Get school ready: Pick the right printer for the school year ahead
Michael Irving
STACK Writer
Shopping for a printer can be a confusing exercise. Which one best suits your needs? How do you keep printing costs to a minimum? Is a scanner necessary?
Well, JB is your one-stop shop for printers, with options catering to all needs and budgets, along with printing essentials like ink, toner, and photo paper. But before you start shopping for a printer and accessories, check out our handy guide to printing right here.
Which printer?
Whether it’s a school project, essay, assignment, or an important document that needs to be signed, a printed hard copy is not only an invaluable backup, but also lets you physically confirm the content and presentation are up to scratch.
There are several options when selecting a suitable printer – inkjet, laser, and multi-function – and the type you choose should be determined by what you want to use it for and how often.
Think ink
Inkjet printers use ink-filled cartridges or refillable tanks and are a popular choice for occasional and everyday use. They suit various needs, from printing basic text documents like essays and assignments to full-colour graphics, labels, and photos.
Pump up the print!
Laser printers are faster than their inkjet counterparts and best for high-volume printing, particularly text documents. They use a powder-based toner that provides more print mileage than ink cartridges.
Versatility
A real Swiss army knife, multi-function printers will scan documents and serve as a copier. Many can also print directly from a memory card or USB stick and feature fax capability.
Paper savers
Duplex printing prints double-sided documents. Check if the printer supports this function and opt for automatic paper re-feeding for convenience and speed.
Printing pics
Pocket-sized photo printers connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth, enabling you to print a high-quality physical photo on instant film. Jazz up school projects, share snaps with classmates, friends, and family, or stick them on the fridge.
Check the specs
Always make sure the printer you choose is compatible with the devices you wish to print from (computer, laptop, smartphone), and check the product specifications for PPM (pages per minute) to gauge printing speed.
Also, look for the DPI (dots per square inch) number – the higher it is, the better the print quality will be.
On the ink
Ink and toner are a printer’s fuel and JB has you covered for inkjet, laser, and photo models.
Always check that you have the right type for your printer and consider value packs and tops-ups for additional savings, and backup cartridges.
Ink cartridges
A staple of standard printers, cartridges contain liquid ink in black, cyan, magenta, and yellow (CMYK) that’s sprayed as a mist directly onto the page. They are simple to install and replace, and the ink also dries quickly, reducing smudges.
Toner cartridges
Used in laser printers, toner cartridges contain powder that is quickly transferred to the paper using heat. They have a long life, making laser printing the way to go for high-volume jobs.
Ink tanks
Ink tanks deliver ink in bulk for continuous supply and are more economical than single-use cartridges as they can be topped up, thus reducing cost and waste. Unlike cartridges,
ink tanks don’t contain a built-in print head, so they aren’t prone to clogging.
HP Instant Ink
An important thing to factor into printer use is the ongoing cost of replacement ink cartridges, which, of course, will vary depending on the volume of printing. Then there's the possibility of them running out at an inconvenient moment.
If printer use is consistent in your household and you’re printing a decent quantity of pages monthly, it could be worth looking into an ink and toner subscription service.
HP, a trusted name in the printing world, has a cost-saving initiative called Instant Ink for those who print frequently.
The monthly subscription fee includes delivery of ink or toner cartridges and postage-paid return of empties for recycling. It’s based not on the amount of ink or toner used, but on the monthly pages printed.
When the ink supply is running low, subscribers are automatically sent more. How? Well, these are ‘smart’ cartridges. All you need to do is ensure your HP printer is continually connected to Wi-Fi, and HP will know when the ink supply is running low based on your page count.
Most Wi-Fi-enabled HP printers will be compatible with the subscription service, but you can confirm your printer’s eligibility on the HP site prior to signing up.
HP Instant Ink offers five subscription plans – light, occasional, moderate, frequent, and business – beginning at ten pages a month, right up to 700 pages for high volume printing. Toner plans start at 50 pages up to 1500.
Plans are flexible, too, should you wind up printing more pages than your monthly allocation. And if you’re suddenly printing less, unused pages are rolled into the following month.
HP Instant Ink takes the hassle out of shopping for cartridges, and you won’t run dry in the middle of a printing job again. And importantly, there are no contracts with HP Instant Ink – you can change or cancel your existing plan at any time.
Printers for your consideration
HP Envy 6032e All-in-One Printer
An all-rounder, the HP Envy 6032e connects wirelessly over Wi-Fi and can print, scan, and copy.
Type: Inkjet | Wireless: Yes | Print: Yes | Scan: Yes | Copy: Yes | Print resolution: 4800 x 1200 dpi | Print speed colour: Up to 7 ppm | Print speed black: Up to 10 ppm | Instant Ink?: Yes
HP Smart Tank 5105 All-in-One Printer
An all-in-one printer that utilises ink tank technology for cost-effective volume printing.
Type: Inkjet | Wireless: Yes | Print: Yes | Scan: Yes | Copy: Yes |Print resolution: 4800 x 1200 dpi | Print speed colour: Up to 5 ppm | Print speed black: Up to 12 ppm | Instant Ink?: No
HP Envy Inspire 7220e All-in-One Printer
The speedy Envy Inspire 7220e is easy to set up and will print two-sided, copy, and scan.
Type: Inkjet | Wireless: Yes | Print: Yes | Scan: Yes | Copy: Yes | Print resolution: 1200 x 1200 dpi | Print speed colour: Up to 10 ppm | Print speed black: Up to 15 ppm | Instant Ink?: Yes
Canon Selphy CP1500 Photo Printer
Instead of leaving your photos on a device, print them directly from a smartphone, USB stick, SD card, camera, tablet, or computer.
Type: Photo | Wireless: Yes | Printing resolution: 300 x 300 dpi | AirPrint: Yes
HP Envy Inspire 7920e All-in-One Printer
Featuring a large 125-page paper tray, a built-in photo tray, and an automatic document feeder, the Inspire 7920e is a multipurpose printer.
Type: Inkjet | Wireless: Yes | Print: Yes | Scan: Yes | Copy: Yes | Print resolution: 1200 x 1200 dpi | Print speed colour: Up to 10 ppm | Print speed black: Up to 15 ppm | Instant Ink?: Yes
Canon G3620 Pixma Megatank Printer
As the name suggests, the G3620’s high-volume ink tank can print up to 6000 pages in black and white and up to 7700 in colour. It can also print on Canon iron-on transfers and Canon magnetic photo paper.
Type: Inkjet | Wireless: Yes | Print: Yes | Scan: Yes | Copy: Yes | Print resolution: 4800 x 1200 dpi | Print speed colour: 5 ppm | Print speed black: 9.1 ppm
Canon TS5160 PIXMA Home Printer
Easy to use and feature-packed, the PIXMA connects with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and delivers high-quality colour printing.
Type: Inkjet | Wireless: Yes | Print: Yes | Scan: Yes | Copy: Yes | Print resolution: 4800 x 1200 dpi | Print speed colour: 6.8 ppm | Print speed black: 13 ppm
^Discounts apply to previous ticketed/advertised price prior to the discount offer. As we negotiate, products will likely have been sold below ticketed/advertised price prior to the discount offer. Prices may differ at airport stores.
