Colour printers allow you to print documents and photos in vibrant, accurate colours. With so many options available, choosing the right colour printer for your home or office can be tricky. This comprehensive guide reviews the top 15 colour printers in India across different price ranges and features. Read on to find the perfect colour printer for your needs.
The HP Deskjet 2331 is an excellent choice for home users looking for an affordable, compact colour printer. Despite its small size, it offers print, scan and copy capabilities. Setting up the printer is a breeze with the HP Smart app. Print speeds are decent for occasional home printing. It delivers good print quality for documents and web pages. The lack of an ADF for scanning multiple pages is a downside. Overall, a great value-for-money home colour printer.
The Canon PIXMA E477 is a feature-packed all-in-one designed for home and student use. It delivers excellent print quality in an affordable package. The Ink Efficient cartridges keep running costs low. Integrated WiFi makes wireless printing easy from smartphones and laptops. It has robust scanning and copying abilities for an AIO in this range. The print speed could have been faster, but overall it offers great value. Highly recommended for home and dorm room use.
The Canon PIXMA MG3070S delivers excellent photo printing and scanning in a stylish body. The dual paper trays allow hassle-free switching between regular and photo paper. It produces stunning borderless photos. The built-in WiFi makes wireless printing easy. Print speeds are decent but scanning is a bit slow. Lack of an ADF for documents is a downside. Overall, a great choice for photo printing enthusiasts on a budget.
The Canon PIXMA MG2577s delivers good photo and document printing for home use in an inexpensive package. It offers the essential AIO functions of print, scan and copy. Built-in WiFi allows wireless printing from mobile devices. Print quality is excellent for the price. Print speeds are not the fastest but decent for a home printer. Lack of an ADF for scanning multiple pages is a limitation. Overall, a budget-friendly option for light home printing needs.
With its integrated ink tank system, the Canon G2012 delivers extremely low cost per print. You get an impressive 6000 pages from each black bottle and 7000 pages from the colour bottles. This makes it great for high volume home and small office printing. It produces excellent quality prints with precise detail and vibrant colours. Print speeds are fast and it has all essential functions like scan and copy. The ink tanks are also neatly integrated into the body. A cost-effective option for high volume printing.
With its integrated ink tanks the Epson EcoTank L6460 delivers ultra low printing costs without compromising on performance. You get laser-like print speeds up to 33ppm in black and 15ppm in colour. It can churn out up to 4500 pages in black and 7500 pages in colour with each ink refill. The built-in ADF makes scanning and copying documents a breeze. It produces excellent quality prints for home or office use. A great choice for high volume printing at low costs.
The Canon PIXMA E4570 delivers business-oriented features like auto duplex printing and 35-page ADF for easy scanning and copying. The Ink Efficient cartridges keep running costs low while delivering up to 6000 black and 7000 colour pages. It produces professional quality colour documents and photos. Integrated WiFi allows easy wireless printing. Though not the fastest, print speeds are decent for home and small office use. A great balance of features, performance and efficiency.
The Canon Pixma TS307 is an excellent choice if you primarily need a wireless colour printer for home use. It delivers stunning photo prints with true-to-life colours and detail. The built-in WiFi makes wireless printing easy from smartphones and laptops. It has a minimalist design that saves desk space. Lack of a scanner/copier may be a limitation for some users. Print speeds are decent but not fastest in class. Overall, a great option for wireless photo printing on a budget.
The HP Deskjet 1212 is designed to deliver basic yet reliable colour printing for homes at an affordable price. It is very easy to set up and compact enough to fit in tight spaces. Print speeds are rated up to 7.5ppm in black and 5.5ppm in colour which is decent for a home printer. It delivers good print quality on plain paper and photos. Lack of wireless connectivity may be a downside for some. But if your need is basic wired printing, this is a dependable choice.
With its self-resetting ink cartridges, the HP Ink Advantage Ultra 4826 offers ultra low printing costs – as low as 44paise per B/W page and 81paise per colour. It has all essential functions of print, scan and copy. Dual band WiFi provides a fast and reliable wireless printing experience. It churns out good quality colour documents at decent speeds. Lack of a display screen is a downside. Overall, an excellent budget AIO printer for high volume home printing.
With its integrated ink tank design, the Canon G3000 delivers ultra low printing costs without compromising on quality or performance. You get an additional 6000 pages with the bundled black ink bottles. This makes it great for high volume home and small office printing. It has built-in WiFi for wireless printing. Print speeds are fast and output is excellent. The free Blaupunkt earbuds offer additional value. One of the best ink tank printers in its class.
With enough ink to print 6000 pages black and colour, the HP Smart Tank 529 delivers game-changing low costs. You get excellent prints at just 10 paise per page in black! This makes it ideal for high volume home and small office use. It has reasonably fast print speeds and can scan/copy via the 35-page ADF. The only downside is lack of wireless printing. But for wired homes, it offers unmatched value.
The Brother DCP-T820DW combines the convenience of ink tanks with advanced features like auto duplex printing and built-in WiFi. This makes it great for high volume printing in home and small offices. You get excellent print quality with low running costs. It can churn out up to 6000 pages in black and 5000 pages in colour per bottle. Print speeds are fast and it scans/copies efficiently. The LCD screen makes operation easier. One of the best ink tank AIOs in its price range.
Designed for high volume home and small office use, the HP Smart Tank 589 delivers excellent value with ink for 6000 pages black and colour. Integrated WiFi allows wireless printing from anywhere. It produces professional quality colour documents at low costs. The 35-page ADF makes light work of scanning and copying projects. The LCD screen adds convenience. Lack of auto duplex printing is a downside. Overall, a feature-rich ink tank AIO printer.
The HP Ink Advantage 2778 delivers excellent value for money with its self-resetting ink cartridges that offer ultra-low printing costs. It is packed with connectivity options like dual band WiFi, Bluetooth and USB. Print speeds up to 8ppm black and 5ppm colour are decent for home use. It produces good quality colour prints and scans/copies reliably too. Lack of an ADF can be a pain when copying documents. Overall, a great budget home AIO printer.
Product | Connectivity | Cost Per Page |
---|---|---|
HP Deskjet 2331 | USB | Standard cartridge cost |
Canon PIXMA E477 | WiFi | Standard cartridge cost |
Canon PIXMA MG3070S | WiFi | Standard cartridge cost |
Canon PIXMA MG2577s | WiFi | Standard cartridge cost |
Canon PIXMA MegaTank G2012 | WiFi, USB | Ultra low < 10 paise |
Epson EcoTank L6460 | WiFi, USB | Ultra low < 10 paise |
Canon PIXMA E4570 | WiFi, USB | Standard cartridge cost |
Canon Pixma TS307 | WiFi | Standard cartridge cost |
HP Deskjet 1212 | USB | Standard cartridge cost |
HP Ink Advantage Ultra 4826 | WiFi | Ultra low < 10 paise |
Canon PIXMA MegaTank G3000 | WiFi | Ultra low < 10 paise |
HP Smart Tank 529 | USB | Ultra low < 10 paise |
Brother DCP-T820DW | WiFi | Ultra low < 10 paise |
HP Smart Tank 589 | WiFi | Ultra low < 10 paise |
HP Ink Advantage 2778 | WiFi, Bluetooth | Ultra low < 10 paise |
Here are some key factors to consider when choosing a colour printer for home or office use:
Printing Needs – Consider your monthly print volume and the type of documents/photos you will print most. High volume printers like ink tank models offer very low CPP.
Connectivity – WiFi, WiFi Direct, Bluetooth provide wireless printing flexibility. Important if you print from mobiles.
Print Speed – Home use – 5-10ppm usually sufficient. Offices may need 15ppm or higher speed.
Print Quality – Resolution between 4800 to 1200 dpi delivers good quality for most use. Higher is better for photos.
Cost Per Page – Ink tank printers offer lowest CPP of under 10 paise. Ink cartridges usually cost 40-80 paise per page.
Scan/Copy Functions – All-in-ones with ADF and duplex printing offer convenient document handling.
Brand Reliability – Stick with reputable brands like HP, Canon, Epson for long term usage.
Inkjet Printers use liquid ink sprayed through microscopic nozzles to print. Suitable for moderate home and office use with print speeds up to 15ppm. Affordable purchase cost but higher running costs.
Laser Printers use toner powder and drum unit to print through a thermal process. Very fast print speeds and economical for high volume prints. But higher purchase price.
Ink Tank Printers have integrated ink tanks instead of cartridges for very high yield and ultra low CPP. Great for frequent home users and small offices.
Multifunction Printers integrate print, scan, copy functions in a single device. Convenient for home and small offices. Ink tank MFPs offer lowest total cost.
A. For home use, ink tank colour printers like the Canon G3000 or HP Smart Tank 529 offer the best value with ultra-low cost per page below 10 paise. Their integrated ink tanks provide thousands of pages before needing a refill. Features like WiFi allow easy wireless printing from mobile devices. These printers provide the optimal mix of low running costs, performance and convenience for moderate volume home use.
A. For office use, laser colour printers offer the speed and economical cost per page suited for high volume printing. Models like HP LaserJet Pro M255dw print at 24ppm with cost per page around 60 paise for black and Rs 1.5 for colour. Integrated duplex printing saves paper. The higher initial purchase cost is justified by fast professional prints and ability to handle large print volumes in offices.
A. The ‘best’ colour printer depends on your specific needs and budget. For home use, ink tank models like Canon G2012 offer very low printing costs with excellent quality. Laser printers like HP LaserJet Pro M255dw are best for offices due to their fast print speeds, economical CPP and paper-saving duplex mode. All-in-one inkjets like HP Ink Advantage 2778 provide great value for moderate home printing. Choose based on print volume, connectivity, speed, and scanning/copying needs.
A. There are many excellent colour printers available in India from top brands. The Canon PIXMA G2012 ink tank all-in-one offers the optimal mix of low CPP, fast speed, wireless connectivity and copy/scan functions ideal for most Indian homes. Epson EcoTank L6460 delivers economical high-volume printing. For offices, the HP LaserJet Pro M255dw provides fast professional prints. The HP DeskJet 2331 inkjet is a great budget choice for basic home needs.
A. Inkjet printers are better suited for home use with lower purchase cost but higher running cost. Laser printers have higher initial price but lower CPP, making them ideal for office use.
A. Ink tank colour printers have the lowest CPP of below 10 paise per page. Ink cartridge printers average 40-80 paise per page. Laser colour printers cost 60-100 paise per page.
A. For moderate home use, 5-10 pages per minute (ppm) is sufficient. Small offices may need 15 ppm or more for quick printing.
A. Brands like HP, Canon, Epson, Brother are recognised for their reliable and durable colour printers across price ranges.
A. For moderate use, clean the print head every 2-3 months. Heavy users should clean every month for optimum print quality.
A. Regular 75-90 gsm paper can be used in colour printers, but photo paper will produce better photo print quality. Refer printer manual for recommended paper types.
A. Yes, colour documents/photos use ink from colour cartridges/tanks in addition to the black ink. So the total ink consumption is higher.
A. Not at all. Most models have neatly integrated, easy to access ink tanks that can be refilled mess-free in a few steps.
A. Yes, you can print from your phone using WiFi Direct or Bluetooth connectivity if your printer supports it, without a WiFi router.
A. Most printers have ink level indicator lights or display alerts when ink is running low. Some models automatically reorder ink.
A. It’s best to turn your printer off when not in use for extended periods. This saves energy and prevents dust buildup.
A. Ink cartridge yields vary, but on average black cartridges last 175-300 pages and colour cartridges 300-600 pages.
A. Yes, if your printer has WiFi/WiFi Direct, multiple PCs, laptops and mobile devices can print to it simultaneously.
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