Wouldn’t it be great if every device played nice with your MacBook? From mice to mics, there’s definitely a niche for products that will run nicely on your Mac while matching its speed, power, and overall performance.
If your printer is connected to your Mac with a cable, disconnect the cable from your Mac. So it's best not to install software from the printer manufacturer. Shop printers, scanners, and supplies for your favorite Mac or iPad. Buy online and get free shipping. HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 All-in-One Wide Format Printer.
So whether you’re making last-minute copies of a flyer, need a hardcopy of your midterm paper, or require pages of typed briefs, it’s time to find a printer that works with you rather than against you.
Instead of taking a trip to a local print shop saying: “Hey, I want to print something” and paying for the ridiculous fee, why not just buy a printer home or to your workplace? It saves you time and money in the long run.
In this buying guide, we’ll point out some of the printers that work best with MacBook Pro, and help you figure out which one is right for you.
Quick Summary
Need a brief overview of where to look? Here are a few quick recommendations:
- Want to print hundreds of pages and not slowing down anytime? Epson Expression ET-2650 EcoTank will last you for thousands and offers tank refills that will save you money while allowing you to print on a variety of page types and sizes.
- If you need something semi-portable but don’t plan to use it for anything beyond simply printing pages, the CANON PIXMA iP110 is a great bet because it’s small, light, and simple.
- Perfect if you just need a standard home printer, HP OfficeJet 5255 Wireless All-in-One Printer can print cleanly whether its a family photo or a multi-page report. It’s a great desktop companion and will work flawlessly with all your devices.
- Prefer a laser printer (for clarity and volume) over an inkjet one? You won’t go wrong with Brother Compact Monochrome Laser Printer, which has a built-in wireless and ethernet network and allows you to print up to 27 pages per minute.
Who Should Get This?
If you’re considering buying a printer, the most important thing to keep in mind is the necessity factor. If you work from home, in a coworking space, or otherwise unaffiliated location, having your own printer is clearly a must since you don’t have regular access to more traditional sources. However, if your workplace already offers plenty of printing options, a personal printer becomes a matter of convenience.
For example, if you tend to take work home, you may appreciate having the option to print away from the office. You might not be the only benefactor either if you have family members that would also appreciate the convenience of a home printer. However, if you’re a college student on a budget, it might be smarter to simply take the time to walk to the library when it’s time to submit papers each semester.
Buying a Printer for Your Mac: What to Consider?
Footprint
Desk space is a valuable commodity these days, so if yours is especially sparse it’s a good idea to make sure the printer you’re considering doesn’t take up too much. Many models are extremely compact, but always check dimensions to make sure it will fit in the space you have.
Connection
It’s the age of innovation, which means most printers won’t require a wired connection to print from your Mac. However, there’s more than one way to go wireless, so whether you’re a fan of Bluetooth or prefer WiFi you should keep in mind what options your printer of choice offers.
Capabilities
You’re cheating yourself if your printer can only print. And while fax may be a thing of the past, copying, scanning, and double-sided printing certainly isn’t. Don’t settle for a printer that doesn’t offer these capabilities, as you’ll find yourself frustrated in no time at all unless you’re sure you only need it to print and never anything more.
Inkjet or Laser
There are several different varieties of printers on the market that are primarily differentiated by the type of ink process they use. Inkjets are the most versatile, while lasers are a bit more expensive but better suited to high-volume workloads and the needs for greater clarity. It’s advised that you research beforehand which will work best for you, especially if you plan on printing photos. Learn more from this post by The Guardian for which one is more cost-effective.
The Best Printers for MacBook Pro in 2019: Our Picks
Please note: all the printers below are chosen based on the factors listed above, plus our own personal take. They are by no means intended to rank in this order.
1. Epson Expression Wireless Color All-in-One Printer with Scanner and Copier
With a seemingly endless ink supply, this all-in-one from Epson is sure to get the job done- no discoloration from lack of toner or inadequate ink is anywhere in the near future. With support for printing, scanning, and copying you’ll be more than prepared to take on any office task.
Pros:
- Can produce several thousand pages before every needing an ink refill, photo printing capabilities, wireless printing, and high-quality color prints.
Cons:
- Larger footprint at about 20 by 17 inches.
2. CANON PIXMA iP110 Wireless Mobile Printer With Ink and Battery Bundle
If you need something that takes up as little space as possible while still delivering high-quality color prints, you’ve found it. This printer from Canon supports AirPrint and can even go cordless with an optional battery!
Pros:
- Supports wireless printing and AirPrint, as portable as a printer can be, and has a 12.7 by 7.3-inch footprint.
Cons:
- This is only a printer — you won’t be able to make copies or scan documents and is known to have a difficult installation process.
3. HP OfficeJet 5255 Wireless All-in-One Printer
Offering doubled-sided printing, all-in-one features, and the ever-important wireless printing capability, this HP workhorse will be able to hack it at home, work, or anywhere in between. It’s a sturdy design that won’t gobble up too much space.
Pros:
- Able to complete any task you would ever expect or need in regards to printing, supports an array of paper sizes, ships with a 1-year warranty from HP covering most damages.
Cons:
- The performance for business applications tends to be slow, and low-quality text, according to PCMag’s tests.
4. Brother Compact Monochrome Laser Printer
Featured with flexible connectivity and high-quality output, this monochrome laser printer offered by The Brother is extremely easy to set up and allows you to print two-sided documents easily and super fact — up to 27 PPM (pages per minute) which is hard to reach for traditional inkjet printers.
Pros:
- Fast and high-quality output. It’s stylish, and compact — saving you valuable workspace.
- Outstanding support by offering a one-year limited warranty with free phone support lifelong.
Cons:
- The price tag is slightly on the higher side (but you get what you pay for).
Useful Tips
Do you already have a printer or want to know the best way to make use of the one you’re going to get? PCMag has a great write-up on how to make the most of your printer and will show you exactly what you’ve been missing out on. There you’ll find a collection of hacks on how to printer sharper photos, keep your printer nozzles clear, and more.
First time setting up the printer and connecting with your MacBook Pro? On your Mac, open System Settings > Printers and Scanners, there you can add or remove any printers you’d like. Apple has a detailed guide on how to do this step by step, in case anything goes wrong.
Whether you’ve decided to shop a laser printer or inkjet printer, be sure to take a glance at these essential maintenance tips contributed by Hugh Wilson from The Telegraph. For example, put it in the right location, read the manual before use, keep the software up to date, etc.
Final Words
Whether you’re printing for work, school, or leisure, you deserve a printer that doesn’t force you to the brink of frustration every time you want to print from your laptop. The best printer will reduce inconvenience in your work rather than add to it, and there are certainly plenty available. We’ve shown you a few of our favorites, now tell us yours! Leave a comment below and share what printer has worked best with your Mac.
BestLaser Printers for MaciMore2019
If you need to print in large quantities or you need your prints to come out with very crisp text, then a laser printer is the way to go. Laser printers take some time to heat up, and upfront costs are more than inkjet printers, but for volume and clarity, they can't be beaten. You'll also likely save some money in the long run on a per sheet basis. This is especially important if you run a small business or plan on using your printer a lot.
Although it may seem like printers are older technology in 2019, people still need to print lots of documents, images, assignments, and more. If you're looking for a printer, you know you're going to have to shell out some cash; however, with Black Friday coming around the corner, you should be able to snag the best deals. Whether it's the printers listed below, or great alternative that go on sale, our deals team will put those great products right here.
Compact and affordable: Brother HL-L2350DW Compact Laser Printer
Staff favoriteIf you want to print more while also cutting down on paper, this has duplex printing capabilities. The tray holds up to 250 sheets, and it can print up to 27 sheets per minute. The compact design won't take up a ton of space on your desk, and its wireless networking capabilities keep cords to a minimum and let you print from any room in the house!
$120 at AmazonQuick printing: Canon imageCLASS LBP6030w Wireless Laser Printer
This wireless printer is quick and tangle-free. Expect your first print in about eight seconds — this laser printer takes barely any time to fire up at all! This is another compact printer, so it won't take up much space on your desk, and might even work as a portable printer if you (for whatever reason) need to print in multiple locations.
$75 at AmazonAffordable all-in-one: Brother MFCL2710DW Compact Laser All-In One Printer
Perfect for a small office environment, this one offers paper-saving features like two-sided printing, and time-saving features, like a 35-page capacity document feeder for unattended scanning or faxing. You can load up the MFCL2710DW with up to 250 sheets. This is the perfect all-in-one solution.
$140 at AmazonHigh paper capacity: Xerox Phaser 6510/DNI
The standard paper tray is 250 sheets, but you can add an optional 550-sheet tray for bulk printing. This machine pops out the first page in about 12 seconds and then 30 pages per minute after that. On the wireless side of things, the Phaser 6510 is also secure, using HTTPS, Wi-Fi authentication, IP filters, and more.
$220 at AmazonFast wireless color: HP Color LaserJet Pro M254dw
The HP Color LaserJet Pro M254dw is a force offering up to 22 pages per minute. You can connect the LaserJet Pro M254dw to your Wi-Fi network, allowing you to print wirelessly from your Mac or iPhone via AirPrint, and its touchscreen allows for simple one-touch printing.
$220 at AmazonLots of capacity: Brother Business Color Laser Printer, HL-L8360CDW
Here's a compelling business quality device that prints at up to 33ppm in color/black. This printer from Brother offers a 250-sheet capacity paper tray that's adjustable for letter or legal plus a 50-sheet capacity multi-purpose tray. In total, the capacity is expandable to 1,300 sheets with optional trays.
$320 at AmazonPremium color all-in-one: Canon Color imageCLASS MF644Cdw
Although the Canon Color imageCLASS MF644Cdw isn't the cheapest option out there, it's one of the best color laser all-in-one printers on the market. With a print speed of up to 19 pages per minute, high-capacity toners, and wireless capabilities, this printer will keep up with you and your printing needs. It even has single-pass scanning so that you can scan both sides of a document at the same time!
$275 at AmazonSmall business beast: Xerox VersaLink C405/DN
This impressive Xerox VersaLink printer packs plenty of power and is ideally suited for small or regular business use, offering 36ppm. It includes a 550-sheet tray, 150-sheet multipurpose tray, and 50-sheet DADF.
$599 at AmazonBudget choice: Lexmark B2236DW Monochrome Laser Printer
The Lexmark B2236DW is a monochrome laser printer that offers up to 36 pages per minute. Low-cost, the printer offers Wi-Fi plus USB and Ethernet connectivity. Compact in design, the device is perfect for small spaces.
$99 at AmazonWhy laser over ink?
Laser printers have a ton of advantages over your typical inkjet printers and are a very viable option for at-home use. These types of printers will save you money in the long run. Although your average toner cartridge for a laser printer is more expensive than an ink cartridge, toner lasts a lot longer, and because its a powder, it can't dry out over time. Plus, laser printers offer much sharper lines than inkjet, meaning small text is much easier to read as it always comes out crisp and clear.
Of course, laser printers aren't quite as good at printing photos as a high-quality inkjet printer would be. Inkjets can often have up to six or more different colors of ink, allowing them to blend colors smoothly and produce more colors.
Overall, we're most impressed with the Brother HL-L2350DW, which is a low-cost solution for a home office. It's compact, simple, and swift at printing large documents. If you're looking for a color laser printer that won't break the bank, consider the HP Color LaserJet Pro M254dw. When money isn't so important, check out the Xerox VersaLink C405/DN.
Balck Friday can save you money on ink or toner as well
Once you know if you want an ink or laser printing, you'll want to evaluate your printing needs. If you just need a printer for printing your words on a single page every now and then, you're going to want something different than someone who needs to print out large documents. Many printers have a speed which is measured in pages per minute. If you're printing often and lots of pages, you're going to want the pages per minute to be higher. Plus, the type of printing you need is always something to keep in mind. Whether you want a printer that can easily do double-sided printing or need one that has Wi-Fi because you're not close enough to plug into it, these details should be all factored into your decision.
Whether you just need a printer for the occasional document, or you run a small business and print lots of invoices, documents, and other things on the daily, Black Friday is going to be one of the best times to shop. Our deals team here at iMore is already scouring the internet to find the best deals on printers, so you can save money this holiday, and get stuff done. While Black Friday is going to be a great time to buy a printer, as many of the brands such as HP, Brother, and Xerox will likely be having sales, don't forget that toner and ink may also show up on discount. This provides you with the opportunity not only to save money on printers but all the other stuff you need to make that printer work.
Productivity is essential, and that means you want a reliable printer to fit your needs, so keep your eye on this page and check back often as we find deals on printers. Share in the savings and get printing!
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