I have a Canon printer/scanner/copier. I use it occasionally.
Years ago, I had a Packard-Bell black and white only dot matrix printer. I figured out how to re-ink its ribbon using stamp pad ink and never bought a new ribbon cartridge for it in the ten years or so that I had it. I wish I could refill inkjet cartridges as easily.
Color laser, which prints double-side and scans, second one, as the first one got something fried and it wasn’t worth replacing.
Before that we had inkjets and went through cartridges like crazy because the jets were always clogged.
I probably print something about twice a week. And every year we scan a bunch of papers to send to our accountants for the Swiss and U.S. taxes.
Technically, I have 2, and both function.
I have an oooold HP Laserjet B&W one, which has a PIN to USB adapter, which is physically attached to my computer. We have a more modern HP Black and White Laserprinter for the household connected wirelessly. I very, very rarely use it, mostly printing out new dishes I want to cook, but no more than once or twice a month. However, my wife is working on her PhD, and teaches at her University and the local community college, so she often needs to print out papers or test copies of tests, so we probably print 30-40 sheets total a month.
I have an Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4640. It is wireless and supports Apple Airprint, or whatever it’s called, so I can print from the phone and ipad as well as the PC/Mac. I use it to scan documents, print documents for signing, and to print colouring pages for the kids. We used to replace the toner about once a year, now our use has tapered and we probably use about half as much.
I am a techie and love all my PC stuff but I have not had a printer for at least 5+ years.
It is rare I need to print anything out and when I do I can do it at work.
In 5+ years of not having a printer I would guess the times I wish I had one I can count on one hand. And even then it is only a minor inconvenience.
It’s one of those things we all think we need but you learn really fast you don’t. Want to test it? Unplug your printer and make yourself live without it for a few weeks. You can adjust pretty fast.
That said, my GF HATES reading things on a computer screen. Any lengthy thing she wants to read she prints. I tell her the forest is crying but when it comes to this she doesn’t care. She wants words on paper.
To each their own.
Oddly enough I could more easily go without a printer at work than at home. There are two big printers and 3 desktop printers on my floor. And most days there is nothing being printed. The bigger printers at work hum and it quite annoying. At least my printer at home turns off and is silent when it’s not being used.
A printer/scanner is a must when you’re self-employed like me, but lately the machine has been used much more by my daughter, whose classes take place on line quite a lot these days.
I inherited a very nice color laser wifi scanner everything when I got laid off at my last company. I keep it running, and it’s nice to have.
eta: also got a shit ton of toner for it
I voted I use it for personal use, but in reality, I now also use it for work since I’m working from home. Rarely used at all really, but when you need it, you need it (as the OP knows)
I have an inexpensive laser jet. It was about $90. I got sick and tired of the ink drying out constantly in ink jets. I think that was because I may only print something once a month. It was always a battle with the ink jet. The laser jet just works.
I bought a new printer earlier this year with the kids learning from home due to lockdown. Although i have needed to use a printer infrequently in recent years, I’ve never reached a point of not needing one at all.
I’ve owned six printers, over the years. Two of them are still working and in active use: one, a specialty printer that I use for my artwork (takes nine colors of ink), and the other a combination printer/scanner.
I currently have three Epson Printer/scanners. They all work and are photo quality as I print many photographs. I’m the guy who does the “photo with Santa” at the local thrift store and often end up printing 200 or so 4x6 prints. I make up a nice Christmas boarder with the year that’s printed along with the image.
I also print card labels as well as other stuff for my wife’s church circle.
I have a color inkjet printer we bought to print photographs. It hasn’t been used in years, and probably no longer works. But we also had this one:
Until about a month ago, when i got tired of shaking the toner box and still getting pale print. So i replaced the cartridge. I have a printout of my latest blood tests sitting on the kitchen table, ready to be filled.
I also like to print recipes. Oh, and I just ordered stuff from Staples, and they want me to print their release form and sign it if i don’t want to sign for the package when the delivery guy comes. So that’s sitting in the printer tray, waiting for me to sign it and tape it to the door.
Annoyingly, I can’t use it for work stuff due to security and rules. That’s sometimes been a nuisance since I’ve been working from home. But it’s not as big a deal as not being able to print my own stuff.
I voted “yes, personal use”.
I don’t have one anymore. Thankfully, my daughter has one I can use for the rare need.
I only went to the library (as close and cheap as jtur88 describes for me too) once during the pandemic and that was at a push.
Otherwise I have to rely on a printer that’s not playing ball, but does at least scan documents. The greatest benefit to office work becomes clear.
Yes, we own one. Epson printer/scanner. Wife uses for shipping labels. 2 kids in college so they use it fo classes. Many times its easier to print out questions than tab back and forth on a computer screen.
I use the scanner much more than I use the printer.
Same. I’ve never personally owned a printer. When I was a student, I’d occasionally use a roommate’s or my parent’s but that was a long time ago now. Now, the once or twice a year I need to print stuff (like tax forms), I use one at work.
Us, too. Specifically, we use the “small copier” function quite a bit.
We have an all-in-one and we use it weekly for sure, probably daily. We are homeschooling right now, and that absolutely requires a printer. And we use it, as mentioned, for recipes and forms and all sorts of things.
But I get really, really irritated when it’s assumed that a household has a printer. There have been a couple things my school (where I work) has sent out this year that just assumed printers. Most people got them done, but I am sure it was a huge bother: going to grandma’s, or work, or the library, for something stupid we could have done electronically with a little creativity.
Difficult for me to sort out work from home use in a lot of cases (farming’s like that, even my shopping lists are likely to be mixed); but certainly some of what I use the printer for is home use, so voted yes.