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Part of Canon's business MX line of all-in-ones, the PIXMA MX922 once cost considerably more than it does now, but it has been on the market a while and, as a result, has dropped enough in price to qualify for this list. Overall, it's quite adept at all it does, making it an excellent candidate for the best all-around machine.
While Canon doesn't call this a "photo" printer, as a Pixma it can produce stunning 4 x 6 inches (and up) photos quickly and at a maximum resolution of 9600 x 2400 dots per inch, or dpi. It can also print labels on appropriately surfaced CD, DVD, and Blu-ray optical discs.
In addition to quality printing, this AIO sports a 35-sheet auto-duplexing automatic document feeder (ADF) and a 250-sheet paper input cassette. Even though this is one of Canon's MX business-oriented Pixmas, it uses five inks, rather than the standard four process colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, or CMYK) used in most other printers, which helps to improve photo quality significantly. While there are plenty of strong all-in-ones out there, when you can pick this one up for under $100, it's a great value.
The HP OfficeJet 4650 Wireless All-in-One Photo Printer with Mobile Printing lets you connect to your printer in a number of ways, including HP's Wireless Direct, HP's equivalent to Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi, USB, as well as various other mobile printing options.
But connectivity is not all it has going for it. This is also one of HP's Instant Ink-ready printers, meaning that you can get a pretty good price on ink, on a per-page basis, if you subscribe to this ink-by-mail program, especially if you print photos. The printer can print two-sided pages, but the scanner and ADF cannot scan them without your having to flip the originals manually. You can't get everything for under $100.
Short of mobile printers, including HP's own OfficeJet 250 Mobile All-in-One, the company's DeskJet 3755 Compact All-in-One Photo Printer is the next smallest AIO printer we know of. Wirelessly print, scan and copy in tight spaces, such as your crowded dorm room, your postage-stamp-size desk, or your studio apartment-office.
In fact, the HP DeskJet 3755 prints from mobile devices via HP's all-in-one remote print app. Scan resolution is 600 dpi, and a variety of paper sizes are supported, up to 8.5 x 14 inches, as well as the letter, No. 10 envelopes. Cramped for space? Check out the DeskJet 3755.
The Dell E310DW Laser Printer - Monochrome Printer delivers crisp black-and-white prints, and it churns out text pages at a speed of 27 pages per minute. Furthermore, you can print wirelessly from any Wi-Fi Direct-enabled mobile device, and you can also connect wirelessly via Wi-Fi or wired via Ethernet and USB.
The E310dw comes with a 250-page input cassette that slides into the bottom of the chassis. Above that, is a multipurpose tray for printing one-up envelopes or other specialty pages without having to take the printer out of service.
You can print on media up to 59 pounds, allowing you to print high-quality labels, business cards, and envelopes, as well as exceptional quality documents suitable for business presentations.
Aside from dedicated photo printers, also known as professional photo printers, such as Canon's own Pixma Pro-1, few printers can churn out photos better than Canon's six-ink "MG" (the company's photo family distinction) Pixmas. Photos are highly detailed and brightly and accurately colored, whether printed on standalone on premium photo paper as part of a larger layout.
The MG6820 also churns out great-looking business documents, with near-laser quality text and well-detailed business charts and graphs. In addition to printing, this AIO also scans and copies, and like most Pixmas, as long as you start with quality originals, the MG6820 should do a fine job of reproducing them. In addition, the MG6800 series comes in several colors, including black, white, gold, and red.
If you include street prices and sales, nowadays there are a lot of under-$100 printers in the world, and while that sounds pretty cheap, you have to wonder about its speed, print quality, and reliability. Now wonder about the same functions from an AIO that costs less than $50.
Granted, the Expression Home XP-430 Small-in-One Printer is small, and it doesn't have an ADF. Even so, it churns out attractive-looking pages and even prints nice-looking photos. What it lacks in volume and capacity it makes up for in quality. You get loads of cloud and other mobility options, including Wi-Fi Direct for peer-to-peer routerless connections, and you can print from and scan to SD Card type memory cards for compatibility with most digital cameras.
InkJet or laser - Deciding between an inkjet or a laser printer can be tricky. Laser printers typically use much less ink, contain longer lasting cartridges, and can usually print at a faster speed. However, inkjet printers are more affordable in the short-term and are fine for those looking to print the occasional school essay or photograph.
Color or monochrome - Looking for color or is a monochrome printer alright for the job? If you don’t need to print colorful photographs or graphics, considering a black and white printer means you might be able to afford a more efficient laser printer without breaking the bank.
Wireless connectivity - The world is wireless, and you’ll want to be able to print from your laptop, smartphone, or tablet. Seek out a printer that offers wireless connectivity for mobile devices. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself needing to plug in with a wire every time you want to print.