Which is the best printer to buy and use with your Mac? That’s not an easy question to answer, but we’ll do our best and cover a wide range of budgets, types of printing, and even printer technologies. Whatever you need a printer for and whatever your budget is, you should find something in this list of best printers for Mac that suits you.
How to buy a printer for your Mac
Before we get started, there are a few things you need to consider when you buy a printer:
- How much do you want to spend? You could spend as little as $50 on a decent printer or go all the way up to several hundred dollars or even more.
- What do you want to print? Text? Photos? Both? Also, consider whether you are likely to print a page or two at a time or large documents running to tens of pages or more.
- Wireless or wired?
- Do you need a scanner and copier, too?
- What about extra features like an auto document feeder?
- How much does the ink for your chosen printer cost?
Best printers for Mac
Below, you’ll find a list of 7 printers compatible with Mac, so you can choose one based on your needs, wants, and budget.
1. Epson EcoTank ET-8550
The Epson EcoTank ET-8550 is the most expensive printer on the list, but it’s brilliant. It gets its name from the refillable ink cartridges it uses. You buy the ink in tanks that can print thousands of pages and use those tanks to refill the cartridges — much more environmentally friendly than buying new cartridges each time.
It can print at sizes up to A3+, so it’s great for printing posters. And you can connect to it using Ethernet, USB, or AirPrint. There’s also a MicroSD card slot for printing directly from SD cards. It has a scanner, too, so you can use it as a copier or for scanning to your Mac. If you’re looking for a good all-rounder for printing at larger sizes, the Epson EcoTank ET-8550 is a great choice.
Price: $749.99
2. HP Envy Inspire 7220e
Much less expensive than the Epson EcoTank is HP’s Envy Inspire 7220e. It’s an A4 all-in-one that can scan, copy, and print. It can connect to your Mac using AirPrint or USB and churns out pages at 15ppm for black ink and 10ppm for color.
It can also print double-sided pages. It doesn’t have refillable ink cartridges, but if you’re concerned about its environmental impact, you’ll be pleased to know it’s made from 45% recycled plastic. It’s easy to set up, thanks to its intuitive touch screen and print quality for both text and photos is great.
Price: $129.99
3. Canon Maxify GX6021
Canon’s Maxify inkjet all-in-one is another eco-friendly printer, thanks to its refillable ink tanks. It’s also cheap to run. Canon says you should get 6,000 black and white or 14,000 color pages from one set of ink bottles. It supports double-sided printing and can hold up to 350 sheets of paper — 250 in the bottom cassette and 100 in a rear tray. It’s speedy, too, and churns out great looking photographs.
You can use it as a printer or copier, and can print from a USB stick, though there’s no microSD card slot. It supports AirPrint, so is easy to set up to print over Wi-Fi and you can also print from your Mac over Ethernet.
Price: $449.99
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4. Brother MFC-J1205W
If you want an all-in-one that dispenses with extra features in return for a low upfront cost, this Brother should be at the top of your list. It doesn’t have refillable ink tanks but instead uses Brother’s INKvestment system — high-capacity ink cartridges that reduce the cost per page. The printer comes with enough ink to last a year, according to Brother (an assumption based on printing 100 pages per month).
It supports AirPrint for easy Wi-Fi printing, but there’s no double-sided printing, automatic document feeder, Ethernet, or support for printing from a USB stick or SD card. There is a USB 2 port for connecting directly to your Mac. It prints and copies documents well, and photo quality is reasonable, though not on par with the more expensive printers on this list. Considering the price and functionality, it is the best home printer for Mac.
Price: $129.99
5. Canon PIXMA iP8720
Like the other printers in Canon’s PIXMA range, the iP8720 is all about printing photos at the highest possible quality. To that end, it uses six inks, adding extra black and gray ink to the usual cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. It connects to your Mac over Wi-Fi with support for AirPrint or USB.
It has been optimized for printing stills from videos shot on Canon D-DLR or digital compact cameras. It can even print directly onto CDs and DVDs. It can print borderless photos at up to 13in x 9in and will knock out a 6in x 4in borderless photo in less than 40 seconds.
Price: $229.99
6. HP Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw
Inkjet printers are great for printing photographs and small documents. But if you need a workhorse printer that can knock out large color documents quickly and at low cost, you should be looking at color laser printers. And this HP is one of the best around.
It can connect to your Mac using AirPrint, USB, or Ethernet. And you can even print remotely using HP’s iPhone app. Support for HP’s JetAdmin remote management makes it ideal for offices. There’s a 250-sheet input cassette and space for 100 sheets in the output, making the LaserJet Pro 3201dw a great choice for homes and businesses.
Price: $339
7. Brother MFC-L8395CDW
LED is the newest printing technology on the block and this Brother LED printer is a great all-rounder for home and business use. Similar to laser printers, LED printers use an array of LEDs instead of a laser to provide the light.
This Brother is an all-in-one printer, scanner and copier and connects to your Mac using AirPrint, Ethernet or USB. You can also print from a USB stick. It’s economical to run, fast and has an input tray that holds 250 sheets of paper. It supports double-sided printing and scanning, too, making it a great choice for everyday use.
Price: $600
There’s no single answer to the question of which is the best printer for Mac computers. It depends on what you want to print, how you want to print, and how often you will use it. The printers above cover a range of uses and types and are the very best you can buy for your Mac.
