Similar to all-in-one printers, single purpose printers feature the same offerings and options, such as automatic duplexing, USB ports, built-in card readers, and more, but focus on one main functionality: printing. It may seem incredibly obvious, but many printers today come with so many different functions – faxing, copying, scanning – that printing can be lost. Single purpose printers are great powerhouses for those who need good printing capabilities without a loss of design, functionality, or modernity.

Black and white printers

Monochrome laser printers dominate this category as the high-quality, high volume, cost-effective choice. If you aren’t concerned about printing color graphics or photos, the best printer you can get is a laser one. The text and document output far surpasses any inkjet, One great example is the Brother HL-2270DW: reliable, easy-to-use, wireless, only $100 (Amazon). Black and White printers are one of the single purpose printers.

Photo printers

If you are going to be printing a lot of colorful graphics, art pieces, or photos, a dedicated photo printer will be your best friend. Completely focused on color and precision, the best photo single purpose printers will be inkjet printers with multiple color cartridges for better color mixing and choices. Although several color laserjets have been manufactured and sold, the performance and finished print is still lacking when compared to an inkjet. There are many different types of inkjet photo printers available on the market currently that will satisfy amateurs and professional photographers and artists alike.

Receipt/Label printers

In a very niche segment of the printing industry, receipt and label printers are still major contenders. You can find thermal receipt printers at most stores, malls, and restaurants around the world. Also called “point of sale” receipt printers, they do not use inks but rather a heat method to apply images and text to paper. Label printers also require a special type of paper, usually with sticky backs to affix to mailers and other items.

3D printers

This is a fairly new category of single purpose printers, and can be argued to not be of single function at all. Some would say that 3D printers transcend the functions of a normal printer, and therefore should not be considered with conventional printers. However, the purpose of a 3D printer is to print a 3D object, more so than scanning or faxing (which they can’t do…yet). 3D printers generally use an extrusion method to “print” layers of plastic on top of one another to create the object.
Despite the vast range of printing abilities, all of the above single purpose printers. They all focus

on a certain type of printing, and produce great products whether it be a 3D replica, documents and reports, vivid pictures, or a basic receipt. You don’t have to lose out on great options just because your printer only prints – these are very basic options that can save you money but produce high-quality products at the same time.