$100 - $200 Printers

The Bottom Line: Kodak's ESP 5250 multifunction printer isn't marred by the errors of its predecessors, but it still needs improvement before it can keep up with the competition. Right now, its pleasing photo quality and satisfactory output speed don't justify the $170 price tag and lack of features.

Specs: Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 1200 dpi

The Bottom Line: The Brother MFC-990CW is a speedy, fully capable all-in-one device that earns our recommendation for an individual or a family that will make use of its touch screen and telephone/answering machine. Mechanical issues notwithstanding, this is the highest-scoring Brother printer we've tested to date.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 1200 x 2400 dpi, Cordless handset

The Bottom Line: The Brother MFC-490CW is an improvement over the more expensive MFC-5890CN, but that still doesn't excuse its drudging print speeds and mechanical issues under the hood. Instead of dealing with these headaches, we recommend you look toward the Canon Pixma MX330, which will give you consistent performance and a variety of extra features for the same price.

Specs: 1 year warranty

The Bottom Line: The Brother MFC-5890CN all-in-one is hands down the worst printer to take up space in our lab. From the irritating initial set up to the horrendous output quality and slow print speed, this device is the easiest way to flush $200 down the drain.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 1200 x 2400 dpi, None

The Bottom Line: The Canon Pixma MX860's auto-document feeder, large LCD screen, and quick print speeds are sure to increase your productivity, but it also includes plenty of software to nourish your creative interests. At $199, this multifunctional printer earns our recommendation.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 2400 x 4800 dpi

The Bottom Line: The Canon Pixma MP980 multifunction printer, copier, and scanner are a step up from its predecessor, but the print quality isn't up to standard and it doesn't perform as quickly as the competition. The HP Photosmart Premium Fax all-in-one is a less expensive alternative that adds value with a fax machine and faster, higher quality output.

Specs: Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 9600 x 4800 dpi

The Bottom Line: The Color LaserJet CP1215 is HP's entry-level printer built to serve small workgroups, but it suffers from frustratingly slow print speeds, a missing LCD screen, and other problems. Your $299 will go much further with the Dell 1320c, another color laser with faster print speeds for the same price.

Specs: Workgroup printer - Laser - Color, Legal (8.5 in x 14 in), Wired, 12 pages/min, 8 pages/min, PC, USB

The Bottom Line: The HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One printer makes it easy to increase productivity thanks to its streamlined user interface. The fax, copy, print, and scanning features boast helpful extras like double-sided printing, wireless connectivity, separate photo trays, and quick-access control panel buttons, all while maintaining lab-quality photos and a low cost to print. We highly recommend this printer to anyone who can benefit from its multifunctionality.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 4800 x 4800 dpi

The Bottom Line: Aside from a few design hang-ups and a slower than average output speed, the Lexmark X7675 Professional all-in-one printer is a cut above other multifunctional printers. Its excellent quality prints, easy-to-set-up wireless connectivity, and generous five-year warranty catapult it to the top of our list of favorites.

The Bottom Line: The Epson Artisan 800 produces impressive color prints, photos, and text documents, and it outpaces the competition in almost all of our speed tests. We're impressed by its performance, but hesitate to recommend this printer based on the poor build quality and error-prone software.

Specs: Fax, Copier, Printer, Scanner, Ink-jet, 4800 dpi