Choosing a Printer in 2025 Is More Complicated Than It Seems
If you’re buying a printer in 2025, the choice is a lot harder than it looks. Walk into any retailer and you’ll see rows of shiny machines promising speed, quality and “low running costs,” but the real differences only become clear after months of living with the thing. A smart choice now can save you a significant amount of money over the next few years — and a bad choice will sit in the corner chewing through ink, toner and your patience.
Start by Understanding Your Real Printing Needs
The best place to start is with your actual day-to-day printing needs. Ask yourself how many pages you realistically go through in a month. Most people overestimate this. If you’re printing the odd boarding pass, a few school forms and an occasional photo, you’re a low-volume user. If you’re running a home office, printing invoices or handling paperwork every day, you’re in a different category entirely. The type of printing you do — photos, plain text, colour documents, labels — matters just as much as the total amount.
Inkjet or Laser? Both Still Matter in 2025
Inkjet or laser? In 2025, both have their place.
Inkjet printers have improved massively in recent years, especially the refillable ink-tank models that use bottled ink. These are ideal for families and home offices because the cost per page is low and you don’t have the constant “replace cartridge” routine older inkjets suffered from. They also handle photos extremely well, something lasers still can’t match.
Why Laser Printers Excel at Heavy Workloads
Laser printers, on the other hand, remain the best choice for sharp text and heavy workloads. If you print mostly black-and-white documents and you want speed, a mono laser is usually the cheapest long-term option. Colour lasers cost more upfront and their toner is more expensive, but they’re still the most consistent choice for high-volume colour business printing where reliability matters more than photo quality.
Don’t Focus on Price — Focus on Cost Per Page
One mistake people often make is focusing too much on the purchase price. The sticker price is actually the least important number on the box. What you really want to look at is the cost per page — how many pages you get out of a cartridge or bottle and how much the replacement costs. Some cheap printers have shockingly expensive ink, and over a year you can easily spend far more on supplies than on the printer itself. Always check the ink or toner yield and calculate the ongoing cost. This is where ink-tank printers often shine.
Security Matters More Than Ever in Modern Printers
Another part of the buying decision that matters more today is security. Modern printers behave like small computers. They connect to Wi-Fi or Ethernet, they store data and they can be accessed through a web interface. For home users, the most important steps are changing the default admin password and keeping the firmware updated. For small businesses, features like encrypted printing, user authentication and reliable update support are becoming essential.
Consider Energy Use and Environmental Impact
Energy usage and environmental factors are worth considering too. Printers with effective sleep modes can reduce power use noticeably, especially if the device stays on throughout the day. Duplex (double-sided) printing is another must — it saves paper automatically and becomes second nature once you use it regularly. Many manufacturers also offer recycling programs for ink and toner, making disposal far easier than it used to be.
Focus on Practical Specs, Not Marketing Claims
When comparing spec sheets, focus on practical details rather than marketing claims. The listed pages-per-minute speed is almost always measured under perfect conditions using draft-quality settings. Real-world printing slows down when you use colour, heavy graphics or higher quality modes. The recommended monthly print volume is also more meaningful than the maximum duty cycle; the maximum number is essentially a stress limit, not something you should aim for. Choose a printer that matches your actual monthly workload.
Why Businesses Should Choose Multifunction Devices
For small businesses and home offices, a business-grade multifunction device is often a smarter investment than a basic consumer unit. These tend to be more durable, have better scanning hardware, offer faster engines and include stronger security features. Some businesses even go with managed print services that bundle maintenance and supplies into a single predictable monthly fee, eliminating surprise toner costs.
Important Features for Photographers and Designers
For photographers, designers or anyone who needs high-accuracy colour, look for printers with expanded colour systems (five or six inks) rather than the basic four. Pigment inks last longer, dye inks deliver more vivid colours — both have advantages depending on your work. Also check whether the printer supports borderless printing and heavy media if you use thick or specialty papers.
A Quick Checklist for Everyday Buyers
For everyday buyers, a simple checklist helps:
– How many pages per month do I actually print?
– Do I need photo quality or just crisp text?
– Do I need colour at all?
– What is the cost per page based on the supplies I’ll use?
– Does the printer support Wi-Fi, mobile printing and duplex?
– Is the warranty reasonable?
– How easy is it to get replacement ink or toner?
Maintenance Tips to Extend Printer Life
Keeping a printer maintained properly will also extend its life. Using decent paper reduces jams and limits cleaning cycles (which waste ink). Setting print quality to “draft” for internal documents lowers costs immediately. Keep the printer clean, update it occasionally and avoid power cycling it multiple times a day — some inkjets use ink every time they perform a cleaning cycle on startup.
Printing Trends to Watch in 2025
Looking at general trends for 2025, more people are switching from traditional cartridge-based inkjets to refillable ink-tank models. Businesses are leaning toward multifunction devices with stronger security and lower running costs. And across the board, buyers are paying far more attention to cost-per-page instead of just the upfront price.
Choosing a Printer Doesn’t Have to Be Difficult
Choosing a printer doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Once you strip away the marketing noise and focus on how you actually print, the decision becomes far clearer. A printer is something you’ll depend on for years, so choosing carefully now saves frustration later.
Match the Printer to Your Real Printing Habits
Whether you’re a home user trying to keep expenses down, a family that needs reliable colour printing or a business that prints daily, the right machine will make life easier. The key is matching the printer to your real habits — not the ideal scenario you imagine.
A Good Printer Should Be Reliable and Easy to Maintain
If you keep your monthly volume, print quality needs and long-term running costs in mind, you’ll end up with a printer that just works: reliable, efficient and inexpensive to maintain. And that’s ultimately what a good printer should be — a tool that does its job so well you barely notice it.
