Best Printer for Occasional Use (Infrequent Use)

The best printer for occasional use or infrequent use is the HP Envy 5530 Wireless All-in-One Printer. This printer includes features that are typically found in much more expensive printers, but it is also one of the least expensive printers on the market today. This printer works with both Windows and Mac operating systems and has a variety of paper types, such as photo paper, standard matte paper, brochure paper, cardstock paper, envelopes, and labels.

Printers tend to dry up when we don’t use them often. This is more common with inkjets. They use ink cartridges that are susceptible to drying out in no time, especially if left unused. Inkjets are followed by ink tank printers in this aspect. The ink tanks are marginally better in terms of not drying out compared to inkjets. If you are okay with frequently printing out test pages, even if you don’t plan on using your printer regularly, an ink-tank printer can be a decent choice. However, these can be very expensive in terms of both, the upfront cost and the maintenance.

Best Printer for Occasional Use 2022

This narrows us down to the next and the most reliable option, laser printers. Laser printers use toner powder instead of pigment-based inks and dyes, which are used in inkjet and ink tank printers. As a result, they are resistant to drying out even when left unused for months at a time. Furthermore, laser printers are snappier when it comes to printing when compared to their counterparts. They also don’t cost you a fortune when it comes to maintaining them, thanks to the greater yield of toner cartridges.

However, if you are more into printing in color, the lasers are not a good fit. They can print in color, but don’t expect the same quality as inkjets and ink tanks. On top of that, they are very expensive and are larger compared to the others.

Given the diverse options in the market, it is tough to make a choice. Especially if you are unfamiliar with printers. We have your back! The “Best Printer for Occasional Use” guide was put together by the experts at Scanse. They carefully chose and tested these products.

S.no	Printer Name & Model	Award
1	Brother HL-L2350DW	Best Printer for Occasional Use
2	HP DeskJet 3755	Best All-In-One Printer for Infrequent Use
3	Epson EcoTank ET-4760	Most Economical Option
4	Canon PIXMA TR4520	The Compact Photo Printer
5	Lexmark MC3224dwe	Best AIO Color Laser Printer
6	HP OfficeJet 3830	Best for for Infrequent Photo Printing

#1. Brother HL-L2350DW Monochrome Laser – Best Printer for Occasional Use

Unboxing and Package Contents

The packaging skills and quality of Brother never cease to amaze me. It came inside a nice blue and white combo-themed cardboard package with sufficient padding on all sides. There were little dents on the outer package. However, the inner contents remained unaffected.

Inside the package, we have a user manual, a CD with all the necessary drivers and utilities, a Brother TN-730 starter toner cartridge, and a drum unit.

Design Overview and Build Quality

The Brother HL-L2350DW is a masterpiece when it comes to the quality of its build. Although the entire body is made of plastic, tough quality material is used, making it feel sturdy and durable.

Even the constructional design is to be applauded as it facilitates easier access to the toner and drum units. Furthermore, clearing the paper jams is a cakewalk with its easy-to-open back panel design.

One-line monochrome LCDs are very annoying, and the Brother HL-L2350DW has one. The viewing angles are also not that great. Brother’s control panel has physical buttons, which is an old-fashioned way to do things. Because the buttons are larger, they are easier to press.

Cartridge System

The device takes a TN730 black cartridge. As the cartridges used in laser printers are based on toner and not ink, they offer a pretty good shelf life. You do not have to worry, even if you only plan on using your printer occasionally.

Connectivity

The Brother HL-L2350DW walks the same road as most other printers on the market. It lacks Ethernet and Bluetooth functionalities, but has Wi-Fi connectivity with support for Wi-Fi Direct. If you wish to connect your printer to a computer using a USB cable, you are covered.

The Brother iPrint & Scan application is available for both Android and iOS devices. It makes overall management easier. It not only enables you to print wirelessly but also helps you keep track of the latest firmware updates.

Ease of Usage and Setup Process

The initial setup process can be a little tiresome as you need to enter your Wi-Fi credentials using the limited buttons and given the display is a one-line monochrome LCD. However, as you’ve only got to do this once, I feel that it isn’t a bigger concern.

Print Economy, Speeds, and Quality

It is one of the most economical printers that we have ever tested, with an impeccable cost-per-print value, thanks to its high page yield. The fact that it is a laser printer gives it an edge over other types in terms of printing speeds. It has an impeccable speed of about 33 PPM, while most inkjets struggle at 15 PPM. Lasers are good at printing text-rich documents, and the Brother HL-L2350DW is no exception.

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#2. HP DeskJet 3755 – Best All-In-One Printer for Infrequent Use

Unboxing and Package Contents

The printer arrived in a cardboard box with a white and blue theme, similar to the Brother L2350DW box. For the curious bees out there, an image of the printer is printed on the top along with the brand name.

What is more satisfying than unboxing stuff, tearing off seals, and peeling off protective films on gadgets? Opening the box, we are hit by a bunch of papers, including a user’s manual and warranty-related documents. Also, we have two HP 65 starter black and tricolor cartridges, a power cable, and the printer unit. There is no bundled USB cable inside the package.

Device Overview and Build Quality

At first impression, the HP DeskJet 3755 appeared extremely compact. It is also one of the lighter printers, weighing just about 2.4 kg. When it comes to device build quality, you simply can’t ask for more for the price. It has an acceptable build quality and design.

The variant is offered in different funky colors. It kind of carries a funky vibe along. Like the Brother HL-L2350DW, the HP DeskJet 3755 also comes with a monochrome display. Although there are a few minor issues here and there in terms of design, overall, I would recommend this to those looking for a printer for occasional use under $100.

Cartridge System

The HP DeskJet 3755 comes with a poor cartridge system, with only two black and one tricolor cartridge. Both of these cartridges have lower page yields, making them more expensive in the long run. Speaking of which, the HP DeskJet 3755 is not suitable for those who print a lot. However, if you wish to have it for occasional use, you are good to go.

Connectivity

Speaking of connectivity, the HP DeskJet 3755 comes with Wi-Fi functionality and support for Wi-Fi Direct. However, there is no Ethernet or Bluetooth support onboard. If you are skeptical about its cloud compatibility, it shares support with the most popular cloud services, including Apple AirPrint or Mopria Print Service.

Besides this, you can also manage your printer remotely, scan and print using your mobile device with the HP Smart App, available for both Android and iOS platforms.

Ease of Usage, and Setup Process

Although there is no functional display that can show text and other instructions on board, setting up this printer can still be a cakewalk. All you have got to do is power on the device, insert the provided starter cartridges into their slots, and you are good to go.

Print Economy, Speeds, Print Quality, and Scanner Quality

The HP DeskJet 3755 has a very poor cartridge system, resulting in a poor cost-per-print value. It is not recommended for those that require it to print a lot. As the 3755 is an inkjet printer, you cannot expect it to run as fast as a laser printer does. It can print a text-only document at 5 PPM, while a color document turns out to be 3 PPM.

On the print quality note, this infrequent printing machine does extremely well in terms of photo printing. It has pretty impressive photo printing quality, with rich details and great color accuracy.

The scanner on the DeskJet 3755 is pretty limited, with a resolution of 600 DPI. You don’t get to see an Automatic Document Feeder or Duplexing functionality on this.

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#3. Epson EcoTank ET-4760 – The Most Economical Option for Photo Printing

Unboxing and Package Contents

Like any other device from Epson, the EcoTank ET-4760 also came inside a neat box packaging. The package has a gray and black color theme with an image of the product printed on its top. We also have all the functions and specifications mentioned on the top.

Moving further with unboxing the device, we have the power adapter and starter ink kit on top, followed by some paperwork and the actual device. The starter ink includes the Epson 502 ink bottles with one of each for yellow, magenta, cyan, and black bottles. Like most other modern-day’s printers, the Epson EcoTank ET-4760 also doesn’t come with a USB cable.

Design Overview and Build Quality

This ink tank printer appeared well-built on the initial impressions. The entire body of the printer is made of good quality hard plastic. Though the printer looks smaller, it still feels heavier in hands and weighs about 15.9 lbs.

Navigation through different functions of the printer is a cakewalk with the onboard display. The display is 2.3” with touch functionality. Besides the touchscreen display, you also get to see two other physical buttons on the panel. The control panel on the ET-4760 can be tilted up or down to adjust the viewing angle. Speaking of touch quality, I would say it lacks a bit in terms of visibility from the side angels, and even the sensitivity isn’t that great. Also, there is a considerable lag when operating the device.

Cartridge System

The Epson EcoTank ET-4760 has an excellent cartridge system with supertanks. Unlike other printers that use ink cartridges, the 4760 uses four high-capacity ink tanks. These ink tanks yield an extremely incredible number of pages before you need to refill them. As this printer uses ink tanks instead of a regular cartridge system, you can technically leave it unused for shorter periods and the inks won’t dry up that quickly. This makes these printers an ideal choice for infrequent printing activity.

Connectivity

Speaking of the connectivity on the EcoTank 4760, we have support for Wi-Fi with Wi-Fi Direct functionality. You also get to see an Ethernet port, which most printers lack these days. There are no other fancy connectivity features like external storage support or Bluetooth. However, most cloud services, including Mopria’s print service and Apple AirPrint, are covered. When it comes to mobile support, the device comes with a native application for both iOS and Android devices under the name Epson iPrint. Using this, users can print and modify settings on this printer.

Ease of Usage, and Setup Process

The setup process is fairly simple, with most of it being self-explanatory thanks to the on-screen instructions. Navigating through different elements of the printer also feels snappy. However, there is a minor lag here and there that needs to be fixed.

Print Economy and Speeds

This device offers an impressive cost-per-print value. As it comes with four supertanks, you can print a lot before you refill them. When it comes to printing speeds, the device performed moderately well, with about 15 pages per minute in terms of black and white printing. while the color document was printed at about 7 PPM.

Printing and Scanning Quality

Speaking of print quality, the Epson EcoTank ET-4760 does fairly well, with decent details but flat color tones. It is not suitable for those that require it to produce accurate colors, as the printer struggles when it comes to color reproduction.

In terms of scanning quality, the device has a flatbed scanner that is 8.5″ x 11″ and works with an automatic document feeder. However, there is no duplex scanning functionality. The scanning speeds are fairly good.

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#4. Canon PIXMA TR4520 – The Compact Photo Printer

Unboxing and Package Contents

We placed an order for a retail unit on Amazon and the package came late with respect to the expected delivery time. The Christmas haul must be blamed here. Also, the outer box has suffered minor dents here and there. However, the product isn’t affected, thanks to the protecting molds.

The box has a user manual, a setup CD, a power cable, 4” x 6” photo paper, a fax cable, and two starter cartridges.

Design Overview and Build Quality

The device has a poor design and okayish build quality. Clearing paper jams is so hectic that you either have to lift the back of the printer or lay it sideways. The paper trays are flimsy and are not sized well for the paper inputs.

Ink cartridges are only accessible when the printer is powered on. Because you have to mess with the output tray, changing the cartridge in the middle of a print job is almost impossible.

Cartridge System

The Canon PIXMA TR4520 only has two cartridges, the black and the tricolored one. If you are someone who likes to print a lot, this printer might not suit you, as it has a very low page yield with brand cartridges. However, if you are looking for a printer for occasional use, you will have a good time choosing this.

Connectivity

When it comes to how you can connect to the Canon PIXMA TR4520, it has an Ethernet port, a USB port, Wi-Fi, and cloud support for all of the most popular printing services. Unfortunately, you do not get to see Wi-Fi Direct functionality on this.

Ease of Usage, and Setup Process

The setup process is mostly easy with the Canon Pixma TR4520. You will have a little bit of a hard time entering the Wi-Fi credentials using the monochrome display and the hardware keys. As you only need to do it once, there is nothing to complain much about.

Printing and Scanning Quality

The Canon Pixma TR4520 lacks in many areas, yet it is one of the most sought-out color printers in the market for the affordability factor and its printing quality. It has an impressive photo printing quality with vibrant colors and rich details.

Even though there are only two ink cartridges, it can still make stunning color photos without borders. However, the printing speeds are just acceptable at 4 PPM for black and white, and 2 PPM for color documents. It took about a minute and a half to produce one photo print.

The scanner is yet another strong area of the Canon Pixma TR4520. It has both a flatbed and a sheetfed scanner with support for an automatic document feeder. However, there is no duplex scanning functionality.

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#5. Lexmark MC3224dwe Color – Best AIO Color Laser Printer

Unboxing and Package Contents

The Lexmark MC3224dwe came shipped inside a plain cardboard box. There isn’t much printed on the box but the brand name. When we quickly opened the box, we saw a user guide and a setup CD. Furthermore, we have a power cord accompanied by the printer itself.

It came very neatly packed with sufficient padding to protect the device from all sides. The device feels a little heavier in the hands. However, considering that this is a laser printer, Lexmark managed to keep it smaller compared to other competitors.

Design Overview and Build Quality

Lexmark MC3224dwe has a praise-worthy design with a dual-toned plastic body. The top is made in black, while the bottom part is made in white. In terms of the build quality, the device feels extremely robust and durable. On top, we have a scanner that allows for scanning, copying, and faxing.

Though the device comes with a smaller footprints, it weighs about 40 pounds, which is a bit on the heavier side. It comes with a 2.8-inch color touch screen display that lets you easily navigate through the different functionalities of the printer. Besides this, you will also find different icons on the control panel that let you carry out different functionalities.

Connectivity

When it comes to networking capabilities on the Lexmark MC3224dwe, the device offers a 10/100 Mbps Ethernet connection along with a USB 2.0 PC connection. In terms of wireless functionality, you get to see Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n with support for Wi-Fi Direct. If you are into cloud printing protocols, the device offers the most popular printing protocols that include Apple AirPrint, Mopria Photo Printing Service, and Lexmark’s Mobile Print and Cloud Connector apps available for both iOS and Android.

Ease of Usage and Setup Process

The setup process on the Lexmark MC3224dwe is pretty much straightforward, with most of it being self-explanatory thanks to the on-screen guide. As this printer shares support for cloud printing, assigning print jobs remotely is a cakewalk. Overall, the usability factor is pretty strong on the MC3224dwe.

Print Economy, Speeds, and Quality

The device offers pretty decent speeds, both in terms of color and black and white printing. In our testing, the device could print up to 24 one-sided pages, about 18 pages when it comes to two-sided (duplex) printing. Speaking of the print economy, the toner cartridges on the Lexmark MC3224dwe offer a lower page yield compared to most other close competitors in the market. This makes this printer a bad fit for those who need to print a lot. However, if you are only looking for a printer for occasional use, this could be your best bet.

It does a decent job when it comes to printing black-and-white documents with a lot of text. Even the color images turned out to be decent, with rich details. However, as this is a laser printer, you cannot expect it to do wonders when it comes to photo printing.

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#6. HP OfficeJet 3830 – Best Printer for Infrequent Photo Printing

Unboxing and Package Contents

Inkjets are usually smaller than their laser counterparts. However, the HP OfficeJet 3830 is even smaller to fit most desk spaces easily. It came well-packed inside a white and blue-colored carton. Upon opening the box, we are greeted with the very obvious user manual, a power cord, two starter ink cartridges, and the printer.

Design Overview and Build Quality

Though the entire body is made of plastic, the material used is of good quality. It doesn’t feel flimsy or of low quality in any part of the build. The flatbed scanner on top is a very good addition, enabling the device to perform scan and copy actions onboard.

The HP OfficeJet 3830 comes equipped with a 2.2-inch monochrome display with touch functionality. Though the display is a monochrome display, it still feels very intuitive thanks to its touch sensitivity.

Cartridge System

The HP Instant Ink subscription is indeed a lifesaver. It can let you save a lot in the long run by cutting down on the printing costs to a greater extent. You can now print worry-free as much as you can. It is so generous of HP to offer a free Instant Ink subscription for the first three months. Later, you are charged based on your printing usage.

Connectivity

It offers both Wi-Fi and USB 2.0. The Wi-Fi functionality is only limited to the 2.4 GHz band. Make sure if you are also using a 2.4GHz band before planning on buying this. There is no Ethernet port, which is also kind of a bummer for many who find it necessary.

Ease of Usage and Setup Process

The device is fairly easy to use with the included 2.2” monochrome touch screen. It can be set up in a few simple steps. Remove all the protective covers on the device, connect the power cord to the printer, and connect the other end to a wall socket. Press the power button on the device to power it. You should now see the display lighting up, indicating power.

In the next step, complete the initial setup by selecting the language and region. Insert the cartridges and connect the device to a Wi-Fi network. You are good to go! If you are not sure of how you can connect to the Wi-Fi network, follow the on-screen instructions or refer to the manual provided with the device.

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• Also Read:– Best 11X17 Color Laser Printer 2022
• Also Read:- Best Sublimation Printer 2022

Best Printer for Infrequent Use – Buying Guide

Now that you are here, it is important for you to understand how we have concluded that the above-recommended products are the best in the market. When it comes to picking a printer for occasional use, the following factors should be taken into consideration.

Brand and Service Support

When choosing an electronic device, it’s important to think about both the brand and the service. As recognition doesn’t come without hard work, a renowned brand is more likely to provide good service. It is essential to go with a brand that is familiar to you and whose service centers are in the closest proximity.

InkJets, InkTanks, or Lasers

If you only use your printer once in a while, you probably won’t use it for longer periods of time. Depending on your printer type, you might end up clogging your print head, or even worse, your ink might dry up.

InkJets are much more susceptible to the above-mentioned conditions than InkTanks. On the other hand, use toner cartridges instead of ink. This leaves them over the edge when it comes to occasional printing.

Connectivity

Connectivity is yet another important factor when picking the right printer. Choose between Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or USB, depending on your use case.

Budget

The budget is yet another factor to be taken care of while planning on purchasing anything. Remember, there is always the best product for whichever budget you choose.