Choosing a printer can at times prove to be a daunting task especially if the shopper happens to be a first time printer buyer. There are various types of printing technologies and each is suited for specific needs. It is important to note one thumb rule when shopping for a printer. For long lasting photographs, an inkjet printer is an absolute must and for producing fast text documents; a laser printer is an ideal choice. With a wide variety of printers available in the market; it is difficult to make a prudent choice. Mentioned below are the top five printers available in the market today.



Brother MFC- 9440CN color laser multifunction

This color laser multifunction printer is ideal for work groups or small offices. Its USP lies in its consistent and fast speed as well as an impressive scan and print quality. It can perform multifunctional tasks and offers advanced features and functions to meet the diverse needs of an office. It also has an Ethernet port at the rear and it can be connected to the computer via a single USB cable. It is compatible with MAC as well as Windows operating systems. It comes with a default 64 MB memory and this can be upgraded up to 576 MB. It has the regular copy features and the can make up to 99 copies at once as well as enlarge and reduce via custom values or present values. Moreover, it comes with enhanced security features. The Settings Lock enables you to set a Pin number and secure your printer from being tampered by a third party.

HP Photosmart A826

This printer is a favorite among people who prefer a great print quality at lightening speed. It comes packed with some fun features like captions and clip art. The menu section is neat and well organized and it also features a user-friendly touch screen and is great for displaying slide shows. Given its size and lack of portability; the printer would be an ideal choice among professional photographers and professional party organizers. The touch screen comes packed with most of its essential features. The set up too is fairly simple. The A826 can easily be set up to print from a PC. Photographs can be viewed as a slideshow and the settings of this can be adjusted to randomize the order, image duration, continuous loop and much more. The A826 offers a wide variety of options when it comes to printing and editing of photographs.

Epson Stylus Pro 3800

This printer offers a fine blend of features, all packed into one machine. This is the least expensive printer available in the Epson’s Pro series. Besides offering long lasting prints and an amazing black & white print quality; it also has a wide tonal range and offers an array of paper options. The minimum ink droplet size is 3.5 Pico liters and a max resolution of 2880x1, 440dpi. It can hold 9 cartridges of Epson's Ultra Chrome K3 inks: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Matte Black, Photo Black, Light Cyan, Light Magenta, Light Black, and Light Light Black. It comes with an Ethernet port and can thus be shared on a network. So, it makes an ideal printer for a small office environment. The best part of this printer is that delivers high quality black and white prints. While the neutrality of colors will depend on the type of paper being used; the color fidelity on different paper types is more than impressive.

HP Officejet Pro L7680 All-in-One

This printer comes packed with loads of utilizable features like built-in networking, high quality and speedy prints, a built-in ADF, media card slots, Digital Filing, duplexer and various other office-oriented features. This printer is highly recommended for someone who is looking for an all-in-one functionality. It also offers a wireless print server as well as a Bluetooth adaptor for wireless printing (optional). Be it printing, scanning, copying or faxing; the machine accomplishes it all. Although it is network-ready; the printer can be also connected via a USB. It makes it possible to send and receive both colored as well as black and white fax copies.

Lexmark C532dn

This printer offers some highly useful and user-friendly features and offers high quality and speedy prints for just about any print type. It comes network ready with a built-in duplexer as well as a separate photoconductor. This printer is ideal for high volume printing needs and also features an automatic double sided printing. Furthermore; the printer is quite energy efficient and results in lesser material waste. Its toner cartridges have been separated into 2 units. While one piece is the toner; the other piece is the photoconductor. Its print quality is highly impressive and the printer also has an expandable on board memory.