Paperless operations are now common. However, we frequently still find ourselves having to print one thing or another. This is where a good printer for sporadic use comes to our aid.
When choosing the best printer for occasional use, you have three style options: laser printers, inkjet printers, or Ink tank printers.
Making a decision is difficult given the wide range of options available. Especially if you do not know printers much. Here, we’ve chosen the top 8 options for your consideration. Keep reading!
Table of Contents
8 Best Printer List For Occasional Use
1. Brother HL-L2350DW – Best Basic Monochrome Laser Printer
2. HP LaserJet Pro M29w – Best All-in-One Wireless Laser Printer
3. Brother HL-L3210CW – Best Compact Digital Color Printer
4. Epson EcoTank ET-4760 – Best Economical Option
5. Brother MFC L2750DW – Best Multifunction Monochrome Laser Printer
6. HP LaserJet Pro M254DW – Best Quality Color Laser Printer
7. Canon G3260 – Best Ink Tank Printer
8. Canon PIXMA TR4520 – Best Compact Photo Printer
Best Printer Review For Occasional Use
1. Brother HL-L2350DW – Best Basic Monochrome Laser Printer
The first pick in the list of best printers for infrequent use is Brother HL-L2350DW, an affordable printer perfect for small offices or workplaces as well as for home use. One of the incredible printers for sporadic use is a must-have item.
Key Features:
Its numerous connection options, including a USB interface and robust built-in Wi-Fi, make it incredibly convenient to use and enable you to connect it locally to your laptop or computer.
It will help you in the creation of professional-looking documents because this monochrome printer features a manual feed slot just to give you flexible printing via handling types of papers and sizes, such as envelopes, card stocks, etc.
Faster printing speed will be the saving of your precious time. This excellent printer by Brother has a printing speed similar to a bullet train. You can print 32 pages per minute in black and white.
To increase productivity and reduce refill anxiety, the 250-sheet paper tray can hold this much paper at once. Both letters and legal-size papers fit comfortably in this paper tray.
Highlighted Features:
- features a two-line LCD for simple support and navigation.
- Excellent support for mobile printing technology. AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Brother iPrint & Scan, and Wi-Fi Direct.
- With Amazon dash replacement cartridges, never miss a single print. When toner is running low, it automatically orders more.
Pros
- Easy Wi-Fi set up
- Top-notch printing speed
- Duplex printing option
Cons
- No scanning and copying
- No Ethernet port
2. HP LaserJet Pro M29w – Best All-in-one Wireless Laser Printer
HP, a well-known company, makes another excellent printer for sporadic use. One of the smallest printers from the HP all printers is named the HP LaserJet Pro M29w, which offers maximum output with its compact size. An excellent printer that’s suitable for both light-duty use in your home office and for individual use.
See also Best Printer for Printing Business Cards
Key Features:
With this fantastic all-in-one printer from HP, you can easily print, but you can also scan and copy your important documents with equal charm. With its pre-installed business apps, you can now scan documents directly to PDF and email them, saving even more time and effort.
This printer offers you mobile printing via HP smart Apps to make orders of toner, and scan from phones and other devices, also allows you to print from the cloud e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud.
With the help of this printer’s document removal reminder, you can receive multiple reminders to remove your print job from the printer as soon as it is finished.
This printer is ideal for family, home, and classroom use because it is lightweight and 30% smaller than the previous models. Its wireless feature and compatibility with Wi-fi directly allow you just to lift it and place it where you need it the most.
There is no need to load or reload sheets after every while because the HP LaserJet Pro M29w’s paper tray can accommodate up to 150 sheets with ease. Envelopes, cardstock, and letter sizes can all fit in this paper tray. So let’s let the tension go and print what we want.
Thanks to the HP printer that has quickened the scanning of multi-page documents and printing color documents.
Highlighted Features:
- HP web apps are available for this wonderful HP product. Therefore, download what you need and make printing enjoyable.
- Include an LCD for control ease, support, and easy navigation.
- This printer has earned energy star certification and only uses certain HP toner cartridges.
Pros
- Works with Alexa
- Cost-effective
- Space-saving design
Cons
- Prints Black only documents
3. Brother Hl-l3210CW – Best Compact Digital Color Printer
By spending a little more money, pick this powerful printer from the variety available because it offers quality printing of full-color photos while requiring little maintenance.
Key Features:
This machine offers a recommended monthly volume of 2500 pages. Therefore, this volume will undoubtedly be helpful to you if you need to print more pages in a shorter amount of time.
You need a printer with a fast print speed in order to keep moving quickly. So, enjoy the Brother HL-L3210CW that allows you to print 19 pages per minute. If you have to print a large volume of documents, then yes, it is time to impress others.
Similar to other laser printers, this one provides a variety of connectivity options. It now makes printing from a USB drive simple and straightforward because it has a USB cable port. You can connect via Wi-Fi with this Brother printer as well.
You can handle different types of paper with one of the top printers from reputable laser printers. This printer accepts the letter and legal-sized paper without difficulty and is equipped to print many pages using high-quality toner.
It offers more vivid color prints on card stocks and envelopes in addition to legal and letter size. Therefore, you can use this laser printer to produce stunning photos of high quality by adding color effects from the many color possibilities of any good design software.
The small display screen of this printer helps you give instructions to your printer more easily and comfortably. Another outstanding quality of this printer is its stability, which keeps working flawlessly even after being left unattended for days or weeks.
Brother’s HL-L3210CW offers 24/7 assistance through its expert-level customer support.
Highlighted Features:
- Replacement toner produces 1,400 or 3,000 pages of black text and 1,300 or 2,300 pages of color prints.
- The command-giving function is extremely cool thanks to the 1-line mono backlit display.
- Enable Amazon Dash replacement and leaves aside the worry of shortage of ink as it reorders the ink automatically when coming to an end.
- If you want to get efficient mixed-color printing, keep this printer at the top priority.
Pros
- Provide sharpest images
- Low cost-per-print
- Save on printing costs
- LCD compatible version
- Prints great color accuracy
Cons
- Only intermittently used
- Issues with network connections
4. Epson EcoTank ET-4760 – Best Economical Option
Like any other device from Epson, the EcoTank ET-4760 also came inside a neat box packaging. The package’s top is printed with an image of the product and has a gray and black color scheme. Additionally, we have a list of all the features and requirements at the top.
Key Features:
From first impressions, this ink tank printer seemed to be solidly constructed. The good quality hard plastic is used throughout the printer’s entire body. The printer weighs about 15.9 lbs., despite the fact that it appears to be smaller.
The onboard display makes it easy to navigate between the printer’s various functions. The touchscreen display measures 2.3 inches. Besides the touchscreen display, you also get to see two other physical buttons on the panel. The control panel on the ET-4760 can be tilted up/down to adjust the viewing angle. Speaking of touch quality, I’d say it could use some improvement in terms of side angle visibility, and even the sensitivity isn’t that great. Additionally, using the device results in a noticeable lag.
Highlighted Features:
- Ease of Usage, and Setup Process
- Printing and Scanning Quality is good
Pros
- Economical – less printing costs
- Decent print speeds
- Massive connectivity
- Great details in the prints
Cons
- Color accuracy could have been better
- Heavier
- Overpriced
5. Brother MFC L2750DW – Best Multifunction Monochrome Laser Printer
Have you yet to figure out where to buy excellent printers for infrequent use? Why not give the Brother MFC L2750DW a try? It’s a regular printer with dependable features like wireless printing, auto-duplexing, and more that produce excellent scan, copy, and print results, making it a popular option among users.
Key Features:
Running short of time and needing urgent prints. Let’s use its excellent Wi-Fi and wireless printing options to complete this. So you can print straight from your laptop, phone, or tablet. The “Touch to Connect” printing with NFC is the feature that further increases convenience. Without using a network, NFC technology enables you to scan and print.
This wireless monochrome laser printer is designed to increase productivity through faster printing. This compact printer has a printing speed of 36 pages per minute. Seriously this is a big number so, to call it a speedy laser printer is a right thing to say.
View the tray capacity and other outstanding features of a printer to determine whether it is a versatile printer. You won’t be let down by this because it has a sturdy paper handling tray. Saving time and money are both accomplished by the 250-sheet tray with a 50-sheet automatic document feeder.
The high-yield printer cartridges set this Brother product apart from others. The term “page yield” simply refers to how many pages can be printed from a single cartridge.
Print approximately 1200 pages using standard yield cartridge, 3000 pages via high-yield cartridge, and super-high yield cartridge can print up to 4500 pages. Prevent spending too much on replacement cartridges and make your selection based on your printing needs.
Highlighted Features:
- Along with quick mobile and cloud printing, this Brother printer also supports numerous well-known cloud services like Dropbox, OneNote, Google Drive, Evernote, and many more.
- Documents with a higher resolution will be more detailed. This printer has a
- 600 x 600 maximum dots per image for copy resolution.
- Excellent compatibility with Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems.
Pros
- Have Amazon Alexa Voice
- Great copying resolution
- Scan double-sided sheets
Cons
- Wi-Fi connection drops sometimes
6. HP LaserJet Pro M254DW – Best Quality Color Laser Printer
Therefore, if you’re looking for a printer that is made for infrequent congratulations, you’ve come to the right place. The HP Laserjet Pro M254dw is the top pick among consumers who only occasionally need a printer. Just for you, a machine that is inexpensive and simple to maintain.
Key Features:
With a printing speed of 22 pages per minute, this best-quality color laser printer is designed to provide users with printing in both color and black and white. Users can expect to receive prints with crisp text and vivid color. The printing process will go faster the speed. How else would you expect it?
Like any other high-end printer, this one provides Wi-Fi, Ethernet networking, USB, and other types of wired connections. It also offers a variety of connectivity options. So enjoy printing on the go with these many options.
It has a remarkable print speed and prints on both sides of the paper. 13 pages per minute on both sides is an astoundingly fast rate that saves time and effort. How can we possibly forget to bring up the tray capacity, which is important to any printer? With its 250-sheet input tray and 100-sheet output tray, this excellent HP product takes less time to refill trays.
Highlighted Features:
- A 2.7-inch color touchscreen that allows for navigation and task management is included with this excellent printer. Simply touch an item from the screen and open the menu. Anytime you want, simply use your finger to change the setting.
- Automatic double-sided printing is the reason why this paper is the favorite of office users, as they need to spend less on paper.
- The suggested monthly volume ranges from 150 to 2,500 pages. To ensure that it becomes a long-lasting friend, try to use it appropriately.
Pros
- Perfect for fax and print
- Cost-per-print is amazingly low
- Offer two-sided-printing
- Great bonus features
- Print color documents also
Cons
- No auto document feeder
- No scanning and copying facility
7. Canon G3260 – Best Ink Tank Printer
The Canon G3260 mega tank printer is the top choice among inkjet printers because it offers excellent value for money and is more affordable than other ink tank printers. Now you can purchase all the multifunctional features for a fair price. printer from the InkJet line which is highly recommended.
Key Features:
With this printer, you can print up to 6,000 pages in black and 7000 pages in color. On top of that, Canon also offers additional black bottles when purchasing a new printer taking the yield to 18000 pages. For best results, only use genuine HP ink.
Using a hybrid ink system, this device has the ability to print both documents and photos on various papers. It makes use of pigment-based ink to produce text with a sharp black line and dye-based ink for color printing to produce vibrant borderless photos that are 8.5 x 11 inches in size.
Regardless of what type of document, Canon G3260 makes the printing super-easy for you; you can easily print them through the touch screen display of your printer. The interaction is useful as a result of the touchscreen. Additionally, the speed of the color print is faster than ever.
With the Canon print app, you can print and connect wirelessly from your preferred mobile devices or computers. It also supports printing from the Mopria Print App and Apple AirPrint apps.
Even though the color printing speed is relatively slow at 6 images per minute and the black and white ISO-rated speed is only 10.0 images per minute, this printer is still very helpful. Both color and black prints come out well at this speed.
This printer’s duplex scanning feature will enable you to print, scan, fax, and copy documents more quickly.
The Canon Mobile Printing App enables you to connect your smartphone and printer, enabling you to print virtually from wherever you are. In the end, this printer produces a lot of pages at once, and a staggering amount of them are of high quality and contain long-lasting ink.
Highlighted Features:
- Ink is a fundamental requirement for Inkjet printers. The high-volume GI-21 ink bottles allow you to print several pages for a reasonable price.
- A two-line LCD increases usability and provides a simple user interface along with a few buttons for sending commands.
- Getting more output in less time thanks to this printer’s high-duty cycle helps you save time and energy. This printer also comes with voice activation and hands-free mode so you can give many of the commands with your voice, mobile, and laptop.
Pros
- Save cost on ink
- Built-in copier and scanner
- Handle various paper sizes
- Superior build
- Super range of connectivity
Cons
- Set up takes time
8. Canon PIXMA TR4520 – Best Compact Photo Printer
When we ordered a retail item from Amazon, the package arrived after the scheduled delivery date and time. This must be attributed to the Christmas haul. A few small dents have also been made to the outer box. But because the molds are protecting it, the product is unaffected.
A user guide, a setup CD, a power cable, 4 x 6 photo paper, a fax cable, and two starter cartridges are all included in the box.
Key Features:
The device’s build quality is mediocre, and its design is poor. Because it’s so difficult to unclog paper jams, you either have to lift the printer’s back or lay it on its side. The paper trays are fragile and not the proper size for the paper inputs.
Only when the printer is turned on are the ink cartridges accessible. It is nearly impossible to replace the cartridge in the middle of a printing job because you have to mess with the output tray.
Highlighted Features:
- The setup process is mostly easy with the Canon Pixma TR4520.
- Have an Ethernet port, a USB port, Wi-Fi support, and cloud support covering all popular printing services
Pros
- Excellent photo printing quality
- Compact
- Good for infrequent use
- Excellent color accuracy
- Flatbed and sheetfed scanners
- ADF functionality
- Google cloud print
Cons
- There is no duplex printing
- Poor cost-per-print value
- Low page yield
Best Printer For Infrequent Use – Buying Guide
It is crucial that you comprehend how we came to the conclusion that the products we have recommended above are the best on the market now that you are here. The following aspects should be taken into account when choosing a printer for sporadic use.
Connectivity
Another crucial element in choosing the best printer is connectivity. Based on your use case, select Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or USB.
Brand And Service Support
When selecting any electronic device, brand and service are two important factors that should be taken into serious consideration. Since success doesn’t happen overnight, a well-known brand is more likely to provide excellent service. Choose a brand whose service centers are closest to you and that you are familiar with.
Inkjets, Inktanks, Or Lasers
You’ll probably use your printer less frequently and for longer periods of time if you’re only a casual user. Depending on the type of printer you have, you might clog the print head or, even worse, your ink might dry up.
The above-mentioned conditions are most dangerous to InkTanks, then InkJets. Instead of using ink cartridges, laser printers use toner cartridges, which puts them over the top for sporadic printing.
Budget
The budget is yet another factor to be taken care of while planning on purchasing anything. Remember, there is always the best product in whichever budget you choose.
FAQs
When not in use, should I turn off my laser printer?
Turning off your printer is a good idea if you won’t be using it for the next 10 to 15 minutes. Not only does turning off your printer save energy, but it also lengthens the life of the device. However, you should give it some time to warm up and get ready for the first print when you turn it back on.
What printers are the most suitable for infrequent use?
Usually, laser printers have an edge over inkjets and ink tanks when it comes to infrequent use. Inkjets tend to dry up very quickly when not used for longer durations.
Do laser printers dry out if not used?
Toner ink cartridges, which are in the form of a solid powder, are used with laser printers instead of inkjets and ink tanks. They don’t dry out, technically speaking. However, if not stored properly, they may absorb ambient moisture and clump.
What happens if we don’t use printers for a long time?
Depending entirely on the kind of printer you’re referring to. When left idle for extended periods of time, ink tanks and inkjet cartridges frequently quickly dry out. Toner cartridges, on the other hand, are used in laser printers, so they never dry out. Nevertheless, there is still a fair chance for clogging of print heads if not stored properly, as the toner cartridges can react with moisture to form clumps.
How long can a laser printer be left idle?
Unlike traditional ink printers, a laser printer uses toner cartridges. Due to their power, they never dry up. But contact with moisture can result in clumping and harm.
The Bottom Line
Find the perfect printer print only when you want to, without worrying about dried-out printer cartridges. Hope our guide is helpful for you to find the best printer for occasional use.
