Choosing a printer without the ink headaches

Three kinds

• Laser (black or colour): fast and cheap per page, and toner doesn't dry out. Best for documents, and for people who print occasionally.
• Ink tank (like Epson EcoTank, Canon MegaTank or HP Smart Tank): costs more up front, but the ink is very cheap. Best for photos and lots of colour.
• Cartridge inkjet: cheap to buy, expensive to run, and cartridges dry out if you rarely print.

Watch out for

• Ink subscriptions, and printers that block other brands of cartridges. Read the fine print.
• Printers that need an app and an online account just to print.

Features worth having

• Wi-Fi, and printing from phones (AirPrint or Mopria)
• Automatic double-sided printing
• A scanner with a document feeder if you scan multi-page documents

Printer won't connect?

Restart the printer and router, make sure the printer is on the same Wi-Fi network as your computer (not the guest network), then remove and re-add it on the computer.