How We Test Printers

Transforming Data Into Objective Reviews

Product Selection

The first step in our review process is production selection. We go about this in two ways. The first is straightforward, as we simply buy the printer that gets the most votes via our insiders program. Then, we also make our own picks based on the products' popularity and whether they fit a specific use. We buy all our units anonymously from online retailers or directly on the brand's website. This means there's no cherry-picking for the best unit—we get what you'll get if you were to buy the product. Proceeding in this manner also lets us minimize contact with each brand, thus avoiding any conflicts of interest or biases. Unfortunately, this method has its disadvantages, as it usually results in our reviews getting published later than other outlets that get review samples. We often have multiple printers in the lab at once; you can see the status of each review on the review pipeline page.

Testing

Before we get into the details of our testing process, here's a brief summary of our overall philosophy and why we test printers the way we do.

PHILOSOPHY

As with other products we review at RTINGS.com, we employ a standardized testing method to review printers, meaning we use the same tests, patterns, and materials for every printer we test. This testing procedure provides a level playing field, making every printer comparable. We sometimes perform additional tests for unique features or to verify a manufacturer's claim, like the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310's more scratch-resistant ink. Community feedback and requests are important to us, too, so let us know in the product's discussions if there's something you would like us to test.

Getting Ready

Once we've received and unpacked a printer, one of our two professional photographers begins taking pictures, providing the photos you see in our reviews. Like our tests, they photograph all printers in the same manner so that they're easily comparable. The printer is then handed to one of our trained testers for the actual testing. The testing process typically takes a few days, though this varies depending on the printer—supertank models usually take much longer due to their significantly higher page yields.

Testing Process

Printer reviews have four parts; you can see the tests included in each part below. Click the links for more in-depth articles on how we perform each test. The order in which the testers perform the tests has little impact on the results, though they typically start with page yield, as it's typically the longest and doesn't require continuous interaction or supervision, allowing the testers to complete other parts of the review.

You can track the progress of a review via our status tracker (shown below) on the product's forum page.

Design

The first and largest part of printer reviews is the design section, comprising nine boxes. A couple of tests in this section are straightforward, like Dimensions and In The Box, where we report the printer's measurements and the content of the box, respectively. The Display Screen test is also simple; we only provide the display's measurements, specify whether it has touch input, and subjectively evaluate its visibility and user experience (responsiveness and ease of use). If the printer doesn't have a display, we simply provide information on how you can operate the unit. In the case of portable printers with a built-in rechargeable battery, we note the manufacturer's advertised battery life in the Battery section and the time required to fully charge the device.

The Build Quality test is a subjective evaluation of the printer's overall build quality and design. Build quality is pretty self-explanatory, while design primarily touches on the ease with which you can access the cartridges and sheet rollers, as well as flaws in the design that might cause some inconveniences, like a fixed power cord, which makes replacement difficult or impossible if damaged.

Two boxes touch on the scanner: Scanner Features and Scan Quality. The former specifies whether the unit has a flatbed, an automatic feeder, or both. We also indicate the flatbed and feeder's maximum scan size, the feeder's maximum paper capacity, the lid's hinge adjustability (which makes it easier to close the lid over thicker items like textbooks), and other capabilities like duplex scanning, fax, copy, and optical character recognition (OCR). The scan speed test shows the speed at which you can process sheets using its automatic feeder (if applicable) or flatbed. As for the scan quality test, we simply specify the scanner's maximum scan resolution and color depth. Additionally, we subjectively evaluate the scan quality using our sample document and the scanner's default scan setting, noting the scanner's ability to capture text, colors, and fine details.

The Cartridge section is where we specify the printer's technology (inkjet/laser/dye-sublimation/film, etc.) and anything related to the cartridges, like the number of cartridges, the ink type, the cartridge model, and whether high-yield or third-party cartridges exist. This is also where we indicate the number of pages we can print of each color before the printing quality degrades. We perform the page yield test by producing prints with ink covering 80% of the paper, which shortens the testing time but isn't representative of the way most people use their printer. As such, we apply an internal calculation to estimate the number of pages in regular use, giving us the estimated page yield results. Though not an official test, we also note the printer's behavior when a cartridge is low on ink, as some printers will let you continue printing (at the cost of lower quality) while others won't.

Last, there's the Expected Maintenance box. This is where we specify whether there are any maintenance requirements besides changing the ink cartridges, like printhead cleaning or maintenance box replacement.

DOCUMENT

Moving on, we have the document section, which comprises five tests. Black & White Documents and Color Documents concern printing quality. Using this sample document (in PDF form), we subjectively evaluate the sharpness and legibility of the text, the alignment, the colors (saturation and other oddities), and the presence of fine details, like the lines in the graph and the watermark. We print these documents in landscape mode, which makes flaws like misalignment more apparent. The alignment issues present in landscape mode won't always show in portrait mode, but testing in this manner does allow us to show how the printer performs in the most difficult scenarios. We also indicate whether color ink is necessary to print black and white documents, as some printers won't let you print in black and white if one of the color cartridges is empty.

Printing Speed is another self-explanatory test. Here, we test how fast the printer can print black-and-white documents, color documents, and a 4" x 6" photo, as well as the time required to initialize and print a single page after being idle for at least an hour. We also indicate whether the printer supports duplex printing and the input tray's capacity.

The Cost-Per-Print section shows you the price of the ink cartridges at the time of testing and how much it would cost you per print when printing a black-only or color document. We calculate the cost per print based on our page yield test results and the cost of the ink or toner cartridges. We also show whether the printer is eligible to enroll in an ink subscription, which is sometimes more cost-effective for some users.

Finally, we have Document Printing Sizes, where we specify the most common paper sizes the printer supports. We specify the printer's custom paper size range as well, either through its main input tray or manual feeder.

PHOTO

Color Gamut is the first test that appears in the photo section. This is a subjective test in which we compare the Granger chart and the sample 'parrots' photo printed on the tested unit against the originals. In the Granger chart, we evaluate how visible the 'zigzag' line is in the printed sample, how far up or down the black and white portion at the top and bottom extend, and the fluidity of the color transitions (whether there's banding or graining). As for the 'parrots' photo, we evaluate how well the colors match the original digital file. We also compare these two prints against samples printed on other similar printers to assist in our evaluation.

Unlike the Color Gamut test, the Color Accuracy test is purely objective. We print the color dE test picture, which contains 24 squares of different colors and shades, then measure the accuracy of each color using a Nix QC colorimeter to determine how much each deviates from the intended color, resulting in the dE graph posted in the review. Finally, we use the 'friends' picture to validate the results, verifying that what we see in the photo correlates with the color dE measurements.

The Small Details test grades the printer's ability to reproduce fine elements. For inkjet printers, we assign the score objectively based on the printer's resolution. We sometimes adjust the score if the quality doesn't match our expectations based on the print resolution, though this only happens on rare occasions. For all other types of printers, such as laser and ink-sublimation models, we give a subjective score based on the sample 'Tokyo' picture, as the print quality rarely matches the printer's resolution.

Like the Document Printing Sizes box, Photo Printing Sizes is where we specify the most common glossy photo paper sizes the printer supports. We also indicate whether the printer supports borderless printing.

MOBILE APP AND Connectivity

The Mobile App and Connectivity section concludes our printer review. The Connectivity test simply specifies which type of wired or wireless connections the printer supports and whether it has a USB port or SD card reader that lets you print directly from an external storage drive. We also indicate whether the printer supports Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service, allowing you to print from an Apple or Android device without installing drivers or a third-party app.

The Mobile App test provides details about the printer's mobile companion app for iOS and Android devices. We test whether the app can print photos, PDFs, Microsoft Office files, text files, and webpages directly from the app, which is sometimes more convenient than printing from multiple apps. We also include additional information about the app, as many have integration with cloud services like Google Classroom and allow you to access the printer's manual and support pages. Some, like the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550's Smart Panel app, even lets you choose the color space.

OS Compatibility is where we specify the printer's compatibility with the three most common desktop operating systems: Windows, macOS, and Chrome OS. We simply check whether the printer works with these types of devices and whether you must manually install drivers.

Writing

Once a tester has finished the testing, we proceed to the peer-review process, where a second trained tester and a writer validate the results and ask for any additional testing or explanation if something doesn't match their expectations or the community's experience. After the validation process, we publish the results in early access to give our insiders a first look.

Writing begins immediately after the early access publication. While printer reviews aren't as lengthy as our TV and laptop reviews, ranging typically between 1,500 and 2,500 words, writing a printer review is still a complex task requiring a fair amount of expertise and thorough research. The writer must be knowledgeable in every aspect of the printer, including the different types of printing technology and ink, as well as the market as a whole. The writer's goal is to provide a detailed explanation of the results, context, and any additional information when necessary.

After the first draft, the review undergoes a second validation process in which a second writer and the original tester ensure the text clearly conveys our findings. The review then goes to the editing team, where an editor ensures the final product is of the highest quality before publishing, checking for consistency, errors, and adherence to our internal style guidelines and formatting. The writing process typically takes a few days.

Recommendations

Following publication, the same writers involved in the review process revise our recommendation articles to see if the tested printer merits being on our recommendation list. We update the recommendation articles frequently so that readers can easily make a purchasing decision without reading entire reviews. While we rely on our test results to make our recommendations, we also consider other factors like price and availability, as well as things like customer support and overall buying experience.

Unlike TVs and laptops, where manufacturers typically release new models yearly, printer releases are more spread out. Newer models come out every other year, if not more, so some picks, especially the standout ones, remain on our list for an extended period. It's worth noting that we don't only recommend products available through affiliate partners, as some printers are easier to get through the manufacturer's website or specific retailers.

Retests/Updates

As mentioned above, we purchase our own units for testing. Beyond our philosophy of minimizing contact with manufacturers to avoid biases and conflicts of interest, another benefit of doing so is that we get to keep the products, allowing us to retest them. Retests happen for various reasons, such as firmware updates, and they can also help answer community questions about a product's specific features or issues users have encountered. Additionally, having the units at our disposal lets us compare products side by side and describe more accurately the differences between various models.

The retest process is similar to our main testing process. A tester performs the retests, then a second tester and a writer validate them. The writer makes the necessary changes in reviews and affected recommendations, with an editor ensuring that the changes still meet the standards and quality of all other content on our site. Our product, writing, testing, and test development teams regularly work together to decide which products to keep and which we can safely resell. If a product is no longer relevant, available, or featured in our recommendation articles, we may consider it for resale.

Conclusion

That's it! We hope you enjoyed this brief overview of our review process. For more information, you can watch our video below. To learn more about a specific test, refer to our printer articles or click the "Learn about _____" link on any review page. As we're always striving to improve, your feedback is invaluable. If you have any questions, criticisms, or suggestions, feel free to reach out to us in the comments section of this article, our forums, or via email to feedback@rtings.com.