I extensively tested the best ink tank printers - perfect for lowering long-term running costs using bottled ink and refillable tanks.
In my experience, the Epson EcoTank ET-8550 is the best ink tank printer overall. I found it quick, offering vivid print quality, and I like the support for wide-format printing, giving it real versatility in the home or office. For a budget alternative, I recommend the Canon Pixma G3270 MegaTank.
Alongside ink tank models from the likes of Epson and HP, I've reviewed the best printers, including the best inkjet printers and the best laser printers, which may be the better choice depending on the type of print jobs you're running. What I'm looking for in all my printer reviews is good print speeds, outstanding quality for documents and images, and low running costs, which is where the best ink tank printers excel.
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The quick list
Best ink tank printer overall
Earning a well-deserved Editor’s Choice award, the Epson EcoTank ET-8550 impresses with quick print speeds, vivid results, and quiet operation. It also supports up to A3 paper sizes.
Best budget ink tank printer
A neat and cheap ink tank printer for the home, the Canon Pixma G3270 isn’t the fastest or most feature-rich, but prints are clear and consistent, and the price won’t break the bank.
Best all-in-one ink tank printer
Striking the right balance between price and features, the Epson EcoTank ET-4850 is our top all-in-one pick for most people - whether you need an ink tank printer for home use or in the home office.
Best home office ink tank printer
A reliable all-rounder, the Epson EcoTank ET-3850 is designed for home offices. It’s quiet, simple, with modest print speeds and good sheet capacity for higher-volume print-runs at home.
Best business ink tank printer
With a compact design tailored for every kind of office, the Canon Maxify GX7020 excels at mono and color text documents, while a high-capacity paper tray means it flies through high-volume print-jobs.
Best ink tank printer for small offices
Well-balanced for small businesses, the Canon Maxify GX4020 is a reliable MegaTank that’s efficient and cost-efficient while delivering good results printing text and mixed color documents.
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Best ink tank printer for photos
The A3+ Epson EcoTank ET-18100 is capable of producing incredibly detailed and vibrant photographs thanks to its six color dyes and offers support for wide-format photo printing.
Best wide-format ink tank printer
For everyday wide-format ink tank printing, the Epson EcoTank ET-14100 may not be super-fast, but the results are impressive particularly across photos and mixed color and mono text documents.
Best MegaTank
Packed with features, fast print speeds, and a fair-sized paper tray, the Canon Maxify GX6020 (GX6050) delivers good results for text and photos, sturdy in construction and quiet operation.
Best ink tank printer overall
Our top choice when it comes to the best ink tank printers, the Epson EcoTank ET-8550 is a premium refillable model that supports up to A3+ printing, with an impressive six ink tanks for higher quality photo printing. It’s an expensive machine, but comes packed with features including touchscreen controls, SD card and USB Host ports, and loads of ink included in the box.
We’ve hand-tested plenty of the best ink tank printers, and the ET-8550 may be one of the fastest inkjets yet - 32 ppm (mono) for an A4 print, although it took considerably longer for photo printing. However, it’s very quiet in use, so won’t cause disturbances in the home office or studio. Print quality is outstanding, with colors popping off the page, and even black-and-white images look more eye-catching.
It also performs most functions people are likely to need, including scanning, copying, and the ever-useful auto-duplex mode. Alongside this, the printer can enlarge photocopies from A4 to A3, can print on blank media, supports up to A3+ paper sizes, and via a rear tray, can print 2m banners. However, the 100-sheet paper capacity and lack of ADF means it won’t be for those running a lot of high-volume jobs (unless you want to keep refilling the paper tray).
Read our full Epson EcoTank ET-8550 review
Best budget ink tank printer for home use
If you just need the best budget ink tank printer for your home, the Canon Pixma G3270 (also known as the Canon Pixma G3570) is a modest little MegaTank for the masses.
It’s an entry-level all-in-one home ink tank printer, with print, scan, and copy functionality - all of which performed well in tests, although it’s not exceptional by any means. Both print speed (11ipm mono) and paper capacity (100 sheets) is about standard for ink tank printing at home. However, we would’ve liked to see auto-duplex mode for quick double-sided printing. Test pages we printed during our review process showed bright, colorful, consistent color prints that didn’t smudge under the finger.
It’s not ideal for professional photo printing - we found the resolution was fine, but the colors were lacking vividity - but will be more than suitable for printing snaps at home. It also lacks some of key extra features, like a touchscreen or ADF. For a cheap home ink tank printer, there are a fair amount of trade-offs here, but at least the Pixma G3270 won't break the bank.
Read our full Canon Pixma G3270 / G3570 review
Best all-in-one ink tank printer
The Epson EcoTank ET-4850 is our pick for best all-in-one ink tank printer. Featuring print, scan, copy, and fax functionality, for us this printer strikes the right balance of price and features for the home office.
Print speeds are fairly good at 15ppm in mono, with our test document print-outs showing great color and detail across for text, photos, and images. Paper capacity is 250 sheets and 30 sheets in the ADF. This makes it ideal for home offices or micro-businesses, but won’t withstand the heavy day-to-day use of a large office. The printer supports up to A4 paper size and 300 g/m² in weight.
A generous five ink bottles are included in the box, and Epson estimates that should yield up to 14,000 black and white pages and 5,200 color pages. What we liked most about this printer design is that through clear windows to the right, you can see how much ink you have left in each cartridge.
Overall performance was very good, printing was relatively quickly for an inkjet model - and even includes a best quality mode. However, we found this mode slow, softening previously sharp images, so we’d recommend sticking to the default mode. Speaking of slow speeds, we also felt the scanning wasn’t exactly fast either, nor can the ADF handle auto-double-sided printing. Where the EcoTank ET-4850 excels is in pumping out monochrome text and mixed color documents.
Read our full Epson EcoTank ET-4850 review
Best ink tank printer for the home office
The Epson EcoTank ET-3850 is specifically geared towards the home office - and in our tests, it certainly proved its merit.
In our own tests, we found the ET-3850 wasn’t the fastest, nor the slowest, but a reliable performer, pumping out pages at around 15ppm (mono). Shift to auto-duplex mode and speeds slow down to 6ppm. However, throughout operation, printing was quiet and smooth, ideal for working in shared spaces. In both color and monochrome print-outs, results were good, with photos on glossy paper bright and text satisfyingly bold and dark. Elsewhere, scans came out accurate, and the ADF will be useful for anyone printing a lot of documents at home.
It’s not perfect, of course. We felt the build quality was slightly flimsy, and it’s missing duplex scanning, USB Host port, and a touchscreen. But most home office users will likely not miss these - especially when using the excellent companion app.
Read our full Epson EcoTank ET-3850 review
Best ink tank printer for business
A good business ink tank printer needs to be well-constructed, built for day-to-day wear, with fast speeds and sheet capacity for printing at high-volume. Usually, that demands a laser printer. But the Canon Maxify GX7020 (known as the Canon Maxify GX7050 in the UK) is a very capable refillable ink tank alternative.
For full business potential this Canon MegaTank all-in-one lets you print, scan, copy, and fax. It features monochrome print speeds of 24ipm, with a 500-sheet paper capacity and a 100-sheet ADF. In use, performance was perfect, with no issues setting up and using the many features on offer.
In our tests, the GX7020 was best at printing and copying monochrome and color text documents - results here showed crisp, dark, consistent characters on the page. Glossy paper photographs, however, felt flat, grainy, the colors not popping off the paper. Overall This fits with the overall business purpose of this ink tank printer - sleek enough to fit into the home office or headquarter, the Canon Maxify GX7020/GX7050 is ideal for mixed text/image documents and presentations, but we wouldn’t recommend it for brochures and photograph printing.
Read our full Canon Maxify GX7020 / GX7050 review
Best ink tank printer for small offices
Known as the Canon Maxify GX4020, GX4050, or GX4060, depending on your territory, this compact MegaTank printer is one of the best ink tank printers for small offices who need reliability, good performance, and cost-efficiency. Rounding out the small-business potential, the Canon’s ink tank printer features print, scan, copy, and fax.
During our own tests, the GX4020 showed a FPOT (first print out time) of approximately nine seconds (mono or color), which is very prompt. However, at 18ppm (mono), overall print speeds aren’t super-quick, and the 250-sheet paper capacity means it won’t suit larger workplaces. But it’s fast enough and big enough to tackle print jobs in small offices where employees won’t be queuing to print multiple pages.
It prints text documents well, with on-page characters coming across sharp and dark - although not as rich as you’d get from a laser printer. While photos printed on glossy paper were lacking, the printer excelled at mixed color documents, with maps in particular highlighting the brightness, detail, vibrancy the Canon Maxify GX4020 can deliver.
For a cheaper alternative, see our Epson EcoTank ET-2850 review - it's a good budget business ink tank printer.
Read our full Canon Maxify GX4020 review
Best ink tank printer for photos
There’s a lot to like about the Epson EcoTank ET-18100 A3+ photo printer, which features an impressive six color dyes for greater coverage and accuracy.
Inkjets are always ideal for photographs, making colors vibrant and eye-catching. If you print a lot of detailed images, then a photo ink tank printer is a must to save on ink costs. What separates the ET-18100 from many EcoTank or photo printers is the ability to print on A3+ paper sizes. For photographers and designers, you should also be able to calibrate the ET-18100, syncing it with the controlled color metrics of your computer displays.
It’s not the fastest ink tank printer we’ve tried, but it’s easily fast enough for limited photography runs, generating color proofs, and so on. During our tests, printing a full-page graphic on A4 took just 75 seconds, while a high-quality A3 graphic on glossy paper was timed at around 165 seconds.
So far, the Epson EcoTank ET-18100 is only available in Europe and the Middle East. That’s a shame, as we’d like to see this come to the US. It is an expensive bit of kit, too. For an affordable ink tank alternative with global availability, see our Canon Pixma G620 / G650 review.
Read our full Epson EcoTank ET-18100 review
Best wide-format ink tank printer
The Epson EcoTank ET-14100 is a wide-format ink tank printer that’s priced more affordably than the likes of the ET-18100 photo printer. Making a lot of A3 print-outs is a quick way to blaze through all your ink, so with the cheaper, high-yield ink bottles, an ink tank printer like the ET-14100 is a good option.
With a 15ppm print speed, it’s not an especially quick machine, and in our tests, these speeds drop to 8ppm when printing photos on glossy paper. However, the wait is worth it, with excellent image quality. It’s not the brightest, but details are stellar. For text, we found blacks were acceptable, but had a habit of soaking into the paper, leaving softer edges than we’d like.
You won’t find a touchscreen on this unit, but in our experience, this didn’t make it any harder to operate the printer. Meanwhile, the 100-sheet capacity makes this more suitable to homes and home offices rather than bigger businesses making wide-format A3 prints.
In short, the Epson EcoTank ET-14100 is fine for monochrome printing, but excels at color documents and photographs - exactly what you’d want from a wide-format ink tank printer.
Read our full Epson EcoTank ET-14100 review
Best monochrome ink tank printer
The Canon Maxify GX6020 (known as the GX6050 outside the US) is an all-in-one ink tank printer boasting just about every feature you could ask for in a printer, with a speedy monochrome printing making it an attractive option for documents.
With a high 250-sheet capacity, alongside 100 sheets in the rear tray and 50 in the ADF, this is a good option for the home office or small business that demands detail, speed, durability. If it included fax capabilities, it might just be the best ink tank printer out there.
As it stands, the Maxify GX6020 is a three-in-one, letting you print, scan, and copy documents at a fair rate. In our own tests, we clocked the print speeds at 24ipm (mono) - not the fastest speeds for mono printing, but certainly not slow, and alongside the additional professional features, it's an excellent unit if this is what you need. And for those working in a shared space, you’ll be pleased to know it does so quietly, too, at just 49dB. Print quality is good, particularly for black-and-white documents. While photographs and images in our test documents were clean and vibrant, they could sometimes appear grainy even when printing at the highest quality.
Construction is excellent here, with the printer feeling sturdy, ready to handle plenty of higher-volume print-jobs, with all-round good performance for home office and small business users.
Read our full Canon Maxify GX6050 review
Best ink tank printers: Frequently asked questions
What are ink tank printers and how do they work?
Ink tank printers are a type of printer that utilizes a large ink reservoir or "ink tank" rather than traditional cartridges. These tanks are refilled with ink, allowing for a larger volume of ink to be used before needing to be replaced. Ink tank printers are known for their high print volume and low cost per page, making them a popular choice for businesses and individuals with high print needs.
How long do the ink tanks last in an ink tank printer?
The lifespan of an ink tank depends on the specific printer model and the volume of printing being done. On average, an ink tank can last anywhere from a few months to over a year before needing to be replaced. It's important to refer to the manufacturer's recommendations for ink tank lifespan and to monitor ink levels to ensure that the tanks are being replaced when necessary.
Which is better ink tank, inkjet, or laser?
Deciding between ink tank, inkjet, and laser really comes down to what you're printing. A good rule of thumb is this:
Inkjet printers are cheap, but the cartridges are expensive. They're good for documents and great for images.
Laser printers are expensive, but toners are cheap. They excel at crisp, detailed document printing, but typically aren't good for images.
Ink tank printers are mid-range in price, but ink refills are cheap.
Ink tank printers are the same as inkjet printers - the only difference is, they use refillable ink tanks instead of expensive ink cartridges. However, they have all the same benefits as inkjet printers, such as excellent color reproduction and photo printing.
Are ink tank printers more cost-effective than traditional cartridge printers?
In general, ink tank printers are more cost-effective than traditional cartridge printers due to their lower cost per page. Because the ink tanks can be refilled and have a larger volume than cartridges, users can save money on ink over time. It's important to consider the upfront cost of the printer, as well as the cost of ink and maintenance, to determine the overall cost-effectiveness of an ink tank printer
What are some things to consider when choosing an ink tank printer?
When choosing an ink tank printer, there are a few key factors to consider:
- Printing volume: Consider the volume of printing that you will be doing with the printer. Ink tank printers are ideal for high-volume printing, so a traditional cartridge printer may be a more cost-effective option if you have moderate or low print needs.
- Ink cost: Compare the cost of ink for different printer models to determine which one will be the most cost-effective in the long run.
- Connectivity: Consider the connectivity options important to you, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, or NFC.
- Additional features: Think about any additional features you may want in a printer, such as automatic duplexing (double-sided printing), scanning and copying capabilities, or the ability to print from a mobile device.
How to choose the best ink tank printers for you
Given you're already interested in finding out about the best ink tank printers, there's a good chance you already know of the significant economic (and environmental) benefits of owning an ink tank printer over the traditional cartridge models.
Usage
If you're on the lookout for a light, compact yet dependable printer that will sit in your home office for only a single user, your requirements will be drastically different to those needing a large and robust printer that will meet the needs of a team of ten in a small business. Because of their lower running costs, cheaper ink, and vibrant picture quality, ink tanks make some of best photo printers. For solo studio use, they can be ideal.
Print schedule
Get a rough idea as to how many pages you'll be printing per month, then factor in whether you'll be happy with black and white prints, or whether you'll also need color. Both factors will play a big part in the overall cost of your printer.
Print speed
You'll also want to consider how important print speed is to you - not all of these printers are the quickest to turn out a fresh page. Another consideration should be whether you need to print only A4, or will you be requiring A3 or even a variety of sizes? Lastly, consider how you'd like to connect to your printer from your device. If you're keen to avoid wires, prioritise those printers that offer cloud or Wi-Fi options.
Hardware & system
Another issue you may face is your laptop or computer - some printers will only work with Windows devices. In these circumstances, the best printers for Mac will be a better choice.
Brands
If you have a preferred manufacturer, our team has tested out the best Epson printers, the best Brother printers, and the best HP printers to help you find the right one for you.
How we test the best ink tank printers
Our expert team of reviewers have tested a massive range of printers, including the best sublimation printers, the best 3D printers and the best all-in-one printers. Whether it's inkjet, laser, or ink tank model, we take the same rigorous approach during our testing process.
In running the rule over the best ink tank printers, we've whittled our choice down to the ten printers we feel excel in critical areas.
Although ink tank printers are typically more expensive than cartridge-based printers, the long-term savings can be vast. So we've listed where printers come included with starter ink quantities and calculated which provides the best protection. Some, for example, provide enough ink to last up to two years before they need to be replaced.
Next up, we've looked at the design of each printer, noting size, weight, and any notable bulky features that need to be considered about where the printer will sit. We've tested printing speeds and whether color printing is included.
Lastly, we've listed where printers offer other features that might prove especially useful in a home office or business environment, including scanning, photocopying, and even faxing.
