What to actually look for when buying a home printer
6 min read · Written by Mustafa Husain, Founder of SAS4HomeIT · Published August 26, 2026
The specs that actually matter for a home printer are ink or toner cost per page, how well the printer type matches your actual usage, and reliable WiFi with a decent app, not the print resolution numbers or page-per-minute ratings that dominate the marketing. Printer shopping is full of specs that sound important but rarely matter for typical home use, so it's worth knowing what to check instead, in roughly the order it actually matters.
Ink cost over time beats the sticker price
The cheapest printer up front is very often the most expensive one to run, because manufacturers make their real margin on ink or toner cartridges, sometimes called the 'razor and blades' pricing model. Checking the cost per page for a printer's actual cartridges tells you far more about long-term cost than the initial price tag, a printer that costs more upfront but uses inexpensive cartridges often works out cheaper within the first year alone.
Match the printer to how you'll actually use it
Mostly documents and occasional photos: a basic inkjet or laser printer is plenty, don't overspend on features aimed at more demanding use cases you won't actually have. Regular high-volume printing: a laser printer is usually cheaper to run per page and doesn't have the ink-drying problem inkjets face with infrequent use. Frequent photo printing: dedicated photo inkjets handle color and detail noticeably better than general-purpose printers, worth the premium specifically if photo quality genuinely matters to you.
Ink drying out is a real cost for light, occasional use
Inkjet cartridges can dry out from sitting unused for extended periods, an underused inkjet printer sometimes costs more in wasted, dried-out cartridges over a year than a laser printer would across the same period, even if you rarely print. If your printing is genuinely occasional (a few pages a month), this is worth weighing seriously against the usually lower upfront cost of inkjet.
Don't skip WiFi and app support
A printer that connects reliably to WiFi and has a working mobile app saves a genuine amount of daily friction, printing from a phone or tablet without needing a cable is worth prioritizing over marginal print-quality differences between similar models. Check the app has decent reviews specifically, some manufacturers' printer apps are considerably more reliable and better-maintained than others, and this affects daily usability more than most other specs.
Multi-function (print, scan, copy) is usually worth the modest extra cost
A combined print-scan-copy printer typically costs only modestly more than a print-only model, and having built-in scanning available without needing a phone app or separate scanner is convenient often enough to be worth it for most households, even ones that don't scan frequently.
What we help with
If you're not sure which type fits your actual usage pattern, we're happy to talk through it before you buy, and we set up and configure whatever printer you choose, including shared access across every device in the household and a proper wireless connection from the start.
Frequently asked questions
What actually matters most when buying a home printer?
Ink or toner cost per page matters more than the sticker price, since manufacturers often make their real margin on cartridges. A printer that costs more upfront but uses inexpensive cartridges frequently works out cheaper within the first year. After that, match the printer type to how you'll actually use it, and don't skip WiFi and app support.
Should I get an inkjet or laser printer for home use?
For regular high-volume printing, laser is usually cheaper to run per page and doesn't have the ink-drying problem inkjets face with infrequent use. For light, occasional printing, an underused inkjet can actually cost more over a year in wasted, dried-out cartridges than a laser printer would, even though inkjets usually cost less upfront.
Is a multi-function printer worth it over a print-only model?
Usually yes. A combined print-scan-copy printer typically costs only modestly more than a print-only model, and having built-in scanning available without a phone app or separate scanner is convenient often enough to be worth it for most households.