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5 Best HP Printers to Give as Gifts
Linsey Knerl
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November 3, 2019
Whether you’re celebrating the holiday season or looking ahead to the next big birthday, choosing the right gift can be a stressful situation. What do you get the person who has everything? An HP printer can be a great idea.
With many people using printers in their homes, offices, and dorm rooms, these essential tools allow you to print on-demand at a very low cost. Which printers do we have our eye on this season? Delight these 5 types of printer users with a new HP model that’s sure to bring a smile to your loved one’s face this year.
1. Business owner
Do you know an entrepreneur who could use a boost to their printing routine? An HP LaserJet printer offers affordable, hassle-free prints anytime and comes with extra features that support large print jobs, duplexing, and easy toner cartridge changes. Unlike bulky commercial printers that need professional servicing and come with expensive maintenance plans, these printers are made with the small business owner in mind.
Gift pick: HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M281fdw printer
Who said you had to sacrifice color to get laser printing at a low price? The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M281fdw is an ENERGY STAR® certified small business printer that meets the demand for black-and-white and color prints but is easy enough for even novice users to master quickly. This model lets you print, copy, scan, and fax from a single device. You can even scan to email to take an additional step out of that particular process.
Get up to 22 black and white or color prints per minute without sacrificing clarity. This printer uses HP JetIntelligence technology to keep your lines clear and your colors bold. It’s also made specifically for those small businesses that want total control over their print jobs at a reasonable maintenance price. Combine this device with HP high yield toner to get even more from each sheet you print.
Techies will love that this printer comes with network security perks, offering protection for your print jobs and keeping your business info within your business. If that’s not impressive enough, this printer supports voice-activated printing so you can send a job from your connected Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Microsoft Cortana device. With an app that lets you scan digital files directly to your network folders and emails, it’s a gift that efficient business pros will be thanking you for long after the gift season is over.
2. College student
Today’s student is busy juggling more than previous generations. When it comes to a device that can print out assignments, copy documents, and deliver vibrant full-color photos of friends, there’s no substitute for an all-in-one (AiO) printer that can do everything the typical college kid needs to do in a year. The latest in AiO printers perform their scanning, printing, and copying wirelessly, so students are free to send jobs from their phone, ditch the wires, and get work done faster than ever before.
Gift pick: HP ENVY 5055 All-in-One InkJet printer
Weighing just under 12 lbs and easy to set up wirelessly right out of the box, the HP ENVY 5055 AiO printer offers just the right amount of print control with an aesthetically-pleasing design that will fit into any dorm room. It starts up quickly, giving you the first page out in as little as 16 seconds. Connect from any wireless device, even phones, and get up to 20 black-and-white pages or 7 color pages printed per minute. With the ability to scan color documents and print up to 50 copies, it’s a quiet yet powerful printer that everyone in the dorm will want to use.
3. Kids
Whether you plan to gift your favorite teacher a printer for the classroom or you want to impress your own kids with lab-quality pics from the family room, an HP InkJet photo printer will truly wow them. These printers are simple to operate, they work well with mobile devices, and they deliver prints that will last for years. Kids will love being able to print their artwork, too. This is a versatile pick for anyone who values crisp and affordable color prints.
Gift pick: HP ENVY Photo 7855 All-in-One printer
For the best in smudgeless printing with all the quality of your local photo lab, the HP ENVY Photo 7855 AiO printer gives families a new way to capture magical moments and celebrate them later. This printer not only puts out brilliant photos, but it also faxes, scans, copies, and prints directly from the web. It boasts a print speed of up to 15 black-and-white documents or 10 color photos per minute. Plus, you never have to pick the paper for the specific job because the printer knows which size to send through each dedicated feed based on your printer task settings.
Even the kids can manage the functions of this device by using the 2.7-inch color touch screen control panel. Anyone who can handle a mobile device will be printing from this device in no time. With wireless capabilities, it’s useful for anyone on your home network. You can also print without a connected device thanks to the SD or USB card slots, which empower you to view, edit, and print photos directly from the printer screen.
4. Friends
If you’re shopping for grownup friends in your life, you may find that a sophisticated take on the printer could fit the bill. Not only do adults appreciate a printer that takes up less space while it does just what you want it to, but many also love a good tech gadget. With today's printers offering integration with your favorite voice-activated tools, it may be time to make the leap to the next big thing in printing.
Gift pick: HP Tango X printer with charcoal linen cover
If your friend adores the Internet of Things and never stops telling Alexa, Siri, or Cortana what to do next, the HP Tango X is a surefire gift idea. It’s the first smart home printer, making it a breeze for anyone to enjoy hands-free printing through voice command.
The sleek and stylish printer can be closed up inside its unique linen cover, which hides it away from plain sight and helps it blend seamlessly into the room design. When you're ready to print, just open it up and it’ll be ready to produce your best color photo or important work documents within seconds of startup.
It delivers 11 pages of black-and-white or 9 pages of color per minute, too, and it lets you scan or copy with your phone. You’ll also get notifications, when enabled, that tell you what your HP Tango X is working on next.
While the slim profile, beautiful design, and effortless printing sure seem like enough to make this the gift for you all your friends this year, the savings may be the true test. Sign up for the HP Instant Ink program through your HP Tango X printer, and you’ll save big on printing photos well into the new year.
5. Grandparent
More and more older adults are embracing tech, with even those in their 70s and 80s using the internet and smart devices to stay connected with loved ones. Whether you want to give your grandparents an upgrade or introduce them to their first printer, simplified controls and speedy prints are key.
Gift pick: HP DeskJet 1112 printer
If your grandparent likes the idea of a wired printer that works without relying on WiFi, the HP Deskjet 1112 printer is a solid choice. It uses a standard USB cable to connect to a computer, and set up is automatic without worrying about connectivity issues. For those who haven't yet hopped on the mobile app bandwagon, this is the easiest way to print and at a price far below all other HP printers.
This simplified printer is compact, performs well, and offers excellent print quality with a streamlined experience for grandparents who only want to print. If they've been putting off printing for fear of complicated setup or maintenance, this is the model to ease their minds and satisfy your wallet.
Bonus gift: HP Instant Ink subscription
Does your friend or family member already own an awesome HP printer? Why not help them take their prints to the next level? HP Instant Ink simplifies the process of shopping for compatible ink and it can help save money on printing costs when you subscribe.
How does it work?
Sign up for your plan based on the number of printed pages you think you'll use per month. It doesn't matter if the prints are color or black and white; each counts as one page and you'll never pay more for printing out full-page color photos.
As your ink levels start to run low, the printer will communicate through your wireless network that it's time to ship some more ink. You'll have the next cartridge in your mailbox before you ever run out, saving you a trip to the store and ensuring your print game stays strong.
If you know someone who is always running low on ink, has trouble finding just the right cartridges for their printer, or values a good deal, consider letting them in on the HP Instant Ink program. A gift like this is too good to keep to yourself.
Beyond the top 5
The printers on this list are just a glimpse into the printing technology available today, with these 5 models getting solid reviews from users and offering unique features. Don’t be afraid to use them as a starting point. Other HP models are often variations on these top picks.
Questions you can ask yourself when shopping:
- How will the printer be used?
- Do they need to fax, copy, and scan?
- Will they want to scan and copy from an app?
- What wireless networks will this be used on?
- How many copies or prints will they make per month?
- Will the printer be shared?
- What aesthetic are you going for? Does the size or design matter?
- How simple should the controls be? Is a touch screen necessary?
- Does the recipient prefer ink or laser?
- Does the printer need to be light or portable?
You can shop with confidence when you choose HP®. Our teams offer world-class support, so everyone will be in good hands this season.
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.
