Best printer for Mac
Cliff Joseph rounds up our favourite printers for Mac
Printers are so commonplace in homes and offices all around the world that we often take them for granted. But there are so many different types of printers now available that it’s important to make the right choice and buy one that suits your personal needs.
We round up the best printers currently available for Mac owners, as well as for those who want to print from an iPhone or iPad.
Buying advice
Laser printers are still relatively expensive, primarily aimed at business users who need a high-performance device that can cope with the workload in a busy office. For home users, and people who work from home or in a small office, we’d still recommend inkjet printers instead.
Inkjet technology hasn’t changed much in recent years, and most inkjet printers still stick to the traditional method of using cartridges that contain four different coloured inks – cyan, magenta, yellow and black, also known as ‘CMYK’ – for printing everything from simple text documents to glossy photographs. There are a few variations, though, starting with basic mono (black and white) printers that just use black ink on its own for printing letters and other text documents. At the other end of the spectrum there are specialized photo printers that may use five or six different coloured inks in order to produce really colourful, high-quality photo prints.
In the case of Epson’s Eco-Tank printers, we’re seeing a completely new type of printer that doesn’t actually use traditional ink cartridges at all. We know that rivals such as Canon and Brother are exploring similar ‘tank’ designs, so this is clearly going to be an important trend in printing technology in the future.
Mac features
Choosing the right printer is particularly important for Mac users, and owners of an iPhone or iPad. Most printers these days are Mac-compatible,
but we have seen quite a few printers that work better with Windows PCs.
The problem here lies in the ‘driver’ software that controls the printer, which may be different on Macs and PCs. One common weakness is printer software that provides ‘duplex’ printing – two-sided printing, on both sides of the page – for Windows, but not on the Mac. So it’s always worth checking the technical info on the manufacturer’s website to make sure that the Mac software provided with the printer includes all the same features as the Windows equivalent.
Of course, Macs have always been used for creative tasks such as graphic design and photo editing, so many Mac users may prefer to opt for a more specialized printer that is designed for graphics and photographic work.
You don’t need to be a professional photographer, either, as many people now use their iPhone or iPad to shoot selfies, portraits and landscape photos when they’re out and about. This has given rise to a new generation of printers that are more focused on mobile devices, so Apple users should check that the printer supports Apple’s AirPrint software – which allows you to quickly print from an iPhone or iPad without having to install any other software or apps first.
Costs
Above all else, you need to keep a close eye on the day-to-day running costs of your printer. Many manufacturers sell their printers as cheaply as
possible, but you may then find that you get stung in the pocket with the cost of replacement ink cartridges. Read our ‘What ink should you use in your printer?’ feature on page 71.
1. Canon Pixma TS8250
Price: £149 from fave.co/2VLaB38
Canon’s Pixma TS8250 uses no less than six different coloured inks, with photo blue and pigment black added to the usual quartet. As you’d expect, this translates into excellent print quality: photos were bright and bold with smoothly graduated skin tones, while text quality was crisp and sharp.
More surprisingly, having to deal with two extra cartridges doesn’t appear to slow the Canon down, and it’s an impressively quick performer. Running
costs, meanwhile, are extremely reasonable for the print quality you’re getting, provided you’re canny about shopping round for high-yield multi-packs.
If you’re just looking for a low-cost printer for letters and other routine documents, then the TS8250 isn’t the best choice. But if you’re a keen photographer, artist, or designer who wants to print high-quality photos and other colour graphics, then the TS8250 will be just what you’re looking for.
2. Epson Expression Premium XP-6100
Price: £79 from fave.co/2EWuD58
At just 349x340x142mm, Epson’s Expression Premium XP-6100 is a good option where space is tight, yet it still squeezes in an impressive range of features: you get a printer, scanner and copier,
duplex, AirPrint and the option to print on DVDs, among other things.
This is a top-of-the-range printer with an emphasis on high-quality photos. Its fifth, ‘photo black’ ink adds definition, producing very bright, sharp images, and simple text looks good.
It’s a quick machine, too. We recorded 13ppm for mono and 9ppm for colour, easily fast enough for most home users or small offices, and a less dazzling, but still respectable 35 seconds for postcard prints.
The XP-6100 is a good choice if you want to print high-quality photos, or maybe some eyecatching graphics for a school report. However, its running costs are a little high, which means it’s best suited to occasional use.
3. HP Tango
Price: £129 from fave.co/2EXymj6
You can download drivers for Mac or PC if you need it, but the design of the Tango and the way HP promotes its ‘Instant Ink’ subscription scheme make it clear this really is all about selfies and smartphones. For this concept to work, the Tango needs to produce good-quality photo prints, and we weren’t disappointed. Our test photos displayed crisp, bright colours, and good contrast and detail. It produces smooth, sharp text too, even though that’s clearly not part of its job description.
It’s not the quickest, mind you. We recorded speeds of 7ppm for text and a modest 5ppm for
combined text/graphics, while postcard prints took a full 70 seconds.
If you’re looking for a general-purpose printer you can use with a computer for letters and school reports, the Tango isn’t a good choice at all. But for keen photographers who like to print out selfies, the free photo-printing option could be a real bargain.
4. Epson EcoTank ET-M1120
Price: £289 from fave.co/2tURcAV
As the saying goes: “You only had one job.” In the case of the M1120, that job is simply to churn out page after page as quickly and efficiently as possible, and the Epson snappily feeds out documents with smooth, finely detailed text.
(Graphics print quality, on the other hand, was merely adequate.)
It also does its one job cost-effectively. Because, while the initial purchase price seems outrageous for a single-function mono printer, the running costs are exceptionally low, thanks to the use of high-yield bottles instead of expensive cartridges. You’ll save money in the long term if you print text regularly – and this approach is better for the environment, too.
5. Brother MFC-J895DW
Price: £135 from fave.co/2tYpW4q
In tests the MFC-J895DW managed print speeds of around 10ppm for text alone and 8.5ppm for text/
colour graphics, which is perfectly adequate for light use at home or in a small office. It produced a 4x6in glossy photo in just 25 seconds, which is actually faster than some specialized photo printers. Print quality is good too: text is crisp and smooth, and photo prints are very attractive with good contrast and strong, bright colours.
Brother really needs to do something about the cost of its ink cartridges, but as long as you stick to the reasonably priced XL multi-pack, it’s a versatile workhorse with good connectivity options – including iOS devices.