 Smart-Tank Series
HP Smart-Tank series use large ink tanks that can be refilled with super affordable ink bottles. With this technology, you spend almost 20 times less on ink, and the refills become much more simple and spill-free.
The first set of ink bottles you get with the printer can last up to 8,000 color pages or 6,000 black pages.
HP Smart-Tank Plus 551 Ink-Tank Printer
As they are all-in-one, Smart-Tank printers can also scan, fax, and copy. They can also be used with the HP Smart app for convenient printing and support a wide range of paper sizes, such as 3” x 5”, 4” x 6”, 5” x 7”, and 8” x 10”.
Some popular models include:
- HP Smart-Tank Plus 551
- HP Smart-Tank Plus 651
3.6 Neverstop Series
NeverStop series printers focus on extremely low-cost black and white laser printing. With a cost per page lower than 1 cent, this series has unparalleled toner efficiency.
The toner these printers come with can last for up to 5,000 pages.
HP Neverstop 1202w All-in-One Laser Printer
On top of their efficiency, Neverstop printers support the HP Smart app and direct mobile device connection for simple and convenient printing. As they are all-in-one, Smart-Tank printers can also scan, fax, and copy. Reloading their toner is also super easy thanks to the simple reloadable toner system.
Some popular models include:
- HP Neverstop 1202w
- HP Neverstop 1001nw
3.7 DesignJet Series
HP DesignJet printers are made for printing posters, technical drawings, and maps for businesses and professionals. They can work with different kinds of media such as banner paper, plain paper, and glossy photo paper.
HP DesignJet T830
DesignJet printers come with an easy job submission tool called HP Click and support the HP Smart app for easy printing and management. They can print up to 36-inch wide posters with vibrant colors and precise text.
Some popular models include:
- HP DesignJet T650
- HP DesignJet T830
3.8 PageWide Series
HP PageWide series printers are known for their low-cost and incredibly fast color printing. These printers print with nearly 40% lower cost per page and can go up to 75 pages per minute in both black and white and color printing.
On top of their low CPM and printing speed, they have unmatched data protection for your data security in work and support auto double-sided printing for maximized productivity.
HP PageWide Pro 477dw Printer
You can also scan documents directly into your email and cloud and connect your smartphone for easy printing.
Some popular models include:
- HP PageWide Pro 477dw
- HP PageWide Pro 452dw
- HP PageWide Pro 477dn
4. Epson
One of the three companies of the Seiko Group, Epson is another Japanese electronics company that makes some of the best printers in the market. Epson was founded in 1942 and made the first printer in the world in 1968, known as EP-101.
From there, Epson went on to become one of the biggest printer manufacturers in the whole world for more than 50 years. Given their long history in the market, they have a large array of different printers, ranging from professional business printers to simpler, home-use printers.
Their Supertank printers are especially popular because of their incredibly low cost-per-page. Supertank printers achieve this by drawing ink from high-capacity ink tanks, which eliminates the need for ink cartridges.
4.1 EcoTank Series
The EcoTank series utilize Supertank ink tanks, which can be refilled with super-cheap ink bottles.
With about 1 cent per color ISO page, you spend almost 20 times less on ink and create much less waste for the environment. The first set of ink bottles you get can last up to 2 years with regular use.
Epson EcoTank ET-2760
Powered by PrecisionCore and MicroPiezo technology, EcoTank printers can print incredibly detailed and accurate documents and photos. Plus, they work with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, so you can give them commands with just your voice.
Some popular models include:
- Epson EcoTank ET-2760
- Epson EcoTank ET-2720
- Epson EcoTank ET-3760
4.2 WorkForce Series
Epson WorkForce series includes a wide range of printers that are designed for businesses of all types and sizes. These all-in-one printers can scan, copy and fax on top of their printing abilities and can print up to 25 black/12 color ISO pages per minute.
To feed this high speed, WorkForce printers often have incredibly high paper capacities, up to 500 at once. Their speed doesn’t prevent them from being accurate, though, as DURABrite Ultra and PrecisionCore technologies ensure professional-quality prints.
Epson Workforce WF-7710 Wireless Color Inkjet Printer
For maximum productivity, higher-end WorkForce printers support automatic 2-sided print, copy, scan, and fax. You can also print conveniently with a Bluetooth connection, Epson Smart Panel app, or Amazon Alexa.
Some popular models include:
- Epson Workforce Pro WF-3820
- Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3720
- Epson Workforce WF-2860
4.3 Expression Series
Epson’s Expression series printers are aimed towards families and home office workers. They combine affordability, compactness, and great printing quality with extra productivity features.
With their 5 and 6-color inks, Expression printers can print lively and vibrant photos. As they are multifunction printers, they can also print, fax, and copy. Certain Expression printers also have EcoTank ink tanks for incredibly low cost-per-page.
Epson Expression ET-3700 EcoTank Printer
As they are designed for home productivity, these printers don’t take up much space and have medium-size paper capacities. Higher-end Expression printers also support automatic 2-sided print, copy, scan, and fax.
They are also easy to control with their intuitive touchscreens and wireless and direct connection options with mobile devices.
Some popular models include:
- Epson Expression Premium XP-7100
- Epson Expression Premium XP-6100
- Epson Expression Premium ET-7750
4.4 SureColor Series
As you can understand from its name, Epson’s SureColor series is specifically made for printing lively, colorful, and vibrant photos for advanced design, professional photography, and illustrations.
These printers use 8-color and 9-color UltraChrome HD inks for professional-grade color accuracy and up to 200 years of archival durability.
Epson SureColor P400
To support this, SureColor printers can print up to 13” wide on various media like canvas, roll paper, CD’s, and artboards. Some models even support panorama prints up to 129” long.
For convenient and easy printing, these printers also support USB, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi connectivity.
Some popular models include:
- Epson SureColor P400
- Epson SureColor T3170
- Epson SureColor P800
4.5 Artisan Series
Epson’s Artisan series printers are specifically made for printing high-quality photos in various formats. These printers can print UHD photos incredibly fast and use Epson’s 6-color Claria ink for maximum color accuracy and range, which also makes your prints smudge, water, scratch, and fade resistant.
Epson Artisan 1430 Printer
For different size posters and photos, they also support a wide range of small and large print formats, up to 13" x 19". On top of their print quality, Artisan printers also provide wireless connectivity for convenient printing.
Some popular models include:
- Epson Artisan 1430
- Epson Artisan 730
4.6 PictureMate Series
The PictureMate series printers are made for photo printing on-the-go. These portable printers are incredibly compact, so you can take them anywhere and print your memories any time you want.
Epson PictureMate PM-400
They can work without a PC as you can print using your memory card, digital camera, USB drive, or Bluetooth connection. Plus, the photos printed by the Epson PictureMate printers can last up to 200 years in a family album thanks to Advanced MicroPiezo technology.
Some popular models include:
- Epson PictureMate PM-400
- Epson PictureMate Dash PM260
4.7 Stylus Series
Epson’s Stylus series focuses on delivering high-resolution photos with high color accuracy. These printers often use either Epson UltraChrome Hi-Gloss 2 or Claria Hi-Definition ink for colorful and lively prints and can go up to 5760 x 1440 optimized DPI resolution.
Epson Stylus Photo R2000
The inks that Stylus series printers use are smudge, water, scratch, and fade-resistant, so the photos you print will last a long time. Some Stylus printers also support cut-sheet and roll paper for poster printing.
This series covers a wide range of printers, so their specs vary depending on their price. Higher-end Stylus printers offer more connectivity options and print higher quality photos faster. Some of them even come with Adobe® Photoshop® Elements software.
Some popular models include:
- Epson Stylus Photo R2000
- Epson Stylus Photo R280
Conclusion
If you are planning on getting a printer either for work or home use, knowing the best brands and their top series can help you narrow down your research list significantly.
After you learn which brand and series specialize in your needs the best, you can look for more specific features to make the most optimal purchase for your situation. That is why we prepared this extensive guide, and we hope it helped you make a well-informed decision.
