A family printer needs to earn its place. Homework, school projects, crafts, photos, forms, and the occasional last-minute print job all put different demands on a single machine. Buy the wrong one and you'll be wrestling with paper jams, faded prints, and expensive cartridges before the year is out.
This guide covers what to look for in a family printer and recommends the best options currently available in the UK — with running costs, ease of use, and real family life in mind.
What Makes a Good Family Printer?
Before getting into specific models, it helps to know what actually matters for family use. Here's what to prioritise:
- Reliable wireless printing — so every device in the house can connect without fiddling with cables
- Low running costs — ink is where printers make their money back, so choose wisely
- All-in-one functionality — scanning and copying are genuinely useful for school letters, forms, and children's artwork
- Simple controls — a clear display and straightforward app make a real difference when multiple family members are using it
- Colour printing quality — families print far more colour than businesses do, so this matters more than print speed
Inkjet or Laser — Which Is Better for Families?
For most families, an inkjet printer is the right choice. Inkjets handle colour brilliantly, work well with photos and creative projects, cope with a wide range of paper types, and are generally more affordable upfront than laser alternatives.
Laser printers are faster and better for high-volume black and white printing, but they're pricier, bulkier, and less suited to the varied printing needs of a typical household. Unless someone works from home and prints a lot of documents, a laser printer is usually overkill.
The Best Family Printers Available in the UK Right Now
1. Canon PIXMA TS3750i — Best Budget Family Printer
The Canon PIXMA TS3750i is one of the UK's bestselling home printers and it's easy to see why. It prints, scans, and copies, connects wirelessly via the Canon PRINT app, and produces solid colour output for everyday family use — homework, worksheets, craft projects, and the occasional photo. Setup is quick and the controls are simple enough for children to use independently.
Running costs are very manageable with genuine Canon 575 and 576 ink cartridges, which are competitively priced and widely available.
👉 Best for: families who want a reliable, no-fuss everyday printer at a sensible price. View on Amazon
2. Canon PIXMA TR4755i — Best for Busier Households
A step up from the TS3750i, the Canon PIXMA TR4755i adds an automatic document feeder — meaning you can scan or copy multi-page documents without feeding them in one at a time. That's a genuinely useful upgrade for families dealing with school letters, insurance forms, or anything that runs to more than one page. Print and photo quality are both excellent, and wireless connectivity is straightforward throughout.
It uses the same Canon 575 and 576 ink cartridges as the TS3750i, so if you ever upgrade between the two models your ink knowledge carries over.
👉 Best for: families who scan and copy regularly as well as print. View on Amazon
3. HP DeskJet 2910 — Best Entry-Level HP for Families
The HP DeskJet 2910 is HP's reliable entry point for home users. It handles everyday colour printing, scanning, and copying without any fuss, connects wirelessly via the HP Smart app, and is compact enough to sit comfortably on a desk or shelf without dominating the room. It's quick to set up and straightforward for all ages to use.
Genuine HP 308 ink cartridges keep running costs under control and ensure the print quality stays consistent throughout the life of each cartridge.
👉 Best for: families who want a compact, dependable HP printer without spending much. View on Amazon
4. HP ENVY 6120e — Best for Photo Printing Families
If your family prints a lot of photos or higher-quality creative projects, the HP ENVY 6120e is worth the step up in price. It produces noticeably sharper, more vibrant colour output than budget inkjets, while still being a practical all-in-one for everyday scanning and copying. The HP Smart app is one of the better printer management tools available, giving clear ink level alerts and easy printing from phones and tablets.
It runs on genuine HP 308 ink cartridges — the same as the DeskJet 2910, which is handy if you're choosing between the two.
👉 Best for: families who print photos regularly and want better colour quality. View on Amazon
5. HP OfficeJet Pro 8122e — Best for Work-From-Home Families
When the printer needs to serve both school and a home office, the HP OfficeJet Pro 8122e pulls its weight. It's faster than standard home inkjets, handles higher print volumes without complaint, and produces sharp, professional-looking documents alongside solid colour and photo output. It also has an automatic document feeder and duplex printing — so it prints on both sides automatically, saving paper over time.
It uses HP 924 ink cartridges, which are designed for higher-volume printing and offer excellent value per page at that level of use.
👉 Best for: households where the printer is shared between school, work, and family use. View on Amazon
Running Costs — The Thing Most People Get Wrong
A printer's purchase price is almost irrelevant compared to what you'll spend on ink over its lifetime. This is where families get caught out most often.
The temptation is to buy compatible or remanufactured cartridges to save money. In practice, they frequently cause problems — blocked printheads, inaccurate colours, voided warranties, and printers that refuse to recognise the cartridge at all. For a family printer that needs to just work, that's not a trade-off worth making.
Genuine cartridges from HP and Canon are engineered specifically for each printer model. They cost a little more per cartridge but they're more reliable, produce better results, and last longer — which usually makes them better value over time.
At Crazy Kangaroo we stock genuine HP and Canon ink at competitive prices, with free UK delivery on every order.
Make the Most of Your Printer
Once you've got the right printer set up, the fun can start. A home printer is good for a lot more than homework and admin — you can print wall art, greeting cards, kids' activity sheets, recipe cards, party decorations, and more. If you're looking for ideas, we've put together a list of 15 genuinely useful things to print at home — well worth a read.
Don't Forget to Recycle Your Empty Cartridges
Family printers get through ink. When your HP or Canon cartridges run out, don't put them in the bin — recycle them for free with our Freepost recycling service. Print a free return label, pack your empty cartridges, and post them back to us. No fees, no fuss.
If you order your ink from us, we'll include a prepaid recycling bag with every HP and Canon order automatically — no label needed.
