What’s the top “must-have” tool on any homeschooler’s wish list? Chief among them is a colour inkjet printer. Whether you’re one of the millions of parents who unexpectedly jumped into home education during 2020, or you’ve been homeschooling for years, a reliable printer can benefit you and your student.
Today’s printers are affordable, do more in less time, and they’re a breeze to set up and use right away. Here’s our list of the best printers for homeschool students, along with the top tips for using one between multiple family members.
Different printer uses for homeschooling
The first thing that comes to mind with homeschoolers is "worksheets," since that's what we associate with public or private schools. In reality, the best printer for school will have a much more varied set of uses, with the line between homework, administration, and even home management blurring every day.
Some of the most common homeschool printing tasks include:
- Printing worksheets, colouring sheets, and “busy work” pages
- Printing tests and quizzes, as well as the answer sheets for easy grading
- Printing reports for your portfolio, so you can keep good records of accomplishments
- Printing state paperwork and forms, which are necessary to stay legally compliant in your state
SCAN
The best part is that most printers can do more than just print. The scan feature is a well-loved tool that homeschool parents can’t get enough of. You can use the best printer and scanner for students to do these tasks:
- Scanning schoolwork for keepsakes, such as that cool art project or adorable hand-written poem
- Copying workbooks for several children, since many book copyrights and usage terms permit sharing within a classroom or family unit
- Scanning documents to email to family members, such as artwork, essays, and test scores
- Scanning portfolio pieces to include in end-of-year reports to homeschool oversight boards
Pro tip: Place your printer in a common area, because you’ll likely need to print, scan, or copy several times per day.
What to look for in a homeschool printer
There are dozens of printers available on the market today. By prioritizing your must-have features and then considering any extras, you'll have a good idea of which model will help you keep your homeschool running well. Here are the top features to look for.
ALL-IN-ONE CAPABILITIES
All-in-one devices function as a printer, copier, and scanner. Fax is sometimes included for little to no extra money, but most homeschoolers will primarily take advantage of the first three functions in their day-to-day learning.
MOBILE PRINTING APPS
You expect to send a print job from your computer, but what about printing from a mobile device? In addition to printing emails and instructions from your phone, your printer should easily connect to any authorized wireless device, such as your child’s tablet, via
your home’s WiFi network.
COLOUR PAGES
Full-colour printing isn’t as expensive as it once was, and the value you’ll get from getting a colour printer is significant. While black-and-white printing works for most worksheets and forms, you can bring your child’s artwork and certain home learning tools to life with all the colours of the rainbow. For eye-popping posters and flashcards, you need colour printing.
AUTOMATIC SCANNER AND COPIER FEED TRAYS
You may find yourself scanning multiple pages at once, and it’s no fun standing around while you hand-feed each sheet. When you invest in an automatic feeder for copying and scanning, you can save time and ensure your scans come out perfectly.
DOUBLE-SIDED PRINTING
While not every print job is right for two-sided pages, there are plenty of ways to benefit from printing on both sides of the paper. This saves you money in the long run because you'll use less paper. It’s also a great environmental lesson to teach your impressionable students.
HP INSTANT INK
Between lesson planning and making sure your kids actually read all of their literature books, you'll need every second you can get. You don’t want to have to spend the time buying supplies and worrying about running out of ink. What if you could cross printer ink off your list without ever thinking about it? Among other benefits,
HP Instant Inksets up communication between your printer and HP, and it automatically sends you new cartridges well before you need them.
Read all about HP Instant Ink in our article here.
WIRELESS AND BLUETOOTH
A wireless printer is an essential piece of technology today. Dealing with cords is just not feasible for most homeschooling families, especially when each student may have their own laptop or mobile device. Do you also need Bluetooth? The best home printer for teachers will offer this option for places where a reliable home network isn’t an option.
10 best homeschool printers from HP
There is no single best printer for homeschool use, just like there's no one-size-fits-all homeschool plan. Consider these top picks for homeschoolers and imagine how they could enhance your current learning environment.
1. HP DESKJET 3755 ALL-IN-ONE PRINTER
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If space is an issue in your home, the
HP DeskJet 3755is your dream printer. It will save you both room and money. It's one of the most modestly sized models available from HP, and it still does all the copying, scanning, and printing you could want.
It's also available in some unique colours, so just pick the one that matches your homeschool theme. Like others on our list, it offers HP Instant Ink compatibility and mobile app functionality so everyone in your home can print in colour from their phone, tablet, or PC.
2. HP ENVY 6055E ALL-IN-ONE PRINTER
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The
HP ENVY 6055ecomes with many of the perks you’d want for your classroom and is made with 20% recycled plastic. It also has a slim profile and offers borderless printing for your student’s best work, making it a top pick for the best printer for school projects.
3. HP DESKJET 4155E ALL-IN-ONE PRINTER
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Ready to get printing? The
HP DeskJet 4155ehas all the perks you're looking for, with multi-functionality and an automatic feeder tray of up to 35 pages. Scan, print, and copy quickly using your smartphone or other connected device. You can even fax through the HP Smart App – no phone line is required.
4. HP ENVY PHOTO 7855 ALL-IN-ONE PRINTER
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This printer does it all: copy, scan, fax, and print, and it does it in the bold colour of a photo printer. The
HP ENVY Photo 7855comes with a large, smartphone-style 2.7-inch colour touchscreen control panel, too. This makes it incredibly easy to use, which is perfect when you want to print artwork and projects where high-quality colour matters.
5. HP TANGO X PRINTER
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This beautiful, modern printer has too many features to list here, but those who adore voice activation will find it to be a welcome addition to the home. Ask the
HP Tango Xto print using your favourite voice assistant tools, then watch as it creates stunning full-colour prints. You can even scan your child's artwork with your phone's camera, and the HP Tango X will bring it to life.
Bonus tip: This would also make a great printer for a new college student’s dorm room, as it’s both stylish and practical.
6. HP OFFICEJET PRO 8025E ALL-IN-ONE PRINTER
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Some of the best homeschool printers are actually made for the office. With all of the demands parents meet, it just makes sense. The
HP OfficeJet Pro 8025eprinter gives you a big colour touch screen and tap-and-swipe commands to help you print in fewer steps.
Plus, you can scan multiple pages at once using your smartphone while you enjoy up to 20 pages-per-minute (ppm) in black and 10 ppm in colour for more prints in less time.
7. HP OFFICEJET PRO 8035E ALL-IN-ONE PRINTER
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This
HP OfficeJet Pro 8035emodel has the same features as the 8025e, with additional perks, such as three bold colour choices and an automatic document feeder. It’s also ENERGY STAR® certified and comes with USB-to-scan capabilities. For those working without a wireless network, you can rely on the Ethernet port instead.
8. HP OFFICEJET 200 MOBILE PRINTER
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What if you have to homeschool away from home? This printer gives you a mobile printing option and a battery that charges in only 90 minutes. Take the
HP OfficeJet 200 mobile printerwith you on the road and enjoy prints just about anywhere.
9. HP ENVY PHOTO 7155 ALL-IN-ONE PRINTER
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Set up this device in minutes to start printing photos quickly. It prints up to 14 ppm in black and white and up to 9 ppm in colour of your favourite artwork or photo. The
HP ENVY Photo 7155even lets you insert a memory card directly into the printer for device-free printing when you need it.
10. HP LASERJET PRO M15W PRINTER
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Not everyone is interested in scanning or copying, and for them, this laser printer works perfectly. With the quality you’ve come to expect from a pro-level laser printer, it gives you wireless capabilities and a 150-sheet paper tray to last you through many homeschool projects.
It’s fast, too, printing up to 19 ppm. For those who need a higher page yield, the
HP LaserJet Pro M15wmay be the best laser printer for school use.
Conclusion
If you plan to homeschool or you do so currently, your printer is an incredibly important tool to help you stay productive and reduce frustration. Make sure to invest in a model that does all the things you want, since a homeschool printer gets quite the workout.
The best part about a lot of newer printers is that they are largely self-sufficient. They can order their own ink cartridge replacements via HP Instant Ink and also alert you to issues on your wireless network. With the ability to provide an incredible number of pages over their lifetime, you can buy the best model right now and enjoy all its perks for many years to come.
About the Author
Linsey Knerl is a contributing writer for HP Tech Takes. Linsey is a Midwest-based author, public speaker, and member of the ASJA. She has a passion for helping consumers and small business owners do more with their resources via the latest tech solutions.
