The 6 best printers you can buy online--starts at only P3,500!

One of those things you can get to make your life easier especially if you have a student in the house or you're the student herself is a printer. This nifty device will help you on many fronts.

What can you read in this article?

• The lowdown on printers
• The 6 best printers for students

For one, it will help you save time because you don't have to trek to the nearest printing shop before you submit the essay. How many times have you caught yourself rushing to have something printed at the last minute, right?

That sounds pretty stressful if you're on a deadline. But aside from time, having a printer can also save you money in the long run. Sure, you have to fork over cash first, but if you choose something that's efficient and has good ink capacity, you can save your money.

Convinced yet? But before you purchase your very own printer, make sure you do your research first. Let us give you a few pointers on how to choose the best printer for students.

The lowdown on printers

Here are some things you need to familiarize yourself with before you start your printer shopping research. Digital Trends efficiently differentiates between inkjet and laser printers. You'll come across this term when you start browsing online sites for printers. Consumer Reports also shares its definition of both types. We've summarized them for you below.

• Inkjet
  • uses cartridges of ink
  • dries quickly
  • Consumer Reports suggests this for those who print mostly text, graphics, and photos
• Laser
  • uses toner that has ink dust that bonds to the paper
  • Consumer Reports suggests this for those who print only text documents because they are "generally are not well-suited for printing photos."

Aside from the type of printer, you also need to think about its function. Are you going to use it solely for printing or would you also like to be able to scan and copy documents? Once again, Digital Trends and Consumer Reports help us define what these are.

• Regular
  • For printing only
  • Quite affordable
• Multipurpose
  • Can scan, copy, and sometimes even fax documents
  • Can be cost-efficient especially for students who may need those features

Finally, think about connectivity. Most gadgets do not need to be connected to the device anymore to print. You can use wireless connectivity to print without hassle. This also lessens the mess in the house, which is always a plus.

One last note before we list down our picks of the seven best printers for students: Make sure you take into account ink costs before getting a printer.

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The 6 best printer for students 

HP DeskJet 2320 All-in-One Printer

This is one of the more popular printers out there and for good reason. It is not only reasonably priced, but it also does a lot. As its name suggests, it's a multipurpose printer that's capable of printing, scanning, and copying documents.

Setup is a cinch, too! You can use the brand's HP Smart app to get it ready and you'll be good to go. The downside? It is not yet equipped with wireless capability. If you can live with that, then this is a nice option for you.

Features

• type
  • inkjet
  • multipurpose: can print, scan, and copy
• connectivity
  • no wireless connectivity
• other features
  • recommended monthly page volume: 50-100
  • number of cartridges: 2
• price
  • P3,500

Canon PiXMA MG2540S

Canon is one of the trusted brands when it comes to printers. It came out with the Pixma range. Here is the Pixma MG2540S, which is its entry to the affordable all-in-one printers market.

It can be used to print not just text-heavy documents (think academic papers and research!) as well as family photos. It's also quite compact so it won't take up too much space in a student's bedroom or your home office.

Features

• type
  • multipurpose: can print, scan, and copy
• other features
  • energy-saving built-in auto power on/off
  • 30% lower cost per page according to its website
  • uses 2 fine cartridges
  • can print on plain paper, envelopes, photo paper plus glossy, and photo paper glossy "everyday use"
• price
  • P3,822

Canon PiXMA G1010

Another Canon Pixma printer makes it to our list. But this one is almost double the price of the MG2540S. What's the difference, you say? For one, it's designed for high-volume printing.

Its recommended monthly print volume is from 150 to 1,500 pages. Now that's a lot of documents. This refillable ink tank printer has available high-page yield ink bottles that yield up to 7,000 pages. But we don't think students will be needing that much ink capacity. Still, for its efficiency and low-cost printing alone, this is also a winner.

Features

• type
  • ink tank
• connectivity
  • one-touch wifi connection
• other features
  • compact design
  • borderless priting
• price
  • P7,590

Brother DCP-T420W Refill Tank Printer

The Brother brand has its own cult following. Although its printers are not the cheapest ones in the lot, they seem to be efficient and reliable. This model, in particular, is like the Canon earlier.

It's a refill tank, which is exactly what it appears to be. You can top up the ink tank as needed. This is compact enough for the house yet it produces clear text and brilliant graphics.

Features

• type
  • ink tank
  • multipurpose
• connectivity
  • wireless printing
  • mobile printing
• other features
  • easy to refill inks
  • 150 sheets paper tray
• price
  • P7,950

EPSON Ecotank  L121 Printer

Of course, we also have an Epson on this list. Like the Canon and Brother earlier, this is also an ink tank. It has a compact integrated tank design and also has borderless printing for those photos. What's good is that Epson has a 2-year warranty or up to 30,000 prints, whichever comes first.

Features

• type
  • ink tank
• other features
  • lets you achieve high-speed printing at lower power consumption
  • spill-free refilling
• price
  • P8,150

HP Ink Tank Wireless 415 

Here's another HP printer, but it's different from the Deskjet. For one, it uses an ink tank and is capable of printing more pages. In fact, HP claims that you can get up to 8,000 color or 6,000 black pages at a low cost. And like it's more affordable sibling, it can also print and scan.

Features

• type
  • ink tank
  • multipurpose
• connectivity
  • wireless
• other features
  • spill-free refill
  • high-capacity ink tank
• price
  • P7,695