Best Inkjet Printers for Sheet Music and Band Handouts

Music teachers and band directors print constantly — sheet music for a full ensemble, rehearsal handouts, concert programs — and the wrong printer turns that into an expensive, slow chore every week. This guide covers five inkjet printers between $70 and $280, chosen for crisp black-and-white text and line output that keeps musical notation legible, fast print speeds for running off a full class set at once, and low per-page ink costs for programs that print hundreds of pages a month.

Notation printing is mostly black text and fine lines rather than photos, so prioritize a printer’s document print speed and per-page cost over photo quality specs that don’t matter for this use case.

1. Epson EcoTank ET-2850 — best for low per-page cost on high-volume printing

Sheet music and handouts add up fast across a full band or choir roster, and the EcoTank’s refillable ink tanks bring the cost per page down dramatically compared to standard cartridge printers, which matters most for a program printing hundreds of pages monthly. Street price runs $230-$280.

• Why it’s a good buy: the lowest long-term cost per page of any printer here, which pays off fast at classroom volume
• Where to buy: Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart

2. HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e — best for fast, high-volume handout printing

The OfficeJet Pro’s fast print engine and automatic document feeder make it well-suited to running off a full class set of handouts or a concert program batch quickly between periods, without the wait of a slower consumer-grade printer. Street price runs $160-$200.

• Why it’s a good buy: a fast print engine and auto-feeder that speed up printing full class sets between periods
• Where to buy: Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart

3. Canon PIXMA TS3520 — best budget pick for occasional printing

For a smaller music program or a private instructor printing occasionally rather than constantly, the PIXMA TS3520 covers the basics of crisp text and line printing at one of the lowest upfront prices available. Street price runs $70-$90.

• Why it’s a good buy: the lowest upfront cost for a program that prints occasionally rather than in daily bulk
• Where to buy: Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart

4. Epson WorkForce WF-2960 — best for wide paper handling and program booklets

Concert programs and folded handouts benefit from a printer that handles a range of paper weights and sizes reliably, and the WorkForce WF-2960 manages heavier cardstock for program covers without the jamming issues cheaper printers run into. Street price runs $100-$130.

• Why it’s a good buy: reliable handling of heavier cardstock, useful for concert program covers and folded handouts
• Where to buy: Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart

5. Canon PIXMA G3270 MegaTank — best for color printing at volume

Some band and choir handouts benefit from color coding by part or section, and the PIXMA G3270’s refillable tank system keeps color printing affordable at volume in a way standard color cartridges can’t match. Street price runs $180-$220.

• Why it’s a good buy: affordable color printing at volume, useful for color-coded parts and section handouts
• Where to buy: Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart

6. Brother HL-L2350DW — best for fast, low-cost black-and-white notation printing

For programs that print almost exclusively black-and-white sheet music and don’t need color at all, this Brother laser printer trades tank-based ink savings for even lower per-page toner costs and faster page-per-minute output on plain text and notation. Street price runs $110-$140.

• Why it’s a good buy: laser toner brings per-page black-and-white costs down further than any inkjet on this list
• Where to buy: Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart

How to get the best price

• Calculate cost per page before comparing sticker prices, since a cheaper cartridge printer can cost more than a pricier tank-based model within a single semester of heavy printing.
• Check for back-to-school printer sales in late summer, when major brands discount both tank and cartridge printers ahead of the school year.
• Ask about school or educator discount programs directly with manufacturers, since several printer brands offer discounts specifically for verified teachers and music programs.
• Buy ink or replacement tank bottles in multi-packs during sales, since per-bottle pricing usually drops meaningfully when bought in bulk rather than one at a time.

The takeaway: the Epson EcoTank ET-2850 is the strongest long-term investment for high-volume programs, the HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e is worth it for speed when printing full class sets, the Canon PIXMA TS3520 is the practical budget pick for occasional use, the Epson WorkForce WF-2960 handles program booklets and cardstock reliably, and the Canon PIXMA G3270 MegaTank is the best option for programs that need affordable color printing at volume.