The best color laser printers can be a great addition to your home office or small business, saving you a lot of time and money. Color laser printers offer crispier texts, sharper graphics, and faster printing speeds compared to inkjet printers.
They may come with a higher face value but are proven to be more economical in the long run. Unlike inkjet printers, color laser printers can sit idle for weeks and won’t cause a clogging issue. They come with a higher monthly duty cycle, run quietly, and don’t need frequent replacement of toner cartridges, making them extremely low-maintenance printers for both official and personal use.
Because the market for printers is overflowing, and many of them seem identical, we’re here to assist you in choosing the color laser printer that will serve your needs the best.
Here’s a brief of what you need to consider before buying a color laser printer.
- Printing Speed: The printing speed of a printer is measured in PPM or Page Per Minute. It determines how many pages a printer can process within a minute. The printing speed of your printer will solely depend on your daily printing needs. If it’s for a small home or office with moderate printing tasks, get a printer with 20 to 25 ppm printing speed. If it’s for a larger business or enterprise, you might need a printer with 30 ppm or higher printing speed.
- Duplex Printing: Duplex printing refers to printing on both sides of the paper. This saves on paper costs and time and produces professional-looking documents. Some color laser printers can print on both sides of the paper in a single pass, making them incredibly efficient. Duplex printing is a must-have if you deal with high-volume printing.
- Paper Handling Capacity: another feature to consider while buying a color laser printer is its paper handling capacity. Most of the laser printers can only print on A4 size sheets. If you plan to print on envelopes, cardstock, and other media types,, you should check whether it comes with a multipurpose tray.
In this article, we review the best color laser printers you can find on the market today. We have also curated a “Buying Guide” on how to select the best color laser printers, so do check that out.
Best Color Laser Printer Table
| Product Name | Printing Speed | Simplex/Duplex | Paper Handling Capacity | Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon Color Laser Printer | 35ppm | Print/Scan/Copy/Fax | 250 | Check On Amazon |
| Brother Color Laser Printer | 33ppm | Print / Copy / Scan / Fax | 250 | Check On Amazon |
| HP Color Laser Printer | 22ppm | 250 | Check On Amazon | |
| Xerox Color Laser Printer | 36 ppm | 250 | Check On Amazon | |
| Brother Business Color Laser Printer | 33ppm | 250 | Check On Amazon |
Best Color Laser Printer Reviews
1. Canon Color Laser Printer
If you want a laser printer that can handle anything without complaining, then grab the Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw. Even your largest files won’t take too long to print as this printer prints black-and-white and color copies at a speed of 35 pages per minute. The all-in-one laser printer comes equipped with single-pass duplex scanning, which makes it easier to process multi-page and double-sided documents.
Even more, the scanner features an automatic document feeder with a 50-sheet capacity, and the lid hinges can extend, which means you can scan directly from thicker items like textbooks. The printer has a standard 250-sheet cassette and a 50-sheet multipurpose sheet tray. If you want more, there’s a 550-page optional input tray.
As far as the printing is concerned, the Canon MF753 produces high-quality documents with sharp details and great color accuracy. The printer has a high page yield, and the toner cartridges last a very long time, ensuring low maintenance costs.
When it comes to connectivity technologies, the all-in-one printer offers WiFi, USB, and Ethernet support making it easy to handle all types of printing jobs from any device. You can also print directly from a USB flash drive. Lastly, the color touchscreen gives access to various printing, copying, scanning, and faxing jobs.
Best Features
- The 4-in-one printer supports printing, copying, scanning, and faxing
- Prints at a speed of 35 pages per minute
- Automatic duplex printing
- Automatic document feeder
- 250-sheet standard cassette and 50-sheet multipurpose tray
- 50-sheet 2-sided automatic document feeder
- The 550-sheet optional input tray
- WiFi, USB, Ethernet
- Supports Apple AirPrint, Mopria print services
- Compatible with Canon Print Business
Pros
- Wide range of connectivity options
- High page yields
- Fast printing speed with duplex printing
- Automatic document feeder with duplex scanning
- Intuitive touchscreen
Cons
- Heavyweight
- Can’t print on glossy paper
2. Brother Color Laser Printer
The Brother MFC-L8905CDW is a printer with the highest page yield. It gets pricey but makes up for it with its low cost per page value. The ultra-high capacity replacement cartridge of the Brother MFC-L8905CDW can print 8000 pages, significantly lowering your cost per page compared to other printers.
Talking about the printing speed and quality, the printer can print at a speed of 33 ppm and prints outstanding quality black and color documents. The ADF-equipped scanner with a 70-page capacity produces high-quality scans and processes double-sided documents at a single pass.
It comes with a 250-sheet standard input tray for accommodating letters and legal and a 50-sheet multipurpose tray for envelopes and other media. There’s also a legal-size document glass for copying and scanning various media sizes and types.
You can easily connect the printer with external devices. Thanks to its multiple connectivity options, including WiFi, USB, and Ethernet. The lid of the scanner can extend means you can copy and scan directly from your textbooks. It can even print directly from a USB flash drive.
The toner Cartridge that comes along with the printer can output up to 3000 black and 1800 color prints. Lastly, it comes with a 7.1-inch color touchscreen display which offers easy menu navigation and allows 64 customizable shortcuts.
Best Features
- The 4-in-one printer supports printing, copying, scanning, and faxing
- Prints at a speed of 33 pages per minute
- Automatic duplex printing
- Automatic document feeder
- 250-sheet standard cassette and 50-sheet multipurpose tray
- 70-sheet 2-sided automatic document feeder
- Compatible with super high-yield and ultra high-yield toner cartridges
- Optional 500-sheet paper tray
- WiFi, USB, Ethernet
- Advanced scanning capabilities ( Cloud Services, Email, SSH, SharePoint)
Pros
- Produce very sharp quality documents
- High page yield, low cost per page
- 70-sheet automatic document feeder
- Single-pass duplex scanning
- Low maintenance
Cons
- Takes up a lot of space
- Not ideal for digitizing photos
3. HP Color Laser Printer
If you are in search of a budget color laser printer apt for heavy-duty personal use or light-duty shared use in a micro office setup, the HP Color LaserJet Pro M255dw is a terrific choice. The printer prints come with a 22 ppm rating which is more than enough for personal use and light-duty office use.
The HP LaserJet Pro M255dw also supports duplex print, however, there’s no automatic document feeder with this. It comes with a standard 150-sheet input tray, which is decent for home and office use. It beats its competitors with its printing speed and quality. The overall output quality is above the expected standard for both black and white and color prints.
Also, the toner cartridges can yield too many black and white prints saving you cost per print, even if you print a lot. However, printing color copies can get expensive over time due to expensive color cartridges.
It has multiple connectivity options, including WiFi, USB, Ethernet, and NFC, to handle any kind of printing job from any device. Even more, it can directly print from a USB memory key. It also supports a wide range of paper sizes, including legal, executive, postcard, double postcard, and envelopes.
A major drawback of this printer is the lack of a scanner. Otherwise, the M255dw is a great choice offering high-quality outputs, fast printing speeds, and convenient features like mobile printing.
Best Features
- Can print and copy
- Prints 22 ppm
- Auto duplex printing
- WiFi, USB, Ethernet, and NFC
- 150-sheet manual feed
- Can print directly from USB memory key
- 85 cm touchscreen display
- Compatible with HP Web Apps
- The app lets you print from Dropbox and Google Docs
Pros
- Low cost per print for black documents only
- Good overall printing speed
- Multiple connectivity options
- Cloud-based and WiFi mobile printing
Cons
- No scanner
4. Xerox Color Laser Printer
Those who print frequently need a printer that can handle even the largest workloads, like the Xerox VersaLink C400/DN. With a primary paper tray that houses 500-sheet A4 size paper, and a speedy printing speed of 36 pages per minute, this printer is more appropriate for a busy small office.
There’s even a multipurpose tray with a 150-sheet capacity and an output tray that holds 250 sheets. The Xerox Versalink can print on any size up to A4 and prints automatically on both sides of the paper. It can easily handle heavy paper, envelopes, and cardstock.
For connectivity, the C400/DN offers a wide range of options, including WiFi, WiFi direct, Ethernet, and NFC. The 5-inch color touch screen makes managing all your print tasks simple. It also allows you to print directly from a USB drive or the cloud when connected to the internet.
The printer has a maximum duty cycle of 85,000, and the toner will yield you 2,000 colors and 3,000 monoprints. You may also get replacements with extra-high capacity that can print 10,500 black pages or 8,000 color pages. Regarding security, the C400 is equipped with strong security features like Secure Print, which requires a PIN before starting any printing tasks.
Best Features
- The 4-in-one printer supports printing, copying, scanning, and faxing
- Prints at a speed of 36 pages per minute
- Automatic duplex printing
- Automatic document feeder
- 550-sheet standard cassette and 150-sheet multipurpose tray
- The 550-sheet optional input tray
- WiFi, WiFi direct, Ethernet, USB and NFC connectivity options
- Supports Apple AirPrint, Mopria print services
- 5-inch color touchscreen
Pros
- 550-sheet primary tray capacity
- Ample toner on board
- Fast printing speeds
- Super high-quality outputs
- Fluid touchscreen
Cons
- A bit noisy
- Bulky and heavy
5. Brother Business Color Laser Printer
The Brother HL-L8360DW can be a worthwhile upgrade for small businesses with demanding printing needs. The printer splits at an impressive speed of 33 ppm in black and color. Featuring duplex printing, the printer can print both sides of the page at a single pass, saving on time and paper costs.
The Brother printers are known for their low printing costs, and this printer is compatible with Brother’s high-yield 6500-page replacement toner cartridges. With huge paper capacity, the printer makes sure you don’t need to refill pages too often. It comes with a standard 250-sheet paper cassette for letters, legal-size printing, and a 50-sheet multipurpose tray.
Furthermore, you can add optional 250-sheet or 500-sheet paper trays and increase the capacity up to 1300 sheets. As far as the connectivity is concerned, the Brother HL-L8360CDW comes equipped with ethernet, WiFi WiFi Direct, USB, and NFC. Moreover, the printer is compatible with Brother’s Office Print Cloud App, allowing you to print directly from Microsoft, Powerpoint 365, Excel, and OneDrive.
Other than this, you will get a 2.7-inch color touchscreen for easy menu navigation and printing from popular cloud services like DropBox, Google Drive, OneDrive, etc. The printer comes with a 1-year warranty from the manufacturer.
Best Features
- Prints at a speed of 33 pages per minute
- Automatic duplex printing
- 250-sheet standard cassette and 50-sheet multipurpose tray
- 250-sheet and 550-sheet optional input tray
- WiFi, Ethernet, USB, and NFC connectivity options
- Supports Apple AirPrint, Mopria print services
- 7-inch color touchscreen
- NFC badge authentication
Pros
- Low-cost printing
- Excellent print quality
- Low maintenance
Cons
- It doesn’t support scanning or faxing
- No automatic document feeder
Buying Guide For The Best Color Laser Printer
Color laser printers are versatile machines that can handle a wide range of printing jobs, from high-quality graphics to professional-looking documents. However, finding the best color laser printer can be challenging since there’s a lot to consider. You need to consider several factors, like printing speed, simplex or duplex printing, paper handling, and paper capacity. So we have put together all of the above to help you make an informed decision.
1. Printing Speed
One of the main advantages of laser printers is their printing speed. Laser printers print significantly faster than inkjet printers. Like inkjet printers, the printing speed of a laser printer is also measured in ppm or page per minute. The higher the ppm value, the faster the printer’s printing speed. Although manufacturer’s estimates aren’t always reliable, they can be used to indicate how quickly pages of black-and-white text will be printed on a printer.
While deciding on the printing speed, you need to consider your daily printing needs. For regular home use, a small color laser printer that prints at a speed of 20 to 25 ppm would be sufficient for printing documents and school projects.
If you have a small office or home office and deal with moderate printing tasks, a printer with a speed of 25 to 30 ppm would be more than sufficient for producing documents, business materials, and presentations.
For high-volume printing in a business or enterprise, opt for a printer with a minimum speed of 30 ppm; the higher, the better. It will make sure that it can handle large printing tasks, minimizing downtime and maximizing productivity.
2. Duplex Printing
Also known as double-sided printing, duplex printing is a valuable feature to consider, especially when buying color laser printers. As the name suggests, duplex printings allow printing on both sides of a sheet. This method of printing reduces paper costs, saves time, and makes your document look more professional.
There are two types of duplex printing-manual and automatic duplex printing. Printers with automatic duplex printing capabilities don’t need you to flip the page. It does it automatically, making it more convenient to deal with high-volume printing. Some printers have manual duplexing, which requires the user to flip the page to print on the other side of the paper. In general, most of the advanced color laser printers have automatic duplex printing.
3. Paper Handling
The majority of color laser printers can only print on paper up to A4 sizes; therefore, if you want to print documents on A3 paper, your options may be limited. A3 (or bigger) printers often have a larger footprint, needing more room in the home.
Search for a printer with a multi-purpose tray if you need to print anything on envelopes, cardstocks, or other media types. Additionally, check the printer’s specs to determine the maximum weight (in gsm) of paper it can handle.
Also, for an office where you have multiple users who print, it becomes crucial to opt for a printer with a large paper capacity. Some printers come with additional paper trays that can be added to increase the paper capacity, which greatly benefits people working in a busy office. Along with this, you also need to look at the output tray capacity. Because nobody would like to constantly empty the output tray in the middle of an important printing task.
4. Printing Quality
The printer’s print quality is equally important if you want professional-looking documents. The print quality means how well the printer can print texts or documents, graphics, and photos. It’s usually measured in DPI or dots per inch, which measures the number of ink droplets produced by a printer within a square inch of paper.
A DPI value from 600 to 1200 dpi is considered sufficient for monochrome laser printers, but this value can exceed up to 2400 DPI for a color laser printer. Usually, the higher the DPI, the sharper and more detailed the print quality.
However, there are other factors that affect the final output, like the type of toner and the quality of paper you use. So, ensure you get the top-notch toner and the best quality paper to get the best printing results.
5. Brand
The choice of brand can significantly impact your experience with a color laser printer. Different brands have different reputations, build quality, customer support, and product lines. HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, and Xerox are some of the most reputable brands in the market of printers. Choosing a printer from a reputable brand will also make sure that you get decent warranty coverage and after-sales service in case of any malfunction.
Another factor that also depends widely on the brand is the cost and availability of consumables like toner, cartridges, and drum units. Reputable brands have a wider distribution network, making it easier to find replacement parts and supplies.
Color Laser Printer – FAQs
Ans: Laser printers are speedier than inkjet printers. They are great at printing sharp texts. Also, there’s no problem with clogging with laser printers. Unlike inkjet printers, laser printers don’t have ink nozzles and don’t rely on ink to keep them clean. Laser printers have a high page yield because they don’t waste any toner on maintenance. Laser printers are the best choice if you print high-volume text documents.
Ans: Laser printers are not great at printing photos. However, the HP-LaserJet Pro M283fwd is the best all-in-one printer that can print excellent-quality photos.
Ans: The color printer should be replaced as print quality degrades over time. Most color laser printers need a replacement every three to five years.
Ans: Some printers simply need the toner cartridge to be changed, while others need the toner and drum unit to be changed regularly. See the user manual to find out which consumables are best for your printer.
Conclusion
When choosing the right color laser printer, you must consider its printing speed, duplex printing features, paper handling, capacity, and printing quality. Also, check its connectivity options and make sure that it supports WiFi if it’s for an office setup where there are multiple users. Evaluating these factors will help you make an informed decision, and you can buy a color laser printer that meets your printing needs for high-quality, high-volume, efficient prints.
Here are our top three recommendations for you.
- The Canon Color Laser Printer Image Class Mf753Cdw color laser printer is the best overall printer on our list. With a printing speed of 35 ppm, this printer can be a great investment for businesses. It features duplex printing, ample paper capacity ( expandable up to 800 sheets), and a multipurpose tray with 50-sheet capacity.
- Our second top pick is the Brother Color Laser Printer MFC-L8905CWD which can print 33 pages per minute. It has a 70-sheet multipurpose tray, duplex printing, and a high page yield that can give you up to 3000 black and 1800 color prints. It’s one of the most low-maintenance printers you can invest in for your office setup.
- The HP Color Laser Printer Jet Pro M255 is the best budget pick on the list and is a great choice for small home offices and even personal use. It can print 22 pages per minute and has a duplex printing feature. The printer supports a wide range of paper sizes and types. The best part, there are too many connectivity options, which means you can print from any device without any issues.
