So which printers are good to get now? I have a brother printer that I got for $30 off Facebook marketplace, which I'll keep for now, but it'd be good to know which brands are safe should I need to get another one or make a recommendation to less technical people in my circle.
I'd prefer laser printers since they handle bursty workloads better (for example I had to print 100 resumes for a career fair after 6 months of nothing), since the ink can't dry out.
I got an old dell mfp 3115 from a business that was moving for about a hundred bucks. I've never replaced the toner since I got it almost a decade ago and still have a compatible replacements. I've printed hundreds and hundreds of pages. I'll probably use it for the rest of my life or until I can't get the drivers to work. If you have the space something like that is an option.
If it's really few months of not printing anything, would it be more economical to use one of those print services instead? You lose the convenience, but you also gain a bit of shelf space for not storing the printer and all related printing supplies.
My time in not going to those places to pick up a job is worth more than the cost of a printer. I use those places for large prints - so far once in my life - but it takes valuable time.
I'd prefer laser printers since they handle bursty workloads better (for example I had to print 100 resumes for a career fair after 6 months of nothing), since the ink can't dry out.