Technologies

The Best Printers, According to the CNET Staff Who Use Them

Even in the modern age, we still need physical copies sometimes.

While 2023 feels like the distant future, filled with apps and digital files, we still sometimes need hard copies. Pictures need scanning, tickets need printing and lost cat posters must go on streetlights.

While we have a tested-to-destruction list for the best printers, we’ve also put together a list of printers the CNET staff use at home and the office, and the reasons why they chose that particular model.

Epson

Epson XP-4105

Cheap and reliable is what we want

$115 at Target

A printer is one of those things that I don’t use often, and when I do need to use it, I hope that it works. I’ve gone through several printers in recent years, because every time I want to use it the ink is dried out or something else needs to be fixed. I was looking for a low-maintenance option that had affordable ink replacements, and that’s where I came across this Epson model.

It’s an all-in-one unit, so I can still scan documents to my PC when needed, but the best part is that I’ve yet to find the ink dried up when I wanted to use it. It also prints reliably for small and medium jobs. The ink isn’t expensive, and you can buy an XL version of the cartridge which offers 2.5x the capacity for a little extra money. Overall, it’s a great printer if you don’t need to print tons of pages in a short period of time (because it’s a little slow) but still want something that won’t make you go broke when you need new color or black ink.

— Jared DiPane

Epson

Epson EcoTank ET-3750 Wireless Color All-in-One

Big ink capacity for color print jobs

$350 at Best Buy

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The big selling point of the EcoTank line is that it does away with cartridges. Even if you only print a couple of times a week, it’s worth the extra cost. My family prints more than that and we’re still on the original ink refills that came with the printer after years of use. The 3750 model was replaced by the 3850 in September 2021 but they’re essentially the same printer.

Because it’s a lower-end model in the line, the printer isn’t a speed demon with color prints and its tray holds only 250 sheets. It doesn’t have a touchscreen, just a small display and navigation buttons that aren’t backlit. But it has all the other features I’d expect from a compact all-in-one for a small office or home office: You get wired and wireless connections with mobile printing, an auto-document feeder and automatic two-sided printing. Print quality is respectable, too. It excels on black-and-white documents but it’s OK for photos as well.

— Josh Goldman

James Bricknell/CNET

Sawgrass SG500 Sublimation printer

Make your art come alive

$649 at Amazon

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Sublimation is the process of transferring ink from paper to another material like t-shirts, mugs and canvases. There are plenty of options if you are looking to convert a standard printer to use sublimation ink but if possible you should buy a dedicated printer for the job.

The Sawgrass SG500 is purpose-built to print using sublimation ink and paper. It works great too: You can print up a storm of artwork to put on t-shirts for the whole family. If you’re interested in starting your own business using your own art, then this printer is well worth the price.

— James Bricknell

Brother

Brother HL-L2305DW

When all you need is documents

$120 at Amazon

$120 at Best Buy

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I’ve had the nearly identical older, now-discontinued version of this printer (the HL-L2340DW) for at least five years and it’s been solid. Unlike some other printers I’ve had, it rarely gets disconnected from the Wi-Fi network so my whole family can easily print stuff from their various computers and phones without me having to troubleshoot the connection. Printing is fast and since its laser ink isn’t expensive per sheet. I’m fine with black and white and the few times I need color I’ll print at the local drugstore.

The one downside is that double-sided printing always jams the feed so I have to take it apart, pull out the paper and restart the job. Sometimes the software seems to select double-sided on its own and I discover the hard way, but once I change back to single-sided (which is what we use most of the time) it’s all good. (Editors’ note: Avoid the HL-L2300DW version, which lacks Wi-Fi.)

— David Katzmaier

HP Envy 6075

Great for color stickers

$265 at HP

$265 at Best Buy

$262 at Macys.com

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My wife loves to make stickers using our HP Envy and the Cricut Explore 3. The Envy has excellent color saturation, especially on the glossy sticker paper she uses. It also has the added bonus of being a scanner, which is especially helpful to scan all our mortgage documents while we move house.

The biggest selling point though is the two-year supply of new inks. Running out of ink is the worst part of using a printer at home, but HP’s replacement service takes away that hassle. It’s worth the money just for that.

— James Bricknell

Brother

Brother P-touch, PTD210 label maker

It counts as a printer!

$40 at Amazon

$40 at Walmart

$40 at Best Buy

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I have to make an absurd amount of labels for our son’s Tupperware, school items, folders, cooking products and so on. This makes it so easy. There are different fonts, sizes and styles to choose from.

The keyboard is dreamy and a far cry from the old-school turnstile. I also love the built-in cutting function. Gone are the days of needing scissors when you’re done.

— Danielle Ramirez

HP LaserJet M110w

Easy to store away as needed

$169 at HP

$169 at Amazon

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Full disclosure: I was the guy who proudly kept his home printer-free while using the office printer for those once- or twice-a-month necessities. Then came the pandemic, and I found myself in need of shipping labels and other documents at home. This tiny HP LaserJet fit perfectly on the bookshelf in my equally tiny Brooklyn apartment, and it reliably prints from PCs, Macs, Chromebooks and smartphones, all over Wi-Fi.

The 2022 model (M110w) is nearly identical to my 2020-era unit (M15w), but take note: The «cheaper» M110we seems to require a subscription to HP’s cloud-ink solution, so go with the pricier model if you want to avoid an always-on connection. Also, this laser printer is black-and-white only, but that’s a feature for me, not a bug.

— John P. Falcone

Originally published June 2022, and updated periodically. Most recent update swaps the Brother HL-L2305DW for the older, discontinued HL-L2340DW.

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, July 5

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for July 5.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? 14-Across was a real doozy. I hadn’t ever heard anyone use that word to mean what the NYT says it means, even though I do recognize it as part of a related word. Whether this clue or another one has stumped you today, read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Blasts with unwanted messages
Answer: SPAMS

6A clue: Orderly assortment
Answer: ARRAY

7A clue: Its state mammal is the bison, and its state sport is rodeo
Answer: WYOMING

9A clue: «Let me think …»
Answer: HMM

10A clue: Hawaii’s Mauna ___
Answer: LOA

11A clue: Shanghai-born N.B.A. Hall-of-Famer who stood at 7’6″
Answer: YAOMING

13A clue: Emotionless, as a gaze
Answer: STONY

14A clue: Another name for an earthquake
Answer: SEISM

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Lead a Catholic ceremony
Answer: SAYMASS

2D clue: Hype up
Answer: PROMOTE

3D clue: Place for Popeye’s anchor tattoo
Answer: ARM

4D clue: Ballots cast from home
Answer: MAILINS

5D clue: Thesaurus listing
Answer: SYNONYM

7D clue: Alphabetically last of the «five W’s»
Answer: WHY

8D clue: Silly joke
Answer: GAG

12D clue: «Excusez-___!»
Answer: MOI

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for July 5, #285

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for July 5, No. 285.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition raised my confidence with a very easy yellow category. Then my guesses kind of fell apart. Need some help? Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: First question?

Green group hint: You win it.

Blue group hint: They call it football.

Purple group hint: Baseball accessories.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Setting for a news conference.

Green group: Starts of trophy names.

Blue group: England women’s soccer players.

Purple group: ____ base.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is setting for a news conference. The four answers are dais, lectern, podium and stage.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is starts of trophy names. The four answers are Ballon, Cy, Heisman and Stanley.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is England women’s soccer players. The four answers are Bronze, Mead, Stanway and Williamson.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ base. The four answers are fan, first, stolen and third.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for July 5, #1477

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for July 5, No. 1,477.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a pretty tough one. I grew up on a farm, so I know the word, but I didn’t put it together right away, even though the letters are common ones. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.