The Black Friday printer deals have started - and while I'm expecting plenty of discounts come November 29, you can already make some big savings right now.
My team and I have reviewed all the best home printers and the best small business printers, so I'm showcasing the biggest discounts I can find on the printers we love, whether you need an inkjet, laser, or ink tank for the home or office. Top of my list right now is the outstanding Epson EcoTank ET-2850 (available in the US here and the UK here). Low running costs and excellent print quality mark this out as a must-have for general printing jobs.
As always over the sales season, I'll be here rounding up all the top discounts and deals on printers throughout Black Friday and Cyber Monday. For more savings, head to our visit our Black Friday deals hub to save on all technology, and check out the best Black Friday 3D printer deals for more print needs.
Today's best deals on printers in the US
- Amazon: Save up to 53% on printers
- HP: Deals on home and business printers
- Canon: Save on printers, ink, and toners
- Best Buy: Up to $220 off printers
- Adorama: Up to 56% off printers
- B&H Photo: Printers from $39
- Newegg: Printer deals up to 81% off
- Walmart: Printer sales from $39
Today's best deals on printers in the UK
- Amazon: Save up to 49%
- HP: Black Friday offers on printers
- Canon: Save on inkjet printers and ink
- Argos: Top printers from £29
- John Lewis: Home printers from £40
- Very: Up to £121 off
- Staples: Home & office printers from £50
- Box: Save over £300 on printers
Black Friday printer deals: Buying advice
Should I buy a Black Friday printer deal or wait for Cyber Monday?
In the same vein as "Is Black Friday a good time to buy a printer?", in my experience covering Black Friday and Cyber Monday events, prices don't tend to dip lower on Cyber Monday - they usually stay the same throughout the sales. The only real risk of waiting for Cyber Monday is stock levels running out. So, if you spot a printer you like at a price that's right any time over the shopping weekend, my advice is to buy it. Once the sales start, I'll be tracking all the best Cyber Monday printer deals on this page.
When do Black Friday printer deals start?
Black Friday Printer sales have already started in the US and in the UK. In fact, they started as soon as Halloween was over. But officially, Black Friday starts on November 29, with Cyber Monday coming on December 2.
Where will the best Black Friday printer deals be?
We don't have a crystal ball to answer that question but one thing is for sure, we will keep looking at all the major retailers to find out where the best printer deals are and perhaps most importantly, where there is stock.
What kind of printer should I buy on Black Friday?
There's no denying it: the printer market is complex. But happily, there are rules of thumb to follow if you want to plan what printer to buy on Black Friday.
Two kinds of printers dominate the market: inkjet and laser. Inkjet printers are ideal all-around options if you need to print documents, photos, and web pages from home. They produce good-quality prints in a small package, so they're ideal for homes and home offices. They are slower and more expensive to run than laser devices, however.
The best laser printers have the speed edge, so they're ideal for the workplace and great for churning through documents - but they're not great with photos, and they're larger and louder than inkjets. If you are primarily printing images, it's a good idea to opt for any of the best photo printers instead for finer levels of detail.
We're also seeing a lot of eco-tank variants coming to the market. These models let you re-fill your ink tanks, which could offer even more value for money in the long-term.
Once you've decided if you need an inkjet or laser device, it's time to consider the finer details. You'll have to consider whether you need a conventional device or the best all-in-one printer to handle scans and copies. Once that's done, you need to consider its speed and if you need wired or wireless connectivity alongside smartphone apps. If you want those improved connectivity features, it'll cost more, but you could also save cash if you're willing to compromise in those areas.
Consider a cheaper monochrome device if you want to churn out pages full of text. And also think about running costs - it's no good buying a cheap printer if you have to take out a loan every time you need more ink. There are more refillable devices these days, and they're great for reducing running costs and improving your environmental impact.
FInally, make sure the print speeds are up to scratch - remember, inkjets are slower than laser printers. Manufacturers and our expert reviewers always test print speeds. Always check a printer's estimated pages per minute (ppm) or images per minute (ipm). If speed is a serious factor, make sure you have a printed with wired connectivity, as even the best wireless printers struggle to match wired printing speeds.
There are a few key things to know before looking for Black Friday printer deals – and if you prepare properly, you'll be in a better position to save money.
The printer market doesn't have to seem daunting, though, and we're here to help point you in the right direction so you get the best value for your money.
1. Do your research
This is one of the most important bits of buying advice you'll ever hear: know what you want before you go shopping for it.
Take some time before Black Friday to examine what kind of printer you need, what you can afford, and where you could compromise on features and cost.
If you just needs to print documents or web pages, a cheap inkjet will serve you well and save you money. If you're running a business and need to print out hundreds of pages, then a laser printer is definitely the way to go. If you are going to be working from home and need a scanner, copier, and old-school fax, then all-in-one printers are perfect.
Once you know the type of printer you need, research your options around and above your price range – early sales and Black Friday deals could drop many of these into your budget.
When you find a handful of great printers that you'd be happy to own, monitor their prices and set up alerts so you'll be notified of immediate price drops – that way you won't get lost amid loads of other deals.
2. Stay patient
Once you've figured out what printer you'd like to buy it can always be tempting to make the purchase as soon as you see it on sale – especially because companies tend to start dropping prices a long way before Black Friday.
Don't grab your wallet as soon as you see a good deal, though. You may find your preferred printer at a reduced price in the middle of November, but Adobe's data shows that the best discounts are unveiled on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If you want until those days, you'll likely save even more cash.
3. Consider all the costs
When you buy a printer, your investment doesn't end there. You'll need ink or toner to print anything, and depending on the type of printer, you might even need special paper for photos, labels or other workloads.
Ink, cartridges and special kinds of paper will all add cost over the life of your printer, so do some maths and work out the running costs before you buy. After all, it's no good saving money on the initial purchase if you'll wipe out that cash in six months because the machine churns through ink surprisingly quickly.
4. Check in with TechRadar to find the best Black Friday printer deals
Trying to monitor millions of Black Friday deals is hard work, and you'd be hard-pressed to keep your eye on every deal around – so you may miss out on a brilliant price for the printer you'd love to buy.
We have an expert team of writers, editors, and reviewers dedicated to testing, reviewing, and rating the best printers for home and office, and which ones you should consider on Black Friday – so bookmark this page and you won't miss any key deals.
Black Friday printer deals: Glossary
When scouring printer deals this Black Friday, you're bound to come across a few acronyms. Here's what the most popular ones mean, so you can b4e sure you're getting the model that's right for you.
- ADF: Automatic document feeder
- All-in-one: Printer with scan, copy. and occasionally fax capabilities
- Auto-duplex: Automatic double-sided printing (and scanning)
- Ink tank: Printer type that uses refillable ink bottles
- Inkjet: Printer type that uses liquid ink cartridges
- IPM: Images per minute
- Laser: Printer type that uses toners and heat-transference
- PPM: Pages per minute
- Sheet capacity: Maximum number of pages to fill paper tray
