The best printers for schools are very varied and have many specific features, so there are many price options! This guide aims to help you with that choice, so you can get the perfect printing partner without costing you more than necessary.
The world of printing is well established and as such there are many reputable brands to choose from. From HP and Canon to Epson and Brother, they all offer a wide range of printer types and each offers different features. But what's worth considering right away are the running costs. Some brands offer more affordable starter printers, but you pay more for ink in the long run, so be sure to do your research before getting too excited about a seemingly great deal.
The two main types of printers today are inkjet and laser; The latter offers superior quality and speed, but toner replacement is more expensive than the ink in those jet-type printers. Then you'll want to think about Wi-Fi connectivity, the ability to print on school networks with integrations, mobility, paper capacity, scan and copy options, auto-loading, and ports like USB for direct printing from flash drives.
This guide has taken all that into account before presenting only the best printers for schools, highlighting the special features of each option to make it even easier to find the right model for you.
You may also want to check out our guide on how to print on school networks with laptops to get the best out of your model and decide which one will ideally suit your setup.
HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e
The HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e is a great all-rounder when it comes to printers for schools, small offices, homes, and more. As such, it does the basics well, so you can expect high-quality prints for both the color and black options. Most importantly, it's fast too, with up to 24 pages printed per minute, and with a large paper capacity of 500 sheets, it should continue to run automatically for a long time.
There's a built-in scanner with an automatic document feeder (ADF), so you can scan multi-page documents without the need to enter each page manually – ideal for teachers making copies of projects for class, for example.
It features wireless connectivity with Ethernet, Wi-Fi and mobile options to keep you connected to networks or connect directly to individual devices. You also have the additional layers of security from HP Wolf Pro Security to give you peace of mind.
The only drawback might be the size of the printer, as it is not the most compact, as well as the need for a more expensive HP ink subscription than some to get the most out of this printer's features.
Epson EcoTank ET-2720
The Epson EcoTank ET-2720 is all about ink storage, as the name of the tank suggests. This allows you to refill by pouring the ink, rather than using the normally small cartridges. As such, you can buy in bulk and complete batches at a time, for up to 4,500 color pages, which should result in much less need for replacements or maintenance – ideal for schools.
This color inkjet is capable of fast printing, up to 33 pages per minute, and connects via high-speed USB or Wi-Fi and prints on paper up to A4 size. The downside is that the capacity is only 100 sheets of paper, so even if ink is plentiful, paper may need to be added more frequently for larger, more common school use cases.
The image resolution is high, making it ideal for printing photos that look especially good when used with glossy paper, which it specifically supports.
Canon PIXMA G1220
The Canon PIXMA G1220 is another super-tank printer, meaning it rarely fills up and can print up to 7,700 color pages on a single refill. Most importantly, it does so while remaining smaller than most and offering a simplicity that not only makes it easy to use but also a more affordable option.
However, you miss out on features like a built-in scanner or Wi-Fi connectivity, plus printing is slower than many at nine pages per minute. But if you simply want a printer that requires little maintenance interaction other than refilling the relatively meager 100-sheet capacity paper tray, then this is a solid solution. Prints are high quality in both color and black, while glossy paper support also makes it a viable photo printer.
Brother MFC-J6955DW
The Brother MFC-J6955DW is a real contender for all-round winner, as it does a little bit of everything and offers support for tabloid-sized paper. Being packaged in three paper trays, it won't require much maintenance and, thanks to duplex scanning, you can scan both sides with ease.
Printing is fast and high quality, in both black and color, with an impressive speed of 30 pages per minute. Wi-Fi, USB and NFC support are welcome connectivity options, although you won't print directly from a USB stick.
Running costs are low and with the ability to scan, copy, fax and print at scale, this is a great option for schools that want enterprise-grade print quality and performance at a more affordable price.
Canon Pixma G7020 Megatank
The Canon Pixma G7020 Megatank is so called because it goes beyond the super tank to offer even more ink capacity to achieve some of the best ongoing running costs of any printer.
Not only is this a great value for long-term rates, but it also offers advanced features like automatic two-sided printing and an automatic document feeder, ideal for bulk copy jobs. It's faster than many other megatank options out there, with up to 14 pages per minute in color. Plus, the quality is excellent, with well-defined text and even smaller fonts produced clearly.
