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Coloring pages ask different things of a printer than documents do. Line art needs solid, sharp black lines, and if you color with markers or anything wet, the printed ink has to stay put. You also tend to print a lot of pages, so the cost of ink matters as much as the price on the box.
This guide compares five printers across two main types (refillable-tank inkjet and monochrome laser), explains the trade-offs between them, and covers the buying factors that really change how your pages look and what they cost to run.
Quick comparison
Comparison of the products recommended in this guide
Cartridge inkjets are cheap to buy but expensive to feed, and coloring pages use a lot of black ink. Refillable-tank inkjets cost more up front but make each page much cheaper, and they still print in color. A monochrome laser is usually the cheapest per page for black-and-white line art and prints dry.
If you mostly print outlines, a mono laser is hard to beat. If you also want color covers, certificates or photos, a tank printer covers more ground.
Check the black ink type
Pigment ink sits on the surface of the paper and generally holds up better when you color over it with water-based markers. Dye ink can feather or smear. Manufacturers list the ink type on the product page, so check it before you buy if you plan to use markers on top of printed lines.
Laser toner is fused to the page and typically isn't affected by markers at all.
Paper handling
Coloring pages often go on thicker paper so markers don't bleed through. Check the maximum paper weight the printer accepts and whether it feeds heavier stock from a rear tray, which usually handles thick sheets better than a front cassette.
Automatic two-sided printing is handy for books and packets, but only if you'll use it.
Maximum paper weight
Rear tray for thicker stock
Automatic two-sided printing
Wireless printing from a phone or tablet
Work out the real running cost
Divide the price of a replacement ink or toner set by its rated page yield to get a rough cost per page, and compare that between models. Yields are measured on standard test pages, so real-world numbers vary, but the comparison still shows which printers are cheap to run.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of printer is best for printing coloring pages?
For mostly black-and-white line art, a monochrome laser gives crisp lines at a low cost per page. For color as well, a refillable-tank inkjet keeps running costs down.
Can I print coloring pages on any printer?
Yes, any printer can print them. The differences are how sharp the lines look, how much each page costs, and whether the ink smears when you color over it.
Will markers smear the printed lines?
It depends on the ink. Laser toner and pigment inks usually hold up. Some dye inks can smear under water-based markers, so test one page before printing a whole book.
Do I need a color printer for coloring pages?
Not for the pages themselves, since you add the color. A color printer is only useful for covers, rewards or photos. You can also turn your own drawings into clean outlines first, which prints sharper than a photo of a sketch.
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