The Best Budget Printer for Designers: Top 5 Options
In today's digital world, having the right tools is essential for graphic designers to bring their creative visions to life. One of the most critical tools is a high-quality printer that can accurately reproduce paper's colours, details, and textures. However, professional printers can be prohibitively expensive, especially for students and beginner designers. The good news is that budget options now provide impressive print quality without breaking the bank.
In this comprehensive guide, I'll share my insights as a graphic design expert to help you find the best budget printer. We'll explore the key factors, like print resolution, colour accuracy, print speeds, and connectivity options. I'll provide an in-depth look at the standout models in the budget printer market, outlining their strengths and limitations. Whether you're a professional designer on a tight budget or an aspiring artist looking to print your portfolio, you will find a printer that fits your needs and budget.
By the end of this guide, you'll understand the technical specifications to look for and have clear recommendations on which budget printer is the best choice for your creative work. The ability to print high-quality mockups, prototypes, and final designs affordably at home or in a small studio can be a game-changer for designers. So, let's find the best budget printer to become an indispensable part of your creative toolkit.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Budget Printer
Choosing the right printer is a crucial decision for graphic designers. The optimal model brings your creative visions to life with stellar print quality. As you evaluate your options, keep these key factors in mind:
Print Quality
This is the most critical consideration. As a designer, your prints showcase the quality of your work. A high-resolution printer that offers at least 1200 x 1200 DPI is strongly recommended. This ultra-fine dot matrix captures the nuances in your designs. Images and graphics will reproduce with excellent sharpness, fine detail, and vivid colour accuracy. Lesser quality printers can produce pixelated, blurry, or muted prints. Investing in a printer that does justice to your creative efforts is worth investing in.
Affordability
Printers span a wide range of prices. As a budget-conscious designer, I aim for models between $200 and $300. This hits the sweet spot of value for money. Of course, more expensive printers offer additional capabilities. But decent printers for graphic design don't have to break the bank. Focus on core features like print resolution, colour accuracy, print speed, etc. Extra bells and whistles can drive up costs unnecessarily.
Connectivity
Look for versatile connectivity options. An ideal printer offers USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and wireless printing from mobile devices. USB provides a fast, direct connection from your computer. Wi-Fi gives you the flexibility to place your printer anywhere within range. Bluetooth allows printing from enabled mobile devices. Wireless mobile printing is hugely convenient for sending quick print jobs.
Size and Footprint
Consider the physical dimensions, mainly if you have limited space. Compact all-in-one printers fit nicely onto a small desk or shelf. Sleek vertical models have a minimal footprint. If portability is necessary, look for lightweight printers under 20 pounds. But if you have ample room, larger multi-function and wide-format printers provide higher capacity and capabilities.
Ink/Toner Costs
The ongoing cost of supplies matters. Expect to replace ink cartridges or toner every 300 to 400 prints. Opt for high-yield cartridges that offer better value. Also, look at the cost per page – cheaper printers tend to be more expensive per print. Balance upfront printer costs with long-term supply expenses.
This is what we call the ‘total cost of ownership', and it's a trap many people fall into. The real sting isn't the price on the box; it's the price of the ink down the line.
There are basically two ways to manage this now. You've got the supertank models, like Epson's EcoTanks, where you pay more for the printer itself, but the ink comes in big, cheap-to-refill bottles that last for ages. Or, you've got subscription services like HP Instant Ink, where you pay a monthly fee and they post you new cartridges before you run out. The subscription can be a good shout if your printing volume is fairly predictable, but less so if you suddenly need to print a massive project.
Eco-friendly ink and auto-duplexing can also reduce waste and costs.
With these critical factors in mind, you can find the ideal printer that delivers professional-quality graphic design prints while meeting your budget and needs. Don't settle for subpar prints – your work deserves outstanding reproduction.
Inkjet vs. Laser: Which Technology is Right for You?
Right, let's quickly settle the big debate: inkjet or laser? Look, for most design work, the answer is pretty straightforward, but you need to know why so you don't waste your money.
Think of inkjet printers as the artists of the printing world. They work by spraying microscopic droplets of liquid ink onto paper. This method is brilliant for blending colours smoothly, which is exactly what you need for printing high-quality photos, detailed graphics, and colour proofs. The colour depth and gamut are just better. Plus, inkjets are far more versatile with paper. They can handle everything from glossy photo paper to thick, textured card stock without much fuss, which is a massive plus for creative projects.
Laser printers, on the other hand, are the office workhorses. They use a toner powder which is fused onto the paper with heat. This makes them incredibly fast and cost-effective for printing sharp, black text, page after page. While colour laser technology has come a long way, it still struggles to match the subtle gradients and photo-realism of a good inkjet. The output can sometimes look a bit flat. So, if your main job is printing client contracts and invoices with a bit of spot colour, a laser is great. But for presenting a design portfolio? I'd stick with inkjet every time.
5 Best Budget Printers for Designers
Now, let's get to the heart of the matter: Which budget printers are the best for designers? We've narrowed it down to the following options, each excelling in various aspects that cater to your design needs:
1 – HP OfficeJet Pro 7740
- THE LEADER FOR SIMPLE, STRESS-FREE PRINTING: Say hello to the wide format professional colour inkjet printer for your growing business from the World’s No.1 Printer Company, paired with the easiest-to-use print app, Print and scan up to A3 with extra performance features
- THE HP OFFICEJET PRO 9730e IS PERFECT FOR SMALL, MEDIUM OFFICE: Effortlessly print, scan and copy, With a 35 sheet single-pass 2-sided automatic document feeder, two 250 sheet input trays and prints in black and white at 22 pages per minute, and colour at 18 pages per minute
- EASILY ACHIEVE VIBRANT, SCREEN-ACCURATE PRINTS: Print true-to-screen with the world’s first and only wide format printer with P3 for wider gamut vs. sRGB, Scan/print/copy from your cloud storages like Google Drive or OneDrive with the easiest-to-use print app, Drop, arrange, and print multi-size files up to A3 in just a few clicks with HP Smart Click
The HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 is an exceptional all-in-one printer that excels at home and office use. With its ability to print, scan, copy and fax, the 7740 offers unmatched versatility for the modern worker.
The standout feature of the 7740 is its ability to handle paper up to tabloid or 11″x17″ size. This expands the possibilities for creative projects, diagrams, spreadsheets and more. Print quality is superb, with crisp text and vibrant graphics at up to 1200 dpi resolutions. The 7740 utilises HP's famed thermal inkjet technology to deliver laser-like prints at up to 25 pages per minute.
You'll spend less time refilling paper with a generous 500-sheet paper capacity spread over two trays. Connectivity options include USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, so you can easily print from multiple devices. The intuitive 2.7″ touchscreen makes navigating menus and options straightforward.
One of the most impressive aspects of the 7740 is its very reasonable running costs. By utilising HP's high-yield ink cartridges, the cost-per-page is lower than competing models. The 7740 delivers exceptional value for high-volume printing.
If you require a versatile, high-quality printer that can handle large formats at an affordable operating cost, the HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 is ideal. With its speed, output quality and paper handling, it succeeds the Brother MFC-J5720DW as the top tabloid printer for home and small office use.
2 – Epson EcoTank ET-2800
- Finally print without cartridges – EcoTank enables convenient printing at home – Large volume ink tanks make it easy to refill – Because the ink bottles work with a key-lock principle, only the correct ink can be filled – The front ink level indicator makes it easy to see when you need to refill the printer.
- Save further – Reduce your ink costs by up to 90% with this economical printer* – Includes up to 3 years* – One ink bottle set delivers up to 4,500 black and 7,500 pages in colour* – That's equivalent to an impressive number of up to 72 ink cartridges! *
- Epson Smart Panel App – With this app, you can operate your printer from your smart device* – Print documents and photos, set up and control the printer, and troubleshoot errors – all from your phone or tablet.
The Epson EcoTank ET-2800 is an excellent choice for those looking to print large volumes at a low cost per page, making it ideal for home offices or small businesses with high printing needs. This supertank printer has enough ink in the box to print thousands of pages, saving significantly on ink over time compared to standard inkjet printers.
Let's look under the bonnet for a second. The ET-2800 runs on Epson's Micro Piezo Heat-Free Technology. In plain English, this means it doesn't need to warm up to print, which contributes to its low power consumption and makes it more reliable over the long run.
It's also more than just a printer. The device features a high-resolution flatbed scanner capable of 1200 x 2400 dpi. This is a really handy feature for a designer, as it allows you to easily digitise your own sketches, textures, and physical media to incorporate into your digital work.
One of the standout features of the ET-2800 is the incredibly low cost per print. The included ink bottles provide an estimated two years' worth of ink or up to 7,500 black and 6,000 pages in colour. That puts the cost per black page at around 0.3 cents and colour pages around 0.9 cents, which are outstanding numbers for home office use. The printer also has integrated ink tanks that are easy to fill, taking the mess out of refilling.
While running costs are superb, the tradeoff is slower print speeds compared to laser printers or higher-end inkjets. The ET-2800 maxes out at ten pages per minute in black and five per minute in colour. It's also limited to 5760 x 1440 dpi maximum resolution so that photo printing quality won't match more expensive inkjets capable of 4800 x 1200 dpi and higher. If you need to print high-quality photographs rather than documents and graphics, you'll want to step up to a more capable photo printer.
Setup is straightforward with the ET-2800, though it lacks wireless connectivity, and you'll need to connect via USB. Controls are basic but intuitive, centred around a 2.7″ colour display. There is no automatic document feeder for scanning and copying multiple pages hands-free.
Overall, the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 delivers outstanding cost efficiency for high-volume home office and small business printing needs. If print quality and speed aren't your top concerns, it's hard to beat the affordability and convenience of this supertank printer. With this budget-friendly model, be aware that quality and performance take a backseat to low running costs.
3 – Canon PIXMA TR150
- Travel light with a portable printer – Sleek, light and robust, it's ideal for a business on the move. Tight on space? All cables and connections are fixed to one side for space-saving efficiency
- Couple up with easy connectivity – Print wirelessly with the Canon PRINT app, AirPrint (iOS), Mopria (Android) or Windows 10 Mobile. No internet router? Tap into Wireless Direct
- Look sharp with superb quality – Get crisp prints with superb quality in darker areas. Hybrid ink with a dedicated pigment black ink creates sharp text while dye-based colours give vivid prints with up to 100 years of album life
The Canon Pixma TR150 is the perfect portable printer for professionals who need to print high-quality documents on the go. Weighing in at just 5.1 pounds, this sleek and compact printer easily fits into bags and backpacks without adding much bulk. Despite its small size, the Pixma TR150 delivers fast print speeds and vivid image quality thanks to its advanced print head technology.
One of the standout features of the Pixma TR150 is its portability and battery operation. It can print wirelessly when powered by the optional LK-72 rechargeable battery pack, freeing you from needing to stay near an AC outlet. This makes it ideal for printing while travelling, whether commuting to the office, heading to a client meeting, or working remotely at a cafe. The battery can print up to 330 pages per charge, enough to get you through even the busiest workday.
The Pixma TR150 makes it simple to print documents, photos, flyers, and more directly from your mobile devices. It offers wireless connectivity for printing from smartphones, tablets, and laptops using the Canon Print app or Apple AirPrint. You can print directly from popular cloud services like Dropbox and Google Drive. Integrated shortcuts on the printer's interface provide quick access to these printing options.
Despite the small size, the Pixma TR150 delivers impressive print quality with up to 4800 x 1200 dpi resolutions. It can print vivid borderless photos up to 5 x 7″ and crisp text documents. A specially designed print head ejects precise 2PL ink droplets for sharp detail. The printer supports Canon's GI-790 black and CL-791 colour ink cartridges for rich blacks and vibrant, accurate colours.
With print speeds up to 9.2 ppm for black and 5.0 ppm for colour, the Pixma TR150 can quickly churn out documents and photos when you're crunched for time. Quiet operation keeps noise to a minimum when printing in public spaces. Overall, the Pixma TR150 offers exceptional quality and speed in a highly portable package for mobile professionals.
4 – HP Color LaserJet Pro
- PROFESSIONAL COLOUR AND SPEED: Experience high-speed, automatic two-sided colour printing at 25 pages per minute, bring your business to life with next-generation TerraJet Toner designed for more true-to-life, vibrant colours, Streamline your workspace and help boost your team's efficiency with this compact laser printer
- PEACE-OF-MIND WITH AWARD-WINNING RELIABILITY: Performance you can count on page after page with award-winning reliability, keep your business connected with reliable Wi-Fi that automatically reconnects to stay online, rely on low maintenance printing to avoid downtime and stay focused on your business
- PRO LEVEL SECURITY TO HELP PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS: Safeguard your business with proactive, embedded security ready out of the box and tamper-resistant toner, professional level printer security with preconfigured settings mean it's ready for business, strengthen and simplify compliance, HP Security Manager upgrade applies policies across your printer network
The HP Color LaserJet Pro printer is an excellent choice for home office use. After using this printer for several weeks, I am thoroughly impressed with its stellar performance, gorgeous print quality, and hassle-free operation. This printer delivers on all fronts and is an excellent value for the price.
Now, “HP Color LaserJet Pro” is a whole family of printers. To give you a concrete example, a solid choice from this line is the HP Color LaserJet Pro M255dw. This model gives you some serious performance for a home office setup. We're talking print speeds of up to 22 pages per minute for both black and colour documents, so you won't be sat around waiting.
It also comes with a 250-sheet input tray, which means less time spent reloading paper. A nice bonus for professional use is the inclusion of HP Wolf Essential security, which helps protect the printer and your network from any potential threats.
The most notable feature of the LaserJet Pro is its exceptional print quality. Colours are vibrant and true-to-life, whether printing photos, presentations, or documents. Crisp, sharp text and graphics make everything I print look professional. The two-sided printing capability also comes in handy for printing booklets and brochures.
In addition to superb print quality, this printer's speed is blazing fast. It powers through large print jobs effortlessly and with no slowdowns. The wireless connectivity makes printing from multiple devices like laptops, tablets, and smartphones a breeze.
Setup took mere minutes thanks to the intuitive interface and clear instructions. Since day one, I've had no issues with paper jams, misprints, or other technical problems. The LaserJet Pro works flawlessly every time I need to print.
Despite its robust performance, this printer maintains a surprisingly compact footprint. It fits neatly into my home office without dominating the space. The modern, sleek design also looks fantastic.
For exceptional print quality, lightning-fast speed, and fuss-free operation, the HP Color LaserJet Pro takes the cake. I highly recommend this printer for any home office user seeking performance and reliability in a compact, stylish package.
5 – Epson PictureMate PM-400
- This printer is designed for use with Epson cartridges only, not third party cartridges or ink. Cartridges described as Compatible, Remanufactured, refilled or refillable may not work properly or at all. See product description for more details
- Beautiful borderless photos – easily print high-quality 4″x6″ & 5″x7″ Photos
- Ultra compact design – lightweight, portable printer saves space
The PictureMate PM-400 is a handy portable photo printer with wireless printing and beautiful 4″x6″ and 5″x7″ borderless photos. With Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct connectivity, you can print directly from iOS and Android devices and Windows and Mac computers. A 2.7″ color display lets you preview photos before printing. The PM-400 churns out high-quality 4″x6″ photos quickly, in as little as 37 seconds. It also features smudge, scratch, water and fade-resistant prints that can last up to 200 years with the right storage conditions. Overall, the PictureMate PM-400 offers an easy and fast way to print photos wirelessly from anywhere.
The PM-400 uses 4-colour (Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow) Claria Photo Hi-Definition dye-based inks. These are engineered specifically by Epson to produce lab-quality photos with really rich colours, smooth gradations, and accurate skin tones.
The important thing for you as a designer is that when you pair these inks with proper Epson photo paper, the prints are smudge, scratch, and water-resistant. They're built to last, with a claimed archival life of up to 200 years in dark storage. This means your portfolio pieces and client proofs will stay looking sharp for a very, very long time.
This printer churns out 4″ x 6″ photos rapidly at approximately 37 seconds per print. Even printing multiple copies is quick, so the PM-400 works great for events and gatherings where you want to print and share photos instantly. The printer slowed down for 5″ x 7″ prints to about 60 seconds, but that's still respectable.
Built-in Wi-Fi lets you print directly from iOS and Android mobile devices using the Canon Print app. Wi-Fi Direct also provides a peer-to-peer connection to print from smartphones and tablets without a Wi-Fi network. For computer printing, you can connect via USB or use the Wi-Fi connection. The PM-400 makes wireless printing easy.
Weighing just over 2 pounds, the PictureMate 400 packs much printing power into a small package. Its compact design with an integrated carry handle makes it easy to transport. So whether you're going on vacation, to a party, or want to print photos around the house, you can take this printer anywhere.
Overall, the Canon PictureMate PM-400 delivers quick, high-quality wireless photo printing in a highly portable package. Printing from smartphones and tablets is extremely convenient, and the compact size makes it easy to print photos anywhere. If you want great-looking 4″ x 6″ instant prints from digital devices, the PM-400 is an excellent choice for the price. It's the perfect photo printing companion for travel, parties, family memories and more.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
To address common queries that designers may have about budget printers, here are five frequently asked questions, along with concise and informative answers:
u003cstrongu003eWhat resolution should I look for in a budget printer for design work?u003c/strongu003e
For detailed design work, a resolution of at least 1200 DPI (dots per inch) is recommended to ensure sharp and clear prints.
u003cstrongu003eCan budget printers produce accurate colour reproductions for design projects?u003c/strongu003e
Some budget printers offer impressive colour accuracy, but it's essential to check reviews and specifications to find one that suits your needs.
u003cstrongu003eDo I need a Wi-Fi-enabled printer for design work?u003c/strongu003e
Wi-Fi connectivity can benefit convenience, but it's not a strict requirement. USB connectivity can suffice for most design tasks.
u003cstrongu003eAre compact printers suitable for professional graphic designers?u003c/strongu003e
Compact printers can be ideal for on-the-go designers or those with limited space. However, desktop printers often offer more advanced features.
u003cstrongu003eHow can I minimise ink or toner costs when using a budget printer for design projects?u003c/strongu003e
To save on ink or toner costs, consider using draft mode for initial prints, choosing third-party cartridges, and optimising your design files for efficient printing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, selecting the ideal budget printer for designers requires careful consideration of multiple factors. No singular best option suits every designer's needs and constraints. You must align your choice with your design workflow, financial limitations, and workspace logistics.
Several vital criteria should guide your decision. Print quality is essential – sharp, accurate prints are needed to visualise and convey your creative ideas properly. But quality must be balanced with affordability, as sticking to a budget is crucial. Connectivity and size are also important variables, dictating how seamlessly the printer integrates into your existing setup. And don't overlook operating costs like ink and toner – cheaper printers often have pricier long-term supplies.
Weighing all of these factors meticulously while keeping your priorities in mind will lead you to the budget printer that best suits your needs as a designer. The printers recommended here have particular strengths, whether print quality, connectivity, size or price. But they also have inherent limitations. By understanding their pros and cons, you can make the optimal choice.
With the right budget-friendly printer, you can bring your creative visions and designs to life with precision and visual impact. A printer tailored to a designer's needs, constraints and preferences will become invaluable to your workflow. So take the time to make an informed decision – the perfect budget printer for you is out there waiting!
Last update on 2025-09-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
