• Crysta can make a 3D printed model of a Gaussian Splat
• The detail level is quite remarkable
• It doesn't come cheap, but nonetheless, this is jaw-dropping stuff

Ever wanted to take a scene from real life and shrink it into a snow globe-style model (minus the snow) to sit on your shelf, preserved forever?

Well, maybe not forever, but you get the idea, and it's possible to do this now thanks to a firm called Crysta.

As Dany Bittel explains on Patreon, Crysta offered to turn one of their 'Gaussian Splats' – of a bee – into a real-world representation of the insect courtesy of a 3D printer.

The result, as you can see in the post on X above, is pretty spectacular. But wait a minute, I hear you ask (probably): a Gaussian what-now? If you're not familiar with the concept of a Gaussian Splat, it's a 3D model of a real place or thing, built from video footage that you've filmed on your camera (or maybe a drone for more adventurous constructs).

We've previously covered how this works in an in-depth article where we used a cloud-based service called Splatica to make our Splat, and suffice it to say, it's a very cool process with impressive results.

Going a step further with the impressiveness, though, is taking that Gaussian Splat model and 3D printing it. (Crysta can also do this with an alternative process, Neural Radiance Fields, or NeRF).

How is the model turned (back) into a physical rendition? Bittel notes that: "The Gaussian splat is first voxelated, a bit like a Minecraft level. Each voxel has a mix of inks and can be more or less transparent. This then gets printed on [a] special 3D printer, layer by layer."

Cubic cost

As Bittel observes, this is like a modern version of the fly trapped in amber, except it's an entirely artificial construct, built from an artificial model. I absolutely love the idea, and if you do too, you might be wondering how much it costs.

The truth is that it isn't cheap, as you might guess. You'll need to fork out for a Splatica subscription if you go the same way TechRadar did, which is quite pricey (or use an equivalent service or app).

The actual printing of the model by Crysta will run to something like $140 in the US for a 30mm cube, according to Bittel as a guide price (they got one for free, as a present, in case you were wondering). You can go up to a 300mm cube if you want an ornament with a real impact on your room (and likely your wallet, too).

The company ships the 3D printed models globally, although of course, it'll cost more to send outside of the US.

When you're at work in the office, you may not pay much attention to the laser printer in the corner unless it’s broken. But peel back the plastic panels of a conventional laser printer and you’ll actually find sophisticated, interesting technology with its roots in the 1960s.

It’s understandable if it’s all a bit confusing, too, because the ubiquity of laser printers has masked just how much is going on inside these clever machines.

If you’re at all curious about the inner workings of the laser printer, though, don’t worry – just read on, because we’ve got you covered!

The history of the laser printer

Laser printers were first developed in the late 1960s. An engineer at Xerox, Gary Starkweather, created a prototype in 1969 by modifying a photocopier with a laser beam.

His big idea was simple: use the laser to “draw” an image of what needed to be copied directly onto the copier drum, and print that on the output paper.

Throughout the 1970s, Starkweather and colleagues added control systems and character generators to their early models, and the first commercial laser printer was released by IBM in 1976, and designed for data centers.

By the early 1980s, the first laser printers for office use began to appear and, by the middle of that decade, printers from HP, Brother and others followed IBM into the market, with machines like the HP LaserJet changing the game with huge advances to design and affordability.

As time has passed, technology has improved dramatically, and now laser printers are a staple in many offices.

Who uses laser printers?

Laser printers are known for their fast print speeds, high-quality text printing, and lower cost per page. Combine that with their relative lack of moving parts and their durability, and it’s easy to see why they’re popular in offices.

They’re especially useful for high-volume and high-quality document printing in businesses, universities and public sector organizations with huge print loads, and where text quality is crucial – think legal documents, reports, business letters and official paperwork.

That’s not the only area where laser printers have found success, though. Because they can print monochrome documents quickly and because they’re straightforward and reliable, they’re useful in warehouses where shipping labels need to be produced at pace, and in medical environments where you need guaranteed paperwork fast.

Specialist laser printers are often used for printing adhesive labels, barcode tabs or shipping documents, and other models can be augmented with secure print release abilities for confidential documents.

And thanks to advances in color laser printing technology, other laser printers have the quality to produce glossy marketing materials at speed – previously a task where slower and more expensive inkjet printers dominated.

Looking into the lasers

No matter how a laser printer is used, though, many of the fundamentals about its operation remain the same.

One of the most surprising things about laser printers? They don’t use ink. Instead, they use toner – a fine, dry powder made of pigments and plastics that comes in cylindrical cartridges that are placed inside the machine.

Because it’s not conventional ink, it binds to paper very quickly and easily, so it doesn’t smudge or bleed, which is a common issue with some conventional inks.

To get that toner onto your paper, the process starts with a simple command – pressing “print” on your PC, laptop or mobile device.

When that happens, your device sends the file for printing to the onboard processor on the printer. The processor converts that data into information that the printer can understand, like PCL (Printer Command Language) or PostScript.

This PCL or PostScript file is then converted to a Bitmap image – essentially a series of dots – that the printer will use as its design.

Depending on your printer, the data is sent to the device using either a wired or wireless network, or sometimes a USB connection. In an office setting, you may need to verify your identity to confirm that the information has been sent successfully.

Charging up

When the printer has the file, it’s time to charge up with static electricity. At the heart of a laser printer is the photoreceptor drum, which is a cylinder that’s coated with materials that react to light by losing their electrical charge.

To charge the drum in the first place, a primary corona wire or a charging roller applies a uniform, positive electrical charge across its entire surface. It’s this consistency that's vital for initiating the process.

This is usually the longest part of the process, because it’s important to wait for the corona wire to reach the required temperature. If you wait for a printer to “warm up” before it starts producing design, this is what’s happening.

Load up the laser

When the drum is sufficiently and consistently charged, the printer warms up the most exciting component – the laser.

And while it’s easy to be blasé about laser printers given how they’re omnipresent and often affordable office companions, the level of precision required here cannot be overstated – any distortion means a poor print, and most laser printers can produce thousands of printed dots per inch if required.

When it’s ready to go, the laser works with a movable mirror and a selection of lenses to direct its beam at the drum. It turns on and off rapidly while it moves, removing positive electric charge from specific areas of the drum.

This moving, flashing laser process creates an invisible, negative electrostatic image on the drum in the shape of the design required.

Once the design is rendered on the drum with negative electric charges, it is ready to be transferred to paper.

And while it’s true that most printers give drums a positive charge before the laser gets to work, there are some models that use a negative charge on the drum with neutralization delivered by the laser.

In both instances, though, the concept remains the same – attractive and repellent electrical charges are used to create the design.

Time to tone

In most laser printers, alongside the central drum, you’ll find the toner cartridge and a hopper. While the laser is busy creating the invisible electrostatic image on the main drum, the toner cartridge and hopper release positively-charged toner particles.

Because they’re positively charged, they’re attracted to any areas of negative charge on the drum.

And, as we’ve established, those areas of negative charge actually represent the design that needs to be printed. That means the positive toner is attached to the negative design. Because the toner and the non-printing areas of the drum are both charged positively, those parts of the drum remain untouched.

Prepping the paper

Up until now, the laser printer has concentrated on getting the design onto the drum in the form of positively charged toner.

But now it’s time for the paper to get involved.

A transfer belt rolls paper through the printer, which gives it a positive electrical charge in the process. As the positively charged paper passes the drum, there’s a natural attraction between the positive paper and the negative areas of design on the drum.

The rollers and belts press the drum and paper together. Remember that, at this point, the design is negatively charged and the paper is positively charged – so the two are drawn together, with the toner in the middle.

At this point, a hot roller called the fuser unit melts the toner onto the paper, which leaves the design on the page.

There’s some serious heat going on, too, because some fuser units and rollers apply around 200°C or 392°C of temperature to get the toner melted successfully onto the paper. And because everything is moving so fast, the paper doesn’t have a chance to burn despite the high temperatures involved in laser printing.

As we’ve mentioned before, changes in the charges applied across the various components may result in slight variations in the charges at this stage of the process. Despite that, the underlying concepts remain the same.

Doing it all again

That’s the process for printing one sheet – and while it’s quite involved, it takes fractions of a second.

But there’s a bit more work necessary to print the hundreds of pages routinely required in laser print jobs.

Once a page has been printed, a cleaning blade or an electrically charged eraser removes any leftover toner from the drum and a discharge lamp erases any charges and images from the drum. Once this is completed, the printer is ready to start the process again.

The process is a little more complex if you’re printing in color, too. Color laser printers have four toner cartridges in Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black – that’s the CMYK code that is often used in the print and design industries.

Some laser printers use a single-pass method where all four colors are applied in one single pass over the paper, with multiple drums and lasers working at the same time. Other printers send the paper over one drum several times, with a different color deployed on each pass.

And if you’ve got a laser printer with duplexing – a feature that allows printing on both sides of the page – internal rollers are used to flip the paper over once the first pass of printing has been completed.

Print perfection

Laser printing is a complex process, then, involving rollers, electrical charges, toners, wires and the lasers themselves – even if it often happens so quickly that it’s easy to forget what’s going on inside.

This technology is a marvel, though, even if it’s just churning out reports, documents, or letters.

So next time you send a job to the laser printer in the office, maybe stop and think about what is going on inside the grey box in the corner of the room, because you might be surprised.

For our top printers, see our guides to the best home printers and best laser printers.

We may be living in a world of remote and hybrid work, but there’s no doubt that paper documents and printing still have their place, especially in smaller businesses.

Whether you’re printing marketing materials to take on sales trips, churning out postage labels or producing secure documents in the medical or legal fields, sometimes it’s just better to have things on paper.

And if you’re responsible for buying technology in a small business, it’s important to get maximum value for money.

Tighter budgets and an increased emphasis on Return on Investment mean that you need to ensure you’re buying the right product from the start, especially when a faulty or unsuitable piece of technology can bring your entire operation to a halt.

And without a full-time IT team in place, it needs to integrate into your existing technology and be easy to use.

It’s also worth making sure that any technology purchase is future-proofed, so it can remain effective in your business for years to come.

If you’re in the market for a new printer for your small business, though, it can be tricky to know what to buy and which features you need – so read on, discover what you need to consider, and you’ll be able to make your next purchase with confidence.

For more top-performing devices, we've tested the best small business printers and best home printers.

1. All-in-one functionality

Most small businesses face familiar challenges: small budgets, and not enough space. And if you identify with those issues in your organization, then it’ll be worth investigating all-in-one devices that have print, copy and scan functionality.

You’ll be able to handle all three of those crucial office tasks from a single device, which can save space, time and money when compared to investing in two or three separate units. And that’s all the more true when you consider just how compact many all-in-one devices can be, too.

By investing in an all-in-one device, you can consolidate and streamline workflows – because you and your staff won’t have to spend loads of time switching between different units and software packages to get the job done.

You could even save on energy bills because you’ll only be running one device, rather than two or three.

While it may seem odd to seek out an all-in-one device that still includes fax capabilities in 2025, this retro functionality remains desired in the legal, healthcare, and government industries, where fax remains a trusted method of secure communication. If you’d rather not rely on a phone line, internet fax services are available.

Additionally, ensure that your new printer offers robust support options, easy firmware updates, and a comprehensive warranty – all of these additions can help prevent costly downtime should an issue arise with the device.

2. Wireless and mobile access

Your small business needs technology that supports mobility and flexibility, especially when so many businesses and employees support hybrid and remote working.

When it comes to a printer for your small business, wireless connectivity is a must-have feature.

And while we’ve already mentioned that having an all-in-one device that handles printing, copying, and scanning is important, wireless connectivity is equally essential if you’re getting a traditional printer, too.

Wireless and mobile functionality means that you and your colleagues can print from your laptops, PCs, smartphones and tablets without cables – a vital feature when you’re working from different locations or just in a cramped office.

Depending on the printer and the devices that you use in your organization, you may need to use technology like Wi-Fi Direct or Apple AirPrint – all of which are easy enough to use. Companies like HP also have their own protocols, APIs and apps to handle this functionality.

On the technical side, all-in-one print, copy and scan devices still tend to use the familiar 802.11b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi standards, so if you’ve got a relatively modern network at the office – and your staff have the same at home – then you shouldn’t encounter any issues when it comes to wireless connectivity.

Many models also support integration with cloud storage services, like Dropbox or Microsoft OneDrive, which makes it easier to manage print, scan and copy workflows throughout your organization. Similarly, make sure that your new printer integrates with any document systems you may use, like Microsoft 365, SharePoint, or Google Workspace.

Many printer manufacturers also produce their own apps, making it just as simple to manage files throughout the print, scan, and copy process.

When you’re working remotely, in a hybrid business or with colleagues spread throughout a region, visiting customers on sales calls, having mobile and wireless access is a game-changer.

As well as supporting a more agile workforce, having wireless and mobile-enabled technology minimizes the need for shared PCs or print servers, which can reduce costs for your business. You’ll also reduce cable clutter in the office, which may well be a consideration if you’re already working in a cramped space.

3. Automatic duplexing and document feeding

If you want to streamline workflows and administration in your small business, then it’s quite simple – your next all-in-one device or printer needs to have Automatic Document Feeding and duplex ability.

A device with built-in Automatic Document Feeding, or ADF, will be able to accept multiple pages at the same time, so you can feed a bundle of documents or paper into the printer at once and not have to worry about feeding things manually, one page at a time.

Combine this batch scanning ability with a device that has automatic duplexing and you’ll go some way to reducing administrative headaches and downtime in your organization.

Automatic duplexing is the ability of a printer or all-in-one device to print, scan or copy documents on both sides of the paper.

For printing and copying, that means you can improve your environmental impact because you’re using less paper. You’ll also be able to produce more compact, professional-looking documents, and reduce material costs by using less paper.

For scanning, duplex functionality means faster results, because you don’t have to manually turn documents over to capture the information on the other side.

Duplex-capable printers and all-in-one devices offer this functionality thanks to additional rollers and sensors located internally. The best models offer duplex printing and copying with no delay to print speeds.

And while duplex-capable devices and ADF printers may cost more initially, they deliver longer-term ROI gains because they save on material costs, reduce ink usage, and help your organization produce more sustainable documents.

It’s just another way to make your small business printing as efficient, eco-conscious, and lean as possible.

4. Respectable running costs

Go beyond ADFs and duplexing and it’s important to consider cost in other areas, too – both in terms of your initial print investment and ongoing operational costs.

When considering a new printer or all-in-one device for your office, weigh both the initial outlay and the running costs of the device.

After all, you may pick out a printer or all-in-one that has every feature you need at a low price, but it’s going to be a false economy if it’s got huge running costs. And when you want to use your new device for years, those ongoing expenses are going to add up.

When considering a new printer, it’s important to consider the overall Cost Per Page, or CPP. To calculate this, you’ll have to combine the cost of your ink cartridge with the cost of your paper – and divide that by how many sheets you get out of each cartridge.

It’s also worth including your energy expenses and any other maintenance costs in this calculation.

Once you’ve gathered data about your CPP, you’ll be in a better position to judge if a printer will prove expensive to run, or if you’ll actually save money by investing in a model with a more expensive up-front price alongside reduced running costs.

Thankfully, there are ways to reduce your ongoing print expenses. Many printers are available with high-yield ink cartridges, which improve efficiency, making them ideal for frequent printing. Many go further with refillable ink tanks, eco-friendly operating modes or cartridge recycling schemes.

If you’ll be printing at high volumes and want lower running costs, also consider a laser printer – you may lose out on colors and fidelity, but you’ll gain in print speed and value. But if you do need to produce photographs or high-quality color prints, stick with an inkjet and take plenty of care over the cost calculations.

5. Robust security

The frequency and cost of cyberattacks on businesses are rising, and attackers often target smaller businesses because they sometimes have weaker security protocols.

And when an attack can result in thousands of dollars’ worth of lost time, compliance issues and reputational damage, it can prove catastrophic to a smaller enterprise.

Thanks to wireless connectivity printers have never been more accessible to attackers, and because they’re often used to print sensitive information, they’re very attractive as a potential attack vector, too.

If you want to keep your printing, scanning and copying secure, your small businesses needs to invest in a model that supports strong security protocols.

From a networking perspective, it’s worth exploring printers that support SSL/TLS encryption for data in transit – and models with secure boot processes and firewall controls. These features ensure that communication between your devices and printer remains secure.

It’s also possible to find printers with automatic updates and firmware integrity checks if you want to be even safer.

Admin-level controls in printer networks allow small businesses to set user permissions, monitor usage and control specific functions.

Also consider only allowing people to print if they authenticate with a PIN number or badge to reduce the likelihood of sensitive information being printed and left in the office or in a public place.

If you want your small business to be a success, then secure printing is a necessity – and that’s even more true if you need to adhere to industrial regulations like HIPAA, PCI-DSS or GDPR.

Summary: Perfect your printing

It’s easy to dismiss a printer as a device that sits in the corner of your office and does a relatively simple job, but by doing that, you’ll be missing a trick in your small business.

If you make sure your next device has appropriate security controls, then you can keep data safe – and if you seek out a model with the best levels of wireless access, document feeding and duplexing then you can streamline your operations and provide more functionality to your colleagues.

And if you weigh up its running costs, too, then you can do all of that while saving your organization some money.

Don’t discount a printer, or an all-in-one, if you want to deliver streamlined, secure operations in your organization – because in a wireless world, paper still has a place.

The HP DeskJet 2855e is a compact all-in-one inkjet printer designed for light home use. It provides printing, scanning, and copying functions. The printer stands out because of its simple setup process, which users praise when they use the HP Smart app together with wireless connectivity features.

Now, this is a budget inkjet - it's currently $50 at Amazon.com and in the UK, the virtually identical DeskJet 2820e is £40 at Amazon.co.uk.

We went hands-on with the DeskJet 2855e to get a feel for how it all comes together. And we've also looked at what others are saying about it.

The 2855e printer receives continuous praise from online reviewers for its document printing quality, and some users report good photo results when using appropriate paper. The printer's compact design makes it an ideal choice for people who need to save space.

The 2855e printer has several negative aspects that users need to consider. Reviews frequently report problems with printer connectivity because they experience unstable Wi-Fi connections, mainly when their network operates only on the 5.0 GHz band (the printer needs 2.4 GHz connectivity).

The primary source of disagreement stems from HP's ink policy, which forces users to purchase HP-branded cartridges and subscribe to HP Instant Ink for potential savings. This policy creates frustration because of high costs outside the program and the need for internet connectivity for HP+ features. The printer is criticized for its slow startup, printing speeds, and the initial setup cartridges’ minimal page yield.

Regardless, users who need a basic printer for occasional tasks will find the HP DeskJet 2855e an appropriate choice because it offers cost-effectiveness and ease of use.

For our top-performing picks, see our guide to the best home printers we've tested.

HP DeskJet 2855e: Specs

The HP DeskJet 2855e is an all-purpose inkjet printer that works well for homes, students, and small businesses. It is a multifunctional device that enables color printing, copying, and scanning to meet different document requirements.

The DeskJet 2855e reaches a maximum ISO printing speed of 7.5 pages per minute (ppm) for black text while reaching 5.5 ppm for color prints. The printer operates effectively between 50 and 100 pages of monthly print use and reaches a maximum duty cycle of 1,000 pages. The printer operates effectively for both light and medium printing needs.

The printer delivers excellent print quality through its 1200 x 1200 rendered dpi for black text and 4800 x 1200 optimized dpi for color prints, resulting in clear and sharp documents. The printer produces detailed and colorful outputs through its 4800 x 1200 optimized dpi color printing capability and 1200 x 1200 rendered dpi black text printing ability.

The printer includes a 60-sheet input tray that supports printing different media sizes starting from 3 x 5 inches (postcards) and extending to 8.5 x 14 inches (legal paper). Users can print various documents on different paper types through this printer, including plain paper, photo paper, brochures, and envelopes. A 25-sheet output tray helps users manage their printed documents efficiently.

The printer enables wireless printing through built-in Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n and direct connections through its Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port. The printer allows network users to print documents from various connected devices. The HP Smart app, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Chrome OS, and Mopria certification enable users to print directly from smartphones and tablets.

The DeskJet 2855e features a scanner that scans at 1200 dpi optical resolution to deliver detailed results for documents and photos. The copier enables nine copies with a 300 x 300 dpi resolution for black and color copies.

The printer measures 16.7 inches (W) x 11.97 inches (D) x 6.06 inches (H) and weighs 7.55 pounds to fit easily in different spaces with its compact dimensions. HP integrates at least 60% post-consumer recycled plastic into its construction to demonstrate its environmental responsibility.

HP DeskJet 2855e: Feedback

What other sites think

In addition to reviewing the product, we analyzed HP DeskJet 2855e reviews from other online publications to get a more precise and concise idea of what others think of the low-cost inkjet printer.

RTINGS.com says the HP DeskJet 2855e isn't a good choice for families due to its low page yield, leading to frequent and costly ink cartridge replacements. While its document print quality is passable, it struggles with photos, producing flat and unnatural images due to a narrow color range and poor accuracy. Although it includes a scanner, the scan quality is poor, it lacks fine detail, and there is no automatic feeder for multi-page documents. On the positive side, it offers good connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, USB, AirPrint, and Mopria, making it easily accessible to multiple users.

Over at PCVerge, the HP DeskJet 2855e is noted for being a compact, affordable printer suitable for light family use, boasting good connectivity options like Wi-Fi, USB, AirPrint, and Mopria. However, its limitations include the absence of an automatic document feeder, merely acceptable print quality, and higher long-term operating expenses due to ink consumption. While not the fastest, its photo printing speed is reasonable for its price. It features a high-resolution flatbed scanner with good color depth, though its hinges don't accommodate scanning thick items. Ultimately, the HP DeskJet 2855e is deemed a good value for fundamental home printing, particularly for infrequent users open to alternative ink solutions or an HP ink subscription.

Perhaps the most insightful review comes from a Reddit poster. Their “Love Letter to Mediocrity” covers all the essential bases. The author expresses pleasant surprise that the printer functions without significant issues, highlighting its easy setup, wireless printing, and all-in-one capabilities (print, scan, copy). However, the review notes its downsides, including high ink consumption, slow print speeds, and mediocre print quality. The reviewer concludes that the printer is best suited for users with basic printing needs and low expectations, rather than those seeking high-quality or fast performance.

What users have to say

The HP DeskJet 2855e achieves positive average star ratings on major online retail and manufacturer platforms. Still, negative reviews strongly outnumber positive ones, which leads to an extreme split in user satisfaction.

The printer earns a 4.2 out of 5-star rating at Walmart.com based on 652 ratings from 412 reviewers. The review distribution reveals that most users provide 5-star ratings at 65% while 16% give 4-star ratings.

The 1-star reviews account for 10% of the reviews, indicating that many users remain unhappy with the product. The overall recommendation rate from Walmart.com reviewers regarding the product amounts to 83%.

HP.com shows the DeskJet 2855e receiving 4.3 out of 5 stars from 433 user reviews on its official store website. The platform displays a mixed sentiment, with numerous negative reviews that describe multiple problems. 4. The polarized feedback pattern matches what other platforms show.

Best Buy lacks explicit ratings information in the document, but their summaries demonstrate that customers praise the DeskJet 2855e's user-friendly nature, and lack sufficient negative feedback. 6 The product starts with an overwhelmingly positive first impression, especially regarding its early usage.

The 4-star rating on RC Willey, based on 214 customer reviews, matches the general positive trend while showing that some customers remain dissatisfied.

HP DeskJet 2855e: Pros

The HP DeskJet 2855e receives positive reviews for its main features, which appeal to users who require an entry-level home printer.

Users praise the DeskJet 2855e for its "ease of use" and simple setup process after completing software installation and initial connection steps. Many users who experienced a straightforward setup process share positive opinions about this printer. The HP Smart application is a key tool that helps users set up their printer and provides easy mobile printing capabilities without a computer connection.

Multiple users describe the DeskJet 2855e as delivering "good print quality" and producing "clear and true to color" images with "great print copies" that meet everyday needs for documents, school work, and occasional photo printing. The expert review by PCVarge agrees with these observations since it notes that the printer delivers “good image quality” and “reasonable” photo printing speeds at an affordable price.

Users consistently praise the printer for its compact design and lightweight construction. The printer receives praise for its "convenient and space-saving" design and "portable" feature, which makes it suitable for home desks in small living spaces. PCVarge notes that the printer measures 6.7 x 11.97 x 6.06 inches and weighs 7.55 pounds, emphasizing its small size among desktop printers.

The printer's affordable initial cost is the main selling point for customers who consider it a "great price" and an "affordable" choice for basic home printing needs. The printer receives positive reviews from customers and experts because it offers a "good budget choice" that suits basic requirements while delivering print, scan, and copy functionalities.

Users highly value wireless printing capabilities across different devices and effortless HP Smart mobile application integration for its user-friendly features. The printer allows users to print documents without needing to plug in their computers every time.

According to HP, the printer features the “most reliable Wi-Fi,” which automatically detects and solves network problems, but some users report opposite experiences.

The positive reception of the HP DeskJet 2855e regarding its compact design, affordable price point, and user-friendly operation post-initial setup confirms its suitability for users requiring basic, straightforward printing capabilities. Due to this feedback, the product stands in the “basic home printing” market segment. The product meets the needs of a particular group of users who have low expectations. HP’s design choices involve choosing basic accessibility and a compact size instead of providing full functionality and premium materials.

The printer delivers its highest value to users with basic needs who successfully overcome typical setup challenges. The strategic market approach adopted by HP focuses on the entry-level market segment by prioritizing initial purchase affordability and ease of use. The user feedback confirms the product's successful targeting of its specific market segment because these customers find that the printer meets its essential promises.

HP DeskJet 2855e: Cons

The HP DeskJet 2855e suffers from multiple critical problems, negatively affecting customer satisfaction.

Multiple users, including those with technical expertise, found the printer setup experience highly challenging. They needed at least 20 minutes and sometimes two days to establish printer functionality. Users experience a "clunky nightmare" and "convoluted" setup process because the instructions depend on mobile app guidance while eliminating disc support, which results in users getting trapped in infinite loops.

The numerous reports about challenging initial setup processes by users with technical experience demonstrate how many buyers encounter a substantial obstacle that prevents them from completing the setup process. The initial unpleasant experience with the printer can make users lose enthusiasm for its beneficial features.

Installing the printer starts with a negative experience that damages customer satisfaction immediately after purchase, making them more likely to return products and view the following problems with increased hostility.

The first negative impression strongly influences customer reviews because it leads to the observed bimodal distribution across different platforms. A customer's inability to print a return label demonstrates their frustration and the practical difficulties that emerge when a setup fails. The setup process becomes a critical, high-stakes moment for HP because it focuses on app-based setup but lacks robust offline setup options and precise network configuration troubleshooting. Enhancing the initial user experience would lead to better overall customer opinions, even if additional drawbacks exist.

This issue sparks intense disagreement among customers who feel intensely dissatisfied with it. Users strongly dislike that the printer requires HP-branded ink cartridges and an active Instant Ink subscription for maintenance.

Users strongly condemn HP for what they call the "ink scam" and denounce the "ink rule" because of the "chip,” which forces users to use HP’s proprietary ink. Users explicitly mention they will never purchase HP products again because of this policy.

Expert reviews show that standard cartridges have a "very low page yield,” which results in “high long-term operational cost (without subscription)”- $0.08 per black print and $.12 per color print—so users must replace cartridges often before subscribing to the model.

Users view HP's proprietary ink policy and subscription promotion as more than financial issues because they create fundamental trust breakdowns and damage brand loyalty among numerous customers. Users experience deeper problems than price concerns because they see this practice as unfair towards consumers and feel trapped by the manufacturer's actions.

The printer's affordable initial price is a double-edged sword because it comes with expensive maintenance costs and limited ink availability. This exemplifies a "razor-and-blades" business model. Customers become angry when they experience "overpriced,” “forced,” or "designed to fail without subscription" ink cartridges in this business model. The potential existence of class-action lawsuits indicates how seriously customers view this ethical violation.

HP's subscription-based model generates recurring revenue but endangers customer loyalty and brand integrity, mainly because it feels deceptive to specific users. The business strategy employed by HP stands in direct opposition to customer autonomy, which is the leading cause of negative review sentiment.

The printer experiences recurring paper jam problems, while users frequently experience printing failures. Several users considered switching to their previous printers because of the recurring jamming issues. A reviewer pointed out that the printer construction feels inexpensive because it uses "cheap plastics." The low initial cost of the printer might relate to lower material standards.

The device, marketed as an “all-in-one” device, consistently demonstrates a significant problem with its scanning functionality. Customers experience two major scanning issues because the scanner refuses to function and fails to detect documents. Users encountered difficulties when scanning into a computer that forced them to run "HP scanner doctor" multiple times until they restarted their computer. This led to the belief that HP uses this method as an "ink scam" ploy. According to expert reviews, the scanning performance is not good because the image processing removes essential details from the scans and the flatbed scanner's lid hinges do not extend to accommodate thick items.

The absence of an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) is a significant limitation, meaning multi-page documents must be scanned one sheet at a time, manually.

The persistent issues with scanning functionality make the product's "all-in-one" claim less valuable according to user reports. The consistent problems with scanning functionality directly harm the "multifunctionality" value proposition because it affects the fundamental operation of the device.

The "cheap piece of junk" sentiment emerges when users feel they purchased only a printer and copier instead of an "all-in-one" device. The scanning module seems to suffer from quality control issues, software integration problems, or the manufacturer deliberately chose basic scanning features that fail to match typical user expectations for "all-in-one" devices. The significant difference between marketing claims and user experience results in customer dissatisfaction.

Users and experts agree that automatic duplex (double-sided) printing should be included in a printer, but the product lacks this feature. Users need to turn pages manually for double-sided printing. The absence of the Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) significantly hinders efficiency when users scan or copy multiple pages. The control panel has a tiny non-tiltable LCD screen that users find hard to see from their seated position.

Finally, many users express dissatisfaction because they receive starter cartridges and XL ink cartridges with low page yields. Users who plan to print many pages should expect the starter cartridges to deplete quickly. Another noted that the "cartridges that came with it don't last long if you plan to print many pages.” Expert reviews confirm this problem by assessing "very low page yield,” which explains why the print cost remains high without an Instant Ink subscription, leading to frequent cartridge replacements.

It might be sitting in the corner of the office, printing and copying hundreds of documents for your business - but there's a lot more to laser printers than you might expect.

Now, we love testing and reviewing printers of all types at TechRadar Pro - "Where would we be without them?" we ask ourselves. And laser printers are especially interesting (seriously!). From deploying technologies that emerged from the 60s, components that operate at skin-searing temperatures and ink that isn’t actually ink, there’s a surprising amount going on inside these unassuming machines.

Don’t believe us? Just read on and discover ten incredible facts about laser printers – and you might look twice at your office device next time you need to print a report.

1. Laser printers were invented in 1969

It’s no surprise that laser printers have lots of history – after all, they’ve had time to become small, affordable and ubiquitous – but did you know that laser printers have actually been around since the 1960s?

The first laser printer prototype was developed by an engineer called Gary Starkweather, who worked in the product development department at Xerox.

Xerox dominated the photocopier market at the time, but he had the idea to use a laser beam to transplant a new design to the copier’s drum, and the laser printer was born. He moved to the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in 1971, continued working on prototypes, and by 1976 the first commercial devices were being used in data centers.

2. There's more history than you might think

By 1982, laser printers were being produced commercially for home and office use, and Apple were rumored to be involved – because Steve Jobs spotted the Canon LBP-CX while buying floppy discs for the upcoming Apple Macintosh computer.

Another print pioneer, John Warnock, founded Adobe and was persuaded to license some of his technology to Apple for a new Apple-branded printer.

Consequently, the Apple LaserWriter printer was announced in 1985. Its support for the PostScript and AppleTalk technology, created by Adobe and Warnock, helped drive down costs for the new Apple printer – and ensured that it worked well with those new Apple Macintosh computers, Adobe’s software and new design tools like Aldus PageMaker.

The result? A revolutionized desktop publishing industry that transformed the landscape of books, magazines and brochures – and a legacy of publishing using Adobe and Apple software that still dominates.

Don’t forget Gary Starkweather in all of this, either. The original inventor of the laser printer worked at Apple in the 1990s where he invented color management technology.

He even consulted on the digital effects for Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977, and won a technical Academy Award in 1994 for his work with Lucasfilm and Pixar.

3. The first commercial laser printer was produced for 23 years

That first high-speed commercial model, the IBM 3800, replaced the archaic line printers that used to attach to mainframe computers in data centers.

The 3800 churned out an impressive 215 pages per minute at a relatively modest resolution of 240 dots per inch, and could produce 45,000 characters per second – six times faster than the fastest printer available previously.

Amazingly, IBM refined and updated the 3800 with faster, crisper output, smaller designs, and innovations like long-life components until it was discontinued in 1999 after more than 10,000 IBM 3800s had been deployed globally.

4. The first HP LaserJet was outrageously expensive

The original HP LaserJet arrived in 1984 and was the first laser printer designed for mass-market, office use.

Given the price of printers today you’d be forgiven for thinking that the original LaserJet was just as accessible, but that’s not necessarily the case – it printed eight pages per minute, it used an 8MHz Motorola processor, and cost a mighty $3,495. That’s the equivalent of $10,968 in today’s money.

5. Laser printers operate at nearly 400°F

Laser printers seem mundane, but inside they’ve got some components that get so hot that they could cause third-degree burns.

A key component of every laser printer is the fuser unit, which fuses the toner powder and paper together to actually create prints.

To get the job done, toner needs to be melted so it can fuse with the paper – which means that the fuser needs to operate at temperatures approaching 400°F. That’s as hot as an oven and hot enough to deliver a serious burn to anyone unlucky enough to touch that sort of temperature, and it means that the ink doesn’t ever smudge or run. It also means that the paper has to move seriously quickly through the printer to avoid burning.

Ever wondered why laser printers produce documents that feel warm? Now you know.

6. The ink? It’s not ink

If you hear someone mention the toner used in laser printers then you’d be forgiven for thinking about ink, but it’s actually nothing of the sort.

Toner is actually a dry powder that’s made from fine plastic particles, usually made from polyester resin. They’re combined with pigments and other additives to produce the colors required.

Because laser printing works by heating the toner up until it melts and fusing the melted particles with paper, ink would simply not function properly.

There are advantages to using toner, though: because it’s melted and bonded to paper, it doesn’t smudge immediately after printing in the same way as conventional ink – a factor that supports the faster printing typically found in laser devices. Toner is more resistant to fading than conventional ink, too.

7. Toner has some surprising ingredients

When laser printers first emerged, there wasn’t much attention paid to the safety and environmental credentials of toner. So, back then, you’d regularly find soot and rust if you delved into the mixture – and iron oxide to make it magnetic.

And while things have improved since the 1970s, there’s still a broad array of substances inside your average toner cartridge.

The vast majority of toner is made from plastic that’s milled to a superfine grain – the smaller that gets, the better the print quality.

Plastic doesn’t conduct electricity, so those particles can hold charge. That’s crucial when you consider that laser printers function by manipulating toner using positive and negative electrical charges on the various drums inside.

Most toner these days is made from polyester, but there are several other substances at play. Polypropylene wax is used to stop toner getting stuck to things, and a high-quality type of soot called Carbon Black is often used to create the deep black tones that a good laser printer should produce.

Elsewhere, expect different pigments depending on the color of the cartridge, tiny glass beads to improve the flow of toner over paper, and chemicals to further control electric charges.

8. Lab-grown toner

Traditionally, toner is made by combining all of the relevant ingredients into a single block of material – and then grinding it down until it reaches the required size and shape. It’s then put into cartridges and can get to work in laser printers across the globe.

These days, though, users are demanding more detail and better print quality from their laser printers. To deliver that, manufacturers need to produce smaller particles with more consistent milling quality. Tto get that level of quality, some companies are now using chemical processes to grow toner particles in labs and factories.

The result? Smaller, more consistent shapes, which means more detail, more accurate colors, and more efficient toner.

9. Laser printers use lenses and mirrors, too

As the name suggests, laser printers use laser beams. When you want to print, a laser turns on and off at high speed to target particular sections of a photoreceptor drum.

The drum is positively charged, but those laser hits neutralize sections of the drum with a negative charge – essentially “painting” the design on the drum in negatively charged spaces.

The laser works with a movable mirror and a selection of lenses to render the design on the drum. This means that the laser doesn’t have to move, which reduces the risk of malfunctions and means repairs are easier.

10. Laser printing is based on Xerography

Xerography is a dry copying technique invented by American physicist Chester Carlson in 1942.

It works by creating an electrostatic image on a photoconductive surface, such as the drums found inside modern laser printers. These electrostatic images attract toner particles, allowing them to be transferred to paper and fused to the material.

The history of Xerography can be traced even further back to the dry electrostatic printing process invented by Georg Christoph Lichtenberg in 1778.

After patenting his invention, Carlson started to develop his process into a commercial product in 1946 – and a firm called the Haloid Photographic Company saw potential and signed an agreement to support that development.

It took nearly twenty years until an automatic Xerography process was developed, but that resulted in the first commercial copier being launched and the Haloid Photographic Company changing its name to Xerox.

Fast forward to 1969, when Gary Starkweather saw printing potential in copiers that relied on the older Xerographic technique – and you can trace a line all the way to the present day, where you’ll find laser printers in virtually every office.

For our top picks see our guides to the best home printers and best laser printers.

Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms worldwide, allowing users to share and view images, videos, and other content with ease.

Sometimes, you may want to print your favorite posts, whether it's a personal photo, an inspiring quote, or a memory from someone else's feed.

In this guide, we will walk you through the steps to print from Instagram using different methods, ensuring your memories make their way from the screen to paper.

How to print from Instagram

Tools & requirements

• A smartphone or computer with Instagram installed
• One of the best home printers (Wi-Fi-enabled or connected via USB)
• The image or post you want to print
• Internet connection
• Google Drive or a PDF reader (optional for saving files)

1. Print your own Instagram photo

Instagram does not have a direct print option for printing images or posts. However, users can print their images following the few steps below.

Steps:

1. Open Instagram on your phone.
2. Go to your profile and find the photo you want to print.
3. Tap on the three dots at the top right corner of the post.
4. Select Save to Device (this will save the image to your phone’s gallery).
5. Once the image is saved, open your phone’s Photos or Gallery app.
6. Select the image, tap the Share icon, and choose Print from the options.
7. Choose your printer, adjust the print settings if needed (such as paper size and quality), and tap Print.

This method allows you to print high-quality versions of your Instagram photos directly from your phone.

2. Print a screenshot of someone else’s post

If you want to print a post from someone else’s Instagram feed, taking a screenshot and printing it is a quick and easy method.

Steps:

1. Open Instagram and navigate to the post you want to print.
2. Take a screenshot of the post:

• For iPhones, press the Side button and the Volume Up button simultaneously.
• For Android phones, press the Power button and the Volume Down button at the same time.

3. Go to your phone’s Photos or Gallery app and locate the screenshot.
4. Tap the Share icon and select Print from the menu.
5. Choose your printer, adjust the print settings (such as size or quality), and tap Print.

This method is ideal for printing posts from accounts you follow or admire, ensuring you can hold on to those inspiring or meaningful images. Always ensure that you have permission if you intend to print someone else's photos.

3. Save Instagram content as a PDF and print

For those who want to save Instagram posts in a more shareable or printable format, converting them to a PDF is an excellent option. This allows you to store and print the content easily without losing quality.

Steps:

1. Open Instagram and find the post you want to print.
2. Take a screenshot of the post as described in the previous section.
3. Open your phone’s Photos or Gallery app and locate the screenshot.
4. Tap the Share icon and select Save as PDF (this option might vary based on your phone or app).
5. Once saved, open the PDF from your file manager or PDF reader app.
6. Tap the Print icon within the PDF viewer, select your printer, and adjust settings such as paper size and orientation.
7. Tap Print to print the file.

Saving content as a PDF ensures that it is formatted correctly for printing and provides a digital backup of your Instagram posts.

4. Print via Instagram web

Instagram Web is the desktop version of Instagram, and it can be accessed through any browser. Printing from Instagram Web is convenient, especially if you’re working on a computer and want to print content quickly.

Steps:

1. Open a web browser and go to Instagram Web.
2. Log in to your account.
3. Navigate to the post you want to print.
4. Right-click on the image and select Open image in a new tab.
5. Once the image opens in a new tab, right-click again and select Save Image As to download the image to your computer.
6. Open the saved image in your computer’s photo viewer.
7. Press Ctrl + P (or Cmd + P on a Mac) to open the print menu.
8. Select your printer, adjust the settings such as orientation and quality, and click Print.

Printing via Instagram Web is useful for high-resolution images or larger files, and it gives you more control over the final print.

5. Use printing apps or third-party printing services

There are also printing apps like Snapfish and others which allow you to print directly from your Instagram account. Furthermore, third-party apps Social Print Studio, Canva and Printique also helps to print from Instagram

Social Print Studio offers various products designed specifically for Instagram photos, including square prints, calendars, and magnets. You can print directly from their website or through their app. Canva provides an easy way to download and creatively edit your photos before printing them while Printique allows uploading directly from Instagram or your phone's photo library for printing.

Tips for Printing from Instagram

• Make sure the images you’re printing are of good quality. Instagram compresses photos, so it’s best to use original images if possible for higher print quality.
• Using a Wi-Fi-enabled printer allows you to print directly from your phone without needing a computer, making the process faster and more convenient.
• Before printing, always review your settings like paper size, quality, and orientation to ensure the printout looks exactly how you want.
• You can save images to Google Drive for easy access across multiple devices. This is especially helpful if you need to print Instagram photos later or from a different device.
• If you are printing someone else’s post, ensure you have the right to use and print their content. Always respect copyright laws and give credit where it’s due.

Microsoft Excel is one of the most powerful tools for organizing data, performing calculations, and creating charts, but when it comes to printing, it can sometimes be tricky.

Excel offers a variety of options that let you customize the print layout according to your needs and it is possible to print a single sheet, multiple sheets, or an entire workbook.

This guide will walk you through the steps on how to print from Excel using different methods and ensure your data is presented clearly and professionally on paper.

How to print from Microsoft Excel

Tools & requirements

• A computer with Excel installed
• One of the best home printers (Wi-Fi-enabled or connected via USB)
• The spreadsheet you want to print
• Internet connection (optional for cloud printing)
• PDF reader or Google Drive (optional for saving files as PDFs)

1. Print a Single Sheet or Part of a Sheet

One of the most common printing tasks in Excel is printing a single sheet or a specific part of a sheet. You may have a large table, a set of calculations, or charts that you want to print on one or more pages.

Steps to print a single sheet:

1. Open Excel and navigate to the sheet you want to print.
2. Go to the File tab in the upper left corner.
3. Select Print from the menu.
4. Under Settings, ensure Print Active Sheets is selected.
5. You can preview your printout on the right side of the screen.
6. Adjust any print settings such as page orientation (portrait or landscape), paper size, and margins as needed.
7. Ensure to check the margins in the print settings. It is very common for the margins to lose alignment when printing from Excel.
8. Click Print to print your sheet.

Steps to print part of a sheet:

1. Highlight the area of the sheet you want to print.
2. Go to the Page Layout tab, and click Print Area in the Page Setup group.
3. Choose Set Print Area from the dropdown menu.
4. Go to File > Print and verify that only the selected area appears in the print preview.
5. Adjust settings if necessary, and click Print.

This method ensures that only the relevant parts of your spreadsheet are printed, saving paper and making your document easier to read. Please note that after opening the Excel page, Ctrl P can take you directly to the print settings.

2. Print Multiple Sheets or the Entire Workbook

If your Excel file contains several sheets and you want to print more than one, or even the entire workbook, Excel makes it simple to do so.

Steps to print multiple sheets:

1. Hold the Ctrl key and click on each sheet tab that you want to print.
2. Go to File > Print.
3. Under Settings, select Print Active Sheets.
4. Verify the print preview and click Print.

Steps to print the entire workbook:

1. Go to File > Print.
2. Under Settings, choose Print Entire Workbook.
3. Review the preview to ensure that all sheets are formatted correctly.
4. Adjust print settings if needed, such as page orientation and scaling (e.g., fitting all columns on one page).
5. Click Print.

Printing multiple sheets or an entire workbook is convenient when working with larger data sets or reports that span multiple tabs.

3. Save Your Excel Sheet as a PDF and Print

In some cases, you may prefer to save your Excel sheet as a PDF before printing. This is especially useful if you want to ensure consistent formatting across different devices or share the document with others for printing.

Steps to save as PDF:

1. Open the Excel sheet or workbook you want to save as a PDF.
2. Go to File > Save As.
3. Choose a location on your computer, and in the Save as Type dropdown, select PDF.
4. Click Options to choose whether to save the active sheet, selected sheets, or the entire workbook.
5. Click Save.

Steps to print PDF:

1. Open the saved PDF in your preferred PDF viewer.
2. Press Ctrl + P or go to File > Print.
3. Adjust print settings as needed, such as page orientation or scaling, and click Print.

Saving your Excel file as a PDF allows for a more polished look, ensuring that formatting issues don’t arise when printing from different devices or printers.

4. Customize Print Settings for Better Output

Excel offers several print settings that allow you to control how your document appears on paper. These settings can help you fit large data sets onto fewer pages, ensure your headers are printed, and format your document for optimal readability.

Key Print Settings to Adjust:

• Page Orientation: Choose between portrait (vertical) and landscape (horizontal) layouts depending on the content.
• Scaling: Under Settings in the print menu, you can select options like “Fit Sheet on One Page” or “Fit All Columns on One Page” to ensure that your data fits neatly within the printable area.
• Margins: Set custom margins if you need more or less white space around your content. This option is available under the Page Layout tab.
• Headers and Footers: To add a header or footer (e.g., page numbers, dates), go to the Insert tab, select Header & Footer, and customize the text that appears at the top or bottom of each printed page.
• Gridlines and Headings: Under the Page Layout tab, you can choose to print gridlines and row/column headings, which may be useful for navigating complex spreadsheets.

Customizing your print settings ensures that your document is easy to read, properly formatted, and professional-looking.

Tips for Printing from Microsoft Excel

• Always use the print preview to check how your document will look before printing. This can save you from wasting paper on misaligned or poorly formatted pages.
• Use the Set Print Area option to focus only on the data you need, avoiding unnecessary blank pages or extra rows and columns.
• Go to View > Page Break Preview to manually adjust where page breaks occur, ensuring that your content flows naturally across pages.
• If your data spans multiple pages, try adjusting the scaling settings to fit more content on each page without making it too small to read.

Microsoft Word is one of the most widely used word-processing applications with over 1.5 billion users.

Over the past 30 years, anyone who owns a computer has probably used at least one MS Office product and MS Word is the most popular. It allows us to create, edit, and format documents with ease.

At some point, you may need to print your Word document. This article will walk you through the different methods you can use to print from Microsoft Word using a computer or a smartphone.

How to print from Microsoft Word

Tools & requirements

• A computer or smartphone with Microsoft Word installed
• One of the best home printers (Wi-Fi enabled or connected via USB)
• The document you want to print
• Internet connection (optional for cloud printing or remote access)
• PDF reader (optional for saving files)

1. Basic Printing from Word

The process of printing a document from Microsoft Word is straightforward, whether you're using Word on your desktop or laptop. The steps below outline the basic procedure to print your documents efficiently.

Steps:

1. Open Microsoft Word on your computer.
2. Open the document you wish to print by clicking on “File” and then selecting “Open”. Alternatively, you can simply double-click on the file to open it.
3. Once your document is ready, go to the top menu and click on “File”. From the drop-down menu, select “Print.” This will open the Print Preview window where you can adjust your printer settings. Alternatively, once the document is open, just click Ctrl + P to open the print settings.
4. Choose your printer from the drop-down list, particularly if you have more than one printer connected.
5. Set the number of copies you want to print, and specify which pages to print (e.g., all pages, selected pages, or specific page numbers).
6. Click “Print” to start the printing process.

This method is the most direct and widely used approach for printing documents. However, it is essential to make sure that your printer is correctly connected and that it has enough paper and ink or toner before beginning the print job.

2. Printing to PDF

Microsoft Word documents, especially documents with complex presentations, could easily lose alignment during printing. The document could be aligned before sending it to the printer but when the printed copy comes out, it could be misaligned to one side of the paper. To solve this problem, simply convert the document to PDF before printing it. This method ensures the document remains in its original formatting and can be printed or shared across multiple devices without alterations.

Steps:

1. Open the document in Microsoft Word.
2. Click on “File” and select “Print.”
3. In the “Printer” drop-down menu, select “Microsoft Print to PDF.”
4. Press “Print,” and a window will pop up asking you to save the file. Choose the location where you want to save your PDF.
5. Name your file and click “Save.”
6. Once saved, you can open the PDF file later and print it using any PDF reader by pressing Ctrl + P or using the “Print” function.

If you don’t have immediate access to a printer or want to keep a digital version of your document, saving your Word document as a PDF is a practical option. You can then print the PDF when needed or share it with others.

3. Printing Using Word Online

Microsoft Word Online offers a cloud-based version of Word that allows you to access and print documents directly from the web without downloading additional software. This is particularly useful if you don’t have Word installed on your device.

Steps:

1. Go to Word Online and sign in with your Microsoft account.
2. Once logged in, open your document by clicking on “Upload and open” or choosing one from your OneDrive.
3. Once the document is open, click on the three dots at the top right of the screen, and then select “Print.”
4. A print dialog box will appear, showing a preview of your document. Select your printer from the list of available printers.
5. Choose the number of copies, page range, and other settings.
6. Click “Print” to send the document to your printer.

This method is great for accessing your files from any location with internet access. You can also print from various devices like Chromebooks or public computers without installing Word.

4. Printing via Mobile

In this era where Microsoft Word is compatible with most mobile phones, many people just want to take along their portable mobile phones with all the necessary documents in them. If you need to print any of those documents directly from your phone, you are in luck because Microsoft Word on mobile devices (Android and iOS) has become easier with the integration of Wi-Fi printers and cloud-based apps. If you have the Microsoft Word app installed on your smartphone or tablet, you can print documents directly from the app.

Steps for Android and iOS:

1. Open the Microsoft Word app on your smartphone or tablet.
2. Open the document you want to print.
3. Tap on the three dots (more options) or the “File” button – this depends on your device.
4. Select “Print.”
5. Choose your printer from the list (ensure your phone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the printer).
6. Adjust print settings if necessary, such as the number of copies or orientation.
7. Tap “Print” to start printing the document.

This method is especially useful for quick and easy document printing when you’re away from your computer or need to print on the go.

5. Adjusting Printer Settings

It is very important to note that you have to properly adjust your printer settings to ensure that the document is printed exactly how you want it, especially if you need to adjust the paper size, margins, or quality of the print.

Steps:

1. Follow the steps above until you reach the Print Preview screen.
2. Before pressing the “Print” button, click on the “Printer Properties” or “Preferences” button (the exact wording may differ based on your printer model). Here, you can adjust various settings such as:

• Paper size (A4, Letter, etc.)
• Print quality (draft, normal, best)
• Colour or grayscale (black and white) printing.
• Page layout or Orientation (portrait or landscape)

3. After setting your preferences, click “OK” to save the changes and then press “Print.”

This method is useful for making more advanced adjustments when printing special documents like resumes, photos, or double-sided pages.

Tips for Printing from Microsoft Word

• Always ensure that both Microsoft Word and your printer drivers are up to date. This minimizes the chance of compatibility issues.
• Always check the Print Preview to ensure that your document will be printed correctly. This can save paper, ink, and time.
• If your printer supports Wi-Fi, use this feature for a hassle-free printing experience directly from your mobile device or computer.
• For important documents, consider saving them as PDFs before printing. PDFs are more universally accessible and ensure that your formatting remains intact.
• Saving documents to OneDrive allows you to access and print them from any device, anywhere in the world.

PDF (Portable Document Format) is one of the most commonly used file formats for documents due to its ability to preserve text, images, and layout across different devices and operating systems.

The ability to print any document directly from a PDF can be beneficial considering that many documents like invoices, reports, academic papers or forms come in this format.

This guide will walk you through simple, effective methods to print from PDF, ensuring that you can get your documents on paper with ease.

How to print from PDF

Tools & requirements

• A computer, smartphone, or tablet with PDF viewing software installed (such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, Google Chrome, or Apple’s Preview)
• One of the best home printers (Wi-Fi-enabled or connected via USB)
• A PDF document that you need to print
• Internet connection (if printing wirelessly or using cloud-based services)

1. Print a PDF Using Adobe Acrobat reader or similar software

Adobe Acrobat Reader is one of the most popular PDF viewers and editors available. Here’s how you can print from it, but these steps will be similar for other PDF viewing software like Preview on Mac or Foxit Reader.

Steps:

1. Open the PDF document in Adobe Acrobat Reader or your preferred PDF reader.
2. Click on the "File" menu in the top-left corner of the screen.
3. Select "Print" from the dropdown menu, or use the shortcut Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac).
4. A print dialogue box will appear. Here, you can adjust the print settings such as the number of copies, paper size, orientation, and page range.
5. Select your printer from the list of available printers.
6. Once all settings are in order, click "Print" to start the process.

If your document contains multiple pages, ensure you select the correct range of pages you need or opt for "Print All" if you want the entire document.

2. Print from a web browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari, etc.)

Most modern web browsers come equipped with built-in PDF viewers, allowing you to open and print PDF files directly without needing third-party software.

Steps:

1. Open your PDF file by dragging it into a browser window, or by right-clicking on the file and selecting "Open with" and then choosing your browser.
2. Once the PDF is open, look for the print icon on the browser toolbar (typically a small printer icon on the top right of the screen).
3. Click the print icon or press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to open the print dialogue box.
4. Adjust the settings like the number of pages, orientation, or paper size.
5. Select your printer from the list.
6. Click "Print" to start printing your PDF.

When printing from a browser, be sure to double-check that the document looks correct in the print preview, as web browsers sometimes adjust formatting slightly.

3. Print directly from your smartphone or tablet

If you're working on your smartphone or tablet, printing directly from a PDF is convenient. Since most modern mobile phones support wireless printing through apps or built-in systems like AirPrint (Apple) or Google Cloud Print (Android), printing directly from a mobile phone is hassle-free.

Steps (for iOS with AirPrint):

1. Open the PDF in the "Files" app or a PDF viewer such as Adobe Acrobat Reader.
2. Tap the share icon (usually a box with an arrow pointing upward).
3. Scroll through the options and tap "Print."
4. Select your AirPrint-enabled printer from the list.
5. Adjust print settings like the number of copies or page range.
6. Tap "Print" to send the PDF to your printer.

Steps (for Android using Google Cloud print or similar service):

1. Open the PDF document in a PDF reader or "Files" app.
2. Tap on the three-dot menu in the top-right corner and select "Print."
3. Choose your printer from the list of available options (Google Cloud Print or another connected printer).
4. Adjust the print settings if needed, like paper size or colour preferences.
5. Tap "Print" to start the process.

Make sure your printer and smartphone/tablet are connected to the same Wi-Fi network for wireless printing to work.

4. Save the PDF in Cloud storage and print from any device

Cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive allow you to store your PDF files online and print them from any device with an internet connection. This is particularly helpful if you're moving between different devices or locations.

Steps (using Google Drive):

1. Upload your PDF file to Google Drive by dragging it into your Drive folder or by clicking "New" > "File Upload."
2. Once the file is uploaded, open the PDF by double-clicking it.
3. In the top-right corner, click on the printer icon or select "File" > "Print."
4. This will open the print dialogue box. Select your printer and adjust settings like orientation and number of copies.
5. Click "Print."

This method is highly versatile, as you can access your files and print them from any device, whether you're using a computer, tablet, or smartphone.

5. Print a password-protected PDF

Sometimes, PDF files come with password protection, which restricts you from editing or printing the document. If you try to print a password-protected PDF, the printer might not process the file unless you enter the password first.

Steps:

1. Open the password-protected PDF in Adobe Acrobat or another PDF reader.
2. When prompted, enter the password to unlock the file.
3. Once the PDF is open, follow the usual steps for printing (File > Print).
4. If the file has permissions that restrict printing, you will need to request the password from the document owner to remove those restrictions.

Tips for printing from PDF

Sometimes printing from PDF can lead to unexpected issues, such as formatting problems, missing text, or printer malfunctions. Here are some common troubleshooting tips:

• Ensure that your printer’s drivers are up-to-date. Visit the manufacturer’s website to download the latest version of the driver if needed.
• If your document doesn’t print correctly, try adjusting the PDF’s print settings. For instance, select “Print as Image” in the Adobe print dialogue box to avoid issues related to PDF rendering.
• If your printer isn’t responding, verify that it’s properly connected to your computer or Wi-Fi network. Restart both the printer and the device from which you are printing.
• Sometimes the problem lies with a specific PDF. Try printing another document to see if the issue is isolated. If the problem persists, consider converting the PDF to another format (like DOCX) and printing from that file.
• If all else fails, try printing from a different computer, smartphone, or tablet. This can help you determine whether the issue is with your device or the printer itself.

Tips for Efficient Printing

• For complex PDFs like those with images or detailed charts, a high-quality printer ensures better print results.
• If you’re printing simple text documents, choose “Draft” or “Low-Quality” mode to save ink and print faster. For professional documents, opt for “Best” quality.
• Always use the print preview option to catch any formatting errors or missing elements before sending your document to the printer.

Printing from PowerPoint is an essential task for presenters, students, and professionals who need to distribute physical copies of slides, handouts, or notes.

Whether you’re preparing for a presentation, a training session, or simply need to have a hard copy of your work, knowing how to print correctly from PowerPoint ensures that your materials are clear, professional, and well-organized.

In this guide, we will walk you through how to print from PowerPoint, highlighting various methods and options that best suit your needs.

How to print from Powerpoint

Tools & requirements

Before diving into the step-by-step instructions, ensure you have the following tools ready:

• A computer with PowerPoint installed (Microsoft PowerPoint or PowerPoint Online)
• One of the best home printers (Wi-Fi enabled or connected via USB)
• The PowerPoint presentation you want to print
• Internet connection (for PowerPoint Online)
• Paper for printing (A4, Letter, or any size you prefer)
• A PDF viewer (optional for saving files as PDF)

1. Print a Full Presentation

One of the most common reasons for printing from PowerPoint is to print an entire presentation, either for record-keeping or distributing it to others.

Steps:

1. Launch PowerPoint on your computer and open the presentation you want to print.
2. Click on the “File” tab located in the top-left corner of the screen.
3. From the drop-down menu, select “Print.” This will open the print settings page where you can adjust the settings as needed.
4. In the “Printer” section, select the printer you want to use. If your printer is Wi-Fi enabled, ensure it is connected to the same network as your computer.
5. In the “Settings” section, you will find various options:

• Choose whether you want to print “All Slides” or specify certain slides by selecting “Custom Range” and entering the slide numbers (e.g., 1-5).
• You can print one slide per page or use multiple slides per page by selecting “Handouts.”
• Choose whether you want to print in color or grayscale and if the slides should be collated.
• You can choose between portrait or landscape orientation based on how you want your slides printed.

7. Once you’ve reviewed your settings, click the “Print” button to start printing.

2. Print Specific Slides

Sometimes, you may not need to print all slides from a presentation, especially if it's lengthy. You can choose to print only selected slides.

Steps:

1. Open the PowerPoint presentation from which you want to print certain slides.
2. Navigate to the “File” menu and select “Print"
3. In the “Settings” section, instead of selecting “All Slides,” choose “Custom Range” and type the slide numbers you wish to print. For example, if you want to print slides 2, and 7, enter them as “2, 4, 7” (separated by commas). If you want to print a range, enter “2-5” for slides 2 through 5.
4. Once you've selected the specific slides, adjust other settings as needed and click “Print.”

This method is useful when you only need certain slides from a larger presentation, saving both paper and ink.

3. Print Handouts or Notes Pages

PowerPoint allows you to print handouts or note pages, which can be especially helpful for meetings or presentations. Handouts typically include several slides on one page, while note pages provide space for additional comments or explanations.

Steps:

1. Launch PowerPoint and open the file you want to print.
2. Navigate to the print settings
3. Under the “Print Layout” section, choose one of the following:

• Handouts: If you select this option, you can print multiple slides per page (e.g., 3 slides per page). You can also add space for notes next to each slide.
• Notes Pages: If you select “Notes Pages,” you will print each slide along with its speaker notes. This is helpful if you need to have talking points or extra details with each slide.

4. Once you’ve selected the desired layout, you can also choose to print in colour or grayscale and specify the number of copies.
5. After adjusting the settings, click “Print."

4. Save Slides as PDF and Print

Saving your PowerPoint slides as a PDF before printing offers flexibility in case you need to send the file to someone or ensure a consistent format across devices.

Steps:

1. Open the file in PowerPoint.
2. Instead of selecting “Print,” go to “Save As.” In the dialog box that appears, choose “PDF” as the file format.
3. If needed, specify whether you want to save the whole presentation or only selected slides as a PDF.
4. Select the destination on your computer where you want to save the PDF file and click “Save.”
5. Open the saved PDF file using a PDF reader like Adobe Acrobat or your browser, and print it using the print function (Ctrl + P or File > Print).

5. Print Using PowerPoint Online

For users who work with PowerPoint Online, printing is still an easy process, though it may differ slightly from the desktop version.

Steps:

1. Open your web browser and go to PowerPoint Online by logging into your Microsoft account.
2. Navigate to the presentation you want to print.
3. From the PowerPoint Online interface, click on the “File” menu and select “Print.” A print preview will open in a new tab.
4. Review the print preview to ensure everything looks correct.
5. Once satisfied, use the browser’s print function (Ctrl + P) or click the “Print” button in the preview window.

PowerPoint Online provides a seamless way to print directly from your browser, perfect for users who may not have the desktop version of PowerPoint installed.

Tips for printing from Powerpoint

• This allows you to print wirelessly from your laptop or mobile device, saving time and effort.
• Always double-check settings like paper size, colour, and orientation before printing to avoid wasting paper.
• Save slides as PDFs for a universal file format that can be printed across devices.

In conclusion, printing from PowerPoint is straightforward once you know the steps and options available. Whether you’re printing a full presentation, specific slides, or handouts, PowerPoint offers a range of features to meet your needs.

Welcome to our guide on how to print from email. Email is one of the most widely used communication tools, allowing us to send and receive important messages, documents, images, and more.

It is used for professional communication, personal use, and even for the keeping of records. Thus, there may be times when you need to print an email or an attachment directly from your inbox.

This guide will walk you through simple steps to print from your email using different methods.

How to print from eMail

Tools & requirements

• A computer or smartphone with access to your email account
• One of the best home printers (Wi-Fi enabled or connected via USB)
• The email, document, or image you want to print
• Internet connection
• Google Drive or a PDF reader (optional for saving files)

1. Print an Email directly from your inbox

One of the easiest ways to print an email is by accessing it from your inbox on your computer or smartphone and using the built-in print function.

Steps (on a computer):

1. Open your email client (such as Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo).
2. Find the email you want to print and click to open it.
3. Look for the print icon (often found at the top right of the email) or right-click on the email content.
4. Choose the Print option.
5. In the print window, select your printer and adjust the print settings (such as number of copies, paper size, etc.).
6. Click Print to start printing the email.

Steps (on a smartphone):

1. Open your email app (such as Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo).
2. Open the email you want to print.
3. Tap the three-dot menu or the options icon (usually in the top right corner).
4. Select Print from the menu.
5. Choose your printer and adjust the settings if needed.
6. Tap Print to print the email.

This method is perfect for quickly printing text emails directly from your inbox. However, if your email contains important attachments or media, you may need to print those separately by following the steps below.

2. Print attachments (documents or images)

If your email contains attachments such as documents or images, you can print them directly from the email client without downloading the entire email.

Steps (for documents):

1. Open the email containing the attachment you want to print.
2. Click on the attachment to open it (PDFs, Word documents, etc.). On the attached document, you will see two icons, one for downloading and the other for saving to Drive. You don’t have to click any of the icons. Just click on the body of the attachment and a preview page of the attached document will open.
3. Once the preview of the document is open, look for the print icon (usually at the top right corner of the screen in between “Add to my Drive” and “Download”) or the three-dot menu (depending on your app or browser).
4. Select Print from the available options.
5. Choose your printer and adjust the print settings if needed.
6. Click or tap Print to start printing the document.

Steps (for images):

1. Open the email containing the image you want to print.
2. Click or tap on the image to open it in full view. Again, do not click on any of the icons on the attached image, just click the body of the image and a preview page of the image will open.
3. Click on the print icon which is usually on the top right of the screen
4. Select Print from the available options.
5. Choose your printer and adjust settings like paper size or layout.
6. Tap Print to print the image.

This method is ideal for printing specific attachments without the need to print the entire email thread.

3. Save Emails as PDFs and print

If you want to save an email or attachment as a PDF first, and then print it later, this method allows you to format the content and keep a digital copy for future use.

Steps for saving an email as a PDF (on a computer):

1. Open your email client and select the email you want to print.
2. Click on the print icon as if you were going to print the email.
3. In the print dialog box, instead of selecting your printer, choose Save as PDF.
4. Save the email as a PDF file to your computer.
5. Open the saved PDF, and then select Print from the file menu or right-click the file and choose Print.

Steps for saving an email as a PDF (on a smartphone):

1. Open the email you want to print.
2. Tap on the three-dot menu or options icon.
3. Choose Print, and in the printer options, select Save as PDF.
4. Save the PDF to your phone’s file manager or cloud storage.
5. When you’re ready, open the PDF, and select Print to print it.

Saving your emails as PDFs gives you flexibility in terms of formatting and ensures you have a digital backup in case you need to reprint them in the future.

4. Print from a mobile device

Printing from a mobile device is convenient, especially when you’re on the go and need a quick printout of an email or attachment. However, to print from a mobile device, you should have a printer that supports wireless connection via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. If the Wi-Fi option is not available, there is also the USB cable option (if supported by your phone and printer). If the printer is connected, any of the methods above will work seamlessly for a mobile device.

Tips for printing from Email

• A Wi-Fi-enabled printer allows you to print from your smartphone or tablet without needing a physical connection.
• If you are working with attachments or important documents, saving them to Google Drive allows you to access and print them later from any device.
• Always review your print settings before starting the print job to ensure the correct paper size, orientation, and quality are selected.
• Keeping your email and printing apps up-to-date ensures you have access to the latest features and security improvements.

Printing from email is a simple process that can be done from both computers and smartphones. Whether you need to print an email, or an attachment, or save it as a PDF, the steps outlined in this guide make it easy to manage and print your emails efficiently. By following these methods, you can quickly print important messages, documents, and images from your email, ensuring you have a physical copy when needed.

Facebook has grown into more than just a social media platform; it’s a space where users can share photos, documents, posts, and much more.

Sometimes, you might want to print certain things from Facebook, such as a memorable post, an important conversation, or a shared document.

While Facebook doesn’t offer a direct “Print” button for all its content, there are several simple methods to print from Facebook using different devices. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the various ways you can print content from Facebook, whether you’re using a computer, smartphone, or tablet.

How to Print from Facebook: A Complete Guide

Tools & requirements

• A computer or smartphone with Facebook installed or open in the browser
• One of the best home printers (Wi-Fi-enabled or connected via USB)
• The post, image, or conversation you want to print
• Internet connection
• PDF reader or file-saving tools (optional for saving files as PDFs before printing)

1. Print a Post or Image Directly

One of the easiest ways to print from Facebook is by directly printing a post or image you find in your feed. While Facebook doesn’t offer a built-in print function for posts, you can still print content using your device’s printing options.

Steps (for a post)

1. Log into your Facebook account and navigate to the post you want to print.
2. Click on the comments count (e.g., "153 comments") to open the comment section. Make sure to expand all comments by clicking "View previous comments" until no more comments are left to view.
3. Once all comments are visible, use the keyboard shortcut 'Ctrl + P' (or 'Cmd + P' on Mac) to open the print dialog.
4. In the print preview, ensure that all content is visible. If necessary, adjust the print settings for better formatting. In the print settings, scroll to the bottom and you will find two check boxes – Print Headers and Footers and Print Backgrounds. Ensure that you check Print Backgrounds, this will bring more details from the page you want to print.
5. Select your printer and click "Print" to get a hard copy of the post and comments.

N/B: The comments on the post may appear in multiple pages depending on how long it is. Also, you may have to edit the print settings to get the desired appearance.

Steps (for saving and printing)

1. Click on the three dots in the top right corner of the post and select “Save post.” You can save it to an existing collection or create a new one.
2. Go to your home page, scroll down the left sidebar, and click on "Saved" to find your saved post.
3. Click on the saved post to open it, ensuring all comments are expanded as described in the method above.
4. Use the 'Ctrl + P' shortcut again to print the post with all comments visible.

Steps (for a post using screenshot)

1. Launch Facebook on your phone or desktop and navigate to the post you want to print.
2. On your phone, capture the post by taking a screenshot. If you’re using a computer, you can either take a screenshot or simply highlight the text you wish to print.

• On Windows: Use the "Snipping Tool" or press "Windows + Print Screen."
• On macOS: Press "Command + Shift + 4" to capture a portion of the screen.

3. If you’ve taken a screenshot, open the image in your gallery (for phones) or in the "Downloads" folder (for desktops).
4. Tap the "Share" icon and select "Print" if you’re on a phone. On a desktop, open the screenshot and select "Print" from the file options (or press "Ctrl + P" on Windows or "Command + P" on Mac).

Steps (for an image)

1. On Facebook, click or tap on the image you want to print.
2. On your phone or computer, click on the "Download" option or right-click on the image and select "Save As" to save the image locally.
3. Navigate to where the image is saved and open it using an image viewer.
4. Tap the "Share" icon and select "Print" on your phone or select "Print" from your desktop’s file menu.

This method works well when you want to print individual posts, images, or screenshots directly from Facebook.

2. Save Facebook Content as a PDF and Print

Another useful method for printing content from Facebook is to save the post, image, or conversation as a PDF file first. PDFs ensure that your content is properly formatted for printing, and this is especially useful for long posts, comments, or conversations.

Steps (on desktop):

1. Launch Facebook on your desktop and navigate to the post you want to print.
2. Navigate to the content you wish to print, whether it’s a post, conversation, or image.
3. On your computer, press "Ctrl + P" (Windows) or "Command + P" (Mac) to open the print dialogue.
4. Instead of printing directly, choose "Save as PDF" from the list of printers.
5. Choose the location where you want to save the PDF file and click "Save."
6. Once saved, open the PDF file using a PDF reader like Adobe Acrobat.
7. From the PDF reader, select the "Print" option to print your content.

Steps (on mobile):

1. Go to the post or image you want to print.
2. Capture the content using your phone’s screenshot feature.
3. Use a PDF converter app or your phone’s built-in "Save as PDF" feature to convert the image or text to PDF.
4. After conversion, open the PDF in a reader app.
5. Tap the "Print" option from the PDF app to print your content.

This method is perfect if you want to keep a digital copy of the Facebook content before printing or if you need to print longer sections of text, such as a conversation or comments.

3. Print Messages or Conversations from Facebook Messenger

Facebook Messenger allows you to have private conversations with your contacts. Sometimes, you might need to print an important conversation for legal, personal, or professional purposes. Here’s how you can print from Facebook Messenger.

Steps (on desktop):

1. On your computer, open Facebook Messenger from the main Facebook site or go to [messenger.com]
2. Select the conversation you want to print.
3. Click and drag to select the text of the conversation you want to print. Right-click and select "Copy."
4. Open a word processing application like Microsoft Word or Google Docs, then paste the copied text.
5. Adjust the formatting if necessary, adding line breaks or changing font size.
6. Press "Ctrl + P" or "Command + P" to open the print dialogue, and print the conversation.

Steps (on mobile):

1. Launch the Messenger app on your phone.
2. Select the chat you want to print.
3. If the conversation is short, take screenshots of the messages. For long conversations, take multiple screenshots.
4. Open the screenshots in your gallery, tap "Share," and select "Print."

Tips for Printing from Facebook

• If you’re printing from a mobile device, a Wi-Fi-enabled printer will make the process smoother and faster.
• Before printing, always double-check print settings like orientation (portrait or landscape), paper size, and color options to avoid errors.
• To ensure smooth printing, keep your Facebook app or browser updated to the latest version.
• For lengthy posts that may not fit well on a single page, consider saving the post as a PDF first and then printing the PDF file for better formatting options.

Printing from Facebook is an easy way to keep physical records of posts, conversations, or images. Whether you’re using a desktop or mobile device, the methods outlined in this guide allow you to print from Facebook quickly and efficiently. From saving files as PDFs to printing Messenger chats, there are multiple ways to get your content on paper, depending on your needs.

Canva is a widely popular graphic design platform, known for its ease of use and extensive range of templates.

It’s the go-to choice for creating designs ranging from social media graphics to flyers, posters, and business cards. However, once you’ve crafted the perfect design, you may wonder how to print it.

This guide will walk you through the steps of printing your designs from Canva. Whether you want to print directly from Canva, save your design as a PDF, or send it to a professional printer, we’ve got you covered.

A complete guide

Tools & requirements

• A Canva account (free or paid version)
• One of the best home printers (Wi-Fi-enabled or connected via USB)
• Internet connection
• A completed design in Canva
• A PDF reader (optional for saving files)

1. Print Directly from Canva

Canva has made it very convenient to print designs directly from the platform, especially for those with simple home printers. Here’s how you can print your design straight from Canva.

Steps

1. Log into your Canva account and open the design you want to print.
2. Make sure your design is the correct size for printing. You can adjust the size by clicking on the "Resize" button at the top of the screen.
3. Once your design is ready, click on the "Share" button located at the top right of the screen.
4. In the dropdown menu, choose the "Print" option.
5. Canva will automatically detect your printer if it’s connected via Wi-Fi or USB. Select your printer from the list.
6. Customize the settings, such as the number of copies, paper size, and color options.
7. Once you’ve adjusted the settings, click "Print" to start printing your design.

This method is ideal for users who have a home printer and need to print simple designs like posters or small documents. However, if you’re printing high-quality designs like brochures or business cards, you might want to consider other options for better results.

2. Download Your Design as a PDF and Print

For more control over the quality and formatting of your design, downloading your Canva project as a PDF file and printing it is a good option. PDFs preserve the layout, fonts, and images, making them suitable for high-quality printing.

Steps:

1. Log into Canva and open the design you want to print.
2. At the top right corner of the screen, click the "Share" button.
3. From the dropdown menu, choose "Download."
4. In the file type options, select "PDF Print" for the highest quality. This setting ensures that your design is print-ready with high resolution.
5. You can select additional options, such as adding crop marks and bleed, which are helpful if you’re sending the design to a professional printer.
6. Once you’ve selected the PDF Print option and adjusted the settings, click "Download."
7. Open the downloaded PDF file using a PDF reader like Adobe Acrobat or your browser and print it from there.

This method gives you flexibility in adjusting print settings and makes sure your design is in high resolution, ideal for professional-looking prints.

3. Use Canvas Print Service

If you want a polished, high-quality finish for your designs without the hassle of managing the printing yourself, Canva offers its print service. Canva can print various items such as business cards, flyers, posters, and more, and they deliver the printed items directly to your doorstep.

Steps:

1. Open the Canva design that you want to print.
2. On the top right of the design interface, click the "Print Products" button.
3. Select the type of product you want to print (e.g., business cards, flyers, posters, etc.).
4. Canva will guide you through customizing your print settings, such as the type of paper, finish (glossy or matte), and the quantity of prints.
5. After adjusting the settings, Canva will show you the price. You can proceed by clicking “Order” and entering your shipping details.
6. Canvas printing service typically delivers within a few days, depending on your location.

This is the best option if you’re printing large quantities or want a professional finish for your design. Canva ensures that your print is high-quality and ready for use.

4. Save Your Design and Send It to a Professional Printer

If you prefer using a local or specialized printer, you can save your Canva design and take it to a professional printing service. This allows you to customize the print materials to your liking and ensure the highest quality output.

Steps:

1. In Canva, open the design you want to print.
2. As with the second method, download your design as a "PDF Print" file. This ensures the design is of the best possible quality for professional printing.
3. Save the PDF file to a USB drive or upload it to a cloud storage service like Google Drive or Dropbox.
4. Take the PDF file to your local print shop or send it digitally. Discuss your print preferences with the printer, such as paper type, size, and color accuracy.
5. Once the printer has processed your design, you can pick up your printed materials.

This method is perfect for users who need high-end prints for events, marketing materials, or large-scale projects. Professional printers can also offer various print finishes and materials that might not be available through home printing or Canvas service.

Tips for Printing from Canva

• Before printing, make sure the design dimensions match the paper size you plan to use. Canva offers several preset sizes, but you can always adjust them using the "Resize" feature.
• For the best print results, always use high-resolution images in your designs. Low-quality images may look pixelated when printed, especially in larger formats.
• If you plan to print your design professionally, add crop marks and bleed. This ensures that your design is printed edge-to-edge without any white margins, which is especially important for designs like business cards and flyers.
• When printing, consider the type of paper that best suits your design. For example, glossy paper works well for vibrant designs, while matte paper can give a more professional and subdued look.
• If you’re unsure about the final output, try printing a test copy at home to see how the design looks on paper before committing to a large print order.

Printing from Canva is easy and flexible, whether you’re using a home printer, Canva’s print service, or a professional printer. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can ensure your designs come out looking polished and professional. Whether it’s for personal use or a business project, Canva provides a variety of options to help you get the perfect print every time.

With the increasing use of smartphones in daily activities, including sharing and managing documents, printing from mobile devices has become a common necessity.

Fortunately, printing from an Android phone is easier than ever, thanks to built-in features and apps that support wireless printing.

Whether you're printing a document, an image, or a web page, this guide offers a simple step-by-step tutorial through the available different methods.

A step-by-step tutorial

Tools & requirements

• An Android smartphone or tablet
• One of the best home printers (Wi-Fi enabled, Bluetooth, or connected via USB)
• The file or content you want to print
• Internet connection for cloud printing
• Google Cloud Print or manufacturer-specific printing apps (optional)

1. Print using Google Cloud Print (if still supported or available in your region)

Google Cloud Print was officially discontinued in December 2020. However, some regions or older devices might still have access to it. If that’s the case for you, here’s a quick guide on how to use it. Otherwise, you can move to newer alternatives mentioned later in this article.

Steps

1. Open the app (like Google Chrome, Gmail, or Google Docs) that contains the file or content you want to print.
2. Tap on the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of the app.
3. Choose "Print" from the drop-down menu.
4. If your printer is linked to Google Cloud Print, it should appear in the list of available printers.
5. Select the printer and adjust print settings (number of copies, colour options, paper size, etc.).
6. Tap "Print" to send the file to the printer.

For most users, it’s better to switch to built-in Android printing features or third-party apps, as these are more future proof.

2. Print using built-in Android printing features

Android offers a built-in printing service, which is compatible with many wireless printers. If you have a Wi-Fi-enabled printer or a printer that supports Android's printing service, this method is straightforward and efficient.

Steps:

1. Go to the content you want to print (e.g., a document, image, or webpage).
2. Tap the three-dot menu (usually found at the top-right of the app).
3. Select "Print."
4. Choose the available printer from the list. If your printer doesn’t appear, ensure that it is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your phone.
5. Adjust print settings, such as paper size, colour, or print layout.
6. Tap the print icon and the document will be sent to the printer.

Note: If your printer isn’t showing up, you may need to install a specific print service plugin for your printer's brand (e.g., HP Print Service Plugin, Epson iPrint, Canon Print Service). These plugins can be found on the Google Play Store.

3. Print from apps like Gmail or Google Docs

Many popular apps on Android, including Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Drive, come with native print options. If you need to print an email, a document, or a file stored in Google Drive, follow these steps.

Steps for Gmail:

1. Open the Gmail app on your phone.
2. Open the email you want to print.
3. Tap on the three-dot menu at the top-right corner.
4. Select "Print" from the options.
5. Choose your printer from the list of available printers.
6. Adjust any necessary print settings (page range, colour, layout).
7. Tap "Print" to start the process.

Steps for Google Docs:

1. Open the Google Docs app and open the document you wish to print.
2. Tap on the three vertical dots (menu) in the upper-right corner.
3. Select "Share & export," then tap "Print."
4. Choose the printer and set the desired print options.
5. Tap "Print."

These steps also apply to Google Sheets and Google Slides, making it easy to print spreadsheets or presentations.

4. Print images or PDFs directly from your phone’s storage

Android makes it easy to print images, PDFs, and other files directly from your phone’s internal storage or SD card. This method is particularly useful for printing saved images, receipts, or scanned documents. You can easily do this by following the few steps below.

Steps:

1. Open your phone's file manager or gallery app.
2. Navigate to the image, PDF, or document you want to print.
3. Tap on the file to open it.
4. Tap the three-dot menu or the share icon.
5. Select "Print."
6. Choose your printer from the list of available printers and adjust print settings (size, number of copies, etc.).
7. Tap "Print" to send the file to the printer.

Please note that for this to work, the printer typically needs to be connected to the phone via Wi-Fi. Most wireless printers operate over a Wi-Fi network, allowing your phone to communicate with the printer.

5. Print via third-party apps

If you have a printer that doesn’t natively support Android printing, you can use third-party apps like PrinterShare, Mopria Print Service, or HP Smart (depending on your printer's brand). These apps provide additional features like remote printing, print-from-cloud services, and advanced print settings.

Steps for PrinterShare:

1. Download and install PrinterShare from the Google Play Store.
2. Open the app and follow the setup instructions to connect your printer (via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or USB).
3. Once connected, choose the file you want to print. PrinterShare supports a wide range of formats, including PDFs, images, and web pages.
4. Adjust print settings like paper size, orientation, and number of copies.
5. Tap "Print" to start printing.

Other apps, such as Mopria Print Service, work similarly and often offer extended support for printers from various manufacturers.

Tips for Printing from WhatsApp

• Ensure printer compatibility: Not all printers are automatically compatible with Android devices. It’s always a good idea to check if your printer model supports wireless or Bluetooth printing from Android. Most modern printers do, but older models may require additional setup or apps.
• Use Wi-Fi for faster printing: If possible, always use a Wi-Fi-enabled printer, as it eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick, remote printing.
• Update your Android OS and apps: Make sure your phone's operating system and printer-related apps are up to date. Updates often include bug fixes and additional printer support.
• Check printer settings: Before printing, verify that the printer settings such as paper size, print quality, and colour preferences are correct. You don’t want to waste paper or ink.
• Use cloud storage: If you frequently print documents stored in the cloud (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.), make sure your cloud storage apps are installed and linked to your Android device. This makes it easier to access and print documents on the go.
• Save as PDF: If you’re unsure about how the document will look when printed, consider saving it as a PDF first. This ensures that formatting is preserved.

Welcome to our guide on how to print from WhatsApp. This green app with over 2.7 billion users globally has become one of the most popular messaging apps worldwide, and it allows us to share information like text, images, and documents easily.

Sometimes, you may need to print a message, an image, or a document directly from WhatsApp for personal or professional reasons.

This guide will walk you through simple steps on how to print from WhatsApp using different methods.

A step-by-step guide

Tools & requirements

• A smartphone or a computer with WhatsApp installed
• One of the best home printers (Wi-Fi enabled or connected via USB)
• The document, image, or message you want to print
• Internet connection
• Google Drive or a PDF reader (optional for saving files)

1. Print a chat using email

Steps

1. Open WhatsApp on your phone.
2. Select the chat you want to print.
3. Tap on the three-dot menu at the top right corner.
4. Choose "More" and then tap on "Export Chat"
5. You can select whether to include media files (images, videos) or not.
6. Choose your email app and send the chat to your email.
7. Open your email on your computer or phone, download the chat, and print it.

Using this method, you can easily export long conversations and print them without hassle. However, note that large chats might take time to export, especially if they contain media files. Also, the chat may be downloaded in Notepad so the WhatsApp design may be lost but the text content will all be retained.

2. Print a document or image directly

If someone sends you an image or document (like a PDF) through WhatsApp, you can print it directly without exporting the chat.

Steps (for documents):

1. Open WhatsApp and go to the chat where the document is.
2. Tap on the document to open it.
3. Once the document is opened, look for the three dots at the top-right corner or the share icon.
4. Tap "Share" and select "Print" from the options.
5. Choose your printer, and adjust the print settings if needed.
6. Tap "Print" to start printing the document.

Make sure that your Wi-Fi supported printer is already connected to your phone otherwise, the Print option will not appear.

Steps (for images):

1. Open the chat where the image is located.
2. Tap on the image to open it in full view.
3. Tap on the three-dot menu or the share icon.
4. Select "Print" from the share menu.
5. Choose your printer and adjust the print settings (such as size or orientation).
6. Tap "Print" to print the image.

This method is perfect when you only need to print specific media from a chat, such as a photo, PDF, or Word file. It’s quick and simple.

3. Save messages or files as PDF and print

Another way to print WhatsApp chats or documents is by saving them as PDF first and then printing the file. This allows you to format the content or keep a digital copy of it for future reference.

Steps for saving a chat as a PDF and print:

1. Open the WhatsApp chat you want to print.
2. Tap on the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
3. Select "More" and choose "Export Chat."
4. Share the chat to an app that lets you save it as a PDF (such as Google Drive, PDF reader, or email).
5. Once you have the chat in PDF format, open the PDF file containing the WhatsApp chat
6. Go to File > Print or click the Print icon
7. Select your printer and adjust any print settings
8. Click Print to send the PDF to your printer

Steps for saving a document or image as a PDF and print:

1. Open the document or image from WhatsApp.
2. Tap the share icon and select “Save as PDF” from the options (this option may vary based on your phone or app).
3. After saving the document as a PDF, you can print it by selecting the PDF from your phone’s file manager, tapping the share icon, and choosing “Print."

Saving content as a PDF first gives you more control over formatting and ensures that your content is printable from any device.

4. Print via WhatsApp Web

For those who prefer using WhatsApp on their computer, printing via WhatsApp Web is also an option. It’s useful for large documents or chats, as it gives you a larger screen to view and adjust settings before printing.

Steps:

1. Open WhatsApp Web on your computer by going to https://web.whatsapp.com.
2. Open the chat or document you want to print.
3. If it's a chat, highlight the part you want to print, right-click, and select “Print.”
4. If it's a document, download the file to your computer by clicking on the download icon.
5. Open the document on your computer and print it using the regular print function (Ctrl + P or right-click and select “Print”).

Also note that whether you are printing from mobile or the web, there is also a screenshot option. For mobile, you can screenshot the screen and print while those on desktop can use the “Print Screen” or “Sniping Tool” to get a screenshot and print. WhatsApp Web makes it easy to print large files or chats directly from your desktop, and you can control the printing process more efficiently.

Tips for Printing from WhatsApp

• Use a Wi-Fi-enabled printer: This allows you to print directly from your phone without needing a computer. Most modern printers support Wi-Fi printing.
• Use apps like Google Drive: You can save files to Google Drive and print them later. It’s useful when you need to save documents for future use or access them across different devices.
• Keep your app updated: WhatsApp often rolls out new features, so keeping your app updated ensures you have the latest printing options and improvements.
• Check print settings: Before printing, always double-check the settings like paper size, orientation, and color preferences to avoid wasting paper or ink.

Printing from WhatsApp is a convenient way to keep records of important chats, images, or documents. Whether you're using a mobile device, or desktop, or saving files as PDFs, there are multiple ways to get your content printed in just a few steps. With this guide, you now know how to print from WhatsApp quickly and efficiently, regardless of the method you choose.

Whether it's Taylor Swift tickets, precious photos or crucial correspondence, we all need to print. Wouldn't it be great if there was a better, more convenient, greener and cheaper way to do it? That's exactly what HP's clever Smart Tank tech delivers.

With a Smart Tank printer you don't need to pay for cartridges or worry about e-waste. That's because Smart Tank is, well, smarter. It uses an innovative ink tank system that you can refill easily and affordably without mess, waste or unnecessary expense. That means you get to print more pages for less money. It's brilliant.

Why Smart Tank is smarter

Smart Tank delivers exceptional print quality for an ultra-low price. Instead of traditional print cartridges, an HP Smart Tank printer has four discrete ink reservoirs instead – and they're visible from the outside, so you don't need to guess whether you have enough ink for that huge print job or those essential family photos (and there are low-ink sensors built in to let you know if you're not next to your printer). 

When a reservoir starts to get low, it's just a matter of topping it up. It's quick, it's easy, it's mess-free and it saves you money, because you're only adding the ink that you need instead of replacing an entire cartridge. And once you've topped up your tank, your ink bottles are resealable for easy storage and long life so you can use them again and again.

Your savings start the moment you get your new Smart Tank printer from HP. That's because it comes ready-filled with lots of ink, ready to deliver up to 6,000 black or 8,000 colour pages before any of its reservoirs need additional ink. That means you could be printing for as long as three years before it's time for a top-up.

The smarter way to print from everything

Every HP Smart Tank printer works with HP's best-in-class HP Print app, which makes it easy to scan and to print from your PC, your Mac, your smartphone and your tablet. It's exceptionally easy to set up, incredibly easy to use and delivers consistently great results no matter what you're printing. The app also makes it really easy to manage your ink and paper levels.

That's not all. Your HP Smart Tank printer has dual-band Wi-Fi for even better connections and faster printing from wireless devices, and you can print not just from your device but from cloud services including Dropbox and Google Drive.

Cut the cost, not the quality

HP Smart Tank printers cut your printing costs, not your printing quality. That's because they use the same HP original inks that printing professionals have relied on for decades, delivering pin-sharp quality and vivid colours for every kind of job and on every kind of paper. That means precise prints for business use and fade-free photos at home. 

Better for the environment as well as your wallet

The cost savings alone make HP Smart Tank printers a wise buy. But they're also better for the environment. While HP has invested heavily in cartridge recycling – up to 85% of HP print cartridges include recycled content, and HP has made it very easy to recycle your used printer cartridges – the refillable reservoirs of a Smart Tank printer are even more environmentally friendly. Their small size and compact packaging means they require less materials to make and fewer resources to transport.

The smarter way to share

Whether you're printing photos or product pitches, HP Smart Tank printers are the smarter way to share: with rock-solid reliability, superb print quality, splash-free refilling and ultra-low costs per page they're the no-compromise way to cut your printing costs.

Click here to discover how HP Smart Tank printers can transform your printing and cut your costs.

With all that has changed in the world of work over the past few years, it can be reassuring to note that office printers are still very much important to many of us, whether you're back in a company workplace or working from a home office.

Providing a vital way to quickly provide and supply documents in a physical form, rather than virtual, printers remain a key tool when it comes to collaboration, letting you edit and try different angles in the physical world, providing a whole new angle on your work.

But as many of us still gradually return to the physical office, or get used to working from home more permanently, you might find that your humble office printer needs a bit of a refresh - luckily, there are some great deals available right now from Cartridge People.

Rated excellent in customer reviews and offering great value for money across a wide range of devices, Cartridge People have a number of offerings for those of you watching your budgets in the new year.

First up, the company has a great deal on the Epson WorkForce WF-2840DWF Printer Bundle (Wireless), available for just £119.90. A low-cost all-in-one printer offering that would be perfect for sole traders or creatives such as photographers who need to carry out a lot of colour printing, this wireless device can be moved wherever you need it around the office. 

Offering automatic double-sided printing, an easy-to-use LCD screen, and scanning, copying and fax capabilities, the Epson WorkForce WF-2840DWF is cheap to refill when your ink is running low, as the cartridges can be replaced individually when needed. And if you already have your ink, or just want the printer on its own, there’s a non-bundle offering available for you too.

There's also the Brother DCP-L2530DW Wireless Mono Laser Printer Bundle, which is available for £189.90 with next-day delivery available.

Perfect for small businesses, this device offers double-sided printing at a competitive price. Able to print at 30 pages per minute, it is ideal for those who need large print volumes at speed, offering a larger paper tray that means you have to change and load new paper less frequently, letting you get on with other important tasks. And if you’re looking for just the hardware, you can get the device itself as a non-bundle offering too.

And for those looking for something more specialised, the Dymo LetraTag LT-100H Handheld Thermal Label Printer Bundle (available for £27.90) offers a compact and portable handheld label maker that is ideal for projects of any size. Featuring an easy-peel backing for trouble-free application on a host of different surfaces, it is perfect for around the office or home, and offers a graphical display so that users can see the exact font effects on their label before they begin printing. For those looking to save their pennies, or if you just want the printer on its own, there is a non-bundle offering available too.

Cartridge People are also a trusted supplier of own-brand ink and toner cartridges, helping save you money on what is often the most expensive part of owning a printer. They even offer a lifetime printer guarantee when using these products, so you can be sure of a great printing experience. So if you're after a great printing deal for the new year, check out Cartridge People cheapest printer prices here.

One-minute review 

The Anycubic Kobra is a brilliant FDM (fused deposition modeling) printer for those looking to get started in the world of tinkering, or looking to upgrade from an older model.

It comes in at a fairly budget-friendly price, just $300 / £270 / AU$470 from the Anycubic website. For that, you’ll get a printer with an auto-bed leveling system (which is sure to delight novices and experienced printers alike) as well as intuitive touch screen controls that give you easy access to all of the printer’s features and settings.

Plus, out the gate, it produces some high-quality prints. Sure there are areas for improvement, but if you’re looking for a setup that will work out of the box - and won’t require you to tinker about with settings you don’t yet fully understand - then that’s what the Anycubic Kobra delivers.

Though, before you get too excited, you might want to consider what you’re using the printer for.

If you’re looking to create quick prototypes or larger, less complex models, then this is the kind of system you want (thanks to its large 9.8 x 8.7 x 8.7 inch (220 x 220 x 250 mm) build space). But if you’re instead hoping to create complex figurines for a tabletop game or highly detailed statuettes to adorn your desk, then you’ll want to grab a resin printer instead.

Price and availability 

The Anycubic Kobra can be bought for $300 / £270 / AU$470 from the Anycubic website, Amazon US, and Amazon UK. 

At this price, it’s not quite the cheapest option out there but is still affordable enough for someone looking to nab their first-ever 3D printer. It’ll also suit someone looking to upgrade from a cheaper model.

This matches up with the Anycubic Vyper, a previous FDM printer from the brand that was similarly budget-friendly and offered decent features for its price. 

Design 

The Anycubic Kobra’s black aluminum alloy frame is accented with dark navy and red plastic casings. Its utilitarian design won’t win any beauty competitions, but it does ensure the Kobra does the best job it can when printing your 3D models.

The Anycubic Kobra comes in parts that need to be assembled like IKEA’s flat-pack furniture. Construction isn’t too complex - and with the instructions, you should have a clear idea of what to do - though if you can, we’d recommend grabbing someone to help.

The metal parts have a hefty weight to them and the screws have to be inserted up through the machine's base. As such, it can be difficult to hold everything in place while also tightening the screws with just two hands. But with another person lending their assistance, you should have the Anycubic Kobra together in no more than 30 minutes.

Building is made especially easy as all the tools and screws you need come packaged in the box - so there’s no need to go out and buy any specialist equipment.

That said, one other thing to watch out for during setup is to make sure the metal build plate hasn’t come off with the packaging (as ours did). The gold-colored plate should snap back into place super easily thanks to the base’s magnetic field, but you’ll want to make sure it’s definitely attached before going to auto-level the printer.

If you don’t, the sensor that detects the plate to stop the nozzle from descending too far won’t work correctly and your nozzle could embed itself into your printer and cause serious damage.

On the topic of the build plate though, it is pretty nifty. That’s because it has a slightly rough texture to it that won’t affect your prints, but is designed to make them really easy to remove once they’ve cooled a bit.

From our testing, this feature works exactly as intended. Even though there’s a plastic scraper in the box we never needed it to remove what we had printed from the build plate - provided we were happy to wait a few minutes for everything to cool.

The only design gripe we had was the Anycubic Kobra’s reliance on a microSD card for transferring files from your PC to the printer. While the printer does include one in its box - and also comes with a USB adapter so you can plug it into your PC - we just aren’t fans of these small little storage devices.

Not only are they much easier to lose than a regular USB stick because they’re smaller, you’re less likely to have a spare microSD lying around - so when you inevitably lose the included one you’ll need to go out and buy another or wait for one to be delivered.

Features 

One of the most-user friendly features of the Anycubic Kobra is its auto-bed leveling. 

To print an object, the Kobra and other similar 3D printers extrude molten plastic through a nozzle onto the bed. If the distance between the nozzle and the bed isn’t constant across the whole bed then your builds will have an inconsistent quality to their layers.

Manual leveling is a fiddly process that requires the careful adjustment of screws while you stare constantly at a spirit level. Auto-bed leveling removes all the hassle and the printer does it for you.

This feature won’t be present in some less expensive 3D printers, so if you can afford to spend a little extra for the Kobra we’d strongly recommend you do just for the auto-leveling alone.

Another helpful feature is the printer’s direct-drive tool head. In simpler terms, that means the Kobra’s extruder components are all packaged into one single front-mounted object, with an easy-to-find port on the top for you to insert the filament.

The instruction manual takes you through the process, but it’s as simple as pushing a button and carefully feeding the plastic filament into the obvious hole. The only issue with this process is that there’s a lot of initial stringing - where newly melted plastic leaks through the nozzle.

It’s easy enough to clear up - and it hardens incredibly quickly - but you will have to wait around for a minute or so before the printer calms down and the stringing stops.

Lastly, there's the Anycubic Kobra’s touch screen. This intuitive interface allows you to interact with the printer’s settings and start prints with ease. It’s situated on the front of the print and sits at a slight angle so you can easily read the display without having to bend down.

Beyond the printer itself, the included microSD card stores a copy of Ultimaker Cura that you’ll want to install on your PC. Once you’ve set Ultimaker Cura up for the printer’s settings (the Kobra’s instruction guide will take you through it) you can start using it to slice STL files to get them ready to print.

Whether you’re downloading a publicly available 3D model or using CAD software to create your own, it’ll likely exist as an STL file. The Kobra can’t do anything with this type of file though, it first has to be sliced - literally sliced up into many layers that are then printed one at a time by the Kobra.

Ultimaker Cura is what’s called slicing software - it can turn STL models into a format the Kobra can use - and it’s fairly intuitive, if not a little basic.

Performance 

Thanks to its decent bed size, the Anycubic can produce prints that are up to 9.8 x 8.7 x 8.7 inch big (220 x 220 x 250 mm). It also boasts an average print speed of 80mm/s - this is fairly quick but expect most sizable prints to take at least a few hours, if not a lot longer. In testing, we had models print for over 24 hours - though this is common for 3D printers if you want to make something big.

To put this 3D printer through its paces we used three benchmarks, or ‘torture tests’, to see how well it performs. We printed all of these using the Kobra’s out-of-the-box settings, and we were impressed with the results.

The classic 3DBenchy boat was rendered incredibly well. The smooth sides could convince you this was made as a single piece rather than using many layers of plastic, and the boat's features were recreated expertly. There were some minor stinging issues on the cabin walls, but these could be easily fixed with some smooth sandpaper.

We saw similarly impressive results from the All In One 3D Printer test. The many structures (which included tubes, holes, and bridges) were each recreated with relative ease. Our only concerns were there was a fair amount of stringing and the overhang tests had a drop in quality at the 70-degrees mark - though no prints completely failed.

That said, for out-of-the-box settings, we were impressed. If you’re confident enough to try tweaking the settings, then you should be able to improve the Kobra’s performance, but if you’re a beginner who just wants to get printing without any hassle, then this Anycubic printer performs more than well enough.

Of course, you don’t just want to print benchmarks with your printer. We also put the Anycubic Kobra through its paces by printing out a few longer projects. This included a small storage box that looks like a book and cosplay props based on items from one of our favorite games: Destiny 2.

Once again, the Kobra performed admirably. The book-shaped box was sturdy, and the edge that was designed to be folded did so without snapping. The sci-fi gadgets also looked great.

After the over 24-hour print job was finished we found that larger parts of our props (with only minor detailing) looked identical to their in-game counterparts - though smaller, more intricate pieces were impossible to get right even after multiple attempts. 

This is standard for FDM 3D printers though, with resin printers like the Anycubic Photon M3 being the preferred choice for small yet complex prints - i.e. figurines used in Dungeons and Dragons.

Buy it If 

Don’t Buy it if 

One-minute review

Cricut machines are the Thermomix of the crafting world – a status symbol with a cult-like following, and the love for Cricut is justified. Most of Cricut's crafting machines are rather large for the average user, someone who just wants to spread some joy amongst friends and family – enter the Cricut Joy.

It's a significantly more compact version of the other Cricut machines, opening up more opportunities for crafty-types, and is the perfect machine if you’re short on space and just want to indulge your creative side. 

Think of Cricut as a plotting machine that can cut and draw. At minimum, it works on cardstock, vinyl and iron-on transfers. Attach blades or markers to the Cricut Joy and it will accurately cut or draw onto these materials.

The Cricut Joy is under 2kg and you can pick it up one-handed, so you really can carry it around with you. And the only cable you need is the power cable thanks to Bluetooth connectivity (which isn’t a pain when pairing your device, thankfully). 

The design is simple and clean, so it’s going to look good when you’re taking photos and videos for your Instagram or TikTok followers. When it’s operating, it’s a little louder than you expect it to be, but no louder than the average inkjet printer. 

A word of warning, however: Your Cricut crafting can turn into an addiction pretty easily. You’ll get STS (Shiny Tool Syndrome) and SMS (Shiny Material Syndrome) and become addicted to tutorials on Instagram and TikTok. RIP your credit card and phone battery.

Cricut Joy price and availability

• Announced March 2020
• List price of $179/£179/AU$249

The latest machine to join the Cricut ranks is the company's smallest and most affordable one, sparking joy in crafters the world over. 

The Cricut Joy is available to purchase from most major crafting stores and online retailers, setting you back $179 / £179 / AU$249. This price not only includes the machine itself, but also a cutting blade, fine-point pen, a standard grip mat and some material to get you started. 

The ongoing cost of crafting materials will need to be taken into consideration, which vary in price depending on what you're after. Cricut makes its own range of Joy-specific material, but you can also source material from third parties.

Cricut Joy: What can you make?

The beauty of this machine is that you can create fully customized gifts, either for yourself or a loved one, or make a bit of cash on Etsy.

At the very least you can create custom

• greeting cards, bookmarks, bunting, party decorations
• labels for containers in your fridge and pantry, at offices and in classrooms
• mugs, glassware, reusable bottles and cups
• wall, mirror and car decals
• clothing and tote bags

If you’ve got a few hours to waste, Pinterest is the mecca of Cricut project ideas.

Cricut Joy: Design

• Smallest Cricut machine yet
• Sleek design

Cricut Joy is the smaller sibling to the original Cricut machines, giving it a couple of limitations; it can only cut thinner materials and only on materials up to 11.4cm wide. That being said, you can still create a decent amount with the Cricut Joy.

The machine’s design is simple and sleek, and even though the casing is plastic, Cricut Joy feels sturdy enough when you’re handling it. The teal clamp holding onto the blade is easy to find and release, so it’s a piece of cake to switch to pens or a new blade. 

The guides make it easy to insert the materials into the machine and the rollers move the material into the Joy automatically. Using the 'Smart' Cricut materials allows the machine to 'read' the material and ensure it has enough to do the job. 

When you need to pack up, it’s easy to unplug the power cable and whisk the gear out of sight.

Cricut Joy: Setup and ease of use

• Easy to set up and use
• Needs a Cricut app

The Cricut Joy comes with one blade and one black fine-point pen, so all you need to buy separately is materials to run through the machine and some transfer tape. 

There are plenty of material types and lots of multi-packs if you’re not sure what colours you want to try. That said, when looking at materials to buy, make sure to get the materials that are Joy-friendly as not all will be thin enough to go through the machine.

Cricut has a bunch of 'Smart' materials as well that have been designed specifically for the Joy. They include:

• Permanent and removable vinyl (including shimmer, glitter, translucent and holographic colors)
• Pre-folded cards and inserts
• Writeable labels, paper and vinyl
• Iron-on (including shimmer, glitter and holographic colors)
• Label cardstock
• Infusable ink transfer sheets and pens

While you don't necessarily have to stick to using Cricut's own crafting material, your DIY projects will likely go a lot smoother when using these, at least until you've come to grips with what the little machine can do for you. After that, you can be a bit more adventurous and explore other options.

Transfer tape is what you need to get your cut-out design onto the final product. It’s like clear contact.

There are a multitude of other accessories and consumables you can buy, but be aware that this is where your credit card can really get a beating.

Set up is pretty simple – connect via Bluetooth to your device and install the Cricut Design Space or Cricut Joy app, both of which are available for iOS and Android.

It can take some brain power to create your design in the way you want it to be cut or, if you're stumped for ideas, there are ready-to-use designs available on the app. If you've never done anything like this before, it's best to do some test cuts until you get the hang of it, or be prepared to run out of your favorite materials before you finish a project.

If you’re familiar with vectors and SVG files, you can also import these into the app and then just let the machine do its thing.

Should I buy the Cricut Joy?

If you’re itching to try something new with your crafting, you can’t go wrong with the Cricut Joy. Before you know it, you’ll be showing off your creations to your friends and family, and maybe even making some pocket money on the side.

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

[First reviewed May 2022]

One-minute review

If you’re looking for one of the best 3D printers for beginners, you can’t do much better than entry-level resin printer, the Anycubic Photon M3.

This easy-to-use machine can be assembled and calibrated in no time at all – even if you’re a complete novice. The instruction booklet will take you through everything step-by-step, though when you get to the part where you’re told to print the provided test model we’d recommend not doing that (more on that in the Performance section).

Along with your Anycubic Photon M3 you’ll get a mask, latex gloves, and a few printing accessories like scrapers and resin funnels. The only thing missing is some UV resin, but once you’ve got that you’ll be good to go.

Place this machine in a well-ventilated workspace and you’ll be able to print some incredibly detailed models because of its 7.6-inch 4K+ LCD screen. The only downside when it comes to printing is that the maximum volume is a little on the small side at just 180 x 163.9 x 102.4mm / 7 x 6.5 x 4-inches.

That said, considering that the Anycubic Photon M3 is priced at just $299 (about £300 / AU$480) it’s a relatively minor limitation if you’re after a budget-friendly 3D printer – especially as the M3 makes relatively few compromises in other departments.

Design 

• Easy to set up
• Compact machine, but poorly placed USB port
• Touchscreen control panel

AnyCubic’s Photon M3 is a single-screw resin printer, with a yellow-colored hood to keep your liquid resin from hardening prematurely due to external UV light.

The device arrives in a well-packaged box, with foam and plastic keeping it protected from dents and scratches during shipping. Once you open it up, putting everything together takes a matter of minutes.

There’s barely anything to assemble – you just have to attach the build plate and tray to the printer, and screws are a piece of cake to install without any assistance. The calibration process is simple too if you follow the instructions.

On the front of the printer is the touchscreen control panel, and on the right side is the USB port, into which you can plug a stick containing the various designs you want to create. 

This port is the source of our only major design gripe, as we’d prefer it to be on the front, to avoid having the stick jut out in an awkward direction. If you’ve measured your workspace and you’ve only got barely enough space for this machine (it measures 425 x 269 x 256mm / 16.7 x 10.6 x 10.1 inches) you might need to rethink your 3D printer choice, as you’ll need a few inches on the side to leave room for the USB stick.

Along with the printer, you get a few accessories in the box to help with your first builds. There are some latex gloves to keep the resin off your hands, paper filters to help with cleaning resign, a face mask to provide some protection against fumes, and a USB drive that’s loaded with the software you need to slice STLs.

For the uninitiated, this software chops (or slices) your 3D model (which is typically saved as an STL) into many hundreds of layers and packages them into a separate file that the Photon M3 can read. When you then print that new file, the M3 will go layer by layer steadily forming the object out of resin.

On top of the items above you’ll also find two scrapers, one made of metal and another of plastic. We’d recommend opting for the plastic scraper to remove your printed models from the build plate unless it’s absolutely necessary, as the metal one can cause damage if you aren’t careful. If you’re trying to remove failed prints from the FEP sheet in the resin tray, then ignore the metal scrapper completely.

Features 

• 4K+ 7.6-inch LCD screen
• Includes Photon Workshop slicing software on USB stick
• No air filter or rubber seal

The Photon M3 uses a 7.6-inch LCD with a 4K+ resolution (4,096 x 2,560 pixels). You’ll get an XY resolution of 0.04mm, or 40 microns – here the smaller the number the better, as it leads to finer detailing in your prints.

Unlike more premium resin printers, the Anycubic Photon M3 lacks any kind of air filter or rubber seal, so alongside wearing gloves and a mask you’ll need to make sure you use it in a well-ventilated room. You also won’t want to be spending much time in the same space without a mask on – so if your workshop doubles as a home office you might want to rethink your layout a bit (or opt for a printer with its own filter).

Before you start printing, the build plate will need leveling, and helpfully the Photon M3 has a feature that can do this automatically. If you’ve followed the instructions then you’ll calibrate it as part of the setup process, but if you haven’t done this you’ll need just one tool: a regular sheet of paper (one is included in the box).

Simply remove the resin tray, put the paper directly on top of the screen, open up the Z-axis settings and press the home button. The build plate will gently lower itself until it’s lightly pressed against the paper; you then hit the Z=0 option and you’re all done – raise the bed up, remove the paper and reinstall the tray.

Last but not least, is AnyCubic’s Photon Workshop slicing software (which is loaded onto the packed-in USB stick). This digital tool offers everything you need to be able to prepare prints, including basic model manipulation to make them bigger/smaller and move them around the build plate. You can also add in supports to reduce the chances that a print will fail, but be careful with the auto-support option.

This feature is helpful, but can be a bit hit or miss – you may need to move supports around or add/remove some to get the best-quality prints possible. You’ll also need to make sure the settings are calibrated to your printer model and the resin you’re using, but this is easy enough to change in the application.

Performance 

• Highly detailed and excellent quality prints
• Perfect for Dungeons and Dragons minis and smaller statuettes
• The smaller resin tray restricts the maximum model size

Using Anycubic’s own white-colored resin we put the Photon M3 through its paces by printing some standard 'torture tests’, or benchmarks if you prefer. In every example the printer performed admirably; our larger structures (like this castle and bridge) were created with no noticeable warping, and minute details on the AmeraLabs Town were rendered perfectly.

We got the same excellent print quality when we tried printing some standard role-playing game minis of characters from our Dungeons and Dragons campaign. The details on our bard’s mustachioed face and intricate clothing were translated expertly from the digital file into real life, and our winged paladin looks like they might actually take off.

Our only issue is that the Photon M3’s resin tray is a tad smaller than some may like. If you’re hoping to create an epic-scale model to decorate your desk or want to create full-size costume props as a single piece then you may want to opt for one of Anycubic’s larger printers.

You’ll also want to watch out when printing Anycubic’s test model. Because the model is built straight onto the build plate, removing it without damaging anything can be a nightmare.

The structure is neat, but we’d recommend loading the STL file into Photon Workshop first. Once it’s loaded up, raise the digital model off the bed by about 5mm, and then use the auto-platform feature so that it’s held in the air by easy-to-remove supports.

If you end up with the model cemented to your build plate though, don’t panic. You can either grab a razor window scraper that might be able to just slide underneath, or you can pour boiling water over the plate to try and dislodge the model.

Buy it if...

Don’t buy it if...

Until recently, the digitization of documents and rise of online collaboration tools, productivity apps and e-sign software had made it easier than ever to go without a home printer.

For many people, this was a blessing, because printers (and their ink) can be seriously expensive, not to mention unsightly and difficult to squeeze onto the average home office desk. Plus, there are the environmental benefits of exclusively using digital formats too.

Personally, I’ve avoided buying a printer for years for precisely these reasons. And there are bound to be many others in a similar situation.

However, the pandemic and rise of remote working has changed the equation somewhat, making home printers an all-but-essential piece of equipment once again. Suddenly, when the need inevitably arises (say, to print a copy of your kid’s math homework or proof of vaccination ahead of a flight), it’s no longer possible to lean on the office printer to get you out of a fix.

So even I, a print naysayer, will be on the lookout for printer deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which this year fall on November 26 and November 29, respectively.

The price still needs to be right

Although I’ve now reconciled myself with the idea of purchasing a printer on Black Friday, the price will still need to be right for me to justify pulling the trigger.

While there are usually plenty of hefty discounts on printers from leading brands (like Epson, HP, Canon, Brother and others), it’s not always easy to separate the best Black Friday printer deals from the average ones. 

To make this easier, we’ll be combing through deals from all the brands and online retailers to sort the wheat from the chaff, highlighting any deals we consider genuinely worthwhile. But for anyone that would rather go it alone, it’ll be about surfing major marketplaces and cross-referencing any potential purchases with review scores, as well as weighing up the size of the discounts.

For context, the price tags of some older (but still trusty) printers were slashed almost in half last year, and there were many similarly significant discounts besides. Here are a few examples of last year’s best deals, for reference:

It’s also worth keeping an eye out for early Black Friday printer deals this time around. As a result of ongoing supply chain issues, many people are looking to get their shopping done early to ensure their purchases arrive in good time. And retailers and printer vendors are alert to this fact, which could lead to early discounts as the largest players compete for custom.

But what kind of printer should I buy?

Once you’ve established a strategy for unearthing the best Black Friday printer deals, you’ll need to determine which kind of device best fits your needs, whether an inkjet printer, laser printer or perhaps an all-in-one.

Inkjet printers are solid all-rounders, ideal for printing documents and photos from home. Generally, they produce good-quality prints and tend to be smaller, which means they’re great for people with a modest home office (like this writer).

However, the best laser printers have the upper hand when it comes to both speed and price. If you need to churn through a large quantity of prints, then, a laser printer could be the way to go. That said, they are typically larger and louder than their inkjet counterparts.

Finally, there are all-in-one printers, which offer additional functionality like copying, scanning and faxing. As such, all-in-ones are usually a little more expensive and quite considerably larger than basic inkjet or laser printers.

Of course, there are also more obscure options, such as A3 printers, large format printers or even 3D printers, but these are for niche audiences.

Ahead of the big day itself, it’s worth weighing up the pros and cons of each type of printer, setting a budget (factoring in the ongoing cost of ink), and identifying the specific models you might like to get your hands on. That’s my plan, at least.

• Also check out our list of the best cheap printers

Welcome to our pick of the best Epson printers in 2019. Whether you’re seeking a printer for your bedroom, home or work office, Epson offers a wide variety of options - from small and convenient portables to laser printing workhorses and affordable inkjets.

Not only have we listed the very best Epson printers, we’ve also included our own price comparison tool, so you’ll get the best recommendations for the best prices as well, ensuring you’ll get an excellent deal.

Epson’s ET-7750 won’t ‘phone home’ (it doesn’t have fax capabilities for a start), but it’s one of the more economic options out there for printing A3. While the printer itself isn’t cheap, its ink bottles are affordable and last for a long time - enough for 3,400 photos - which reduces operating costs over time. Photos look great thanks to its five-color refillable ink tank system, which offers a huge improvement in image quality versus its predecessor, the ET-4500. Drawbacks include its small non-touchscreen, lack of an automatic document feeder (ADF) and limited paper tray capacity.

We have few gripes with the WorkForce Pro, which sports an impressive feature set and offers exceptional value. This compact model prints in color and mono with impressive results, and it boasts a myriad of connectivity options including USB, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct, Ethernet and even NFC, which is lacking in some rivals in its price category. Handily, its ADF supports automatic scanning of both sides. Only its output tray, which holds half the amount of sheets than certain rivals in its class, and lack of optional paper trays (for mixed paper size printing) are cons worth mentioning.

The WorkForce WF-2510WF users Epson’s fast drying DURABrite Ultra Ink, which lets businesses or home office users print documents without having to wait for ink to dry before picking them up. Better yet, its cartridges are available in XL size which reduces printing costs in the long run. This laser model also sports wireless connectivity allowing documents to be printed from smartphones and tablet PCs. On the downside, its 100-sheet rear paper tray is a little on the cramped side.

Hats off to Epson for managing to eke professional-looking photos out of the XP-15000, a consumer-grade model that does a great impression of a commercial printer. It's a feat the company has achieved through the use of its Claria Ultra HD inks and the XP-15000's 180 nozzles, which combine to produce strikingly vibrant color photo prints and sharp greyscale images with a max resolution of 5760 x 1440 dpi. The unit is compact for a wide-format inkjet printer, and it's compatible with various mobile printing services including Epson Connect Solutions, Epson Remote Print, Apple AirPrint, and Google Cloud Print.

If you're seeking the absolute best bang for buck when it comes to quality printing in black-and-white, this Epson EcoTank model demands your attention. It ships with a supersized ink tank that includes enough ink to print up to 6,000 pages, and when that runs out Epson reckons that you can save up to 75% the cost of replacing mono laser toner. When it comes to quality, you would be forgiven for thinking the ET-M1170 is a laser model, such is the crispness of the black text and greyscale photos it can print.

There's a lot to like about the Epson WorkForce WF-7210DTW. Despite being one of the more affordable A3 inkjet printers around, it consistently produces high-quality output thanks to Epson's PrecisionCore technology. Blacks are crisp, and photos are as good as could be expected at this price range. It's not short on connectivity options either, with USB, Ethernet, NFC and wireless connectivity (via Epson Connect) for direct and remote printing. If we’re being picky, its LCD display is a touch on the small side.

This is a compact printer that produces pleasingly high-quality photos. Similarly to its wide-format printers, Epson twins the model with its with premium Claria ink cartridges to print stunning color photos. On the flip side, they as expensive as they are impressive and offset the XP-6100's initial affordability. Once in operation the XP-6100 prints quickly and can handle a variety of media, from glossy A4 paper to envelopes. Its connectivity options include Wi-Fi Direct, AirPrint, in addition to an SD card reader and touchscreen that's bigger than most.

A few years after release, the PictureMate PM-400 remains a charming option that's capable of printing up to 5760 x 1440 dpi photos (sized 4-by-6 and 5-by-7) of decent quality. It's by no means a basic model, featuring connectivity options such as Wi-Fi Direct and Apple AirPrint for easy printing from smartphones and tablets. And if you prefer to adjust printer settings directly from the machine, its roomy 2.7-inch LCD display makes for easy operation. Better yet, when it comes to longevity, the PM400's single ink tank is huge and runs for ages before needing to be replenished.

The SureColor SC-P600 should be at the top of any enthusiast or professional photographer's Wishlist. It's solidly built and easy to use, and you'll be impressed with its incredible print quality. On the flip side, it's not the most affordable to run over time and is an expensive option for occasional users who may be better served using online services. If you're planning on selling your work, that would at least mitigate the expense. Either way, the SC-P600 will impress enthusiasts and professionals alike.

This Epson model will appeal to certain businesses who prioritise low running costs and decent print quality over features such as a large paper capacity tray, automatic duplex scanning or fax support. A feature of Epson's EcoTank range, the ET-3760 comes with supersized ink tanks which are easy to refill and last for two years without needing to be replenished. The ET-3760’s 2.4-inch display is a little cramped and only good for a quick glance at ink levels - you'll want to log into the printer's settings portal to print off usage reports and perform other tasks.

It had to happen sooner or later: digital assistants are coming to control your home printer, courtesy of HP. The feature isn't built into the printers yet though – the functionality comes as a new skill to use with your smart speaker or assistant app, and will work with all HP's web-enabled printers.

"Integrating voice into the home printer is an undeniably useful application of the technology," according to HP's Anneliese Olson. "For busy families, the virtual assistant ecosystem makes a lot of sense and connecting a printer to it is a natural extension within the smart home."

You'll be able to bark out commands like "print some graph paper" or "print out my reminders" says HP, without so much as a click on a mouse button or a tap on a screen. HP plans to actually embed the assistants into its printers in the near future, though for the time being you'll have to use an intermediary device.

The rise of the smart assistant

These assistant apps can also now tell you if you're low on ink, which saves hunting through settings screens on your computer. The skills are live now and HP has created three dedicated landing pages for each one: Google Assistant, Alexa and Cortana.

Of course with behind-the-scenes updates, HP can easily upgrade the printing capabilities of these assistant apps as time goes on, responding to an increasing number of commands to print whatever it is you need printing, or to change the printer's configuration.

While HP is first out of the gate, you can expect other printer manufacturers to swiftly follow suit, as we move towards a world where every gadget has some kind of voice assistant built in. Based on all the new smart gear we saw at CES 2018, it looks like Google Assistant, Alex and Cortana are just getting started.

• The rise of the smart speaker: now owned by one in six Americans

Via Slashgear

For several years now, researchers have been developing 'electronic tattoos' which sit on your skin and monitor your vital signs. 

Making such a device can be tricky - it needs to be flexible, ultrathin, durable and to operate in a wide range of conditions. To become a commercial product, they also need to be cheap and simple to produce.

Nanosheet

But now a team at Waseda University in Japan has figured out how to do all of those things on a household printer. They developed a new kind of elastomeric "nanosheet" film, which is 120 thinner than a human hair. As well as being thin, it's also flexible enough for comfortable use on the skin.

They also figured out how to hook up electronic components to it without the need to solder them in place. They developed conductive "wiring" that can be created on a household inkjet printer without the need for clean-room conditions. 

Elements like chips and LEDs can simply be sandwiched between two nanosheets, rather than chemically bonded or glued into place - a process known, wonderfully, as "sandwich fixation".

Bulky Wearables

To test their inventions, they built a digital tattoo and stuck it to some artificial skin, where it stayed in place and operating for several days.

It's hoped that digital tattoos of this sort could one day replace the bulky wearables we have today, as well as proving useful in the fields of medicine, healthcare and sports training.

The full details of the discoveries were published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry.

• This 3D display is made from laser-generated bubbles

Hot on the heels of the printer hacks across three US university campuses, which saw devices hijacked to produce anti-Semitic fliers, comes another attack on internet-connected printers – this time on a global scale.

A hacker going by the name Stackoverflowin has taken it upon himself to reveal how easy it is to access net-connected printers operating without a firewall.

Using an automated script he wrote himself, the hacker was able to scan for and identify devices with Internet Printing Protocol (IPP), Line Printer Daemon (LPD) and port 9100 open, then send out rogue print jobs to the targeted devices.

Some of the printed messages warns the user that their device has been “pwned” and are now “part of a flaming botnet”.

Two versions of the message were reportedly sent out to, as the hacker claims, more than 160,000 machines – the first with ASCII art depicting a robot and the second with ASCII art showing a computer.

Laugh it up, funny man

The message sent by Stackoverflowin also asks users to “close this port, skid”.

Users were left amused and confused, and many went online asking for advice on what to do.

Slackoverflowin didn’t discriminate between brands of printers either – Canon, Brother, Epson, HP, Samsung and Konica Minolta were amongst the list of the 150,000 affected printers.

He claims that this prank was done in good fun. Speaking to Bleeping Computer, he said, “People have done this in the past and sent racist flyers, etc. I'm not about that, I'm about helping people to fix their problem, but having a bit of fun at the same time ; ) Everyone's been cool about it and thanked me to be honest.”

• Your office printer could pose a major security risk

There are so many printers on the market nowadays that it can be hard to figure out which to buy for your home. You don’t need constant, industrial-powered printing, but at the same time you want it to be smart enough to scan, copy and connect to your phone, if needs be. 

That’s the sweet spot that the Canon PIXMA MG6851 printer occupies. It’s an all-in-one inkjet printer, copier and scanner, which makes it a multi-tasker. But let’s be honest, it’s that kind of all-in-one convenience that most of us expect from a printer nowadays. 

It’s ideal for printing everything you might want to from home, from last minute tickets and gig passes that you can quickly print off in black and white through to creative projects and photographs that have a really high output quality of 4800 x 1200 dpi.

The PIXMA MG6851 hooks up to your home Wi-Fi network, which means you can print from your computer, like you usually do, or from a tablet or smartphone. And while we’re talking smartphones, the Canon print app is worthy of a mention. Many people we chat to say they find cloud printing apps a bit tricky to use and either end up printing the wrong thing or not even getting anything to print at all-not ideal. Fortunately, the Canon print app is one of the best around, making the whole process easy as soon as you hit print thanks to wireless connectivity.

If you don’t want to use an app or your computer, you can use the printer’s SD card slot instead.

So, if you’re after a trusted printer that sees to all your home needs, then go for the Canon PIXMA MG6851. Especially with Christmas around the corner, who knows how much cash you can save printing off your cards and decorations instead of buying them and printing off your New Year’s Eve photos come January. 

• Visit Currys PC World to get your hands on a Canon PIXMA MG6851 today
• View all Canon printers from Currys PC World

Traditional techniques for making a 'rainbow' hologram - the ones you see on bank cards and cash - are time-consuming, expensive, and difficult. That's a big part of what gives them their security value.

But a new technique devised by chemists at ITMO University in St Petersburg can significantly reduce the cost and time needed to produce them. All you need is ink, paper and an inkjet printer.

Well it's not quite that easy. The ink is made of colourless nanocrystalline titania, and the paper needs to have been microembossed beforehand. But put both of those components into a regular desktop printer and you'll be able to churn out holograms in a matter of minutes.

Rainbow Effect

"The peculiarity of our ink is high refractive index in all visible range of light," said project supervisor Alexander Vinogradov, who co-authored a paper on the discovery.

"The use of nanocrystalline ink forms a layer with high refractive index, which helps preserve the rainbow holographic effect after the varnish or a polymer layer is applied on top."

It's not clear yet what the invention means for the security industry. Making the process of hologram creation cheaper and easier could have unexpected implications, but the plethora of digital alternatives to physical security means that holograms are today just one of many solutions to preventing forgery.

And hey, if it means you can print out your own shinies for your Panini album then all the better.

• This 'row-bot' scoots across ponds and eats dirty water

For some years now, 3D printing has threatened to usher in a manufacturing revolution where we're all printing our knick-knacks and replacement parts rather than ordering them from Amazon.

That hasn't quite happened yet but Glowforge wants to help inventors and creatives make their own products at home: it's an innovative 3D laser cutter that costs much less than existing laser machinery does.

To be clear, this cuts and etches rather than adding layers like a traditional 3D printer does. You put in your material - wood, acrylic, cardboard and so on - and the Glowforge cuts out your shapes.

Cutting and etching

You can do anything from etch a design into the lid of your Macbook Pro to make a wooden candle holder to sell on Etsy. It's been designed to be easy to operate via mobile apps and desktop software too, so you don't necessarily need any technical know-how to be able to use it.

It's not tiny but the Glowforge is much smaller and much cheaper than comparable kit that would do the same job on a factory floor. By using smartphone components and offloading a lot of the computing to the cloud, its makers have been able to keep costs down.

For the next month you can preorder the basic Glowforge for US$1,995 (roughly £1,310/AUS$2,850), which is 50 percent off. A Pro model with a more powerful laser is available too for twice the price.

• I've seen the second generation of 3D printing, and it blew me away

3Doodler may not yet be a household name but those familiar to Kickstarter will certainly know of the device.

It has been one of the highlights of the crowd-funding site so far: a 3D printer pen that allows you to bring your own plastic toys to life. It was so in demand that its maker Wobbleworks initially asked for $30,000 in funding and by the end of its Kickstarter journey in March this year, the company raised $2.34 million.

IFA 2013 marks the first time that 3Doodler has been seen outside of a YouTube video and we have to admit that the results are impressive - even if the pen does take some time to master.

WobbleWorks parked the 3D pen on a small stand in IFA's start-up hall and when we arrived it was mobbed, the desk area littered with every permeation of plastic objects that budding model makers had created.

There were stacks of ABS plastic strips, too, and these are what are needed to power the pen. They are the same biodegradable material used in the more expensive 3D printers around at the moment. You simply feed one of the coloured sticks into the top of the pen and it will make its way through the device, quickly pushing the melted plastic through the tip.

The 3Doodler pen is chunky and noisy. It looks like a cumbersome prototype device that gets the job done but it isn't exactly pretty while doing it. It weighs a reasonable 200g and is 180mm by 24mm in size.

When we were passed the 3Doodler, we were given three simple instructions: one button is for slow, one is for fast and definitely don't touch the nib.

Not wanting hot plastic over our delicate journalist fingers that haven't seen a day's hard graft in their life, we went nowhere near the nib.

Now, holding pens doesn't come easily to this left-handed journalist. Ink usually smudges, writing is spider like and, did we mention about the smudges? Lucky, the 3Doodler is adept in both hands because you aren't using it to write but to build up an object. The paper is only there to touch the tip on at the beginning, then you raise the pen and start creating your plastic masterwork.

It does take some getting used to. We tried it first on slow and ended up with a big plastic blob on the paper before we even started creating anything. If we had wanted to create a blob then we would have succeeded but we wanted to create a cat.

Flip the speed and things seemed a little easier, the plastic came out quicker and we could control the flow a lot more. Still, our cat did not look like a cat. It did have a tail though. This was because when you stop making your model, you have to flick the pen away quick. Otherwise, you are left with an unsightly wispy tail.

A few more goes and the fun starts to flow. You do need to be a touch creative and know what you are trying to make before you put pen to paper but you will have a lot of fun doing it. And, even if you don't have a creative bone in your body there are stencils you can use to make things such as an Eiffel Tower.

3D printing has made the transition from dream to reality, but it still won't be a household thing for many years. We are sorry to break it to you but you will have to still by your iPhone cases and not print them from home for a good few years yet, unless you find access to a cash printer first.

But 3Doodler is a great 3D modelling go-between.

We can understand its over-whelming pre-release publicity because it is so unique - both adults and children will want to play with it and see what they can create. According to WobbleWorks, the pen is not a toy, though - there is a 12+ age restriction on the device.

This rating does mean that there is a slight concern with safety. You are working with hot plastic (the nib can get as hot as 270C) but it is no worse than any of the implements you would come across in a design and technology lesson - only a whole lot more fun.

The 3Doodler release date is this month for the lucky ones who backed the Kickstarter project. If you pre-order now, then the $99 device will arrive in February. Head over to the3Doodler.com for more information.

It seems incredible that you can buy a multifunction printer with fax for under £60, but that's all this new office-orientated Canon PIXMA MX455 costs.

Keeping the price down has resulted in a few compromises, but there's plenty to commend it too.

You can connect through USB or Wi-Fi, but not Ethernet. For mobile printing there's AirPrint and Canon's Easy-PhotoPrint app, but PIXMA Cloud Link isn't supported, which means no native Google Cloud Print.

There's no colour screen, just a two-line LCD, and only two ink tanks, a pigment black and tri-colour. This makes it more expensive to run, as you have to replace the three-colour tank even if only one of the colours has run out. Don't expect auto-duplex either.

There's a 30-sheet ADF for the scanner, but only one 100-sheet paper input. If you want to switch to photo paper or letterheads, you have to reload. The output tray is a little short too.

The MX455 excels in print quality. Text is clear and bright, though a little slow. Photo paper prints are near lab quality, and even a default-settings plain paper photo print impressed. Although not very lively, it was clear, smooth and made good use of colour. A photocopy of a recent MacFormat cover was very good, despite a little banding.

Although part of HP's image-orientated Photosmart range, the HP 7520 is a very capable home office all-in-one printer. It has fax facilities alongside the expected printing, scanning and photocopying.

There's a 25-sheet document feeder for the scanner, a meaty 125-sheet paper tray and a 20-sheet tray for photo paper (up to 5 x 7 inches). It can both print and scan in Duplex too.

On the downside, there's no second A4 (US letter) sized paper tray and the scanner lid has fixed hinges so they can't stretch to accommodate thicker materials.

But even so, the multifunction printer is comfortably good enough to service a home or small office. Is the distinction between HP's Officejet and Photosmart printer ranges becoming blurred?

The HP Photosmart 7520 connects to your network through Wi-Fi or directly through USB; there's no Ethernet option. HP ePrint enables you to email documents to your printer from internet-connected smartphones, tablets and computers, and it's AirPrint-capable for printing from Apple devices.

Wireless direct printing enables you to make a Wi-Fi connection without a network, and it's also Google Cloud Print-ready. Its inkjet system uses five tanks: cyan, magenta, yellow and black, with a second black tank with pigment ink for high-quality text printing.

The HP Photosmart 7520 is easy to set up and use. Its 10.9cm (4.29-inch) colour touchscreen puts all its functions at your fingertips, and you can view video guides for maintenance tasks such as clearing a paper jam or replacing spent ink cartridges.

Wi-Fi set-up is simple too - you'll be connected to your network in no time. The touchscreen is very responsive, but not so twitchy that you will press buttons by accident simply by brushing against them.

Unfortunately, it can be fickle when scrolling through the row of downloaded print applications atop the screen, but its basic function buttons work well.

Overall build quality is very good. It's solid and robust, with meaty paper trays and a solid ADF for the scanner. It has a couple of weak points, though. The hinges for the scanner lid don't stretch or telescope for when scanning something thick and meaty, which is a surprising oversight considering how much effort has been made in bringing small-office features to the printer.

Also, the catch tray that holds your printouts is little more than a sliver of plastic that has to be manually extended before printing.

The HP Photosmart 7520 is priced £179/US$149.99/AU$269, putting it in the same sort of price bracket as the HP Officejet 150 Mobile, Canon Pixma MG6350 and Brother MFC-J4510DW.

Print quality is little short of stellar. Text printing is clear and solid, with well defined characters and very little bleed. Maybe it's not quite as strikingly vivid as a Canon or an HP Officejet, but it's so close to perfect this hardly matters. Text remains readable even at very low point sizes too.

As well as being clear, text printing is also speedy. Our 20-page test document was delivered in a shade under two minutes, which isn't much slower than you'd expect from a HP Officejet. There wasn't a hint of smudging or streaking either.

Traditionally it's office printers that excel at text printing, but this photo-orientated model puts in a very credible performance. This is yet more evidence that the distinction between HP's Officejet and Photosmart range is becoming redundant.

Printing our photo test image on A4 (US letter) sized photo paper at the highest quality setting gave us lab-quality results. With near-perfect skin tones and vibrant, vivid colours, the standard of the printout really shone through. The greyscale ramp was almost faultless, with no speckling, no green tinge and only the barest hint of banding.

Speed-wise, the maximum dpi, A4 photo paper printing took just over six minutes to print out; unremarkable, but entirely acceptable.

Printing the same test image onto plain paper gave very good if slightly imperfect results. Although colours were once again consistent and well realised, there was a little banding evident.

Yet the imperfections were very small, and, when printing on plain paper at the default setting, inevitable. No printer's output is blemish-free in this respect, and the HP Photosmart 7250 stands up well against its rivals.

As you'd expect for a modern HP inkjet printer, the HP Photosmart 7250 has auto Duplex - you can print on both sides of the paper without turning the first printout over and putting it back in the paper tray.

Once more the quality is extremely good, with our test sheet reproduced with clear text and solid, consistent colours. There was very little speckling, though using standard 80gsm paper, there was inevitably a little bleed-through.

It performed admirably as a scanner too, and also did a fine job of photocopying a magazine cover. There was a little banding in areas of strong, solid colours, but again, this is inevitable, and the HP Photosmart 7520's photocopying compares very well to its rivals.

For mobile printing, the Photosmart 7520 is AirPrint-compatible for printing directly from iOS devices that are on the same network.

HP ePrint enables you to print from any web-enabled computer, tablet or smartphone by sending an email to your printer's unique address, and wireless direct printing enables you to connect and print wirelessly without going through your home network. It's Google Cloud Print capable too.

Finally, the printer can scan to email, memory cards and USB flash drives as well as directly to your computer, and also print from USB storage and most modern memory card formats.

You can also download various print apps, giving instant access to quick forms, calendars, crosswords, colouring in for the kids and more.

The HP Photosmart 7520 is a superb all-round multifunction printer, combining the stellar image printing we've come to expect from a Photosmart with features and qualities more commonly associated with Officejet printers, such as fax, ADF scanning, big paper tray and fast text printing. It also offers comprehensive mobile and web printing options.

We liked

Photo printing is near faultless. Colours are vivid, colour ramps smooth and consistent and skin tones accurate. It does a great job of printing default-quality prints on regular paper too.

Its text printing rivals an Officejet for both speed and quality, and its feature set is comprehensive.

We disliked

There's very little to dislike here. Some may bemoan the lack of Ethernet connectivity, but you can connect to your network through Wi-Fi, or print wirelessly from a direct connection.

The catch tray is flimsy, and not up to the build quality of the rest of the printer, and we wish the scanner lid hinges could accommodate scanning from thicker documents.

Final verdict

HP's Photosmart 7520 is a stellar printer for home use, but it's also more than capable for home office and small office use.

If you're looking for a quality printer that's great for both text and photo printing, look no further. This one's a prince among inkjets.

We've seen portable printers and mobile scanners before, but according to HP, the Officejet 150 Mobile All-in-One is the world's first portable all-in-one device, enabling you to print, scan and photocopy on the move.

It could be of real interest to business travellers who spend a lot of time in hotels, away from the company laser printer or their home office all-in-one inkjet printer.

The HP Officejet 150 Mobile can be powered from the mains electricity or by using a supplied rechargeable lithium-ion battery that's good for around 500 prints.

It connects to your Mac or PC over USB or Bluetooth, but if you opt for the wireless protocol, you can only print - scanning is only possible on a USB connection.

There's no support for Wi-Fi or Ethernet networking, so don't expect features that rely on a network or internet connection such as Google Cloud Print or AirPrint.

You can print, scan and copy from the 6cm/2.36-inch colour touchscreen, and scan to your computer, USB flash drive or memory card.

The paper feeder - which doubles as the lid when the printer's not in use - can hold up to 50 sheets, but you have to feed your pages one at a time into the scanner. Because it's a sheet-feed rather than flatbed scanner, it's not much use for scanning books or magazines unless you're prepared to destroy the original.

The HP Officejet 150 Mobile is portable enough to slip into your suitcase for that business conference or research field trip, but since it measures 35 x 17.1 x 9cm (13.98 x 6.95 x 3.52 inches) and weighs 3.1kg/6.8lbs with the optional battery fitted, it's too big and heavy to casually slip into your briefcase or notebook bag.

It's not to be taken lightly as a financial investment either. With a full price of £269/US$399.99/AU$449 it's considerably more expensive than most multi-function inkjet printers.

A standard black ink cartridge costs £20.99/US$25.99/AU$31 and the tri-colour cartridge is £22.99/US$31.99/AU$40.99. The black cartridge lasts for approximately 423 prints and the colour for 330 prints, giving an ink cost per page of 5p and 7p respectively, in the UK. Again, this is more than you'd pay for a regular inkjet multi-function printer.

Given its running costs and its lack of network connectivity, the HP Officejet 150 Mobile is best used as a supplementary printer to use on the move rather than a main, at-home device you can also take away with you.

As a printer, the Officejet 150 Mobile puts in a performance that belies its small size. It certainly makes few compromises in quality. Text printing, the heart of an Officejet's remit, is clear and vivid. Maybe it's not quite as sharp as a desktop Officejet, but the difference is slight.

It printed our 20-page text document in just under four minutes. Again, a desktop HP Officejet is likely to prove faster, but for a mobile printer, it's an acceptable speed.

HP's promise of 'lab quality' photo prints is a little too optimistic. The colours are slightly artificial and could do with being a little more vibrant. Even so, our A4 (US letter) sized, highest-quality photo test printout on photo paper looked pleasingly sharp and consistent. Colour ramps are smooth, if slightly speckled, and details are well realised.

It took 6 minutes 40 seconds to print, which isn't great, but you wouldn't really expect a portable Officejet printer to deliver speedy high-quality photo printing.

Given the nature of the printer, you're far more likely to use it for plain paper documents than quality photo printouts. Thankfully, it puts in a solid performance here too. Printing a text and graphic information sheet, colours were strong, text clear and images well reproduced. There was very little banding too, which is something that often curses lesser inkjet printers.

But it wasn't perfect. The colours were a little too strong and images a trifle speckled in places, but you wouldn't be embarrassed to hand it out at a meeting. Just don't expect the same quality you get from the office laser printer.

Plain paper, default-quality photo prints aren't as strong, since speckling becomes far more apparent.

Unfortunately, the Officejet 150 Mobile All-in-One is less successful as a scanner. It's slow, taking 1 minute 20 seconds to scan an A4 (US letter) sized page. You can't scan over a Bluetooth connection, either.

Images can look speckled, though blacks are strong and white space blemish-free. It's a sheet feed scanner, so you can't scan anything thicker than heavy paper, but in our tests it handled a glossy magazine cover OK.

The bottom of a page can get stretched too, which is problematic if the image goes all the way to the foot of the paper. It certainly can't replace your trusty flatbed for serious scanning.

Photocopies are surprisingly good, lacking much of the speckling that affected image scans. There were a few horizontal imperfections caused by an inconsistent feed, but overall, they were good.

One thing that certainly can't be faulted is the printer's build quality. It's an incredible piece of engineering, cramming so much into such a small piece of kit without anything looking tagged on.

The HP Officejet 150 Mobile portable printer, scanner and photocopier brings the mobile office one step closer. At last, you can take your multi-function device on the road with your notebook. It's not quite light and portable enough to drop into your everyday bag, but it fits nicely in your suitcase.

We liked

It's an incredible piece of engineering, with outstanding build quality and an excellent use of space. Print quality is very good, although not quite up to the standards of a desktop Officejet. You can power it from the mains or the supplied rechargeable battery, and it connects through Bluetooth or USB.

We disliked

The HP Officejet 150 Mobile is expensive to buy, and costs more than average to run. Scanning quality is a mixed bag; it's serviceable, but not up to the same standards as the print quality. It's not the speediest of printers either. Text-print speeds are acceptable for a mobile device, but photo printing speeds are slow.

Final verdict

HP's Officejet 150 Mobile All-in-One portable printer is a useful device for the business traveller or researcher who spends a lot of time away from home or the office.

Due to its high running costs and lack of networking connectivity, it's best used as a supplement to rather than a replacement for your regular MFD, but if you often find yourself in a hotel room wishing you had a printer and scanner with you, it's definitely worth your consideration.

Canon's home and small office inkjet printers have long led the field in print quality, but had fallen behind in terms of user interface. The new Canon Pixma MG6350, an update to 2011's Canon Pixma MG6250, sees the Canon range back on track, with elegant touchscreen controls heading a list of improvements in several key areas, though it's not without its drawbacks, too.

The Canon Pixma MG6350 is more stylish than its predecessor. At 8.4kg (18.5lbs) it's a little lighter, and at 466 x 369 x 148mm (18.3 x 14.5 x 5.8 inches), it's a tad smaller too, most notably in height.

With its six-tank print system, it's aimed at home users who need to print to a very high standard, such as graphic designers or photography enthusiasts. Yet with a full price of £169 (around AU$256/US$265), it's well within the reach of most home users.

Unlike its stablemate the Canon Pixma MX895, it's not specifically targeted at the home office user. If you're looking for a multi-function printer with a fax facility, an automatic document feeder and Duplex scanning, the MX895 better fits your needs, though the MG6350 has disc printing, which the MX895 lacks.

If you're looking for a shared inkjet all-in-one printer to use in a small office environment, an HP Officejet might be more suitable. The HP Officejet Pro 8500A Plus is very fast, has a sturdy build quality and can print from any device capable of sending it an email, but it has only one paper tray and it doesn't print onto discs.

The Canon Pixma MG6350 can print to a maximum of A4 (roughly US letter) size paper. If you need to print in A3 (16.5 x 11.7 inches) occasionally, the Brother MFC-J4510DW's innovative landscape printing system means you can print in A3 from a printer that's no larger than most A4 printers.

If you don't need the ultra high quality printing and high-end features afforded by the Canon Pixma MG6350 and are looking for something cheaper (both to buy and to run), there's the Kodak ESP 1.2.

Kodak doesn't subsidise its printer costs by charging more for replacement inks, so they're cheaper to run than other brands'. You can buy an ESP 1.2 for about £50-£60 if you shop around, and although Kodak has discontinued its printer range, it still produces its very affordable range of inks.

But if you're looking for high quality printing, twin paper trays, automatic Duplex, a great touchscreen interface, comprehensive connectivity, mobile printing options and printing onto optical discs, the Canon Pixma MG6350 might be just what you need.

The Canon Pixma MG6350 uses a six-tank ink system. As well as the expected cyan, magenta, yellow and black cartridges, there's a grey ink that does much to improve both colour and greyscale photo printing.

There's also a large tank of pigment-based black ink for text printing that's both clearer and waterproof - just the thing for flyers and envelopes.

The inks aren't cheap. A full set of standard 7ml tanks will cost you around £60, with the higher-yield 11ml XL versions costing around £80, and offering better value for money. The Canon Pixma MG6350 has a print resolution of up to 9600 x 2400 dpi.

As you'd expect from a high-end Canon home printer, the MG6350 can be connected directly to your computer with a standard USB cable (not supplied), or networked using Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n or Ethernet (again, cable not supplied).

With your printer connected to your network, you can take advantage of its AirPrint compatibility for printing directly from Apple's mobile devices. It's also Google Cloud Print compatible. This enables you to print from almost any internet-connected device from anywhere in the world.

It also features Pixma Cloud Link, which means you may browse and print photos from your online albums at Canon Image Gateway or Picasa directly on the printer screen, and print Canon's stationary templates such as calendars, graph paper and envelopes.

There's also a free Canon Easy-PhotoPrint app for iOS, Android and Windows RT devices for printing images from and scanning directly to your smartphone or tablet.

Unlike its predecessor, the new Canon Pixma MG6350 has two paper trays. The lower cassette can hold up to 125 sheets of A4 (US letter) size, while the upper tray is for photo paper of 10 x 15cm (3.9 x 5.9 inches) or 13 x 18cm (5.1 x 7.1 inches).

This is an improvement on the Canon Pixma MG6250, which had a single photo tray and used a rear sheet feeder for photo paper. Neither of the MG6350's trays are particularly big, but they're perfectly adequate for a home printer.

Another improvement over the Canon Pixma MG6250 is that the new Pixma multi-function device's disc tray, used for printing onto optical discs, is caddied on the base of the upper paper tray when not in use. It's far less likely to get lost than the 6250's, which was supplied loose.

When you want to print on CDs or DVDs, just remove the disc tray, put your disc in it and slide it into the slot on the front of the printer.

The Canon Pixma MG6350's flatbed scanner has an optical resolution of up to 2400 x 4800 dpi, and is Twain compatible. Its colour touchscreen is 8.8cm (3.5 inches) from corner to corner, which is slightly bigger than the Canon Pixma MG6250's display-only screen.

The new Pixma supports automatic Duplex at A4 (US letter), A5 (8.3 x 5.8 inches) and B5 (9.8 x 6.9 inches) sizes, is WLAN PictBridge compatible and supports all popular memory cards including SD/SDHC, Memory Stick and Compact Flash.

The Canon Pixma MG6350 is available in black or white, and you can set the touchscreen's background colour to match the unit.

As you'd expect from a high-end Canon printer, print quality on the Canon Pixma MG6350 is excellent. Text is clear and sharp, and perfectly readable even at very low point sizes. It's very vivid too. Compared to Canon text print-outs, some other manufacturers' efforts look tired and jaded.

Default-quality photo printing on ordinary photocopier paper is reasonably impressive. Some inkjet printers use too much ink when printing on plain paper, making the image overly dark and lacking in vibrancy.

Perhaps the Canon Pixma MG6350 goes a little too far the other way, with skin tones looking slightly bleached, but detail is fine. There was too much banding for our liking, though. In this respect, the Canon Pixma MG6350 puts in a weaker performance than the Canon Pixma MG6250.

Switching to high-quality prints on premium photo paper, the high-end, six-tank printer proved its worth. It really puts in a stellar performance, with strong, vibrant colours, great detail and a very smooth colour ramp.

It was pretty fast too, taking a little over 2 mins 10 secs to print an A4 (US letter) sized test image, a very good result for high-quality photo printing.

The Canon Pixma MG6350 was suitably speedy when it came to large text files too. Our 20-page test document also printed in 2 mins 10 secs, an excellent speed for an inkjet printer built for the home market. An office-orientated printer such as an HP Officejet might print a little quicker, but there's very little in it.

As a scanner, the Canon Pixma MG6350 is every bit as capable as you'd expect from a Canon image capture device. Colours are well reproduced, and it's very fast, scanning an A4 page in under 10 seconds when warmed up.

It photocopied a magazine cover in just over 30 seconds too, which isn't a bad time for a home all-in-one. Photocopied documents were sharp and colours were accurately reproduced, though again there was too much banding.

The software has improved, but you might still prefer third-party and OS applications to those bundled with the printer. Mac users, for example, have Image Capture and iPhoto pre-installed, both of which are more capable and convenient than Canon's own programs.

The smaller form factor makes installing the ink cartridges a little more fiddly than it was with the Canon Pixma MG6250, but it's not a big problem.

A more significant drawback is that it's irritatingly noisy, even for an inkjet printer. You certainly wouldn't want it chugging away in the background while you're watching TV.

Canon's Pixma MG6350 premium multi-function inkjet printer is packed with features. You can connect it to your computer using USB, or to your local network over Ethernet or Wi-Fi.

A networked Canon Pixma MG6350 is AirPrint compatible and Google Cloud Print ready. A free mobile app enables you to print from and scan to your smartphone or tablet, too.

It has twin paper trays for regular and photo paper, and can print directly onto optical discs. It's far more elegant than its predecessor, the Canon Pixma MG6250. It's better looking, and adds a touchscreen interface. It supports all popular memory card formats, and WLAN PictBridge.

We liked

The Canon Pixma MG6350 is great at printing high-quality photos, and it does so pretty quickly too. Indeed, its overall speeds are excellent for a home printer, and even rival some office-orientated inkjets. Text printing is clear and well defined, and it has automatic Duplex for two-sided printing.

We certainly welcome the six-tank ink system, with the usual cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks augmented by a grey cartridge for better defined colours when photo printing, and pigment-based black for superior text printing.

The new touchscreen interface is very welcome, bringing Canon printers into line with some of its rivals. We love the way the tray used for optical disc on-body printing is caddied by one of the paper trays when not in use, too. You're far less likely to lose it this way.

We disliked

Although overall printing standards are very good, the Canon Pixma MG6350's plain-paper photo and graphics prints suffered from banding. This didn't happen on the Canon Pixma MG6250, and it shouldn't happen here.

It's also too noisy, making an irritating knocking sound over and above the usual noises you'd expect from an inkjet printer. Fitting the ink cartridges is a little awkward too, and definitely more fiddly than the Canon Pixma MG6250, but this is the price you pay for the new printer's more elegant form factor. It's a little more expensive than average, both to buy and to run.

Final verdict

When designing the Canon Pixma MG6350, Canon wisely refrained from 'fixing' things that weren't broken in its predecessor, the Pixma MG6250. The celebrated six-tank print engine is retained, giving the same stellar photo and text printing.

The feature set is the same too, with comprehensive mobile and internet printing available out of the box. Instead, a few areas of inelegance about the Canon Pixma MG6250 have been addressed.

The new printer is better looking, the untidy rear sheet feeder for photo papers has been replaced by a second paper tray. The loose caddy for optical disc printing now fits on the underside of one of the paper trays when not in use, where previously you had to find a convenient drawer or shelf.

The touchscreen interface is much better than the Canon Pixma MG6250's push-button controls, too.

Unfortunately, a few negatives have crept in. The Canon Pixma MG6350 bands much more than its predecessor when printing images on plain paper, and it's irritatingly noisy, too. Even so, its speed, quality text printing and stellar photo reproduction win through.

As long as you don't need office-orientated features such as a fax and ADF, the Canon Pixma MG6350 is an excellent choice of multi-function inkjet printer.

Samsung Electronics has released a range of laser and multifunction printers in the Xpress M2875 and ProXpress M4070 ranges aimed at small and medium sized businesses.

Both are powered by a 600MHz Cortex-A5 processor and include Rendering Engine for Clean Pages (ReCP) technology, which is claimed to sharpen the edges of positive texts and enhance the readability of negative texts. They also feature high capacity memory for ultra-fast output speeds of up to 28 to 40 pages per minute.

The Xpress M2875 and ProXpress M4070 series support a variety of paper types, including thick paper or cardstock, directly from the paper cassette and MP Tray.

They are equipped with Samsung's Easy Eco Driver solution to enable custom settings. For example, in the Eco driver tab, it is possible to set the Eco settings to avoid printing unnecessary texts or images, resulting in a more efficient use of toner and paper.

The Xpress M2875 and ProXpress M4070 series also include the One Touch Eco button, which automatically combines multiple pages into a single print output, and Samsung's Easy Printer Manager for real time monitoring of printer usage and statistics on printer maintenance.

Any mobile device with the Samsung Mobile Print app can print files and documents through the printers.

There are five printers and four multi-function printers (MFPs) in the ProXpress M4070 series and two printers and three MFPs in the Xpress M2875 range.

They will be available to buy in the UK from resellers in April 2013. They will be responsible for pricing.

It seems like November is the month for announcing new printer line ups and Dell has put in their bid with a new roster of lasers and multi-function printers. However this isn't just a new line up of dumb printers these are the first in a complete new range of smart platform devices.

Speaking exclusively to TechRadar Dave McNally Product Marketing Director for Imaging explained the new strategy for Dell. "We see the printer as the digital on and off ramp. They are no longer the box that sits in the corner printing out pages, instead - starting with this launch - our printers will be solutions led with built-in and bundled applications to improve productivity. "

As an example of the new productivity apps, Dell demoed a video showing a wedding planner, arriving at a customer meeting and using the hotel Dell MFP to print off dress designs stored on the cloud using her iPad. The planner then adds annotations to the document with her clients, before scanning the annotated document back on the hotel MFP and emailing the new updates from the MFPs control panel to the chef and the dress designer.

Printers with added productivity software and apps

To enable this additional productivity Dell are adding two new sets of productivity software; desktop productivity software and productivity apps embedded into the printers.

All of the new entry-level devices will be bundled with Nuance Paper Port Standard 14 document management software, and the higher-end devices will come with a copy of PaperPort Professional 14 with PaperPort Anywhere cloud storage.

The higher-end devices will also feature built-in applications including; Multi Send to allow users to route scanned documents to email, FTP, workgroup users and network folders, Scan to Network to send scans directly to folders on the web, Forms and Favourites which allows users to quickly access and print frequently used forms and documents on the network, or via FTP or in the cloud.

Additionally users will also be able to download and run solutions from a Dell printer app store with the first applications aimed at the healthcare, schools, law and retail sectors. The apps will be initially embedded on the device but McNally says in future "app development will look to utilise the cloud."

New 'advanced-class' products

Dell are also launching for the first time in the European market their 'advanced class' products. As McNally explains the first device is a 60 page per minute MFP device, "with functionality that you would have found previously only on high-end copying machine. Including a really-robust sheet feeder, rated at the same speed as the printer, with a multi-feed paper detection to prevent miss-scans. Additionally the printer will have five embedded solutions to improve productivity."

The new range includes three new multifunction printers – the C1765nf/nfw, B3465dnf and B5465dnf – and five single function colour and monochrome printers – the C1660w, C1760nw, B2360d/dn, B3460dn and B5460dn.

The WiFi-ready C1660w and C1760nw, entry-class colour printers are aimed at small/home offices and remote workers and have fast print cycles and low maintenance, while the B2360d/dn, B3460dn and B5460dn monochrome printers are engineered to provide medium-sized businesses and larger workgroups with fast performance, easy-to-implement security, and robust paper handling.

Low cost of ownership is also central to the new printers as McNally explains "the new devices have a two-part supplies architecture; the imaging drum is now separate from the toner cartridges and there's a 'shake-free' toner that make sure copies are crisp and vibrant to the end. Additionally the toner has a low melting point and has an instant hibernate and wake up mode to reduce energy use."

Improving Wireless connectivity

Additionally Dell has improved the wireless setup procedures on the new printers and has included the Dell Printer Easy WiFi Installer, which claims to allow a printer to be set up with up to 4 x fewer clicks than their old devices.

The new wireless printer devices will all be accessible via the Dell Android app, which allows Android users to print from their smartphone or tablet – and an IOS version of the app will be available in January 2013.

Prices will start from £139 + VAT for the entry-level C1660w colour laser rising to £619 for the B5460dn. The multifunction printers start at £239 for the C1765nf with the top of the range B5465dnf coming in at £1,699. All are available now apart from the B5465dnf which is available in January 2013.

Kodak is pulling out of the sale of consumer inkjet printers, the company announced Friday, despite initial intentions to continue that side of its business.

"[From] 2013 onwards, [Kodak] will focus its Consumer Inkjet business on serving its installed base with the sale of ink and paper," according to Ketchum Pleon, the company's U.K. public relations firm.

"This means that printer sales will wind down in 2013, and more specifically, we will not be launching the latest Hero 2.2 and Hero 4.2 printers as initially planned."

In a release published on its website, Kodak said it anticipates the move will be an effective financial maneuver.

"Kodak expects that this decision will significantly improve cash flow in the U.S. beginning in the first half of 2013," the release stated.

Woes for Kodak

Kodak filled for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January and announced in February it would cease making digital cameras, pocket video cameras, and digital picture frames, stating at the time that it would focus on "inkjet, online, and retail printing."

Friday's news marks a reversal of that previous strategy and serves a sign Kodak may no longer have much of a presence, if any, in the consumer market.

Reports also surfaced earlier this month that Kodak cut 2,700 jobs worldwide since the start of 2012, and the company announced Friday that 1,200 more job cuts are planned before the end of the year.

Through each step, Kodak announced it would save hundreds of millions of dollars here and there, with the aim of returning to profitability by 2013.

The company said it will continue to support owners of its printers through the sale of ink.

From Kodak

Canon has launched three new high-end Pixma printers with a strong focus on design features - the Pixma iP7250, Pixma MG5450 and Pixma MG6350.

The Canon Pixma MG5450 and Canon Pixma MG6350 are compact all-in-one photo printers with Wi-Fi connectivity, two paper feed trays and faster print speeds.

The Canon Pixma iP7250 is a document and photo printer that replaces the iP4950, with faster print speeds and Wi-Fi connectivity, and support for tablet and smartphone printing, as seen on the Canon Selphy CP900, which was also announced at Photokina 2012 today.

All three printers can be used with Canon's high capacity XL ink tanks, which provide up to two times more prints per tank compared to standard size ink tanks, saving money if you print a lot.

Wireless connectivity enables all the printers to be shared by multiple PCs, tablets and smartphones, and enables you to print directly from PictBridge compatible digital cameras, such as the new Canon PowerShot S110.

The MG5450 and MG6350 additionally support Pixma Cloud Link, which includes Google Cloud Print, enabling you to print Google Docs or Gmail attachments from your smartphone, tablet or laptop. Pixma Cloud Link also enables you to directly access online photo albums and print templates, such as calendars.

Differences

The Pixma iP7250 is Canon's first single-function printer with Wi-Fi. It has a five-ink system and quotes A4 (US letter) ISO ESAT print speeds of 15ipm for monochrome and 10ipm for colour.

Canon's Pixma MG5450 is an advanced All-In-One photo printer with a 7.5cm TFT display and five-ink system. Quoted A4 ISO ESAT print speeds are 15ipm for monochrome and 10ipm for colour.

A premium All-In-One Photo printer, the Canon Pixma MG6350 features a six-ink system, including a grey ink for quality greyscale prints. It also features a 8.8cm colour touchscreen display with Canon's intuitive Intelligent Touch System for simple navigation.

High quality print speeds, according to Canon, are around 15ipm for monochrome and 10ipm for colour A4 ISO ESAT prints. The new MG6350 will also be available in white.

The new printers also all feature Auto Power Off, to save energy if they're idle for a set amount of time. They then turn on automatically when a print job is sent to them.

All three Canon printers come with Canon's latest My Image Garden software, and photos can also be printed using Canon's new Print Your Days Facebook app.

Availability

The Canon Pixma iP7250, Canon Pixma MG5450 and Canon Pixma MG6350 will be available from November 2012, with pricing to be confirmed.

Canon has refreshed its range of Pixma scanner and printer combos, to include four new budget models.

The printers are the first models Canon to include My Image Garden as standard, which combines all the software currently available for Canon PIXMA printers into one single interface.

Also included in this software is a range of new advanced features, such as Automatic Suggestion (which suggests images for printing), Automatic Layout and Face Recognition.

The printers are compatible with Print Your Days, a new Facebook app that has been designed to make it easy to send and print photos directly from the social networking site.

All of the new printers feature Auto Power Off and a new Auto Power On setting, which makes printing from a powered-down state quick and easy. Documents or photos can also be sent from a wireless device and printed without the need to manually switch the printer on or off.

Features

The Pixma MP230 has been designed for first-time printer owners, while the MG2250 is more advanced, featuring an LCD display and the ability to print 10x15cm borderless photos in less than 45 seconds.

Meanwhile, the MG3250 includes the same features as the 2250, but can boast quicker printing speeds and built-in WiFi.

Finally, the MG4250 is the most advanced of the group, with a 6.2cm TFT display, built-in Wi-Fi and the Pixma Cloud Link with Google Cloud Print.

The new Pixma prices start at £44.00 (approx. $70) for the MP230, ranging up to £79.00 (approx. $125) for the MG4250. All of the new printers will be available from September 2012.

Being released in the UK only for a price of £69 (about $110), there's little to separate the Kodak ESP 1.2 all-in-one printer from its stablemate, the ESP 3.2, which costs £79 in the UK and $99.99 in the US.

Both offer wireless printing, plus scanning and copying. Setting them up with Wi-Fi is fast with the new ESPs, and both come Google Cloud Print-ready.

Neither printer is Apple AirPrint enabled, but downloading Kodak's free Pic Flick App enables wireless printing from an iPhone, iPad, Android or BlackBerry device.

USB 2.0 connectivity is offered as standard, and each printer can read and write to SD, SDHC, MMC and Memory Stick.

Both the Kodak ESP 1.2 and Kodak ESP 3.2 feature a rear paper tray that can feed the printer with up to 100 sheets of A4 (similar to US letter size) or 20 sheets of photo paper.

Print resolution is pitched at 9600 optimised dpi for photos and 1200 x 1200 dpi for monochrome text.

Both include a 1200 dpi optical scanner, with the option to scan images and documents to computer or memory card, and both can make up to 99 copies of a document in one go.

In fact, the only distinguishing feature of the Kodak ESP 1.2 is actually quite a small one - the screen. It's approximately the size of an SD card, and inputting a wireless router's security code to access a wireless network using such a diminutive display and offset cursor keys requires painstaking precision.

The Kodak ESP 3.2's screen is around twice the size, and offers a touchscreen interface that's much more user-friendly. The Kodak ESP 1.2's is clear enough to navigate, it's it's just not as comfortable to use.

Build and handling

The Kodak ESP 1.2 is a comparatively compact all-in-one, measuring just 16.5 x 12.4 x 7 inches and weighing 5.1kg when full of ink and paper.

A single-panel, angled rear paper feed folds out from the top, while the pull-out output tray is a small, three-stage design. Other than that, the Kodak ESP 1.2 is a typically black-boxy affair.

The Kodak ESP 1.2 follows others in the range by using Kodak 30 series inks: a single-ink pigment-based black for text printing and a colour cartridge which contains three pigmented colours (cyan, magenta and yellow).

As we've stressed in our Kodak ESP 3.2 and Kodak Hero 9.1 reviews, this single colour cartridge approach isn't ideal. Once one colour runs out, you have to replace the whole cartridge, even if the other two tanks have plenty of ink to spare.

Supply levels can be monitored in the printer driver or on the printer screen itself. During our testing period, we managed to print approximately 30 A4 (roughly US letter size) photo prints, plus numerous black and white documents and photocopies before the colour ink supply was depleted to 1/3 of its capacity.

Kodak's ISO Page Yield Test indicates that it's possible to print around 132 A6 (roughly 4 x 6-inch) photos before the colour ink cartridge needs replacing. Based on the recommended price of the standard 30 series ink tanks - £14.99 in the UK and $19.99 in the US - this puts the price per print at 11.5p, or 15 cents.

Yields for black text pages are measured at 335 pages. With a standard black Kodak series 30 cartridge costing £7.99 in the UK and $12.99 in the US, this prices it at 2.4p or 3.8 cents per page.

Naturally by buying online you can make considerable savings on the quoted ink prices, and opting for the larger XL 30 series tanks and Combo or Value Packs will shave even more off the total. This makes the running costs seem very reasonable.

Like the Kodak ESP 3.2, photo prints from the all-in-one Kodak ESP 1.2 are good quality. Our test shots using the best 4 x 6 glossy photo paper had good levels of saturation, and contrast levels were better than our A4 prints made with Kodak Gloss Photo Paper.

There's plenty of shadow detail visible in photos, but this can come at the expense of highlight texture. As with the Kodak ESP 3.2 test chart, the brightest values on a greyscale wedge we output on the Kodak ESP 1.2 were indistinguishable.

The rest of the test charts exhibited similar strengths and weaknesses as the Kodak ESP 3.2. They showed good, neutral colouration, slight banding and mottling in transitions and decent levels of detail.

Photo scans exhibit some noise in shadow areas and can lose highlight information, while colour document photocopies benefit from selecting the Best Quality option for finer detail reproduction and more accurate colours. Unsurprisingly, plain paper text prints also look cleaner using this option.

Printing and scanning times

When it comes to scanning, the Kodak ESP 1.2 is efficient. We noted a time of 17 seconds for a colour document scanned to a computer via USB 2.0. A colour photocopy of the same document, using the printer's best quality setting, was output in approximately one minute.

A standard six-page text document took 1min 18secs to print, and we clocked a single text page at 16 seconds from the paper being ingested to the finished page appearing in the output tray.

Kodak's quoted print speed of 38 seconds for a 4 x 6 borderless photo print proved accurate during our Kodak ESP 1.2 test, as with the Kodak ESP 3.2. We averaged between 38 and 40 seconds for fairly dense images on Kodak Ultra Premium Photo Paper.

The Kodak ESP 1.2 is a tidy all-rounder that represents good value for money. Considering the price, and the all-in-one nature of the machine, photo prints are of impressive quality.

We liked

Good photos, easy Wi-Fi set-up and printing, and an emphasis on keeping things simple for the new user.

We disliked

The control interface isn't as slick as the one on its stablemate. It's also a little noisy when it gets going.

Final verdict

While the Kodak ESP 1.2 is a good printer, the performance levels are so similar between the ESP 1.2 and ESP 3.2 that it's hard to see why Kodak felt the need to release both all-in-ones.

At £10 (around $15), the price difference is so negligible to not be a concern, and because the 'premium' gets you a better screen and interface on the Kodak ESP 3.2, that's where the sensible money should go.

With a suggested retail price of £79 in the UK and $99.99 in the US, the Kodak ESP 3.2 finds itself joining the entry-level multi-function printer fight.

Taking on the likes of the ridiculously cheap HP Photosmart 5510 and the Canon Pixma MG3120, the Kodak ESP 3.2 offers a competitive set of features at an affordable initial cost.

The new all-in-one Kodak printer offers wireless printing, copying and scanning - via Wi-Fi, from a computer, smartphone or tablet. The Kodak ESP 3.2 is compatible with Google Cloud Print-enabled apps and Kodak's Pic Flick and Document Print apps.

There's no Ethernet connection to enable it to be hooked up to a wired network - just a USB 2.0 port. Unlike the Pixma MG3120, the Kodak ESP 3.2 features a 2.4-inch colour LCD touchscreen. And this, combined with its SD/SDHC/MMC and USB flashdrive-compatible memory card slot, means that printing can be set up without using a computer.

When it comes to printing, the emphasis is firmly on the photo side of things rather than documents - and photos from mobile devices in particular. Kodak tell us that this is an area it's focused on with the development of the ESP 3.2, and the printer can output prints up to A4 size, at a resolution of 9,600dpi, from iOS, Android and BlackBerry devices.

In terms of inks, the Kodak ESP 3.2 is compatible with the Kodak 30 series of pigment-based ink cartridges. It's the familiar setup - one cartridge for black ink, plus another larger cartridge that contains cyan, yellow and magenta.

This being an all-in-one, the Kodak ESP 3.2 offers scanning and copying in addition to printing. Scans from the Kodak ESP 3.2 are made at 1200dpi, with multiple photos able to be scanned at once and separate files generated automatically. These files can be transferred to computer, memory card, email, Google Docs or network folders.

Build quality and handling

Build quality is in line with what you'd expect at this price point. Superficially, the Kodak ESP 3.2 is similar to the Kodak ESP C110/C310 - a blend of gloss and matt black plastic finished with a yellow trim - and its light weight makes it easily transportable.

It's certainly a good option if you don't have the necessary space in your home for a printer to become a permanent fixture.

The Kodak ESP 3.2 is simplicity itself to set up, too. Positioning the printer head, adding the two ink cartridges to the chassis and letting the printer run through its initial calibration and test print routine takes just five minutes.

The printer keeps you informed of proceedings through its excellent 2.4-inch touchscreen display. If you've struggled with setting up a regular desktop inkjet printer, let alone an all-in-one, then you're certain to find the steps the Kodak ESP 3.2 guides you through to be extremely clear and helpful.

It's the Kodak ESP 3.2's larger touchscreen that differentiates it from the Kodak ESP 1.2 all-in-one, released at the same time in the UK only for the slightly cheaper price of £69 (around $110).

The Kodak ESP 1.2's comparatively tiny 1.5-inch display only features a touch panel surround, and that makes things less intuitive. Otherwise, specifications, output quality and print times are shared across the two models.

With colour management left to the Kodak ESP 3.2, print quality of everyday pictures proves surprisingly good. Colours are generally neutral and come close to those seen in the on-screen image.

Our test charts show decent levels of saturation in the solid colours, although these exhibit a faint trace of mottling at times. Some coarseness and a touch of banding is also evident in the colour transitions.

The two brightest values on the greyscale wedge blend into one, and this means that brighter areas of a print will be indistinguishable from a plain white print border.

Text printing showed clear, clean edges without much in the way of bleed, although selecting the Best Quality setting produces a finer result. This is also the case when it comes to colour photocopying, where blocks of colours become cleaner and slightly more faithful to the original.

The cost of Kodak's inks certainly makes this all-in-one an attractive prospect, with a standard black series 30 cartridge costing £7.99 in the UK and $12.99 in the US.

However, having just one colour ink tank means that wastage is inevitable with the Kodak ESP 3.2. Print photos that contain a predominance of one colour - such as cyan in holiday pictures that feature lots of blue skies and seas - and that colour will drain faster than the others.

This isn't a problem with printers that contain separate tanks for each colour - such as the Epson Stylus NX430 or Canon Pixma Pro-1 - where you can simply replace the one that's running low. But when a single colour runs out on the Kodak ESP 3.2, you have to replace the entire cartridge, even if the other tanks still have ink in them.

It might be cheap enough to buy a replacement cartridge, and the prices per print are very reasonable - standard Kodak 30-series ink is rated at 11.5p or 15 cents per A6 (roughly 4 x 6-inch) colour photo and 2.4p or 3.8 cents for mono text (although picking up Value Pack combinations brings these prices down considerably). But this two-tank approach still feels wasteful.

Kodak has already admitted to TechRadar that its printers won't be suitable for everyone - and if you think you won't use the photo printing feature frequently enough to make the efficiency savings then you're likely to be better off looking elsewhere.

Printing and scanning times

Talking of print times, Kodak quotes a 4 x 6 photo print speed of 38 seconds (but points out that actual results may vary). This is accurate, and we were able to regularly achieve a final print in under 40 seconds using Kodak Ultra Premium Photo Paper.

Switching to Kodak Gloss Photo Paper, we consistently clocked print times of 1min 56secs for A4 (similar to US letter size) prints.

Selecting the Advanced Dot Placement Mode option in Print Settings provides the maximum colour printing resolution, but this extended printing time to around 3mins 20secs for a bordered A4 (around letter size) print.

In terms of copy speed, Kodak rates the ESP 3.2 at 28 seconds, with up to 99 copies possible at a time. Scaling ranges from 20-500 per cent or fit-to-page.

Perhaps a better choice purely for the home rather than the home office, the Kodak ESP 3.2 is a breeze to set up and use, and a sound choice for a family who want to be able to print wirelessly from their computer or iOS/BlackBerry/Android device.

We liked

The touchscreen controls and logical interface make it easy to print, copy and scan.

We disliked

The scanner is the weak point of this all-in-one's function - highlights are easily blown in photos.

Final verdict

Kodak has certainly delivered value and simplicity, and photo output is convincing when you use premium Kodak glossy photo paper. Running costs are good, and although the launch price of £79 in the UK or $99.99 in the US puts it slightly ahead of its rivals, it's not in a different ballpark.

Kodak and Samsung have announced a partnership which will see the pair work together on printers for the European market.

Consumer all-in-one inkjet printers from Samsung will use Kodak's printer and proprietary ink technology.

Previously, Samsung had not been present in the inkjet printing market, only offering laser printers up to now.

Printing technology

The company said that it would benefit from Kodak's experience of inkjet technology.

Earlier this year, Kodak, the iconic photography brand, announced it was stop making cameras to concentrate on its printing business.

Kodak has sued Samsung in the past for patent infringement relating to its imaging portfolio, but Kodak called the new partnership a "win-win" situation which allowed Samsung to take advantage of Kodak technology with the already successful Samsung brand.

The company will continue to invest and market its own range of All-in-One Printers, along with Kodak ink cartridges and inkjet paper.

It is thought that the new printers have already gone on sale in Germany.

Japanese printer manufacturer Brother has unveiled the prototype of a laser that can print at 100 pages per minute (ppm).

Brother Europe's Chris Marshall introduced TechRadar to the printer at Brother's European Press Event in Berlin. "The printer does [100ppm] by having over 5,000 nozzles that fire across the paper in one go. What's more, power consumption is also significantly lower than any other high end laser printer."

The 100ppm cited speed is 58 per cent faster than current speedy mono lasers on the market, which hover around the 60ppm mark. The printer incorporates a new linehead technology in order to make the magic happen.

Still full quality

Despite the speed, Brother claim that the prints will be full laser quality. "It's taken a lot of new technology to print at this speed at laser quality," continued Marshall. "We expect it to be available in Europe over the next year or maybe two."

The prototype uses a new print head technology with a 21.5cm page-wide linehead and there are 5,198 nozzles that allow printing across the entire page at the same time.

According to Brother there's a number of advanced mechanical technologies in place to enable the machine to feed paper quick enough to print at 100ppm combined with dual-sided printing. Indeed, when quizzed about whether the 100ppm was actually reflective of performance, Marshall confirmed that was its true throughput.

Name, appearance and detailed specification of the printer will most likely change before the launch. However, as the printer will be a corporate-class device, expect it to cost a pretty penny.

Doxie Go is a lightweight, rechargeable battery-powered portable scanner that can store scans as you go (there's 512MB of memory, enough for hundreds of pages) and then download them to your Mac or PC as image files, OCR-able PDFs and more.

But if you add the Apple Camera Connection Kit to your iPad, you can connect the scanner to it over USB; it shows up like a camera, so you just use the Photos app to import.

The Doxie Go + Wi-Fi is imminent, which adds a Wi-Fi-capable SD card to the scanner (actually a re-branded Eye-Fi card), so you can scan wirelessly, and also to more than just the iPad.

We used our own Eye-Fi card with the Doxie Go for testing, and found that we could wirelessly transfer scans directly to our iPad's Eye-Fi app without problem. Amazon UK is currently offering to bundle an Eye-Fi card for around £35, so we recommend this option.

Loading scans to an iOS device over a direct connection or wirelessly both worked seamlessly for us, and colour reproduction was good.

That said, the Doxie Go isn't without its niggles - things aren't quite as easy to set up as the too-basic quick start guide suggests, and you'll soon find yourself referring to the more in-depth guide online.

The status LEDs are a particular annoyance, and there is a distinct feeling that your life is slowly ebbing away while you're desperately trying to work out what they're telling you.

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The Canon imageFORMULA P-215's predecessor, the imageFORMULA P-150M, was a decent portable scanner, but it wasn't without its problems. Its occasional paper jams, misfeeds and unrecognised documents made it a less than reliable scanner. Can the Canon imageFORMULA P-215 avoid the sins of its father?

It's certainly portable, and won't take up too much extra space in your luggage. It comes with two USB cables - one for power and one for data.

It's nice that it doesn't need mains power, too - it can actually work with just the data USB cable connected, although the scan speeds are slower. It's not by much, and with the power plugged in, an A4 colour scan took just 14.11 seconds. Making things even quicker, it's able to detect if the document you're scanning has words and images on both sides of the paper. If it does, it has a Duplex feature that scans both sides at once, barely making a dent in performance.

It also did much better than the Canon imageFORMULA P-150M when it came to scanning multiple documents from the feed tray. Where the older P-150M would end up misfeeding the pages, resulting in some poor scans, the P-215 worked flawlessly.

The CaptureOnTouch software that comes with the scanner isn't bad, although it takes a bit of exploring to get to grips with. Once you've uncovered the output settings, you can set it to create PDF, JPG, Bitmap, TIFF or PPTX files, and you can assign the scan button on the body of the scanner to automatically scan in your desired format.

Verdict

Even on the highest quality setting, the Canon imageFORMULA P-215 was fast, and the results were excellent.

With print quality very high and prices ultra-low, what can multifunction printer manufacturers do to improve on previous models? This new HP Photosmart 7510 sets itself apart by offering a huge range of features, but it also leaves a few behind.

The HP Photosmart 7510 uses five ink tanks: CMYK, plus a pigmented black for clear, waterproof text. It connects to your Mac through USB or to your home network using Wi-Fi b/g/n, and has AirPrint for printing from iOS devices.

With ePrint, you can email a document to your printer from anything that can send an email, and eFax lets you send and receive faxes over the internet.

The Photosmart 7510's clear, responsive 4.3-inch touchscreen and intuitive icon-driven interface makes it very easy to use, though the screen isn't a detachable tablet like last year's HP eStation.

Auto-Duplex gives two-sided printing, and it also takes advantage of HP's mini-apps. You can access internet services like Facebook and Snapfish, print calendars, forms, graph paper and puzzles, check the local weather forecast and more, all direct from the printer. Additional apps are available for download.

As you'd expect from an HP, the Photosmart 7510 puts in an excellent printing performance. Text is beautifully realised, and very fast considering this isn't an office printer. Our 20-page test document took just two minutes, three seconds.

Default-quality photo printing is clear and vibrant, if a little banded. And with photo paper and maximum DPI settings, it's near perfect, though perhaps a little dark.

Yet a few features are missing. There's a tray for prints of up to 7x5 inches, but no second A4 tray or feeder for photo paper or letterheads. There's no Ethernet connectivity, no disc on-body printing, and although you can print from SD or MMC cards, you can't use USB sticks or PictBridge.

But as long as you don't desperately need any of these things, the features it does have and its stellar print quality mean the HP Photosmart 7510 comes highly recommended.

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Ever wanted to print bigger, more impressive documents, create stunning posters or produce professional designs and plans?

We've teamed up with printer manufacturer Brother to give you the chance to win one of two feature-packed A3 printers, worth £299 each.

Brother launched the world's first compact A3 multifunction inkjet machine in 2008, bringing affordable A3 printing to ambitious small and medium sized businesses and people looking for that little bit more. One of the newest offerings from the award winning range is the MFC-J6510DW.

An all-round professional - its biggest feature is the affordable A3 printing, copying, scanning and faxing, alongside the handy A3 double-sided printing feature - ideal if you want to save paper. You can even use this feature to create your own A4 brochures in-house, making it perfect for creative individuals.

It's fast, producing 12 (mono) and 10 (colour) images per minute, plus with the XL high yield ink cartridge lasting up to an incredible 2400 pages, you'll save on running costs, making printing a lot cheaper. It's also great for sharing, thanks to the enhanced connectivity of wireless N technology.

With its bigger A3 flatbed scanner and 8.3cm colour LCD screen, you can view and scan photos and documents in seconds as well as edit and improve your photos without ever having to touch a computer. The double-sided printing function is not only better for the environment but it also makes handling large documents easy.

For more information on Brother's range of A3 printers, visit www.brother141.co.uk.

This competition is now closed. The winners are S. Southurst and R. White.

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Please note that this competition is only open to UK residents over 18 years of age.

Kodak has introduced a new range of all-in-one printers which are Google Cloud PrintReady, allowing users to print documents and photos from anywhere in the world using any internet connected device.

Users can also use Kodak Email PrintReady to send printing jobs, which the company is also making available to its existing customers.

Google Cloud Print enables users to print from any app, on any device without the need for installation, drivers or a PC connection.

Four new printers will be available from the company. HERO 5.1, HERO 7.1, HERO 9.1 and the OFFICE HERO 6.1.

If you wish, you can even let your friends and family know your printer's email address so people can send you prints directly - a bit like receiving a fax.

Inks

The new printers use Kodak's proprietary pigment-based inks that Kodak claims can dry instantly and are smudge, water and fade resistant and are long lasting.

Kodak's Smart Sensor technology predicts supplies and time needed to complete a job, automatically identifying paper, size and amount.

The HERO 7.1 and HERO 9.1 printers feature touch-screen technology, while the OFFICE HERO 6.1 printer includes automatic two-sided printing, copying, scanning and faxing.

The 5.1, 7.1 and 9.1 all have a print resolution of 9600 optimised dpi, while the 6.1 prints at 4800 optimised dpi. Borderless prints can be made from 4x6 inches up to 8.5 x 11 inches.

The scanner on the 5.1 is a 1200 dpi optical scanner, while the 6.1, 7.1 and 9.1 use a 2400 dpi optical scanner.

The 5.1 and 6.1 are compatible with 10 series ink cartridges only, while the 7.1 and 9.1 take 30 series inks.

All of the printers can print directly from memory cards, including SD, SDHC, Multimedia Card (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick Pro (MS PRO) and mini SD/micro SD with an adapter.

Every Kodak printer comes bundles with software which includes Perfect Page Technology to correct and improve scanned images. The software also allows for 3D photo printing, printing scenes from video files and printing directly from Facebook, Kodak Gallery, Picasa, Flickr and Photobucket.

Kodak Hero printers UK price

The Kodak Hero 9.1 UK price will be £199 RRP, the Hero 7.1 UK price is £169 RRP, the OFFICEHERO 6.1 UK price is £169 and finally the Hero 5.1 is £99 RRP.

The Reflecta MemoScan is one of a growing number of film scanning devices that do away with the traditional approach to digitizing film in favour of a new approach.

Rather that moving a linear array of CCD sensors over the frame, a CMOS sensor looks at the whole frame in one go while it is back-lit by a number of white LEDs.

This approach is akin to having a webcam look at a back-lit piece of film, and the main advantage is the short time taken to scan a picture.

The CMOS sensor sees everything at once, reducing scan times down to a few seconds, even at full resolution

Sadly, full resolution is not that huge where the MemoScan is concerned. The unit has a top resolution of 3.8-megapixels, producing 10MB 8-bit files measuring 2361 x 1613pixels.

This is about enough for a 7x5-inch print, or use on the web, but film-shooting photographers wanting to produce high resolution files will want to look for a unit offering more than this.

To be fair though the MemoScan is aimed more at those with a big box of film-based family memories that they'd like to share with others using email or put on the web.

It's a simply designed piece of kit too: the lightweight plastic casing has only one button on it, which can be pressed to start a scan once the scanner is connected to your PC or Mac and the software is running.

Software

At least in theory anyway: installing the software that accompanies to MemoScan was one of the most frustrating experience we've had in a long time. The specification on the MemoScan's box says the software is PC-only, not Mac compatible.

Furthermore, multiple attempts to install the driver and CyberView CS software resulted in failure, and a trip to the Reflecta website was necessary to download a different version of the software. Where we also found that you can get a Mac version after all.

This is a shame, because once the MemoScan is installed it is very easy to use, and a joy to use. Two film holders are supplied –one for four mounted transparencies and one for a strip of six 35mm frames.

These insert into the rear of the unit, and a Live View style feed from the CMOS camera is shown in the software. Line up the frame properly, and click the scan button or press the button on the outside of the scanner.

We struggled with lining up the frames accurately because the software's Live View feed doesn't show 100 per cent of the frame, but other than that the process works well.

Dust Removal

Something offered by the MemoScan that is not often seen on CMOS type scanners is anti dust and scratch technology – called MagicTouch technology by Reflecta.

This is hardware-based and uses infrared light to identify the location of dust and scratches and create a mask from this information.

Quick and easy the MemoScan might be, but a top-end scanner it ain't. You get what you pay for with film scanners and this unit delivers images that are average, rather than stunning.

Image Quality

As well as limited resolution, image files have a very digital look about them, more like still frames from a video.

Additionally, the MemoScan has a limited ability to penetrate the dark areas of image, especially when scanning transparency film. Highlights are better controlled than some other CMOS scanners we've seen though, including those in the Reflecta range, such as the Scan-x5.

It's not that the MemoScan's performance is bad; it's just important to get your expectations in line with what this scanner is all about.

Film scans won't look as good as shots from your digital camera, but if you just want to stick old family snapshots on Facebook then you'll be happy.

The scanner's MagicTouch anti dust technology is effective on some dust marks, but unfortunately not all of them. It can be left switched on by default as it doesn't harm image quality, but DigitalICE seen on other scanners do seem to be more effective.

Scan Times

Thanks to it's CMOS design the MemoScan is certainly quick. Basic scans take around five seconds, though this varies a little from computer to computer depending on processor speed.

Engage the MagicTouch dust removal feature and the scan time doubles to around 10 seconds.

Colour prints

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Colour trannies

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We Like

If you want a scanner to digitize old family memories, then the MemoScan has a lot to offer. Once you've installed the software it's easy to use and its rapid scan times mean you can get through a load of negs or trannies quickly.

We Dislike

The MagicTouch anti dust feature is good but we're not confident it works in all situations, with larger dust particles persisting.

Verdict

Based on current technologies, CMOS scanners will always lag behind conventional scanner designs when it comes to image quality, although the MemoScan is better than some models we've seen.

At the top end of Reflecta's range of film scanners sits the ProScan 7000, a traditionally designed unit built to produce good quality scans.

Included in the box are USB and mains power cables, discs containing scanning software and a complimentary copy of Adobe Photoshop Elements, as well as the scanner unit itself and a pair of film holders, one for strips of film, the other for mounted transparencies.

A printed manual is welcome, although some explanations of the set up and operation procedures could certainly be clearer. Installation on a Windows PC is simply enough, but is very fiddly and buggy on Mac OSX. It took three attempts to get the supplied CyberViewX application onto our Apple MacBook Pro.

The design of the scanner unit itself is very basic, but in a welcome fashion. No chance of getting confused by a vast array of controls here.

The top of the scanner has a single button that glows blue when the unit is switched on and is used for one-touch scanning.

Once mounted in its holder, film goes in the side of the scanner and a transparent windows allows the user to alight the frame properly.

This is a really nice feature, that while low-tech and simple works very well indeed. Around the back of the scanner are sockets for power and USB and a power switch.

Despite it's name, the ProScan 7200 actually offers a top resolution of 3600ppi. This is enough to generate a 48MB file from a single 35mm frame, which is equivalent to a 16-megapixel digital camera.

Obviously whether you get the same quality as a 16-megapixel camera depends on other factors too (lens resolution, film and processing choice, etc), but the pixels are certainly there.

In conjunction with the CyberViewX software the ProScan 7200 offers Digital ICE3. This comprises ICE dust and scratch reduction as well as ROC (restoration of colour) and GEM (grain equalization and management).

In contrast to other film scanners you may have seen (including those in Reflecta range) the ProScan 7200 doesn't feature motorized film loading; the plastic film holders must be positioned by hand looking through the transparent window to judge the correct positioning.

There's nothing really wrong with this until you come to batch scanning –scanning all six image on a strip of film in one go.

To do this you must be sitting by the scanner to advance the film manually to the next frame, and although you can use the blue button on top of the unit to trigger the next scan, you still have to OK this on screen.

All this means there is too much user input for this procedure to be classed as batch scanning, in our point of view.

Talking of the film holders, the plastic holders that come with the ProScan 7200 are pretty stiff to open and use when new.

The plastic locking catch on one of them snapped off when started to use it, making it much easier to use but perhaps revealing some build quality issues.

All film scanners require some practise use so you can learn how to get the most from them, and the ProScan 7200 is no exception.

Engage the Quality setting from the Scan Mode drop-down menu, up to resolution to 3200ppi and switch off ROC, which does more harm than good on unfaded originals, and scans of positive transparencies are pretty good.

With a DMax of 3.8 such scans have a pretty decent level of detail in highlights and shadows, though the dark areas in films like Fuji Velvia 50 etc are difficult to penetrate.

Image Quality

Sharpness is fair, but comparing the ProScan to a much older Nikon CoolScan V (a legendary film scanner) reveals there is some way to go. Images benefit from some post-scanning sharpening in Photoshop, which works well since the ProScan 7200 doesn't resolve film grain itself.

Black & white negatives scan very well on the ProScan 7200 although, as with all scanners, digital ICE doesn't work with traditional mono films. Colour negatives are much harder to handle since they require more colour balancing than transparencies.

A number of preset film options are included in CyberViewX, but typically these never seem to match the emulsions you are shooting.

The basic editing options make it possible to adjust for white balance and contrast though, and the Photoshop-like variations tool means you can eventually get a good result.

Scan times

The ProScan 7200 is not the fastest scanner we've ever seen, but it's not the slowest either.

On an Apple MacBook Pro (2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo) a basic scan at 3200ppi takes 1min 20sec to complete with no added frills and extras. Drop the resolution to 1800ppi and this falls to around 50sec.

Turning on ICE, GEM or ROC adds to this time, with the CyberViewX software taking some time to apply the processes. A 3200ppi scan with all three options switched on takes 2min 16sec.

Black & White negs

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Colour negs

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Colour transparencies

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A good performance from the Reflecta ProScan 7200 is let down only by some small build-quality concerns and a lack of batch-scanning facilities.

But for an average street price of around £300, this is a good value scanner that will let you produce good quality scans from your 35mm originals – certainly better than most flatbed scanners with transparency units can produce.

The supplied Cyber ViewX software is basic but, apart from the issues surround Mac installation, stable. The ProScan 7200 is also supported by SilverFast so, if you already have this application, you should be able to use the Reflecta scanner without learning any new software.

We Like

The Reflecta ProScan 7200 is excellent value at £300 and produces better results than most flatbed scanners with transparency units.

We Dislike

The ProScan 7200 has some small build quality issues, and the lack of back-scanning facilities is a shortcoming.

Verdict

Image quality is good, rather than spectacular, and some software sharpening is required post scanning.

That said, as with all scanning processes, the quality of the final result depends heavily on the quality of the original. The ProScan 7200 is no different here.