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You are about to commit to a printer that also scans and copies, so the first fork in the road is speed versus ink cost. A laser machine prints crisp text at 36 pages per minute, while an ink tank model can come with enough ink in the box to last for thousands of pages.
I’m Mohammad Maruf — the founder and writer behind Gardening Beyond. This guide is built by comparing the manufacturers’ published specifications and the patterns across verified customer reviews, so you get each pick’s real strengths and trade-offs instead of marketing spin.
You can now find the computer printer scanner that matches your print volume, wireless needs, and budget without decoding dense spec sheets.
Our Picks at a Glance
How To Choose The Best Computer Printer Scanner
Most households overbuy on speed and underbuy on scanning convenience, which leads to frustration when a 20-page contract needs to become a single PDF. Start by counting how many pages you actually print each month, then match that volume to the right ink technology.
Match the Ink System to Your Print Volume
If you print a few dozen black-and-white pages a month, a monochrome laser gives you sharp text with a toner cartridge that can last for months. If you print photos, school projects, or colorful reports weekly, an inkjet delivers the color range you need, but cartridge replacement costs add up fast.
Scanning Features You Will Actually Use
A flatbed scanner handles single pages and fragile documents, while an automatic document feeder (ADF) lets you drop in a stack and walk away. Look for an ADF if you regularly scan multi-page forms, receipts, or client paperwork, since manually feeding each page is a time sink.
Connectivity Shapes the Daily Experience
Dual-band wireless (which uses both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi bands) keeps a stable connection for phones, laptops, and tablets, while Ethernet gives a wired link that never drops. A touchscreen or mobile app makes setup and routine scanning far less painful than button-only menus.
Quick Comparison
| Model | Best For | Print Speed (B&W) | Auto Document Feeder | Duplex Printing | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brother HL-L2480DW★ Best Overall | Fast, sharp text for small offices | 36 ppm | — | Automatic | Amazon |
| Canon PIXMA TR7120Best Value | Budget color printing at home | 14 ppm | Yes | Automatic | Amazon |
| Epson Workforce Pro WF-3823 | Fast color for demanding home offices | 21 ppm | 35-sheet | Automatic | Amazon |
| HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw | Reliable B&W for small teams | 35 ppm | 50-sheet | Automatic | Amazon |
| Epson EcoTank ET-2980 | Bulk ink savings at home | 15 ppm | — | Automatic | Amazon |
| Brother MFC-L2820DW | All-in-one laser with fax | 34 ppm | 50-page | Automatic | Amazon |
| HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw | Color laser for busy offices | 26 ppm | Yes | Automatic | Amazon |
In-Depth Reviews
1. Brother HL-L2480DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Multi-Function Laser Printer
Our pick — 4.5★ from 600+ verified ratings; the strongest balance of quality and price.
The laser that makes text look like a professional print shop and keeps that pace for years.
For a home office that lives on black-and-white documents, this Brother delivers the speed you want — 36 pages per minute — which outruns the Canon color pick below by a 2.6x gap. The flatbed scan glass (the flat glass surface you press a page against to scan it) turns this into a 3-in-1 machine, so you get a laser printer, scanner, and copier in one compact footprint. A 250-sheet paper tray (a large drawer that holds a quarter-ream of paper) means you are not constantly reloading mid-job, and the manual feed slot handles envelopes and specialty paper.
The 2.7″ touchscreen lets you print from and scan to Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, and OneNote without touching a computer. Setup is famously painless — buyers report they were installed to Wi-Fi across phones and PCs in 30 minutes, and one long-serving unit replaced a prior Brother that ran for over 12 years. The print quality is what wins people over: clear, crisp, and sharp text every time, with fast copies and a quiet operation that makes the old noisy inkjet it replaced a distant memory.
What owners rave about most is the overall printer quality, with setup close behind, and the wireless connectivity is the one mixed note — some report occasional connection hiccups. A wired Ethernet connection (cabling that plugs directly into your router for a stable link) sidesteps that entirely for a fixed desk setup.
Why It Wins
- Top-tier 36 ppm speed for monochrome documents
- Sharp text quality that owners consistently praise
- Quiet operation reported across many reviews
- 2.7″ touchscreen with cloud app scanning
The Trade-Off
- Monochrome only — no color printing
- Some owners mention wireless connectivity can be mixed
- No automatic document feeder for multi-page scans
The clear pick: grab this if you want fast, sharp black-and-white prints and quiet scanning for a small office or work-from-home setup.
Look elsewhere if: you regularly print color documents or need to auto-feed a stack of pages through a scanner.
2. Canon PIXMA TR7120 Wireless Color Inkjet Printer
A budget-friendly color workhorse that scans stacks and prints photos without the premium price tag.
If your printing mix includes the occasional color page, this Canon prints crisp documents and vibrant photos using a 2-cartridge hybrid ink system (two cartridges that combine pigment and dye inks for sharp text and rich color). It hits 14 ppm black-and-white, which is noticeably faster than the Epson EcoTank below for everyday tasks. The 1.42″ monochrome OLED screen (a small, energy-efficient display) shows ink levels and printer status, so you see a refill coming before it bites. Its compact footprint (14.8″D x 14″W x 8.2″H) lets it tuck into a tight desk corner without dominating the room.
The auto document feeder is the standout feature here, letting you drop in a multi-page stack for quick scanning and copying instead of feeding each sheet by hand. Customers note easy setup with on-screen prompts, quick 10-minute print times, and a stable dual-band Wi-Fi connection (a standard that uses both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands for better range and speed) for phones and laptops. One recurring point: the paper tray runs on the small side, a fair trade for the compact design.
The thing everyone raves about is print quality — sharp, clear, and vibrant — with setup and value for money close behind. Jamming gets a mixed reception, so it is worth feeding paper evenly and avoiding overloading the tray, while the small paper capacity and higher ink use are honest limits for a light-use home office.
The smart budget call: choose this Canon when you need color printing plus stack scanning and want to keep the upfront cost low.
The honest limit: the small paper tray and higher ink consumption mean this suits light, everyday home use rather than heavy office volume.
3. Epson Workforce Pro WF-3823 Wireless Color All-in-One Inkjet Printer
The color inkjet built for speed, with a 35-sheet auto feeder and a 2.7″ touchscreen for serious home-office flow.
For a color machine that keeps pace with a busy home office, this Epson prints 21 ppm black and 11 ppm color using PrecisionCore Heat-Free Technology (a print head that fires ink without heating it, saving energy and reducing wear). The 35-sheet auto document feeder (a slot that pulls in a stack of pages automatically) handles multi-page scan and copy jobs hands-free, while a 250-sheet paper tray (a large drawer holding a quarter-ream) keeps reloads at bay. DURABrite Ultra instant-dry pigment inks (inks that dry on contact) mean prints come out smudge-resistant and professional-grade right off the tray.
The 2.7″ color touchscreen and the Epson Smart Panel app put scanning, copying, and print management at your fingertips, and wireless setup works through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE, a low-power wireless signal that pairs your phone quickly) from a smartphone. Reviewers point out crisp black-and-white and color copies, reliable Wi-Fi, and a machine that suits homeschool supplies and small-business printing. The scan-to-PC feature via the menu saves time for anyone who digitizes paperwork regularly.
What wins people over is the easy setup and good print speed, with quality output for home-office use. The two honest trade-offs are wireless connectivity, which gets mixed feedback, and reliability over the long haul — occasional units hit ink or maintenance issues, so genuine Epson cartridges are the safe path. A capable fax function adds versatility for those who still need it.
The balanced pick: this Epson suits a home office that wants speed, color, and stack scanning without stepping up to a laser.
Who should think twice: if wireless stability is critical, the mixed reports suggest a wired Ethernet connection for a fixed desk.
4. HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw Wireless Black and White All-in-One Laser Printer
A laser that churns out sharp black-and-white pages at 35 ppm and scans a 50-sheet stack without breaking a sweat.
Small teams that live on black-and-white reports will find this HP nearly as fast as the top Brother pick — 35 ppm is just one page behind — while adding a 50-sheet auto document feeder that the Brother HL-L2480DW lacks. That ADF (the slot that pulls in a stack of pages automatically) makes multi-page copying and scanning a low-maintenance task. The 250-sheet input tray plus auto 2-sided printing keep the workflow moving without constant paper handling.
Initial page print time (the wait before the first page comes out) is a brisk 7 seconds, so single-page jobs finish almost before you sit down. Owners consistently mention the clear, crisp prints and easy setup, with the HP Smart app connecting to phones via home Wi-Fi without hassle. One buyer liked it enough to buy a total of three units, all working flawlessly, and the starter toner delivers high yield before a replacement is needed.
The reliability and printer quality get the most praise, though connectivity draws mixed feedback — occasional drops on internet surges are fixable with router tweaks. The auto-feeder can jam if loaded past roughly 25 sheets, so respect the capacity and this is a dependable office partner. Note that HP firmware can block third-party toner, so factor genuine cartridge costs into the long-run budget.
The team player: choose this HP for a small office that needs fast monochrome printing plus reliable stack scanning.
The fine print: expect to stick with HP-brand toner cartridges, and keep ADF loads under its full capacity for jam-free operation.
5. Epson EcoTank ET-2980 Wireless Color All-in-One Supertank Printer
The cartridge-free tank that bundles years of ink in the box and slashes your cost per page.
If cartridge costs sting every time you refill, this Epson flips the math — the ink bottles included in the box deliver up to 6,600 pages black and 5,500 color, which Epson says equals about 90 individual cartridges. That could mean up to 3 years of printing before you buy more ink, and the supersized tanks refill through EcoFit bottles (a nozzle designed to sit snugly in the tank so you cannot spill) without the worry of ink drying out. The trade-off is speed: 15 ppm black and 8 ppm color is the slowest in this lineup, so it rewards patience over volume.
Print quality for home use is solid, with borderless photo printing that owners say beats cheap HP units and even saves them from buying a dedicated photo printer. Setup is guided and easy, with a clean app experience for phone and tablet printing, and the compact footprint (13.7″D x 14.8″W x 7.4″H) fits a home office shelf. It works happily with older software too, including a 2000s-era Paint Shop Pro, and plugs into Windows 10 via USB without drama.
What wins people over is the great ink value and easy setup, with good quality for small batches. The recurring gripes are the small screen and print speed — both mixed in owner feedback — and wireless connectivity that some report drops. This is the pick for high-volume color printing where the upfront ink bundle pays off in the long run.
The Long-Game Win
- Up to 6,600 B&W pages of ink included
- Borderless photo printing that impresses owners
- Easy guided setup via app
The Slow Lane
- 15 ppm speed is modest for heavy printing
- Wireless connectivity gets mixed reviews
- Small screen is a recurring owner complaint
Reach for this if: you print a lot of color and want the lowest cost per page over time, especially for a family or hobby printing.
Look elsewhere if: you need fast output or a clear, large display for regular navigation.
6. Brother MFC-L2820DW Wireless Compact Monochrome All-in-One Laser Printer
The laser all-in-one that adds fax and stack scanning to Brother’s legendary speed and ease.
Take everything that makes the top Brother pick great, add a 50-page auto document feeder and a fax machine, and you get this MFC (Multi-Function Center) model — the smarter choice if you scan multi-page documents regularly. Print speed is 34 ppm, a hair behind the sibling unit, but the scan speed of up to 23.6/7.9 ipm (images per minute) means a 20-page contract becomes a PDF in well under a minute. Dual-band wireless (2.4GHz/5GHz), Ethernet, or USB give you three connection paths for any desk setup.
The 2.7″ touchscreen offers the same cloud app printing as the other Brother — Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, OneNote — while the Brother Mobile Connect app manages printing on the go. Owners call it the easiest setup they have ever done, with one user connecting via a Cat6 cable and having the machine recognized instantly, just setting the date and time. It replaced a 16-year-old Brother, and the new unit came out ahead; the fax function is unused by most, but the rest performs flawlessly.
The solid machine impression is the through-line in reviews: easy setup, good print and scan output, fast performance, and economical toner usage. This is a workhorse with no major owner gripes beyond the mild learning curve of firmware updates, and the ADF plus fax make it the most complete monochrome package here.
The complete package: pick this Brother if you want laser speed plus the convenience of a 50-page auto document feeder and fax in a compact body.
Why it earns a spot: it covers print, copy, scan, and fax with the same polish as the top pick, minus color output.
7. HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw Wireless All-in-One Color Laser Printer
The color laser that prints, scans both sides of a page at once, and faxes — for offices that want it all.
When color is non-negotiable and you want laser speed, this HP prints 26 ppm in both black and color, with TerraJet toner (a next-gen toner formula that makes colors more vivid) bringing professional-grade vibrancy to reports and marketing materials. What truly separates it is 2-sided single-pass scanning — it reads both sides of a page in one pass through the auto document feeder, cutting multi-page digitizing time in half. At 41.4 pounds, this is a serious desktop machine that will not tip over on a standard office desk.
The 250-sheet input tray, fax, and dual-band Wi-Fi with self-reset (a feature that detects and fixes connection issues automatically) round out a genuinely office-ready package. IT professionals find setup fast and novice-friendly, with the responsive touchscreen and HP Smart app simplifying installation, and shoppers say crisp text, vibrant colors, and fast first-page-out. Scan-to-email and scan-to-cloud make digitizing paperwork a one-button task.
The fast, efficient performance and accurate colors win praise, but print quality and connectivity draw sharp mixed feedback — some buyers report horrendous toner defects (streaking, banding, white gaps) on new units, and replacement 218A/218X toners can run out of stock. HP’s firmware also blocks third-party cartridges, so genuine toner is the only path. For a home office or small business that can absorb the premium running cost, this is a fast all-in-one; for the budget-conscious, the mixed reliability record is a real consideration.
The pro office tool: choose this HP if you demand fast color laser printing, 2-sided scanning, and fax in one machine.
The honest caution: expect to pay for genuine HP toner and weigh the mixed reliability reports before committing.
Understanding the Specs
Print Speed (Pages Per Minute)
PPM tells you how many pages a printer can produce in one minute, and it is the number that separates a laser from an inkjet. A 36 ppm laser finishes a 20-page report in about 33 seconds, while a 14 ppm inkjet takes over a minute and a half for the same job. For a home user printing a few pages a day, speed matters little; for a small office, it is the difference between waiting and working.
Automatic Document Feeder (ADF)
An ADF is a slot that pulls in a stack of pages automatically for scanning or copying, so you do not have to lift the lid and place each sheet on the glass. A 50-sheet ADF handles a full contract or photo stack in one go, while a flatbed-only scanner needs manual attention per page. If you digitize multi-page forms or receipts, an ADF is the feature that saves you the most time.
Auto Duplex Printing
Auto duplex means the printer flips the paper itself and prints on both sides, so you do not stand there turning pages manually. It halves your paper use on multi-page documents, which adds up over a year of reports and handouts. Both laser and inkjet models here offer it, and it is a feature worth having for any office that prints more than a few pages.
Ink System: Cartridge vs Tank vs Toner
Cartridge inkjets are cheapest upfront but priciest per page; toner lasers cost more to buy but deliver thousands of pages per cartridge; ink-tank printers bundle a huge ink supply in the box and refill cheaply. The Epson EcoTank, for example, includes ink for up to 6,600 black pages, which is a multi-year supply for many homes. Match the system to your volume or you pay for ink you never use.
FAQ
Is a laser or inkjet printer scanner better for a home office?
What does an automatic document feeder do for scanning?
Will my printer scanner work with my phone?
How much does it cost to keep a printer scanner running?
What is the difference between flatbed scanning and an ADF?
Is it worth buying a color laser printer scanner?
Why does my printer keep disconnecting from Wi-Fi?
Can I print on both sides of the paper automatically?
How do I scan a document to my computer?
Are third-party ink or toner cartridges safe to use?
Final Thoughts: The Verdict
For most buyers, the computer printer scanner winner is the Brother HL-L2480DW because it pairs laser-fast 36 ppm printing with sharp text and a touchscreen in a compact all-in-one. If you want color and stack scanning on a budget, grab the Canon PIXMA TR7120. And for the lowest long-term ink cost with up to 6,600 pages in the box, the Epson EcoTank ET-2980 is the one to reach for.
How We Picked
We do not accept paid placement. Every pick is matched to a real buyer and a real use-case; we do not hands-on test units.
Sources & Methodology
Specifications: manufacturer listings and product documentation. Review insights: verified customer reviews, as of August 2026. Pricing: not shown on this page (it changes often); check the current price via the retailer link.
As an Amazon Associate, Gardening Beyond earns from qualifying purchases. This does not affect which products we feature.