Wireless printer (Bluetooth?)

[the-real-steve]

Don't need anything fancy. We don't print a lot. haven't had a printer at home in some time.

Recommendations appreciated.

[Szdfan]

Don't need anything fancy. We don't print a lot. haven't had a printer at home in some time.

Recommendations appreciated.

I have an old Brother laser jet that I really like.

[Ken]

If you don't need color, get a cheap laser printer from Brother or HP. We have a Brother multi-function laser printer which I use as much for scanning and copying as I do for printing.

If you need color then inkjet unless you are willing to spend a couple hundred for a big bulky color laser printer.

[Soloist]

Avoid HP printers. Brother is supposed to be good

[Ken]

Avoid HP printers. Brother is supposed to be good

Their laser printers are pretty bulletproof. I had one on my desk at school for decade. Simple and reliable. Printed thousands of pages with it. Most of the function of a laser printer is in the toner cartridge, not the rest of the machine.

I don't know about their ink jets.

[Neto]

For ink printers, I would suggest Epson. They have models that use ink refills in either bags or bottles.

I have my second Brother Laser (monochrome) printer in over 15 years. I also have an old HP laser printer that a local attorney gave me when he retired. It has a line down one side, but I only use it for working papers, not for fancy.

If you need accurate color blending, then ink jet is the best, although it runs if it gets wet.

I do not do wireless unless I have to - not at all here at home - strongly prefer wired connections.

[the-real-steve]

So has the Bluetooth ever been an issue on these things? My employer issued me a wireless headset and so far, no issues. Wary of technology, I guess.

[Ken]

So has the Bluetooth ever been an issue on these things? My employer issued me a wireless headset and so far, no issues. Wary of technology, I guess.

They are usually WiFi not Bluetooth.

The printer is on the same WiFi network as your computer and then it just shows up as a network printer. You don't have to do Bluetooth handshake or pairing or whatever.

Of course if you don't have home WiFi or internet then you'll need a printer cable connection or Bluetooth.

[the-real-steve]

So has the Bluetooth ever been an issue on these things? My employer issued me a wireless headset and so far, no issues. Wary of technology, I guess.

They are usually WiFi not Bluetooth.

The printer is on the same WiFi network as your computer and then it just shows up as a network printer. You don't have to do Bluetooth handshake or pairing or whatever.

Of course if you don't have home WiFi or internet then you'll need a printer cable connection or Bluetooth.

We have wifi at home. Should not be an issue.

[Ken]

So has the Bluetooth ever been an issue on these things? My employer issued me a wireless headset and so far, no issues. Wary of technology, I guess.

They are usually WiFi not Bluetooth.

The printer is on the same WiFi network as your computer and then it just shows up as a network printer. You don't have to do Bluetooth handshake or pairing or whatever.

Of course if you don't have home WiFi or internet then you'll need a printer cable connection or Bluetooth.

We have wifi at home. Should not be an issue.

Typically you just enter your WiFi password in the settings screen on the printer and then you can print to it from any device that is on the same WiFi network. You may have to install the right printer app if you want to print from your phone or tablet. HP, Brother, Epson, etc. have print apps that you install to your phone that are basically print drivers for their printers. But the generic print drivers that come with Windows and Mac machines should be able to find and print to it.

Bluetooth printing is more common if you have some little portable printer that you take around with you to print someplace in the field where you don't have a WiFi network to use. For example, my daughter has a little Bluetooth photo printer which works off battery that she can take around and make prints with. It basically turns her phone into a Polaroid camera where she can make prints anywhere.