Picture perfect Wi-Fi printers
Cable-free printing and scanning. But who’s the best at it?
Inkjet printers have had a rough ride in the last year or so. Big names such as Kodak and Lexmark have ridden off into the sunset, leaving the big three of Canon, Epson and HP to dominate the market, and there’s been continued criticism of the high cost of replacement ink cartridges.
Even so, a printer is still an essential accessory for most people, and manufacturers continue to improve their products so they offer better quality and value for money.
You can now get high quality photo prints even from cheaper models costing less than £100. Running costs are starting to come down too, thanks to the use of ‘high-yield’ ink cartridges that provide better value for your money. Most inkjet printers now on sale are also multifunction devices that include scanner and copier functions, along with Wi-Fi connectivity for your home network. And even though the inkjet market is dominated by just three companies, there’s still a wider range of printers available than ever before.
Three’s allowed
There are three main categories of inkjet printer designed for home users. The least expensive models are designed primarily for casual use, just printing the occasional letter, school report or photo every now and then. However, the increasing number of self-employed people and home workers means there’s a growing category of home-office printers designed for people who need a reliable workhorse for everyday use.
These office printers may also include additional features such as an Ethernet interface for a wired network, an automatic document feeder for high-speed scanning, and even ye olde fax machine for people who still use them. And, in the third category, there’s strong demand for more specialised printers that provide high-quality photo output.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up a selection of the latest printers that will meet the needs of occasional home users, home workers and photo hobbyists alike.
You can now get high-quality photo prints even from models costing less than £100