What is the Best Scanner Printer?

Obviously, the primary motivation for a scanner printer combination is that it saves space. If you're like most people, your home office is probably already crowded with technology. You want a printer that is as sleek and efficient as possible, not something that only works occasionally and takes up half your desk.

At one point, scanner printer combinations were significantly more money than a simple inkjet printer. With improvements in technology however, the price on these machines has come down substantially. The cost difference is now fairly minimal. In fact, the different between regular ink jet printers and printer scanner combinations is often $50 or less.

When choosing the best scanner printer for your needs, there are several different factors you may wish to consider:

• Print speed
• Scanning resolution
• LCD screen, memory card capability, and other features that allow you to scan or print photos without using your computer
• Cost of ink
• Availability of ink refills in your area
• Wireless networking, if you often print from more than one computer in your home
• Other optional features, such as the ability to send a fax

The Canon MP480 All-in-One Photo Printer is a great choice for most homes. It's affordably priced, easy to use, and features the ability to detect the type of original you’re scanning — a photo, business card, page from a personal notebook, or form — to automatically scan and save with the appropriate settings. When printing pictures, you can print directly from your camera's memory card if you wish. There is even a feature on the printer scanner combination that lets you automatically remove red eye from your photos. The only real downside is that you will go through ink rather quickly.

If speed is your top priority, the Epson Stylus NX515 WiFi Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer is a great choice. This scanner printer combination is twice as fast as comparably priced models with 36 ppm black/color, laser quality print speeds of 15 ppm black, and 9.3 ppm color. You have the option of scanning directly to email and features such as red eye removal, automatic photo restoration, automatic photo correction, and advanced face detection make it easy to print high quality photos from the comfort of your own home.

There's a reason HP is the leading producer of inkjet printers in the United States. If you're looking for a great scanner printer for your home office, the HP Officejet 6500 Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printer is an excellent choice. You can print, scan, copy, and fax with one sleek looking machine. Automatic two-sided printing saves paper and the paper tray holds up to 250 pages so you're not constantly reloading it. Wireless networking makes it possible to print from any location in your home, which is ideal if you use your laptop to check emails while eating your breakfast!

If the scanner printer combinations listed above aren't quite what you were looking for, you can find more reviews by visiting the following helpful Web sites:

• CNET
• PC Mag
• Printer Comparison