While going paperless is certainly the preferred route for document sharing these days, there are still plenty of use cases for printers.
One of the better technologies that is helping keep printers in homes these days is the inclusion of AirPrint, Apple’s technology that helps print documents, photos, and more without the need to install any drivers.
Since this technology is designed with Apple households in mind, it works best with the iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers. However, AirPrint printers can also include other technologies that are beneficial to both Android and Windows users.
With this in mind, let’s jump right into the 6 best AirPrint printers you can purchase today.
- #1 Best Overall: HP OfficeJet 250
- Best All-in-One: HP Envy Photo 78-55
- Best for Photos: Epson Expression Photo XP-8700
- Best Budget-Friendly: HP DeskJet 3755
- Most Portable: Canon PIXMA TR150
- Best Office-Friendly: HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e
#1 Best Overall: HP OfficeJet 250
- Includes Wi-Fi Direct for mobile printing as well as Bluetooth
- Charges within 90 minutes while the printer is off
- 2.65-inch color touchscreen
- 10-sheet auto document feeder
One of the most popular printers on the market today, the HP OfficeJet 250 is a great choice for anyone who wants a stand-out printer with AirPrint capability.
As an all-in-one printer, the HP OfficeJet 250 can print, scan, and copy directly from your laptop, desktop, or mobile devices. Whatever you want to print, you can easily do it wirelessly on non-Apple devices using HP’s downloadable ePrint app, which connects via Bluetooth technology.
Apple users can utilize AirPrint technology to directly print from their iPhone, iPad, or Mac without installing any drivers. As long as you are on the same Wi-Fi network, you can just connect to the printer and print away.
Regardless of how you connect to the printer, you can use OfficeJet’s 2.65-inch color touchscreen to adjust any settings before confirming any prints. You can also use this screen to make copies or scan multiple-page documents courtesy of the 10-page automatic document feeder. Legal, letter, statement, and envelopes are all accepted as print options as well as a variety of photo sizes.
Check out the HP OfficeJet 250 on Amazon.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Complete all-in-one printer | Printer ink can get pricey |
| Supports multiple photo sizes | Document feeder only supports 10 sheets at a time |
Best All-in-One: HP Envy Photo 78-55
- Print, copy, scan, fax
- 15 PPM
- 4800 x 1200 DPI
- 2.65" touchscreen CGD
- 35-page ADF
- Auto 2-sided printing
- Ethernet, Wi-Fi
If you are looking for the best all-in-one printer that supports AirPrint, look no further than the HP Envy Photo 78-55.
As a fantastic all-in-one option, the HP Envy Photo 78-55 is ready to handle all of your printing, scanning, copying, and faxing needs. Of course, as an all-in-one, the HP Envy Photo is also a terrific photo printer, as the name suggests.
When it comes to printing, the backbone of any printer, the maximum resolution on the HP Envy is definitely something other printers should envy. At 4800 x 1200 DPI, you have outstanding clarity in your prints, which are delivered at speeds up to 15 pages per minute in black and 10 PPM in color. A 125-sheet main tray gives you plenty of paper to print from before you need to consider reloading.
Another big highlight for the HP Envy Photo 78-55 is its automatic ink refills, which can be delivered for as much as 50% off retail pricing. As long as you are connected to Wi-Fi, HP will immediately recognize when you are running low on ink and send it to your home. The same Wi-Fi connection will help you instantly realize AirPrint works superbly, whether it’s from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
Find the HP Envy Photo 78-55 on Amazon.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Excellent all-in-one machine | Small touchscreen |
| Ink delivery and discounts | Slow print speeds for an office setting |
Best for Photos: Epson Expression Photo XP-8700
- Built-in scanner and copier
- 4.3" color touchscreen
- Black
- Separate trays for plain paper and photo paper, and a rear feed for specialty paper
- Compatible with a wide range of media, including select Epson fine art papers
- High-resolution flatbed scanner for crisp, accurate scans and copies
- Easy wireless printing from your laptop, desktop, smartphone or tablet
If you’re looking for an excellent AirPrint-compatible printer for all the excellent photos taken on your iPhone, the Epson Expression Photo XP-8700 is the way to go.
From the jump, the Epson Expression Photo XP-8700 impresses with 6-color Claria Photo HD inks that can deliver a maximum photo resolution of 8.5 x 11 inches at an impressive DPI of 5760 x 1440. This means that printed photos will look incredibly sharp without any loss of clarity or color quality.
With separate trays for regular paper and photo paper, it’s easy to reload when you are low as well as using the rear feed for specialty paper like legal paper or envelopes. In addition, the Epson offers a built-in scanner and copier with a high-resolution flatbed that can deliver very accurate copies of any paperwork you wish to scan.
Wireless printing is another big highlight for the Epson Expression, as you can use the Epson app to print via Wi-Fi or connect with AirPrint from your Apple devices. For any changes you want to make prior to printing, the 4.3-inch touchscreen offers easy navigation of the Epson’s settings.
Take a look at the Epson Expression Photo XP-8700 on Amazon.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Best-in-class photo prints | No fax included |
| Easy paper handling when loading the various trays | Voice-activated printing is hit or miss |
Best Budget-Friendly: HP DeskJet 3755
- Four months of ink delivered to your home
- Prints 8 ppm in black, 5.5 ppm in color
- 60 sheet input tray, 25 sheet output capacity
- Connects with iCloud, Dropbox and Google Drive
For anyone looking for a budget-friendly printer that offers a strong feature set including AirPrint compatibility, the HP DeskJet 3755 is a solid choice.
As a printer that can print, scan, and copy, you’re going to enjoy the HP DeskJet 3755 for its minimal design and easy AirPrint functionality. Best of all, the HP is compact, so it fits easily on a desk or on a shelf where it can live without getting in the way of other devices or electronic needs.
If you really want to take advantage of the 3755’s capabilities, download the HP Smart app where you can scan a document from your smartphone, print from the cloud, and order toner. All you have to do is sync your iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive and you can easily print right from your smartphone.
To keep printing all year round, you get your first 4 months free when you enroll in HP Instant Ink, which can deliver your ink as soon as the printer recognizes you are running low. Enrolling in HP’s service is the way to keep the budget-friendly nature of the HP DeskJet 3755 going as plans start as low as $0.99 a month for refills.
Check out the HP DeskJet 3755 on Amazon.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Small and compact to fit anywhere | HP Instant Ink costs can add up quickly if you print a lot per month |
| Budget-friendly price tag | The smart app does not connect to more than just a few select cloud services |
Most Portable: Canon PIXMA TR150
- Supports AirPrint
- Print size: 8.5 x 11 inches
- 1.44 inch sized OLED display included
- Battery sold separately
When portability for an AirPrint printer is the most important consideration, the Canon PIXMA TR150 is the best option you can find.
At just 7.3 inches deep and 12.7 inches wide, the Canon PIXMA TR150 is one of the most portable AirPrint-compatible printers around. What helps it stand out is just how easy it is to use to print photos up to 8.5 x 11 inches or 9 pages per minute.
Where the PIXMA really stands out is with its detachable battery. Utilizing the detachable battery will enable you to print up to 330 black ink pages on a full charge. To charge the battery on the go, all you have to do is connect the printer to a compatible USB power source and you’ll be ready to print at a moment’s notice.
Another stand-out feature of the PIXMA is the ability to save up to 5 custom templates accessible from the Canon’s display. With any of these templates, you can make use of them with your Apple device and AirPrint as long as you are on the same Wi-Fi connection.
Find the Canon PIXMA TR150 on Amazon.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Very portable and compact equipment | Color prints will drain the battery faster |
| Battery life is good for up to 330 prints | Only 5 custom templates are available |
Best Office-Friendly: HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e
- 6 free months instant ink subscription
- Fast print speeds up to 24 ppm in black and 20 ppm in white
- HP Smart App includes 24 month subscription
- Great choice for small and home office businesses
When you need a printer that is office-ready and can handle a more demanding level of printing, the HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e is the right answer.
Capable of more than 700 prints on a monthly basis before needing an ink refill, the HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e is a great business printer. Of course, HP makes it easy as you can save up to 50% on ink costs if you subscribe to their monthly refill service.
Additionally, with every purchase of the 9025e, HP includes its HP+ smart features for 2 years, which include the ability to activate mobile printing, automatic updates for the printer, and more. As long as the printer is connected to Wi-Fi, you should have the latest features and software available for the 9025e.
When it comes to printing speeds, the OfficeJet Pro 9025e delivers speeds up to 24 pages per minute in black and 20 pages per minute in color. On top of that, you have 2x faster scanning, copying, and faxing speeds than competitive printers at this price point. Plus, you can print directly from a USB drive, which is a nice feature in any office.
Check out the HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e on Amazon.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| AirPrint ready for any Apple device | Bigger size requires a dedicated space |
| Outstanding features for small offices | Ink costs can add up without an HP+ subscription |
©jittawit21/Shutterstock.com
How to Pick the Best AirPrint Printer: Step-by-Step
When it comes to deciding on a new AirPrint printer for your home or office, there are 4 considerations you want to factor in before making a final selection.
- Print quality
- Price
- All-in-One capability
- Ink costs
Let’s break them down below.
Print Quality
When it comes to printers, they are not at all created equal. Unfortunately, in a category full of options, you have to look carefully through the list of choices and find one that really delivers on print quality. This is true for both black and color prints as well as photos, especially the latter as print quality can easily make the difference between photos you want to print and hang versus photo prints you throw in the trash.
Price
The prices for printers can vary considerably so trying to find one that fits nicely in your budget is an important consideration. The good news is that you should have plenty of options on this list that fit your maximum price range while still offering the full range of AirPrint functionality. You can easily spend upwards of $300 or $400 on a printer if you need it for a home office, or as little as $100 if you just need a few prints a month.
All-in-One Capability
The features you need from a printer are going to be hugely important in making a final decision on which printer you select. Having an all-in-one means you have a printer that can likely fax, copy, scan, and print in black or color ink and photos. With all of these features on board, you are likely looking at a slightly higher price tag than a printer that can just print black/color paper and photos.
Ink Costs
The worst part of owning a printer has always been ink costs, which is why it’s so great that companies like HP and Epson offer subscription services. Better yet, printers from these brands can recognize when you are low on ink and send you a refill at a reduced cost before you run out.
However, you have to pay for these subscription services after a trial runs out so factoring in the cost of any monthly subscription should also play a role in which printer you choose.
Using an AirPrint Printer: What It’s Like
Using AirPrint is a seamless process and after you try it for the first time, you really wonder where it has been your whole life. Gone are the days of driver installs and hard times setting up printers going through hours of tech support calls, all to print out one photo. Instead, all of these printers listed here make it incredibly seamless to print, scan, copy, and fax all on a moment’s notice.
For the common Apple device user, having AirPrint is a huge win and one that has allowed every iPhone, iPad, and Mac owner the ability to print from the comfort of their couch or an office chair. Even as the world trends more and more toward going paperless, any opportunity to make printing a more seamless experience is welcomed.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©FabrikaSimf/Shutterstock.com.
