Best Printer for Printing Invoices: 6 Options Ranked by Cost Per Page and Speed
Picture this: it's Friday afternoon, you're racing to send out invoices before the weekend, and your printer starts making that grinding noise — the one that means another $40 cartridge just died on you. Sound familiar? Invoice printing is the kind of recurring cost that sneaks up on small businesses. You budget for software, for your website, for client lunches — but a $3 cost-per-page printer has a way of quietly eating margins you didn't even know you had.
The good news? There's a whole class of printers designed specifically to bring that cost down. This guide ranks 6 printers that genuinely make sense for invoice duty — we looked at cost per page, print speed, paper handling, and the features that matter when you're churning out 20, 50, or 200 documents a month. By the end, you'll know exactly which one fits your volume and your budget.
{{HERO_IMAGE}}Why Invoice Printing Deserves Its Own Buying Guide
Most printer reviews focus on photo quality, scanner resolution, or all-in-one versatility. That's great if you're buying for a design studio, but invoice printing has its own logic. You need sharp black text, reliable paper feed, rock-bottom cost per page, and ideally a machine that won't sulk if you leave it idle for a week between big batches. Consumer-grade inkjet cartridges dry out. Entry-level laser machines overheat on long jobs. So the question isn't "what's the best printer overall?" — it's what's the best printer for printing invoices in your specific workflow?
The numbers matter here. At 100 invoices a month, even a 2-cent difference per page adds up to $24 a year — not catastrophic. But scale that to 500 invoices a month across a small team, and you're looking at $120–$240 annually in ink or toner alone. Over a three-year printer lifespan, that's $360–$720 in consumables. Choosing the right machine from the start is a genuine operational decision, not just a hardware preference.
How We Ranked These Printers (The Criteria That Actually Matter)
We didn't just pick popular models. Here's what drove every ranking decision:
- Cost per page (CPP) — The single most important metric for invoice printing. We calculated black text CPP using manufacturer yield figures and street-price ink or toner costs. Any CPP under 3 cents scored well; under 1 cent earned top marks.
- Print speed — Measured in pages per minute (ppm) for black text. 20+ ppm covers most small business needs without overkill.
- Paper handling — Minimum 150-sheet tray capacity, reliable duplexing, and no jam-prone feed mechanisms.
- Connectivity — Wi-Fi and Ethernet for shared office use; USB as backup.
- Duty cycle realism — Manufacturers quote max monthly duty cycles, but we focused on what a sustainable monthly volume looks like without excess wear.
#1 – Canon MAXIFY GX2020: The Lowest Cost Per Page for High-Volume Invoicing
If you print 100+ invoices a month, stop reading and look at the Canon MAXIFY GX2020 in-depth review first. This ink tank printer delivers a black text CPP around 0.7 cents — that's less than one cent per page. For comparison, a standard HP DeskJet cartridge setup runs 5–8 cents per page. The difference at volume is stark.
The GX2020 sits at 24 ppm for black pages, which isn't the fastest on this list, but it's fast enough for daily batch invoicing without the printer becoming a bottleneck. The 250-sheet rear feed tray handles standard copy paper without complaint, and the ink tank system means you're refilling every 6,000 pages instead of swapping cartridges every 200. That matters when you're in the middle of a billing cycle and can't afford a mid-job cartridge death.
The catch? The GX2020 is a workhorse aesthetic printer — it's not compact, and the design is strictly functional. If desk real estate is precious or you want something that looks sleek in a client-facing area, look further down the list. But for pure invoice economics, this is the number we're most confident recommending to serious small businesses.
#2 – Brother HL-L3220CDW: Fast Color Laser for Professional-Looking Invoices
The Brother HL-L3220CDW color laser printer review reveals a machine built for exactly this kind of office churn. At 32 ppm, it's the fastest printer in this lineup — black text or color, the speed doesn't drop. That matters when you're running 50 invoices in a batch and the clock is ticking.
Color laser comes with a professional look that inkjet struggles to match on plain paper: crisp text, solid fills, and consistent output even on 24-lb stock. Toner doesn't smudge or feather the way some inkjet combinations can on standard copy paper, which is worth considering if your invoices travel in envelopes or get filed in binders.
Cost per page lands around 2.2 cents for black text — higher than the ink tank leaders, but reasonable for a color laser. The 250-sheet paper tray is standard, and the automatic duplexer is included at this price point, which saves paper on double-sided cover letters or internal cost reports you might run alongside invoices. For businesses where "professional appearance" and "fast turnaround" are non-negotiable, this Brother earns its spot at number two.
#3 – HP Smart Tank Plus 651: Ink Tank Simplicity at a Rock-Bottom CPP
The HP Smart Tank Plus 651 review is worth reading if you want a deeper dive, but the headline is simple: this is HP's answer to the EcoTank and MAXIFY crowd, and it holds its own. CPP for black text runs approximately 0.8 cents per page — nearly identical to the Canon, and built around a tank system that HP has refined over several generations.
What sets the Smart Tank Plus 651 apart is the ecosystem. If you already have HP printers or use HP 67/68 cartridges in other machines, HP's ink bottle system uses a different bottle format — but the refill experience is straightforward, with no squeeze bottles or messy conversions. The tank windows on the front are genuinely useful: you can see exactly when you're running low without opening the chassis.
Print speed is 12 ppm — slower than the laser competitors and the Canon. That's the trade-off. For under 100 invoices a month, 12 ppm is perfectly fine. For power users pushing 200+, you might feel the wait. The auto-duplexer is included, Wi-Fi Direct works reliably, and the overall footprint is more compact than the MAXIFY GX2020. If you want HP's brand reliability with near-identical running costs to the top pick, this is your machine.
#4 – Canon PIXMA TR7120: Solid All-Rounder for Home Office Invoicing
The Canon PIXMA TR7120 review covers this model in detail, but here's the short version: this isn't the cheapest printer to run on this list, and it's not trying to be. The PIXMA TR7120 is for the home office that needs versatility — scanning, copying, two-sided printing, and reliable Wi-Fi — without spending laser money.
CPP runs around 3.5 cents per page for black text, which puts it above the ink tank leaders but still well below standard cartridge inkjets that can hit 8–12 cents. The 100-sheet rear feed is a bit small for heavy invoicing loads, so if you're printing 50 invoices a day, you'll be refilling paper constantly. But for a freelancer who runs 10–20 invoices a week alongside other documents, the TR7120 handles everything without drama.
The 4-color FINE ink system produces sharp text on standard paper, and the auto-duplex feature works reliably — a feature that shouldn't be taken for granted at this price point. Connectivity is strong: Wi-Fi, AirPrint, Mopria, and a USB port for direct laptop connection. If you need a printer that does invoices and occasional contract printing or client proposals without complaint, this is a sensible middle ground.
#5 – HP DeskJet 2755e: Budget-Friendly Invoice Printer for Light Loads
Let's be direct: the HP DeskJet 2755e wireless printer review reveals a machine with real limitations for heavy invoice users. CPP runs 5–8 cents per page with standard cartridges. Paper capacity is just 60 sheets. And the print speed of 7 ppm is slow by any professional standard.
So why is it on this list? Because not everyone is printing 100 invoices a month. For a freelancer just starting out, or someone who sends fewer than 20 invoices a month, the DeskJet 2755e is inexpensive to buy (often under $80) and covers the basics without overcommitting your budget. HP's Instant Ink subscription can bring the CPP down if you print consistently, though the subscription economics need careful calculation for light volumes.
Skip this printer if you're scaling a business. But if you're in year one, watching every expense, and your invoice volume is genuinely low, this keeps you in the game without a major capital outlay. Just know that the long-term running costs will catch up — budget for a better machine once your pipeline justifies it.
#6 – Epson EcoTank ET-3950: Supertank Speed Meets High Capacity
The Epson EcoTank ET-3950 supertank printer review is one of our most-read printer reviews, and for good reason. The EcoTank line pioneered the supertank category, and the ET-3950 represents the mature middle-child of the lineup: better speed than entry models, lower price than flagship versions, and a CPP that hovers around 0.6 cents for black text.
At 15 ppm, the ET-3950 sits between the slow-but-cheap inkjets and the fast lasers. For invoice printing, that's perfectly adequate. The 250-sheet paper tray is generous, the automatic duplexer is built in, and the PrecisionCore printhead technology produces text that rivals laser on plain paper — a claim that couldn't be made reliably five years ago.
Epson's EcoTank refill system uses bottles with keyed filling stations, so you can't accidentally pour the wrong color in the wrong tank. It's a small quality-of-life detail that matters when you're refilling under time pressure. The ET-3950 also includes a 2.4-inch color display and SD card slot — unusual features for an invoice printer, but useful if you're printing from multiple sources or need to pull a document directly from a camera card.
Quick Comparison Table
| Printer | Type | Black CPP | Speed (ppm) | Paper Tray | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon MAXIFY GX2020 | Ink Tank | ~0.7¢ | 24 | 250 sheets | High-volume invoicing, lowest cost |
| Brother HL-L3220CDW | Color Laser | ~2.2¢ | 32 | 250 sheets | Fast, professional color invoices |
| HP Smart Tank Plus 651 | Ink Tank | ~0.8¢ | 12 | 100 sheets | HP ecosystem, balanced cost/value |
| Canon PIXMA TR7120 | Inkjet | ~3.5¢ | 15 | 100 sheets | Home office versatility |
| HP DeskJet 2755e | Inkjet | ~5–8¢ | 7 | 60 sheets | Startup/low-volume budgets only |
| Epson EcoTank ET-3950 | Supertank | ~0.6¢ | 15 | 250 sheets | Large-capacity supertank at mid price |
Which Invoice Printer Should You Buy?
Here's the honest framework: match your monthly volume to the right tier.
If you're printing 200+ invoices a month, the math almost forces you toward the Canon MAXIFY GX2020 or the Epson EcoTank ET-3950. The upfront cost is higher, but the CPP advantage pays back within months if you're currently running standard inkjet cartridges. Run the numbers on your current cost per page and you'll see what we mean — a lot of people are spending $200–$400 a year in ink they don't need to spend.
If you're printing 50–150 invoices a month, the Brother HL-L3220CDW or HP Smart Tank Plus 651 make more sense. You get the running cost savings of tank technology without the peak-volume features you won't fully use. The Brother wins on speed; the HP wins on simplicity and ecosystem familiarity.
If you're printing under 30 invoices a month, don't overspend. The Canon PIXMA TR7120 handles everything you need without overcommitting your budget. The DeskJet 2755e is acceptable if you're genuinely bootstrapped, but watch that CPP — it's a long-term cost trap that will prompt an upgrade eventually.
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{{FAQ_BLOCK}}Final Thoughts
Invoice printing is one of those recurring costs that rewards a one-time smart decision. The printers on this list aren't the flashiest or the most feature-rich — they're the ones that make financial sense when you're printing the same document format week after week. Calculate your actual monthly volume, check your current CPP, and pick the tier that matches. The right machine pays for itself within a year.
If you're ready to compare specific models side-by-side, browse our full printer category for reviews, specs, and real-world test data.