Learn what the big printer brands make, pick the right type for your home or office, and follow step‑by‑step guides to connect your printer to Wi‑Fi and your phone.
Each brand names its printers in series. Once you know the series, you know roughly what the printer is built for.
The most common home printer brand, with a strong range of laser printers for offices.
Known for photo printing, from compact photo printers to high‑end inkjets.
The leader in refillable ink‑tank printers, plus large‑format photo printers.
Reliable, affordable laser printers that are popular for home offices.
The biggest cost of a printer is usually ink or toner, not the printer itself. Think about how much you print before you buy.
| Type | Best for | Good at | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cartridge inkjet | Occasional home printing | Cheap to buy, good colour and photos | Cartridges are expensive per page; ink can dry out if unused |
| Ink tank | Families, students, frequent colour printing | Very low cost per page; refill from bottles | Higher price up front |
| Mono laser | Documents, home office | Fast, sharp text; toner doesn't dry out | Black and white only |
| Colour laser | Small offices, reports and flyers | Fast colour pages, low cost for high volume | Bigger, pricier; photos look flatter than inkjet |
| All‑in‑one | Anyone who also scans or copies | Print, scan and copy in one machine | Takes more desk space |
| Photo printer | Printing pictures from your phone | Lab‑quality photo prints | Not made for everyday documents |
Choose your printer's brand. The guides below change to match it.
Menu names differ a little between models. If a step doesn't match your screen, check your printer's manual for the closest option.
Most modern Wi‑Fi printers support AirPrint, so you don't need an app. Join the same Wi‑Fi as the printer, open a photo or document, tap → , then choose your printer.
Android has printing built in (Mopria). Join the same Wi‑Fi as the printer, open the file, tap → , then pick your printer from the list at the top.
Most home printers only work on the 2.4 GHz Wi‑Fi band.
Yes. Updates fix connection bugs and security problems. You can usually update from the printer's menu or from the brand's phone app. Keep the printer switched on until the update finishes.
For warranty, repairs or drivers, go to the manufacturer's own website by typing it yourself: hp.com, canon.com, epson.com or brother.com. Be careful with pop‑ups or search ads that ask you to call a “printer support” number or let someone control your computer.