The Best Printer for Index Cards | Top Picks + Buyers Guide
With a lot of our work taking place in our homes these days, we’ve had to get a lot of our own equipment. This means we’ve had to set up our own office spaces, buy brand new laptops and try to make our work lives as easy as possible. Which is easier said than done a lot of the time and there are still things that people need to get their hands on for their personal offices. And one thing that a lot of people don’t have is a decent printer. After all, you never really know when you’ll need a printer. And in this article, we’re specifically looking at printers that excel at printing Index cards. So let’s jump right into our list for The Best Printer for Index Cards.
Table of Contents
The Best Printer for Index Cards
Which isn’t really surprising when you think about it. A lot of the time there wasn’t really a need to ever use a printer. When you did need one you probably knew someone that had a printer you could borrow. Those days are past and it’s time that we all thought about getting a decent printer.
Pantum P2502W
For our first option on this list, we’ve gone for something that is affordable for those that don’t want to spend too much money. We’ve chosen this printer by Pantum for its low price and ease of use. First, let’s talk about the size and weight of the printer. For the size, it is 13.2” x 8.6” x 7”, so this isn’t a massive printer but it isn’t exactly small either. It weighs a little over 12lbs, so it isn’t too heavy either. Still, you should make sure you have enough room for it in a specific spot. Find a place where you won’t need to constantly be moving it around.
Let’s take a look at some of the things that this printer can and can’t do now. The box itself consists of a metal frame and it feels very high quality. The moving parts of the printer like the paper tray and the cover for the internals of the printer all feel high-quality as well. This printer also has Wi-Fi which means you can print off stuff directly from your phone. Though there are reports that the Wi-Fi is tricky to set up too.
This is really handy if you need to print something but you don’t want to go to your printer to do it. The quality of the prints themselves is up to a max of 1200 x 1200 DPI (Dots Per Inch). Which is a fairly standard size and results in good quality prints. But the biggest drawback here is that this printer doesn’t print in color. Meaning you’ll have to settle with black and white prints only. Which is a problem if you rely on color. This is a great affordable printer but its rather basic feature set may be a big problem for some.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Wi-Fi Connection
- Great Build Quality
Cons:
- Monochrome Printer
- Tricky Wi-Fi Setup
Brother HL-L2300D
Next up on our list, we’ve gone for a printer that will appeal to those that still want something affordable. We’ve chosen this printer from Brother for its low price and great design. The first thing that is really noticeable with this printer is how neat its design is. It’s got a really cool rounded shape to it that makes it seem like a really high-quality printer. It’s 14.2” x 14” x 7.2 “ so it’s a medium-sized printer. It weighs in at 15lbs so it’s a little heavier than our previous option but that shouldn’t really matter that much. Just make sure you know where you’re putting the printer before you buy it.
Let’s take a closer look at the good and bad parts of this printer now. Starting off with the frame, we’ve got a hard plastic body here and it feels solid. Obviously, you shouldn’t start smacking around your printer but it feels strong enough to make a few knocks and have it not matter. Unfortunately, this printer does not have any kind of Wi-Fi connectivity. It only works through a USB connection to your computer. This is definitely a shame and could be an issue for some.
The printer has a max resolution of 2400 x 600 DPI which isn’t quite as good as a 1200 x 1200 DPI printer. But unless you know what that difference is you may not be able to strictly tell. Again though this printer doesn’t print in color, so if that is something that you are in need of, check out the other options on this list. The printer itself does a great job of printing what it can. But these drawbacks can definitely be deal breakers for some. It still does a great job at being an affordable printer though.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Good Printing Quality
- Great Build Quality
Cons:
- Monochrome Printer
- No Wi-Fi
HP OfficeJet Pro 8025
For our next option, we’ve gone for a printer that’s extremely popular and reliable. We’ve chosen this printer from HP for it’s great functionality and ease of use. If you’ve seen any printer out in the wild chances are you’ve come across this one at least a couple of times. This HP printer is by far one of the most popular printers you can get and there’s a good reason for that. First, let’s take a look at the size of this thing which comes in at 9.2” x 18.1” x 13.4”. So it’s another medium sized printer though it is very wide so keep that in mind. It also weighs 18lbs so it’s quite hefty too, be sure to find a good safe spot to put it.
Taking a closer look at the printer now and there’s quite a lot to like here. But we’ll start with the frame and this is something that you may not like so much. It’s a plastic frame and obviously this can feel lower in quality to a metal one. But they do state that the materials have been recycled so it’s a cool way to help the environment in a way. The paper tray is pretty bad though. It gets stuck very easily and is annoying to use in general.
This printer does have a Wi-Fi connection and allows you to print through the HP printing app. The app works well and is pretty easy to use and setup. It even has integration with smart home hubs like Alexa, which make the process even easier. And the printer does print out in full colour too. If you want a reliable mid range printer then you can’t really go wrong with this printer.
Pros:
- Full Colour Printing
- Great Printing Quality
- Wi-Fi Connection
Cons:
- Poorly Designed Paper Tray
- Heavy
Canon TR8620
For the next option on this list, we’re starting to look at printers that offer you a ton of different features and high-quality printing. We’ve gone for this printer from Canon for its great functionality and design. And if you are going to be getting a printer, it would make sense to get one from one of the world’s leading photography and film companies. Canon has been making great products in this field for a long time and this printer is no different. Let’s talk about how big it is first though and it’s 13.8” x 17.3” x 7.5”. Again another medium-sized printer but this one is also very wide, so make sure you have the room. It’s also pretty hefty, weighing in at 21.4lbs.
This printer has a lot to talk about so let’s get into it. First up, the frame here is made out of hard plastic and again this doesn’t feel quite as solid as a metal frame would. But if there was a metal frame this printer would have been even heavier so it makes a lot of sense as to why it isn’t there. There are some issues with the trays here, they can feel flimsy and sticky sometimes.
The print quality here though is fantastic and you’re sure to get some great quality out of it. But the extra features like the Wi-FI connection and mobile connectivity through the Canon companion app really help out. The touch screen interface on the front of the printer is nice and clear too. Giving you all of the necessary information that you’ll need. Overall this is a pretty great printer, apart from the mild annoyances that drag it down a little bit.
Pros:
- Full-Color Printing
- Great Printing Quality
- Wi-Fi Connection
Cons:
- Trays are Flimsy
- Heavy
Canon Pixma iX6820
For our final option on this list, we’ve gone for a printer that combines many of the great things about our previous options. We’ve chosen another printer from Canon because of its high-quality printing and great functionality. Again if you’re going to be getting a printer from anyone it may as well be from a company that knows what they’re doing. Canon is a pretty reliable company when it comes to products like this. This printer measures at around 23” x 12.3” x 6.3”. So a lot of its size comes from its width, which isn’t anything new. But you’ll still need to find a specific spot for the printer somewhere in your workspace. It weighs in at 17.9lbs so it isn’t the heaviest on this list but it’s still pretty hefty.
Getting right into what you can expect with this printer now. The body here is actually the most disappointing part of the printer as a whole. The plastic covering here is very thin which sort of makes the printer seem a lot cheaper than it should be. Which, in the grand scheme of things, isn’t really the end of the world it’s just a shame. But this printer does a great job at almost everything else.
The printing quality here is fantastic with a maximum print resolution of 9600 x 2400 DPI. This means that the prints you get out of it are really sharp and well defined. This printer also has Wi-Fi connectivity just like the previous option and it works really well. There’s no touchscreen display here which is a bit of a step back, but this is a really simple printer to use still. A lot of the control comes from an external device like a phone or tablet.
Pros:
- Full-Color Printing
- Fantastic Printing Quality
- Wi-Fi Connection
Cons:
- Expensive
- Heavy
Best Printer for Index Cards Buying Guide
If you’ve come this far down the list and you still aren’t sure which printer would be the best one for you, not to worry! In this section, we’ll be giving you some extra tips that will help you out with your purchase.
You get what you pay for
When it comes to getting a brand new printer there’s quite a lot of difference between a cheap one and an expensive one. As with all pieces of tech, the price often reflects the kind of quality that you’ll be getting. So if you are looking to get a printer, you may not want to try and get the cheapest possible option. Not saying that you can’t look for special deals or anything like that. You should just be careful with what you’re buying.
Cheaper printers will usually be cheaper because they miss out on things like color printing, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a high-quality DPI. All things which are pretty important to using a printer and having a good experience with it. Of course, it also depends on what you want to get out of your printer. If you simply want to print out some word documents, then you don’t really need a color printer. Since you’ll just be printing out text anyway. It’s a case by case basis, the advice here is to really think about what you need out of your printer. Find one that matches that and then look for deals or cheaper printers that offer that same experience.
Stick with a brand that you trust
There are tons of different printer manufacturers out there and they all have their pros and cons. But there are also some manufacturers that don’t really make fantastic printers. These are companies that usually source the cheapest parts and then sell the printer for a low price. Which, obviously, is going to lead to a below-average experience overall. So really the main thing that you want to try and do is stick with well-known brands. Companies like HP or Canon are well established in tech and also know how to make high-quality printers. And if you don’t want to necessarily get a printer from a well-known company like that, say you decide to go with a lesser-known company. Then in that case pay extra attention to reviews and any information that will let you know the level of quality you can expect. That is the biggest issue with lesser-known brands, fewer people talk about them, and gaining some kind of consensus is tricky. Here are some of the brands that we would recommend you buy from if you want a certain level of quality:
- Canon
- Epson
- HP
- Inkjet
- Brother
These brands are well known and you can be pretty sure that you’ll have a good experience with them. Plus some of them have really good customer support that can help you out with a problem you may have. A benefit that you wouldn’t get from a cheaper brand.
Buying Tips
- If you want an easy time printing, make sure that the printer you want has Wi-Fi connectivity. Or better yet, some kind of companion app that will let you link with the printer and get going immediately.
- Double-check reviews that you see to make sure the printer that you want doesn’t have any glaring issues. One person’s bad experience could save you some time and money.
- If you don’t have much room in your workspace for a printer, make sure you check the size and weight of the one you want. You can get compact printers which are just as good as larger ones.
- If you know anyone who has a printer, ask them which one they have and see if they’d recommend it.
- If you don’t know printers all that well, stick with the major brands that we mentioned previously to avoid possible mistake purchases.
Verdict – The Best Printer for Index Cards
That is that for our list of The Best Printer for Index Cards. If it helped you out at all please be sure to let us know about it in the comments down below! Thanks for reading.
