Printers

Choosing a printer is mostly about running cost, not purchase price. Manufacturers often sell the hardware cheaply and make their margin on consumables, so the cheapest printer on the shelf is frequently the most expensive to own.

Work out cost per page: the price of a cartridge or toner divided by its stated page yield. High-yield consumables usually cost far less per page than standard ones, and the difference over a few years dwarfs the price of the printer.

Inkjet suits colour, photos and low or occasional volumes. Its weakness is that cartridges can dry out when a printer sits unused.

Laser is faster, cheaper per page at volume, and toner does not dry out — which makes it the sensible choice for an office, or for anyone who prints in occasional bursts rather than steadily.

Label printers are a separate category for shipping labels, filing, cable marking and asset tags. Thermal models need no ink at all, only the label rolls.

Also check connectivity (Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB) and whether duplex two-sided printing is automatic.

Not sure which type suits your home? Our home printer guide works out three years of ink and toner costs for each type.

Setting one up? Our guide to connecting a printer to WiFi covers HP, Canon, Epson and Brother, and what to do when it says offline.

See printers and ink for consumables.