The best printer for an Android tablet depends on what you need on paper. The Brother HL-L2460DW is our pick for black-and-white documents; the Canon PIXMA TR8620a suits a home that also needs color and scanning. Choose the Epson EcoTank ET-3950 for regular color printing and larger scanning jobs, or the Canon SELPHY CP1500 specifically for small photo prints.
All four offer a documented Android printing route through Mopria. Start by checking the printing service and app availability on your exact tablet: a wireless printer still needs a compatible connection and an app that can send the file you want to print. Scanning is a separate capability.
Best printers for Android tablets at a glance
| Printer | Best fit | Android route | Scanning and main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brother HL-L2460DW | Text documents and automatic two-sided printing | Mopria or Brother Mobile Connect; 2.4/5 GHz Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct | Print only; no color output or scanner |
| Canon PIXMA TR8620a | Mixed documents, photos and occasional multipage scans | Mopria for printing; Canon PRINT for printing/scanning; 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi | Flatbed and 20-sheet Letter ADF; two-sided originals require manual handling |
| Epson EcoTank ET-3950 | Recurring color jobs and two-sided document scanning | Mopria or Epson Smart Panel; 2.4/5 GHz Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct | Flatbed and 30-sheet Letter/A4 ADF; ink tanks need monitoring and refilling |
| Canon SELPHY CP1500 | Dedicated postcard-size photo printing | Mopria or SELPHY Photo Layout; 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi | No scanner or Letter-size printing; matched ink-and-paper supplies |
The feeder capacities above refer to ordinary Letter-size originals, with A4 also supported on the Epson. Paper size and weight restrictions still apply. Choose by your actual print and scan workload before comparing the checkout price.
1. Brother HL-L2460DW: best for black-and-white documents
For reading packets, invoices and text-heavy PDFs, the HL-L2460DW is the most focused choice here. It combines a 250-sheet tray with automatic duplex printing, so a longer document does not demand constant paper loading or manual page flipping. Brother rates it at up to 36 pages per minute for single-sided output; that is a manufacturer rating, not a promised speed for every tablet, file or duplex job.
Mopria handles Android printing, while Brother Mobile Connect provides another mobile route. The printer supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi, Ethernet and Wi-Fi Direct. Ethernet can connect the printer to the same home network your tablet reaches wirelessly. See Brother’s specifications and its Mopria instructions.
- Why choose it: useful paper capacity, automatic two-sided output and several network connection options.
- Know before buying: it prints only in monochrome and has no scanner. Budget for toner and the separate replacement drum, not just the initial printer purchase.
Brother HL-L2460DW Monochrome Laser Printer - New, Printer Only
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2. Canon PIXMA TR8620a: best for mixed home printing
Choose the TR8620a when one machine needs to cover color documents, photographs, copies and scans. Its five individual ink tanks let you replace colors separately. The front cassette and rear feed each hold up to 100 sheets of plain paper, and automatic two-sided printing helps with longer documents. The 20-sheet Letter-size automatic document feeder is useful for occasional forms and paperwork.
Use Mopria to print from compatible Android apps, or Canon PRINT to print and receive scans. The feeder does not automatically scan both sides of an original: Canon lists manual two-sided scanning. That distinction matters if you regularly turn double-sided paperwork into PDFs. Canon’s product specifications describe the print and scan features.
Plan on a 2.4 GHz connection for the printer. Canon’s storefront contains conflicting dual-band wording, but its model-family manual explicitly excludes 5 GHz Wi-Fi. The TR8600-series setup restrictions are the safer guide when checking your router.
- Why choose it: one device covers everyday color printing, photos and small scanning batches.
- Know before buying: it uses PGI-280/CLI-281 cartridges, and frequent color printing means buying replacement ink. Compare that ongoing cost with the Epson if you expect substantial volume.
3. Epson EcoTank ET-3950: best for regular color printing and scanning
The ET-3950 earns its place when the tablet is a regular source of color worksheets, documents or other recurring jobs. It uses refillable tanks and Epson 502 bottles, has a 250-sheet paper tray and supports automatic two-sided printing. Compare the printer price plus the supplies you expect to use over your ownership period; a tank design alone does not guarantee the lowest total cost for a light user. See Epson’s ET-3950 specification sheet.
Epson Smart Panel supports mobile setup, printing and scanning, while the user guide also documents Mopria Print Service and Mopria Scan. Dual-band Wi-Fi, Ethernet and Wi-Fi Direct give it flexible network options. Check the current app requirements on your tablet before purchase; Mopria Scan currently requires Android 12 or later, even though ordinary printing has a different compatibility path.
Its ADF supports automatic duplex scanning and holds approximately 30 Letter/A4 sheets. The important exception is paper size: Legal and 8.5 × 13-inch originals are single-sided scanning only, and the Legal capacity is 10 sheets. Check that your chosen mobile app exposes the scan settings your job needs. These limits are in the ET-3950 user guide; the Android requirement is on Mopria’s scanning page.
- Why choose it: bottled ink, a substantial paper tray and automatic duplex scanning suit repeated home-office work.
- Know before buying: included ink partly fills the ink system during setup. Actual yields vary, and maintenance uses ink; do not treat an advertised number of years of ink as a guarantee for your workload.
4. Canon SELPHY CP1500: best for small photo prints
The SELPHY CP1500 is a specialist choice for someone whose Android tablet holds photographs they want to put in albums or give away. Its dye-sublimation system supports postcard-size prints, including the familiar 4 × 6-inch format. It does not replace a Letter-size document printer and has no scanner.
Canon documents printing through Mopria after setting up Wi-Fi and enabling the service. SELPHY Photo Layout is another supported app for photo layouts. The wireless connection uses 2.4 GHz; choose compatible paper and ink cassettes for the intended print size. Read Canon’s Android printing steps and CP1500 specifications.
- Why choose it: a compact photo-focused format with a documented Android printing route.
- Know before buying: consumables are matched ink-and-paper sets, and the optional battery is sold separately. The linked black printer-only variant is not an extra-paper or battery bundle.
How to choose a printer that works with your tablet
Check the Android printing route first
Open your tablet’s settings and look for Printing or Default Print Service; the menu name varies by device. If the built-in service does not offer what you need, check Mopria Print Service or the printer maker’s current app on that tablet. An app’s availability and supported Android versions can change, so an old compatibility statement on a retailer page is not enough.
Match the connection to your home
For normal network printing, the tablet and printer must be on the same reachable local network. A printer connected to the router by Ethernet can still serve a tablet on Wi-Fi. If a guest network prevents devices from discovering one another, use the appropriate main network or a supported direct connection. Mopria does not directly support USB/USB-OTG, Bluetooth or cellular-only printing. Its Android printing guide explains those limits.
Compare the job and the supplies
Count roughly how many pages you print and how often color matters. Compare replacement toner and drum costs for the Brother, cartridge costs for the Canon inkjet, bottle costs for the Epson and ink-and-paper pack costs for the SELPHY. Use the correct regional supplies and compare stated yields under the same assumptions. Include photo paper and any optional battery you actually need.
If scanning matters, decide whether you need a flatbed, a document feeder or automatic handling of both sides. A printer’s duplex printing feature says nothing by itself about duplex scanning. For this shortlist, the Epson is the stronger fit for regular two-sided Letter/A4 scanning; the Canon TR8620a suits smaller jobs that can tolerate manual page handling.
Frequently asked questions
Can I print from an Android tablet without a computer?
Yes. These four printers have documented Android printing routes. Use a compatible print service or manufacturer app, with the printer and tablet on the same local network or a supported direct wireless connection. The file must also be accessible to an app that can print it.
Do I need the printer manufacturer’s app?
Not always for printing. Android’s Default Print Service or Mopria can handle compatible printers. The manufacturer’s app may help with setup, scanning or model-specific options. Check that the current app installs on your exact tablet before buying.
Can these printers scan to an Android tablet?
The Canon TR8620a supports scanning to Canon PRINT, and the Epson ET-3950 supports mobile scanning through Epson Smart Panel; its guide also documents Mopria Scan. Mopria Scan currently requires Android 12 or later. The Brother HL-L2460DW and SELPHY CP1500 have no scanner.
Can I print without home Wi-Fi or internet access?
A supported direct wireless connection can avoid the home router. For example, the Brother and Epson list Wi-Fi Direct, and Canon documents direct wireless options for these models. Download your files and needed apps first: connecting directly to a printer can interrupt the tablet’s normal Wi-Fi internet connection, and online services still need internet access.
Which printer should I choose for documents and photos?
Start with the Canon TR8620a for mixed home printing and scanning, or compare the Epson ET-3950 if you expect regular color volume. Pick the Brother for monochrome documents. Choose the SELPHY when small photo prints are the goal; it cannot print ordinary Letter-size documents.
