Choosing the best colour printer in India can be difficult given the wide range of options now available across brands like HP, Canon, Epson etc. In this extensively researched blog post, we compare all the top colour printers for home and office use in 2024 based on key aspects like print quality, features, running costs and value for money to determine the ideal models for buyers with differing needs and budgets. Read on for the most comprehensive guide to picking the perfect colour printer.
Colour printers have evolved rapidly in recent times with the advent of innovative ink tank models that promise near zero ink costs. By switching to high capacity refillable ink tanks instead of disposable cartridges, brands are offering unprecedented value. In addition, today’s colour printers pack in versatile connectivity and features like print/scan/copy functions.
The Brother DCP-T820DW is an all-in-one color ink tank printer with print, scan and copy functionalities. It features Wi-Fi connectivity and automatic two-sided printing.
This Brother printer model offers the convenience of an ink tank system combined with multifunction features. The Wi-Fi connectivity and duplex printing make it a versatile choice for home and small office needs.
Canon’s MegaTank G3000 is a high-volume ink tank printer with Wi-Fi and additional ink bottles included. It delivers lab-quality photos and documents.
With a mega ink tank capacity and bonus ink bottles, this Canon printer provides excellent value for money. It suits high-volume home and small office users seeking an affordable ink tank printer with Wi-Fi enabled scanning/printing.
The Canon PIXMA E477 is an all-in-one inkjet color printer with print, scan and copy functions. It is designed to be affordable, efficient and Wi-Fi enabled for ease of use.
This Canon model makes a great budget-friendly choice for home use and students with its competitive ink efficiency and convenient Wi-Fi enabled operations. Its compact build and all-in-one functions also make it suitable for small spaces.
The MegaTank G2012 from Canon is a high-yield ink tank all in one printer ideal for frequent home and small office printing needs. It includes additional ink bottles for even higher value.
With a mega ink reservoir and extra ink right out of the box, this Canon printer delivers exceptional economy and efficiency. Its AIO functions, affordable cost per print and high volume output make it one of the best ink tank models for home and home office users.
The HP Smart Tank 529 is an all-in-one color printer with enough ink to print up to 6,000 black and color pages right out of the box. It handles print/scan/copy jobs for home and small offices.
HP delivers exceptional value with this efficient all-in-one printer. The built-in ink tank and huge page yield make it cost-effective for high volume printing. Convenient scanning/copying functions combined with wireless printing enhance its utility in home and small office environments.
The HP Smart Tank 585 is an all-in-one ink tank color printer built for handling high-volume jobs at ultra-low costs per page.
HP delivers exceptional economy and utility in this AIO printer tailored for businesses and workspaces needing to print frequently at low costs. Its huge bundled ink supply and multifunction capabilities make it highly versatile for office use.
The HP Color Laser 150nw is compact color laser printer with wireless and Ethernet connectivity options ideal for home office use.
This affordable HP color laser printer punches above its weight with professional quality output and speedy performance coupled with wireless connectivity for flexibility. Its space-saving design gives it an edge for home offices and small workspaces needing a fast, high quality color printer.
The HP Smart Tank 589 All-in-One printer delivers lab-quality printing affordably with enough ink to print thousands of pages out of the box.
This HP AIO printer brings exceptional value for money with its huge ink tank yield and multifunction versatility tailored for homes and small offices. Fast, affordable and reliable color printing combined with scan/copy convenience make it highly useful for everyday needs.
The PIXMA E4570 from Canon is a feature-rich all-in-one inkjet printer with FAX capability and two-sided printing built for efficient home and small office use.
Canon offers excellent functionality in an affordable package with this AIO printer. Key highlights liketwo-sided prints, fax capability and substantial ink tanks give it good utility for home office and SMB needs while integrated Wi-Fi enhances ease of use.
The HP Ink Advantage 6075 delivers efficient, high-quality printing with standard print/scan/copy functions and an integrated ink tank system designed for low-costs.
This affordable HP inkjet AIO printer provides the essential functions for everyday home and small office needs. With competitive running costs thanks to its integrated ink tank and useful capabilities like two-sided prints and dual band wireless, it offers reliable utility and efficiency.
The Canon PIXMA TS3370s offers all-in-one functionality with print/scan/copy in a compact Wi-Fi enabled inkjet printer for efficient home use.
This Canon printer delivers great value for money with its integrated high yield ink tank system and vibrant photographic prints combined with copy/scan versatility tailored for smart homes. Compact convenience and Wi-Fi enabled simplicity enhance ease of use.
The HP Smart Tank 580 All-in-One delivers lab-quality printing, scanning and copying with an ultra-high-yield bundled ink supply of up to 12,000 black and 6,000 color pages for exceptional affordability.
With best-in-class page yields backed by an extended warranty, HP brings tremendous economy to this feature-loaded AIO ideal for high-volume color printing needs of homes and small offices. Its huge integrated ink supply coupled with multifunction versatility make it highly cost-effective.
The MyPrint Ecotank L8050 is a high performance 6-color A4 printer with integrated ink tank system and versatile functions like 3D and PVC card printing capabilities.
This Ecotank model from MY Print brings excellent value with economical ink tanks, vibrant high resolution prints and versatile specialty printing functions well-suited for creative professionals and businesses needing a powerful workhorse printer.
HP’s Smart Tank 210 is a standalone color printer packing enough ink in the box for up to 12,000 black and 6,000 color pages combined with the convenience of wireless connectivity.
This HP color printer delivers exceptional economy tailored for homes and small offices thanks to an ultra-high page yield ink tank system bundled in right out of the box. Convenience features like Wi-Fi make it easy to use for everyday printing jobs.
The HP Ink Tank 316 delivers lab-quality scanning, copying and printing with integrated ink tanks capable of up to 7,500 black and 8,000 color pages for exceptional affordability.
This all-in-one from HP brings tremendous value for money with high printing volumes from in-box ink coupled with scan and copy functionalities tailored for homes and small offices. Its efficient operation makes it a smart choice for color printing needs at low TCO.
Printer | Connectivity | Print Yield |
---|---|---|
Brother DCP-T820DW | Wi-Fi, Ethernet | 7,500 Black, 6,000 Color pages |
Canon PIXMA MegaTank G3000 | Wi-Fi | 6,000 Black, 7,000 Color pages |
Canon PIXMA E477 | Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct | 6,000 Color, 7,500 Black pages |
Canon PIXMA MegaTank G2012 | USB 2.0 Hi-Speed | 6,000 Black, 7,000 Color pages |
HP Smart Tank 529 | USB, Wi-Fi | 6,000 Black and Color pages |
HP Smart Tank 585 | USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct | 6,000 Black and Color pages |
HP Color Laser 150nw | Ethernet, Wi-Fi Direct | Not applicable |
HP Smart Tank 589 | USB 2.0, Wi-Fi | 6,000 Black and Color pages |
Canon PIXMA E4570 | USB, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct | Not specified |
HP Ink Advantage 6075 | Wi-Fi | Not specified |
Canon PIXMA TS3370s | Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct | Not specified |
HP Smart Tank 580 | USB 2.0, Wi-Fi | 12,000 Black, 6,000 Color pages |
MYPRINT Ecotank L8050 | Wi-Fi, USB | Not specified |
HP Smart Tank 210 | USB 2.0, Wi-Fi | 12,000 Black, 6,000 Color pages |
HP Ink Tank 316 | USB 2.0 | 7,500 Black, 8,000 Color pages |
With a wide range of models flooding the market, choosing the ideal colour printer for your specific needs can get confusing. Here are some key aspects to consider when deciding:
Print Volume – For low to medium usage with less than 150-200 prints per month, basic cartridge models like the HP Deskjet 1212 are perfectly fine. High volume users doing over 300 prints monthly are better served with specialised ink tank models that bring cost per print down drastically.
Connectivity – Entry level colour printers aimed at homes mostly include USB and WiFi connectivity. More advanced models designed for offices add wired LAN ports for connecting to networks and WiFi direct/ Bluetooth to connect mobiles easily without an internet router.
Functions – While single function printers focusing only on printing are cheaper, all in one models that can print, scan and copy documents offer better value. Built in fax functionality is also something to look for if needed.
Ink System – Standard cartridge based printers are affordable to buy but expensive to run over the long term due to recurring cartridge replacement costs. Ink tank models completely remove this pain point by switching to refillable tanks that lower cost per print by over 90% in some cases.
Inkjet Printers use liquid ink sprayed through microscopic nozzles onto paper. Offer vibrant colour prints at high speeds. Ideal for photo printing.
Laser Printers use toner powder and drums. Better suited for high volume black text printing.
All in One Printers integrate print, scan and copy functions into a single device saving space and cost. Many models also add fax functionality.
Ink Tank Printers use high capacity refillable ink tanks instead of cartridges. This removes need for frequent cartridge replacement bringing total cost of ownership down drastically.
Proper usage and care is important to ensure good performance from your colour printer over its lifetime. Here are some key tips:
Location – Place printer in well ventilated area away from dust. Avoid locations receiving direct sunlight.
Power – Use a compatible surge protector. Turn it off fully when not in use for extended periods.
Print Head – Open print head cleaner utility once a week to clean dried ink preventing clogs.
Alignment – Run alignment procedure monthly or when noticing colour registration issues in prints.
Transport – Turn printer off and secure print head and ink cartridge/tanks with tape when moving it.
For home use, compact ink tank models like HP Smart Tank 529 and Canon G3000 offer the best value by removing recurring cartridge costs. Basic wireless models like HP Deskjet 2331 are also good enough for light home users.
Best for Low Printing Costs:
Canon MegaTank G2012
The ink tank system delivers upfront savings on ink along with over 7,000 colour pages yield. Extremely affordable printing over the long run.
Best for Photo Printing:
Canon PIXMA TS3370s
It can print borderless photos on 4″x6″ glossy photo papers beautifully using Canon’s proprietary printing technology and advanced cartridge system developed specially for vibrant and accurate photos.
Best for Fast Print Speeds:
HP Deskjet 2331
Compact printer that delivers colour print speeds up to 7.5 pages per minute, faster than competitors. Great for small office needs.
Best Wireless Connectivity:
HP Smart Tank 589
With WiFi, WiFi Direct and HP smart app, getting set up wirelessly is a breeze. Prints reliably from smartphones, tablets and laptops over a network.
Best Build Quality and Reliability:
Epson EcoTank L6460
Reinforced ink tank latches, upgraded carriage mechanisms and self cleaning print head deliver unmatched reliability and consistent performance without unexpected downtime.
Most Feature Rich:
Canon PIXMA E4570 Packed with print, copy, scan and fax abilities along with duplex printing, wireless connectivity and 35 page ADF for versatile everyday use with minimal running costs.
Best Value for Money:
HP Smart Tank 529
Simply unbeatable package with 6,000 page ink, print/scan/copy functions and WiFi at a killer price point making this the best value colour printer in India.
Ink tank printers like Epson EcoTank L6460 and Canon MegaTank G2012 are ideal for offices due to the high volume prints support and over 90% savings in ink costs. Models with higher paper capacity, faster print speeds and wired network ports suit offices better.
Epson EcoTank and HP Smart Tank models offer industry leading cost savings of up to 90% over cartridge printers. High capacity ink tanks eliminate recurring cartridge purchase bringing cost per print down to just 7-8 paise per page black and colour.
Yes, basic WiFi printing from mobile devices works reliably even in the most affordable colour printer models. However, business focused printers offer more advanced connectivity options like wired networking, WiFi Direct etc.
Ink cartridge refilling costs between Rs. 200-300 based on model and yields about 80% of the pages that a new cartridge prints. However, quality of third party inks is often substandard.
For home use, Colour print speeds of 8-12 ppm are fast enough for most buyers. High volume office buyers may prefer models with 15 ppm or faster print rates.
Yes, ink tank printers offer excellent photo printing with borderless full bleed output. Some can even print specialized photo papers up to A3+ sizes. Quality is at par with standard cartridge based photo inkjets.
HP, Canon, Epson, Brother and Samsung make up the top 5 brands in the Indian colour printer market. Between them, they account for over 75% of total market share when measured by units shipped.
Choosing the best colour printer need not be intimidating once you know your specific usage – be it regular document prints or professional photo output. Carefully factor in connectivity needs, running costs and features to pick the right fit. Modern ink tank models bring great quality and WiFi features at reasonable prices. With proper care and maintenance, today’s colour printers deliver excellent performance for many years.
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