The 3 Best Cheap Printers - Summer 2020
Reviews

The Canon PIXMA MG3620 is the best cheap printer that we've tested so far. Although it has a somewhat cheap and plasticky build, its simple design is surprisingly cost-efficient. It has a low cost-per-print, so whether you're printing off work documents or photos, this printer keeps it affordable.

This printer can produce good quality photos and while colors are a little oversaturated, they still have good detail. It's fairly compact so you can store it when it's not in use, and it even comes in three different colors so you can find the right look for your space. Thanks to its flatbed scanner, you can also scan more fragile items like old family photos.

On the downside, it doesn't have a sheetfed scanner, which can make things more difficult if you need to process multiple pages at a time. As it only uses one black and one tricolor ink cartridge, it doesn't really yield a lot of pages either. Luckily, there are higher yield cartridges available, which is great if you're always running print jobs.

The best cheap printer for students that we've tested to date is the Canon PIXMA TS5320. This fairly compact printer can easily fit most desks or sit on a shelf when not in use. It also has Bluetooth support so you can easily connect to it with your mobile devices, or you can use its companion app to print, scan, or copy directly from your phone.

It has a decent cost-per-print for photos as well as black and color documents, which is great if you're on a budget. If you like to print photos to put on your walls, it can also print great quality photos that are vivid and detailed. Although it only has a flatbed scanner, the scanner lid can raise slightly to accommodate larger items like books or journals. You can even use this printer to add a splash of color to your dorm as it comes in pink and mint green, as well as more traditional colors like gray and white.

It's not the quickest printer, though, and print jobs can take a while to finish, especially if you have a lot of pages. The cartridges don't yield a lot of pages either, but luckily there's an XL cartridge available. All in all, it's versatile enough for student life and is one of the best cheap printers for student use that we've tested to date.