Best Inkjet Printers for Job Seekers and Resume Printing
Sharp, reliable inkjet printers for crisp resumes, cover letters, and interview documents, picked to avoid streaky ink on job-search day.
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Nothing undercuts a polished job application faster than a resume that comes out streaky or faded because a cheap printer’s ink cartridge was running low at the worst possible moment. Most job seekers only discover their printer is unreliable at the exact wrong time — the morning of a final-round interview, with no time left to run to a print shop. This guide covers five picks from about $60 to $250, chosen for crisp black text quality, low per-page ink costs for printing multiple drafts and cover letter versions, and reliable wireless printing from a phone or laptop the morning of an interview.
1. HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e — best all-around pick for crisp text
HP’s OfficeJet Pro line is built for document-heavy home office use, and the 9015e produces genuinely sharp black text that holds up well even on standard printer paper rather than requiring premium stock. It handles double-sided printing natively, which is useful for printing portfolios or longer application packets without manually flipping pages. HP’s Instant Ink subscription is also worth considering here, since it automatically ships replacement cartridges before you run out mid-job-search. Expect $130-$170.
2. Canon PIXMA TS3720 — best budget pick for occasional printing
For a job search that doesn’t require daily printing, the compact and inexpensive PIXMA TS3720 covers the basics of resumes, cover letters, and the occasional thank-you note without a big upfront investment. It’s not built for high-volume use, but for printing a handful of application packets a week it’s more than adequate. Its small footprint also makes it an easy fit on a cramped apartment desk without dedicating real workspace to a printer. Budget $60-$80.
3. Epson EcoTank ET-2850 — best for low per-page cost during a long search
A job search can stretch on for months, and refillable-ink EcoTank printers avoid the recurring cartridge costs that add up fast when you’re reprinting tailored resumes for every application. The upfront price is higher, but each included ink bottle set covers thousands of pages, making it the cheapest option per page over a longer search. It also scans and copies, which is handy for digitizing signed offer letters or reference documents without a separate device. Expect $200-$250.
4. Brother HL-L2350DW (laser) — best for the sharpest possible black text
While technically a laser printer rather than inkjet, it’s worth considering for text-only documents since toner produces noticeably crisper, smudge-proof black text than any inkjet can manage, and it never risks the streaking a low inkjet cartridge causes right before an interview. It doesn’t print color or photos, which is a real limitation for portfolio work but a non-issue for straight resume printing. Toner cartridges also sit unused far longer than ink without drying out, which matters if the printer only gets used sporadically during a search. Budget $110-$150.
5. HP ENVY 6455e — best compact pick with easy mobile printing
For a small apartment desk, the compact ENVY 6455e prints directly from a phone through HP’s app with minimal setup, which is genuinely convenient when finalizing a resume edit from a coffee shop and needing to print it at home before an interview later that day. It also handles light color printing for a polished portfolio page or cover letter header. The compact all-in-one design covers scanning too, useful for submitting signed documents through an online application portal. Expect $90-$120.
How to get the best price
- Check office supply store price-match and student/new-grad discount programs before buying, since resume printers are frequently discounted around graduation season.
- Factor in ink cost per page, not just the printer’s sticker price — a cheaper printer with expensive cartridges can cost more over a multi-month job search than a pricier refillable-ink model.
- Set a price-tracking alert during back-to-school and January “new year, new job” sales windows, both strong discount periods for home office printers.
- Buy a small ream of quality resume-weight paper alongside the printer — cheap copy paper is often the real reason a resume looks unpolished, not the printer itself.
- Compare bundle listings that pair a printer with a starter pack of extra ink or toner, since these frequently work out cheaper than buying the printer and a replacement cartridge separately later.
For a short, occasional job search, a budget inkjet like the PIXMA TS3720 is plenty; for a longer search with dozens of tailored applications, the upfront cost of an EcoTank or laser printer pays for itself in avoided cartridge replacements. Either way, print a test page before any interview-day deadline — a machine that’s sat unused for weeks is exactly when a clogged nozzle or dried-out cartridge tends to show up. Keep a backup plan too, whether that’s a local library or print shop, in case the home printer fails on the one morning it absolutely can’t.