If I told you how much time I spent researching what printer to buy when we started homeschooling, you’d click away now. I knew I wanted something cheap that wouldn’t break the bank in ink. I have a slight Teachers Pay Teachers addiction and absolutely abuse my laminator. Finally, I found the best printer for homeschool that lets me focus on the important things without stressing about ink and money.

Also read: How to Build a Free Homeschool Curriculum

Best Printer for Homeschool

Before we get to other great yet inexpensive options, let me brag about my current printer for a second.

HP Envy 5055

This is the printer that I got on a random sale at Best Buy for just $50 two years ago.

If they’re still making it when mine dies, I’ll absolutely buy another one.

It never jams, it’s so simple to use, it handles my excessive printing with ease…

I could go on and on.

Safe to say I’m an HP printer fan after my first experience with this one. 

Best HP Instant Ink Printer for Homeschool

The most important thing to me in a printer nowadays is that it was compatible with HP Instant Ink.

A friend had HP Instant Ink and swore by it.

Homeschool groups were back and forth on the issue. 

Some said they couldn’t live without HP Instant Ink while others absolutely loved their ecotanks and thought laser printers were more economical.

I spent way too much time researching both and decided on HP Instant Ink for a few reasons.

First, the upfront cost was much lower.

I didn’t want to have to worry about running out of ink.

It’s such a first world problem, but it’s kind of a pain to run to the store with 4 kids.

Plus, I do almost all of my lesson planning when everyone else is asleep.

That means I would almost definitely run out of ink in the middle of the night when I couldn’t do anything about it.

HP OfficeJet Pro 6978

If you’re looking for a printer that can do it all:  copy, scan, fax, wireless printing, etc., the HP OfficeJet Pro 6978 is a great choice.

Don’t believe me? Just check out the reviews on Amazon.

Plus, this one comes Instant Ink ready, which is a huge plus – as I discussed in way too much detail above.

HP ENVY 6055

If price is a major concern for your family (isn’t it for all of us these days?) the HP Envy 6055 is a great choice.

It’s the newer model of the one I own and love – so maybe this will be my next love affair one day.

Same simple design without all of the bells and whistles.

It’s such an inexpensive and reliable printer that you really can’t go wrong.

At the time of this post, this printer comes with 6 free months of HP Instant ink too!

Perfect to print like a crazy person before your free months run out – then downgrade to the most affordable plan that still meets your needs.

Brother Compact Monochrome Laser Printer, HL-L2350DW

 

This Brother brand printer makes the list because of the sheer volume of positive reviews.

It comes equipped with Amazon Dash Replenishment which is Amazon’s answer to HP Instant Ink.

The awesome part about this printer is the speed.

That’s one area that the cheaper printers, mine included, are lacking.

This sucker can print 32 pages per minute! 

You could have an entire year’s worth of curriculum printed in 10 minutes!

 

Epson EcoTank ET-2720

 

This is the highest rated Ecotank printer among the mamas in all of my Facebook homeschooling groups.

When the printer question inevitably comes up, the first person to mention this one is always met with “OMG we love it too!” and “oh how I wish I could afford this. <insert sad face here>”

This is the most expensive printer on the list, but is also the most economical.

The ink cartridges on the Epson Ecotank are refillable AND highly efficient.

They claim the ink bottles on this model can print up to 4,500 pages black/7,500 color.

That’s absolutely mind-blowing and something to keep in mind if you’re trying to be more environmentally-friendly.

Cheapest Printer for Homeschool Families

Canon Pixma TS3320 

 

 

The Cheapest option on the list is the Canon Pixma TS3320. 

This is an awesome, compact option that doesn’t force you to sacrifice the necessitities.

This Canon still has the ability to print wirelessly – important when you want to print worksheets off and have them waiting for you when you get home.

Some folks have complained that it isn’t the easiest printer to set up.

It also isn’t very ink-efficient – but for the cheap price point, it’ll get you through if you don’t plan to print huge print jobs on a regular basis.

Inexpensive Photo Printer for Homeschool Families

If having a photo printer is important to you, this is the one you need.

You know I’m partial to HP, but if you’re going to be printing tons of pictures, I’m going to go out on a limb and say you NEED HP Instant ink.

At the time of this post, photos are less than 5 cents with instant ink and don’t require uploading your images to some other company to print and mail to you.

HP ENVY Photo 7155

 

 

The HP Envy Photo 7155 is HP Instant Ink ready and allows you to print on the go with wireless printing, lets you scan documents with your phone, and even lets you print directly from your SD card.

Plus with Instant ink enabled, you can print to your heart’s content with various paper sizes and textures.

Best Printer Paper

I can’t write a whole post about the bet printers without also mentioning the best paper.

Amazon Basics has 5 star rated paper for a steal of a price.

You usually get the best deal if you buy the 8 ream case, but definitely check the unit price before buying.

Did your printer make the list? Did I miss one that you think should be on here? Let me know in the comments!