Best Printers for Mac: Easy, Reliable Picks

The best printers for Mac are the Brother HL-L2460DW for fast, inexpensive black-and-white documents, the Epson EcoTank ET-3850 for low running costs and frequent color printing, and the Canon PIXMA TR8620a for home users who prioritize attractive photos and flexible media handling.

All three support Apple AirPrint, so a Mac, iPhone, or iPad can usually print without a manufacturer driver. The right choice depends less on the Mac model than on what you print, how often you print, and whether you can tolerate ink maintenance.

Quick picks by situation

Brother HL-L2460DW: best for most black-and-white Mac printing

The Brother HL-L2460DW is the sensible default if your Mac printing consists of text-heavy documents. It is a monochrome laser printer with automatic two-sided printing, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB connectivity, and AirPrint support. Its rated print speed is up to 36 pages per minute, although real-world speed drops when a job contains graphics, duplex pages, or several separate files.

Mac compatibility is straightforward. macOS can discover the printer through AirPrint, while Brother’s software provides additional configuration and firmware tools. Wireless setup is generally easier when the printer and Mac are connected to the same 2.4 GHz or compatible dual-band network. Ethernet is preferable if the printer will stay beside a router or office switch because it avoids wireless dropouts.

The main ownership advantage is that toner does not dry out during periods of inactivity. That makes this a better occasional-use choice than an inkjet. A high-yield replacement toner cartridge is rated for roughly 3,000 pages, and the separate drum unit usually lasts around 15,000 pages, depending on coverage and print habits. Toner and drum prices vary, but a realistic black-and-white operating cost is often about 3 to 5 cents per page when high-yield supplies are used.

Its limitations are equally clear: it cannot print color, and its grayscale images look functional rather than photographic. The output tray and paper handling are designed for normal office stock, not thick art paper or glossy photo media.

Epson EcoTank ET-3850: best for high-volume color documents

The Epson EcoTank ET-3850 is a refillable-ink all-in-one printer with AirPrint, Wi-Fi, a 250-sheet paper tray, automatic duplex printing, and a 30-sheet automatic document feeder. It prints, scans, and copies, making it useful for a home office that regularly handles forms or multi-page paperwork.

Its strongest feature is running cost. Epson includes enough bottled ink for a large number of pages—up to approximately 7,500 black pages and 6,000 color pages under the manufacturer’s stated conditions. Actual yield depends heavily on page coverage, image content, cleaning cycles, and how long the printer sits unused. Replacement bottles are inexpensive relative to cartridges, often bringing black text pages below 1 cent and mixed-color pages to roughly 1 to 3 cents.

That calculation needs context. Suppose a replacement black bottle costs $20 and produces 4,500 usable pages in your real workload. The ink portion is $20 ÷ 4,500, or about 0.44 cents per page. Add paper at roughly 1 cent per sheet and a modest allowance for maintenance, and the practical total is closer to 1.5 to 2 cents per black page. A cartridge printer may cost more per page even when its purchase price is lower.

Color document quality is good, especially for charts and illustrations, but it is not the best choice for professional-looking photographs. The small color display and relatively basic controls also make it less convenient than a laser all-in-one for a busy office. Most importantly, do not buy a tank printer solely for occasional use: unused inkjet nozzles can clog, and automatic cleaning consumes ink.

Canon PIXMA TR8620a: best for photos and mixed home use

The Canon PIXMA TR8620a is a compact color inkjet all-in-one aimed at home users. It supports AirPrint and Wi-Fi, has a 20-sheet automatic document feeder, automatic duplex printing, a 200-sheet combined paper capacity, and a five-ink system that includes both pigment black and dye-based color inks. It can print borderless photos up to 8.5 by 11 inches.

For photos, the extra black ink and Canon’s color tuning generally produce more nuanced results than a basic four-cartridge office printer. The rear feed is useful for glossy paper, envelopes, and heavier media that may not feed reliably from a standard cassette. Scanning and copying are convenient for occasional household tasks.

The trade-off is running cost. A page with substantial color coverage can consume several cartridges, and small cartridges are rarely economical for a household that prints hundreds of pages each month. A reasonable planning range is about 5 to 12 cents per mixed-color page, with photo costs varying considerably according to paper size, ink coverage, and the brand of photo paper.

This printer is most attractive when the monthly volume is modest but the output needs to look good. If you print only a few pages every month, run a small color nozzle check periodically rather than waiting for the first photo to reveal a clogged nozzle.

HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e: best for a small Mac office

The HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e is a color inkjet all-in-one with AirPrint, automatic duplex printing, a 250-sheet input tray, a 35-sheet automatic document feeder, and a rated speed of up to 18 pages per minute in color and 22 pages per minute in black. It is better suited to recurring office workloads than to occasional family snapshots.

It offers good document speed, sharp text, automatic two-sided scanning, and a more substantial control panel than many home printers. HP’s setup experience can include account registration and optional supply-management services. Those features may be useful for predictable office printing, but