For startups, a professional-looking business card can be the first step to a successful business venture. However, most card-printing companies only offer large runs – 500 to 1000s of cards – which can be too much for a self-starter just testing the waters. The easiest, most cost-effective alternative is to print your own cards at home, using a professional-quality printer. Nowadays, home printers are capable of achieving results that rival big print shops, meaning your clients won’t even be able to tell the difference. Home printing even gives you more flexibility, and the freedom to be creative; you can change your design whenever you like, try different sizes and formats, or even create small, trackable batches with special offers, links, QR codes and more. Here are our top five recommended best printers for business cards and flyers.
Product Comparison Table: Best Printer for Business Cards
Title | Price | Rating (Amazon) | Best in class | Buy | |
Canon Pixma iX6820 Wireless Printer | $$$ | 4.5 stars | Best Print Quality | Amazon | |
Epson SureColor P700 Printer | $$$$$ | 4.5 stars | Best Premium | Amazon | |
Canon Pixma Pro 200 Professional Printer | $ | 4.5 stars | Best for Heavy Stocks | Amazon | |
Canon Pixma Pro-100 Wireless Inkjet Printer | $ | 4.5 stars | Best Value | Amazon | |
HP OfficeJet Pro 905e All in One Printer | $$$$ | 4 stars | Best Overall | Amazon |
Canon Pixma iX6820 Wireless Printer
The Canon Pixma iX6820 Wireless printer can consistently produce super-high resolutions of up to 9600 x 2400dpi, the best on our list and more than enough for even the most detailed business card designs. In black alone it can achieve 600 x 600 dots per inch, and boasts a huge number of nozzles: 4,096 color and 1,024 black, or 5,120 in total. It also has a 5 ink tank system for increased color gamut. This printer holds around 150 13 x 19 inch papers, and can print up to A3 size; this is enough to produce hundreds of cards per print if you’re willing to cut them yourself. The speed (14ppm for mono and 10ppm for colour), is not the fastest, it can’t copy or scan either, and lacks auto-duplex capability. However, it’s impossible to argue with that image quality.
Pros
- Extremely high resolution for professional quality printing
- Supports A3, wide format printing
- 5 ink-tank system and increased nozzle count
Cons
- Can only print, no scanning or copying
- Not very fast printing speed
Verdict
The Canon Pixma iX6820 has the highest resolution and quality of any home printer we surveyed, making it perfect for art-based, detailed and colourful business card designs. It may not have an automatic duplex feature, but this is unlikely to be used when printing business cards anyway. If professional print quality is your priority (and you don’t mind waiting for it) this high-resolution printer is the perfect choice for you.
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Epson SureColor P700 Printer
The Epson SureColor P700 printer has exceptional print quality, with an extremely impressive max resolution of 5760 x 1440 dpi. It utilises a ten ink set, allowing it to create precise and detailed designs that are true to colour even at 3×5 inch size; the innovative UltraChrome PRO10 ink with Violet offers a wide color gamut, always looking true to the original. It also has a MicroPiezo 10-channel AMC printhead with Carbon Black Driver, advanced technology that ensures outstanding consistency and depth of smudge-free colour. Epson promises industry-leading print permanence, meaning your business cards will last up to 200 years! A huge 4.3 inch customizable touch screen also allows you to get creative directly through the printer itself. It prints on stock up to 325gsm.
Pros
- Handles heavy stocks
- Outstanding print quality for professional finish
- Fast print speed
Cons
- Expensive
- Very heavy and bulky
Verdict
The Epson SureColor P700 offers a huge plethora of cutting-edge print technologies, producing the highest quality results out of any printer we reviewed. Using this printer means never having to worry about unreadable cards, inaccurate colours or smudged ink. However, the machine is incredibly heavy at 38 pounds, and costs quite a lot compared to others on this list.
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Canon Pixma Pro 200 Professional Printer
The Canon Pixma Pro-200 Wireless Professional Colour Printer has a good resolution of 4800 x 2400dpi, allowing you to print even small text and maintain legibility. It can also produce a huge volume of prints in a very short time, churning out a borderless A3 print every 90 seconds. The 8-colour dye-based cartridge set also promises rich professional, vibrant prints even at this speed. A 3-inch LCD display allows you to interface directly with the printer, but if you’d rather handle prints externally you can also print wirelessly from a smartphone, or from a laptop via an Ethernet connection. The most significant feature of this machine is its paper handling: the Pro-200 can handle stocks up to 380gsm.
Pros
- High quality prints
- Handles up to 380gsm cardstock
- Prints very fast
Cons
- Top feeder struggles with heavier stocks
- Some incompatibility with Macs
Verdict
The Canon Pixma Pro 200 Professional Wireless is the best printer on this list for handling heavyweight stocks. 380gsm is heavier than most business cards, meaning it will handle your printing needs with ease – if you decide to use thicker paper, this could really help your cards stand out. The major downsides are some difficulty with handling heavy stocks in the top feeder – we recommend using the bottom one – and difficulties connecting on Mac computers.
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Canon Pixma Pro-100 Wireless Inkjet Printer
The Canon Pixma Pro-100 is the model just before the Pro-200, meaning it offers a lot of the same features, for a cheaper price. It also has an LCD screen, and has a similar speed. It comes with two input trays that handle all formats of business cards; it can print on media sheets as thick as 350gsm, and at sizes as small as 4 x 6 inches. The print quality is high with a resolution of 4800 x 2400 dpi and an eight dye-based ink set including 3 grayscale tones. This means prints are always clear and not distorted, even at very small sizes. It connects wirelessly too, allowing printing from a computer or smartphone via WiFi.
Pros
- High resolution for quality prints
- Handles stock up to 350gsm
- Fast printing speed
- Compatible with 4 x 6 inch cards
Cons
- Can only print, no scanning or copying
- Not very fast printing speed
Verdict
The Canon Pixma Pro-100 is perfect for businesses on a budget. By opting for the earlier model, you can still enjoy a lot of the features of the more expensive Pro-200, just at a lower cost. The print quality is high, and it handles up to 350gsm. It does also share some problems with the Pro-200, however, struggling with heavy stocks through the top feeder.
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HP OfficeJet Pro 905e All in One Printer
The HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e Wireless All in One doesn’t just print, but scans and copies too. It promises professional quality, however at a standard 4800 x 1200 dpi, this is not its major selling point (although this is more than enough to handle small texts and detailed designs). The most important feature of the HP Officejet is its ability to print on custom paper sizes, all the way down to 3×5 inches. It cannot handle cardstock heavier than 200gsm, however. Despite this, the auto-duplex feature means you can print on both sides of even the smallest cards to maximise the usable space. Upgraded features means up to 2x faster scan speeds, copy and fax (24ppm black, or 20ppm in colour). It also has dual band self-healing Wifi connection, allowing you to print wirelessly from your laptop or phone.
Pros
- Multifunctional (copies, prints and scans)
- Auto duplex feature
- High resolution for quality prints
- Can print small scale cards at 3×5 inches
Cons
- Can’t handle weights over 200gsm
Verdict
The HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e Wireless All in One Printer’s scanning, printing and copying ability allows you to upload and edit your cards, as well as reproducing them with ease. The quality is more than enough for business cards, and the small print size is a lifesaver for those without access to a cutting machine. The low gsm compatibility could be irritating if you prefer heavier stocks, but this won’t affect most users. This is our best overall printer for business cards in 2022.