A compact printer is a desktop machine built around a small footprint, usually under 15 inches wide and under 10 inches deep, while still printing full letter or A4 pages. The smallest all-in-ones are roughly 12.9 inches wide, 5.8 inches tall and 8.7 pounds. If your desk is the constraint, this guide covers the best compact printers for small desks, measured and compared rather than guessed at.
The reason this topic needs real measurements is that printer depth is the number people check last and regret first. A machine can sit inside the quoted width and still swallow your workspace once the rear tray, the output slot and the paper path extend past the body. Desk depth, clearance above the unit and the room you need to pull a full-size sheet through the feed all matter more than the feature list on the box.
We went through ten of the smallest capable printers on the market, weighed every spec sheet, and lined them up against a typical small desk rather than a photo studio. The list covers the categories you actually need to choose between: compact colour inkjet all-in-ones, refillable-cost-friendly cartridge models, monochrome laser machines, a battery-powered unit that stores away entirely, and dedicated 4×6 photo printers. Last updated for 2026.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Picks for Small Desks in 2026
All 10 Compact Printers Side by Side in 2026
Every machine below is listed in the order we would put it on a short list for a cramped workspace. Dimensions are the manufacturer’s quoted body size, not the in-use footprint with the tray extended, and weight is the shipping-ready figure. Scan the width and depth columns first, then decide on features.
| Product | Specifications | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Brother DCP-L2640DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Laser |
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 Canon PIXMA TS6520 Wireless Color Inkjet All-in-One |
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| HP OfficeJet 250 Wireless Mobile All-in-One |
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| Canon PIXMA TS3720 Wireless All-in-One Inkjet |
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 Brother HL-L2460DW Wireless Monochrome Laser |
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 Brother HL-L2405W Wireless Monochrome Laser |
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 Canon PIXMA TS7720 Wireless All-in-One Inkjet |
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 Epson PictureMate PM-400 Wireless Photo Printer |
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 Liene M100 4×6 Dye Sublimation Photo Printer |
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 KODAK Dock Plus 4×6 Photo Printer |
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How We Measured and Picked
Selection started with published dimensions and weights rather than marketing language. We required full letter-size capability first, then sorted by body width, body depth and weight in that order, because width is what you notice walking up to the desk and depth is what actually decides whether the thing fits.
For running costs we read the cartridge yield figures and cross-checked them against the complaint patterns in review data and in printer community threads, where the recurring themes are ink dry-out from rare use, cartridges that cost more to run than the printer did to buy, and all-in-one units that are physically bigger than print-only models. Nothing here was measured in a lab; the honest disclosure is that our judgment comes from specifications plus patterns reported across thousands of owner reviews.
1. Brother DCP-L2640DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Laser All-in-One
Brother DCP-L2640DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Multi-Function Printer, Copy, Scan, Duplex, Mobile Printing
Laser
36 ppm black
50-page ADF
Auto duplex
15.7D x 16.1W x 12.5H
25 pounds
Pros
- Fast 36 ppm monochrome output with an 8.5-second first page
- 50-page automatic document feeder for multi-page scanning
- Automatic duplex cuts paper use in half
- Toner runs far cheaper per page than colour ink
- Built-in dual-band Wi-Fi plus Ethernet and USB
Cons
- Largest footprint in this group at 16.1 inches wide
- Wi-Fi setup can take repeated attempts
- Firmware password steps add friction at install
This is the machine we keep coming back to when desk space is tight but the workload is real. It prints at 36 pages per minute in black, the first page lands in 8.5 seconds, and the 50-page automatic document feeder handles a stack of paperwork without you flipping the lid ten times. Automatic duplex is included, which almost no compact inkjet in this body size can manage.
The catch is size. At 16.1 inches wide, 15.7 inches deep and 12.5 inches tall with a 25-pound body, this is not the smallest thing here. What it does is compress a full office workflow into a footprint most people would reserve for a printer anyway, and toner does not clog if you go three months without printing.
Owner reviews across nearly four thousand ratings are consistent about the strong points: speed, toner economics and long-term reliability. The recurring gripes sit in software rather than hardware, with Wi-Fi pairing and Brother’s firmware password routine drawing the sharpest criticism from people setting the machine up for the first time.
Scan-to-file from a PC reportedly hangs for some users and needs a restart, and the on-printer scan menu is awkward next to the mobile app. If you mostly scan to your phone, the app workflow is smooth. If you scan to a desktop folder every day, test that path early.
What it does well on a small desk
A flatbed-only design keeps the body low, and there is no touchscreen to add bulk to the front. Everything you need for documents lives behind one flat lid, which means the machine’s height comes from the paper path rather than a control panel.
Toner is the quiet winner for occasional use. Printers that sit idle in a spare room or a closet for months are the ones that dry out, and a laser drum simply does not have that failure mode. The 250-sheet tray also means fewer refills on a desk where restocking means leaving your seat.
Where it falls short
There is no colour output at all, so photos and colour charts are off the table. If a child needs school projects with colour, this will disappoint within a week.
Depth is the real constraint. Add clearance for the output tray and the paper path and you need roughly 20 inches of desk run for a body that measures 15.7 inches deep. On a 24-inch desk that leaves a workable strip; on a smaller surface, look at the print-only options further down.
2. Canon PIXMA TS6520 Wireless Compact Color Inkjet All-in-One
Canon PIXMA TS6520 Wireless Color Inkjet Printer, Duplex Printing, Copier/Scanner, 1.42″ OLED Display, Compact, White
Inkjet
Color
Automatic duplex
1.42 inch OLED
14.8D x 14W x 6.7H
15.4 pounds
Pros
- Compact 14 inch wide body for a full colour all-in-one
- Automatic two-sided printing at this size
- Stable dual-band Wi-Fi plus USB
- Small OLED shows ink levels and status
- Works with Canon PRINT app AirPrint and Mopria
Cons
- Single-sheet paper capacity is small
- Scan and copy resolution tops out at 600 dpi
- Two-cartridge system limits photo headroom
This is the colour all-in-one that respects a small desk. At 14 inches wide and 6.7 inches tall, it carries a flatbed scanner and automatic duplex printing, and instead of a touchscreen it uses a 1.42-inch monochrome OLED that shows ink levels and job status. That single decision saves several inches of front-panel bulk.
Speed is respectable rather than fast, at 14 pages per minute in black and 9 in colour, with a first page in about 7.5 seconds for black. Print resolution goes to 1200 x 1200 dpi in both colour and black and white, which is sharp for documents and travel photos but not a photo printer.
The hybrid ink setup pairs a pigment black tank with a dye colour tank. Text looks properly black rather than washed-out grey, and ordinary colour documents come out fine. Borderless printing works up to 8.5 by 11 inches if you want a full-page image without margins.
Across 1977 ratings averaging 4.2, about 70 percent are five-star, and the praise concentrates on the compact body paired with duplex. The complaints are consistent too: paper capacity of one sheet at a time for some media, and a scan resolution ceiling of 600 dpi that matters if you are archiving documents rather than just copying them.
What it does well on a small desk
Depth is the headline here. The 14-inch width is narrow for a colour all-in-one, and a 6.7-inch height leaves vertical room for a monitor riser or a stack of notebooks beside it. Colour and duplex in this footprint is a genuine saving.
For hybrid workers printing from a laptop and a phone, connectivity is solid. Dual-band Wi-Fi, USB, the Canon PRINT app, AirPrint and Mopria all work without fuss, and reviewers frequently mention stable connections after the first setup.
Where it falls short
Single-sheet capacity means you are feeding paper one piece at a time for anything outside plain letter. That is fine for a resume and frustrating for a batch of envelopes or a multi-page project.
The two-cartridge system produces good colour for documents and schoolwork, but if you want borderless photo prints regularly you will be buying colour ink constantly. And like most inkjets that sit idle, infrequent use is where clogs start, so run a weekly print job if you keep it around.
3. HP OfficeJet 250 Wireless Mobile All-in-One
HP OfficeJet 250 Wireless Mobile Printer, Scanner, Copier – Black, Battery Included (CZ992A)
Inkjet
Color
Battery included
Manual duplex
7.8D x 14.96W x 3.6H
6.5 pounds
Pros
- Collapses to a paperback-sized block that stores anywhere
- Battery included and recharges in about 90 minutes
- Prints scans and copies with no network connection
- 20 ppm black is fast for a portable inkjet
- HP Auto Wireless Connect for router-free setup
Cons
- Manual duplex printing only
- Portable scanner cannot handle a stack of originals
- Uses Original HP 62 series cartridges
This solves a problem the other nine machines cannot: no desk space at all. The OfficeJet 250 folds down to 3.6 inches tall, 7.8 inches deep and 6.5 pounds, which is roughly a hardback book with a paper tray folded into it. Slide it into a drawer, a shelf or a rucksack between uses.
The battery is included and charges in about 90 minutes while powered off. It prints, scans and copies without any network connection, which makes it genuinely useful on site, in a vehicle, or anywhere the router does not reach. Black output runs at 20 ppm and colour at 19 ppm, both fast for a portable inkjet.
At 4.3 stars across 3521 ratings with roughly 74 percent five-star, this has the strongest satisfaction profile in the group. Owners consistently describe the fold-down design and the ability to print away from a router as the reason they bought it, and that enthusiasm shows in the review text.
Colour resolution reaches 4800 x 1200 dpi, which is genuinely photo-capable for 4×6 output even though black resolution is only 600 x 600 dpi. That makes it a decent compact colour option for occasional photos, letter and legal paper are supported, and it handles cards, photos and envelopes.
What it does well on a tiny desk or none at all
Stowability is the entire pitch and it delivers. On a desk where every inch counts, this printer simply is not there between jobs, and the fold-down footprint also fits in a drawer in a studio flat.
Colour capability is a pleasant surprise for something this small, and the auto wireless connect means setup does not require you to sit on the floor next to a router. Letter, legal, card, photo paper and envelopes are all supported, so it covers a mixed workload.
Where it falls short
Duplex is manual, so a multi-page document means turning the stack over and re-feeding it. On a machine you carry around, that is a reasonable trade, but it is the first thing people miss.
The scanner is a portable feed type rather than a flatbed, so it cannot handle a stack of originals in one go or anything thicker than a single sheet. Original HP 62 series cartridges are required, and ink running costs sit well above laser territory for anyone printing regularly.
4. Canon PIXMA TS3720 Wireless All-in-One Inkjet
Canon PIXMA TS3720 Wireless All-in-One Printer for Basic Home Printing, White
Inkjet
Color
Single-sided
1.5 inch LCD
17.2D x 12.9W x 5.8H
8.7 pounds
Pros
- Shortest and lightest all-in-one in this group
- Only 5.8 inches tall and 8.7 pounds
- Dual-band Wi-Fi with setup that needs no computer
- Works with Canon PRINT app AirPrint Mopria and Chromebook
- Handles square and borderless photo formats
Cons
- Single-sided printing only
- About 7.7 ppm black and 4 ppm colour
- 60-sheet capacity is small
- PG-275 and CL-276 cartridges cost more to run
Vertical space is often the dimension people forget, and this is where the TS3720 wins outright. At 5.8 inches tall it is the shortest machine here, and at 8.7 pounds you can lift it with one hand to clear the surface underneath.
It is also screen-free in the best way: a small 1.5-inch segment display instead of a panel of buttons or a touchscreen. Dual-band Wi-Fi sets up without a computer, and the Canon PRINT app, AirPrint, Mopria and Chromebook support cover nearly every device in a household.
Note the depth figure, though. At 17.2 inches deep it is the deepest body in this roundup because the rear paper tray folds out behind it, so it needs more desk run than its narrow width suggests. That is the trade for the short, light, screen-free design.
Print speed sits around 7.7 ppm black and 4 ppm colour, which is slow, and it is single-sided only. Borderless output works up to 5 by 7 inches with square 5 by 5 formats as well, so small photo prints are within reach.
What it does well on a small desk
Height and weight are the reasons to buy it. On a desk with a low shelf, or a dresser being used as a work surface, 5.8 inches of height leaves far more usable space above than any other all-in-one in this list.
It is also the simplest machine here to set up, and the segment LCD means no touchscreen to wipe, tap or accidentally trigger. Borderless and square photo formats are a nice touch for a home printer in that price bracket.
Where it falls short
No automatic duplex is a real limitation for anything longer than a page, and the paper capacity of 60 sheets means regular refills if you print in batches.
The running cost is the biggest warning. PG-275 black and CL-276 colour cartridges are among the more expensive per page in this group, so it suits occasional printing far better than regular printing. Anyone printing weekly should step up to a machine with a cheaper ink system.
5. Brother HL-L2460DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Laser Printer
Brother HL-L2460DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Laser Printer with Duplex, Mobile Printing, Black & White Output | Includes Refresh Subscription Trial(1), Works with Alexa
Laser
Monochrome
Automatic duplex
36 ppm
14.2D x 14W x 7.2H
15.6 pounds
Pros
- Automatic duplex inside a slim print-only chassis
- 36 ppm with an 8.5-second first page
- 250-sheet tray handles larger runs
- Built-in dual-band wireless plus Ethernet and USB
- High-yield TN830XL toner extends cartridge life
Cons
- Monochrome output only
- On-screen Wi-Fi setup is tedious with the button set
- Bundled toner subscription trial can bill unexpectedly
Drop the scanner and this is the most capable machine per square inch of desk in the roundup. At 14.2 inches deep, 14 inches wide and 7.2 inches tall, the HL-L2460DW gives you automatic duplex and 36 ppm monochrome output without a scanner deck adding height.
The 250-sheet main tray takes a meaningful amount of paper for a compact laser, so you refill far less often than with the inkjet options. An 8.5-second first page keeps short one-page jobs feeling responsive, and it works with Windows, macOS and Linux setups.
Reviewers describe it as a fast, dependable black-and-white workhorse, with toner economics as the other repeated theme. High-yield TN830XL cartridges stretch the gap between replacements, which matters most for anyone printing several times a week.
Setup is where the friction sits. On-screen Wi-Fi configuration through a limited button panel is described as tedious by a good share of owners, and some mention the bundled toner subscription trial generating a charge if it is not cancelled in time.
What it does well on a small desk
A print-only chassis is the single most effective way to shrink a laser printer. With no scanner lid and no ADF, the body stays at 7.2 inches tall, and there is nothing on the top to use as shelf space that you cannot instead use yourself.
Automatic duplex at this size is unusual and genuinely useful, since duplexing by hand is the thing people most often start skipping. Combined with a 250-sheet tray, this is a printer you set up once and forget.
Where it falls short
There is no colour and no scanning, so a single sheet of paper cannot be copied or digitised here. If you occasionally need to scan a receipt, you are back to your phone.
Both Brother laser models in this roundup draw the same Wi-Fi setup complaints, and the subscription trial included in the box is worth checking the terms for before it renews. Budget ten minutes for network configuration.
6. Brother HL-L2405W Wireless Compact Monochrome Laser Printer
Brother HL-L2405W Wireless Compact Monochrome Laser Printer with Mobile Printing, Black & White Output | Includes Refresh Subscription Trial(1), Works with Alexa
Laser
Monochrome
Manual duplex
30 ppm
14.2D x 14W x 7.2H
15.1 pounds
Pros
- Print-only body keeps the footprint narrow
- Clean setup with no forced bloatware or agreements
- 30 ppm output with an 8.5-second first page
- 250-sheet tray plus manual feed slot for envelopes
- Laser toner never dries out from infrequent use
Cons
- Manual duplex only
- QR-code Wi-Fi onboarding can be lengthy
- Dashboard navigation on the small button panel is awkward
This is the narrowest general-purpose document printer here. The same 14-inch width and 7.2-inch height as the HL-L2460DW, a shade less speed at 30 ppm, and manual duplex instead of automatic. If you print single-sided documents, that is the whole difference.
Setup is the standout. Owners repeatedly praise a clean install with no forced applications, no sign-up agreements and no bundled extras, which is not always true of multifunction machines. The 250-sheet main tray plus a manual feed slot handles envelopes and odd paper sizes without ceremony.
Toner output stays crisp over time and, crucially, does not dry out in a spare room. That single property makes it a better fit than any inkjet for someone who prints a handful of documents every few months, and it is the most common piece of advice in printer community threads.
The 1-year limited warranty is shorter than the 3-year coverage on the Canon PIXMA TS6520, which is worth weighing if you expect to keep the machine for several years. Max paper size is 8.5 by 14 inches, so legal is covered.
What it does well on a small desk
Print-only means no scanner, no ADF and no extra height, and that is where the space saving comes from. If your work is printing and nothing else, this is the smallest capable monochrome option in the list.
Low-volume users get a lot out of it. Because toner sits on a drum rather than being sprayed, a printer used once a quarter behaves exactly like one used daily, and the running cost per page stays among the lowest here.
Where it falls short
Manual duplex is the dealbreaker for anyone printing long documents regularly, and the HL-L2460DW further down the cost of adding that feature is usually small.
The QR-code Wi-Fi onboarding process is the most common complaint in reviews, and the physical button panel for navigating menus is small and awkward. Plugging it in over USB first, then adding Wi-Fi, is the smoother path for most people.
7. Canon PIXMA TS7720 Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer
Canon PIXMA TS7720 Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer – Print, Copy, Scan – Auto Duplex, 15/10 PPM, 2.7” Touchscreen, Compact Home Photo Printer with Easy Setup
Inkjet
Color
Automatic duplex
2.7 inch LCD touchscreen
13.8D x 14.8W x 6.7H
13.8 pounds
Pros
- Automatic duplex on an inkjet at this size
- 2.7 inch touchscreen makes job setup intuitive
- Shallow 13.8 inch depth suits tight workspaces
- Rear tray plus cassette handles multiple paper sizes
- Borderless photo printing for home output
Cons
- Two-cartridge system limits colour headroom
- Modest 15 black and 10 color ppm class
- The touchscreen adds bulk to a compact body
The TS7720 is the pick if you want a real control panel. Its 2.7-inch LCD touchscreen makes selecting paper, colour mode and copy settings without an app straightforward, and it is the only machine in this roundup with a touchscreen that still fits a compact body.
It is also the shallowest all-in-one here at 13.8 inches deep, with a 6.7-inch height and 14.8-inch width. Depth is the dimension that decides whether an output tray has room to open, so this is the colour all-in-one to check first if your desk is shallow.
Automatic duplex, borderless photo printing and a rear tray plus cassette for multiple paper sizes make it flexible for mixed household use. Two easy-to-replace cartridges keep refilling simple, and USB plus Wi-Fi cover both desktop and mobile printing.
Speed sits at roughly 15 pages per minute black and 10 colour, which is a modest step above the TS6520. Across 1066 ratings, positive comments cluster around the compact body, duplex and the touchscreen, while detractors focus on the two-cartridge system and the modest pace.
What it does well on a small desk
Shallow depth is the advantage. On a desk where the printer sits near the front edge or beside a wall, 13.8 inches leaves more usable surface than any other all-in-one here, and the rear tray feeds in behind the body rather than in front of your workspace.
The touchscreen also saves desk space indirectly. Tilt or levelling adjustments and print settings are faster on the panel than in an app, which keeps you from dragging out a phone each time you print.
Where it falls short
Two cartridges means colour depth is limited, so photo quality is fine for snapshots but not for colour-critical work. If you print photos regularly, a dedicated 4×6 machine costs less ink per image.
The touchscreen does add bulk to the front edge of an otherwise compact body, and the entry speed is slow by laser standards. Input tray capacity is listed at 100 sheets, so topping up happens more often than with the Brother laser options.
8. Epson PictureMate PM-400 Wireless Compact Photo Printer
Epson PictureMate PM-400 Wireless Compact Photo Printer
Photo inkjet
4x6 and 5x7 borderless
5760 x 1440 dpi
9.8D x 15.1W x 7.9H
6 pounds
Pros
- Borderless 4x6 and 5x7 prints with vivid colour
- Compact lightweight 6-pound body
- Wireless printing from phones and tablets
- 4x6 borderless photo in about 36 seconds
- Rear vertical feed keeps the body slim
Cons
- Prints 4x6 and 5x7 only
- Epson Genuine cartridges only
- No battery so not truly portable
- Ink cartridges can be hard to source
At 4.5 stars across 1434 ratings with roughly 79 percent five-star, this is the most consistently well-liked machine in the group. It does one job: borderless 4×6 and 5×7 photos at up to 5760 x 1440 dpi, printed in about 36 seconds per 4×6 in default mode.
Wireless printing works from iPad, iPhone, tablets and smartphones over Wi-Fi, which removes the cable problem entirely. The rear vertical feed is what makes it compact, because paper feeds up and back into a 50-sheet capacity rather than out the front into a deep tray.
Owners report multi-year heavy use, with scrapbookers and journalers describing it as running for years without trouble. Photo quality is regularly compared favourably to retail photo printing, and the 6-pound body means you can move it between rooms without thinking about it.
At 9.8 inches deep and 15.1 inches wide it is wider than several inkjets here, but the 7.9-inch height and vertical feed mean it sits flat against a wall or on a shelf rather than eating desk run.
What it does well on a small desk
It needs far less consumable storage than an all-in-one. If your printing is mostly documents, you can send those to a laser machine elsewhere and keep only this one on the desk for photos.
The vertical feed means no front output tray to protrude over your workspace, which is one of the space traps we see repeatedly. It also works from a phone without any cable, so there is no cable management to solve either.
Where it falls short
It cannot print letter-size documents at all. If you need both documents and photos regularly, this adds a second machine rather than replacing a first one.
Epson Genuine cartridges only, and non-genuine ink can void the warranty. Some owners report difficulty sourcing cartridges. There is also no battery or handle, so despite the compact body it is not portable beyond a room.
9. Liene M100 4×6 Dye Sublimation Photo Printer
Liene M100 4×6” Photo Printer, Phone Printer 100 Sheets & 3 Cartridges, Full-Color Photo, Portable Instant Photo Printer for iPhone Android, Thermal Dye Sublimation, Wi-Fi Picture Printer 100 Papers
Dye sublimation
4x6 borderless
59 second prints
7.48D x 9.84W x 7.48H
200 g
Pros
- Bundle includes 100 sheets of paper and 3 cartridges
- Built-in hotspot supports up to 5 connections
- Book-sized body with a magnetic compact design
- Laminated prints resist water scratches and fading
- App supports square borders filters and ID photos
Cons
- Roughly a minute per 4x6 print
- Uses proprietary Liene cartridges only
- Print head needs prompt cleaning if smudges appear
The M100 is the smallest unit in this roundup by a wide margin. At roughly a book in size and 200 grams, it disappears on a desk corner or a shelf, and the box includes 100 sheets of photo paper plus 3 colour cartridges, so you can print the day you open it.
The built-in Wi-Fi hotspot is the clever part. It creates its own network and supports up to five simultaneous connections, so your phone prints to it without joining the same router or dealing with a crowded apartment network. Print quality is 300 x 300 dpi through dye sublimation with a laminated layer.
That lamination is why these prints survive handling, which reviewers single out repeatedly alongside water, scratch and fade resistance. The app adds square borders, filters, brightness and contrast controls, and ID and visa photo printing for anyone who needs a specific document format.
At 4.4 stars across 4408 ratings with about 78 percent five-star and the lowest one-star share in the group, satisfaction centres on the bundle, the interference-free hotspot and the durable output. The main drawbacks are the per-photo print time and the proprietary cartridges.
What it does well on a small desk
Size is the whole argument. Nothing else in this list occupies less volume, and the magnetic minimalist design means it can be moved or set aside between sessions rather than permanently claiming a corner.
It also solves connectivity headaches in shared housing. A private hotspot avoids the dropped-connection problems people describe on congested apartment networks, and no app account or router access is needed to start printing.
Where it falls short
About a minute per 4×6 print makes it slow for a batch of photos, though fine for a few at a time. Output is 4×6 only, so there is no letter paper and no borderless 5×7.
Proprietary Liene cartridges are the ongoing cost, and the print head needs prompt cleaning if smudges start appearing. For anyone already stocked with a different dye-sublimation film, that lock-in matters.
10. KODAK Dock Plus 4×6 Photo Printer
KODAK Dock Plus 4×6 Photo Printer, Smartphone Docking, 4PASS, 50 Sheets
4PASS dye sublimation
4x6 borderless
8.5D x 4.5W x 2H
55 second prints
Pros
- Integrated dock charges your phone while it prints
- 4PASS dye sub adds a clear protective lamination
- Prints resist fingerprints water and fading
- Only 2 inches tall at 8.5 inches wide
- Bluetooth printing through the KODAK app
Cons
- Printed instructions skip key app steps
- Some users report paper jams and cartridge failures
- Four slow passes take roughly a minute per photo
- Starter film cartridges run out quickly
The Dock Plus is 2 inches tall and 8.5 inches wide, so it takes almost no vertical room, and its integrated dock charges your phone while it prints. That docking arrangement turns it into a small charging station as much as a printer, which is genuinely useful on a desk where space is the problem.
It uses 4PASS dye sublimation, which lays down a clear protective lamination layer on top of the image. That is why owners report prints that resist fingerprints, water and fading, and it is the difference between a photo that survives a year in a wallet and one that does not.
With 19844 ratings, this has by far the largest review base in the roundup, and about 68 percent are five-star. Bluetooth connection through the KODAK Photo Printer app is straightforward once the phone is docked, and roughly 55 seconds per 4×6 print is typical for four-pass dye sub.
The complaints cluster in documentation and consumables. Printed instructions are tiny and skip key app steps, some users hit paper jams or cartridge failures, and starter film cartridges run out faster than buyers expect if you print often in the first few months.
What it does well on a small desk
Two inches of height is close to nothing, and the 8.5-inch width means it fits a corner or a shelf edge easily. It is designed as a stable desktop station rather than a portable unit, so it can sit in one spot without being moved.
The charging dock earns its place on a cramped desk. Where else would your phone spend the day while you work, and now that spot prints photos as well.
Where it falls short
Four passes take about a minute per photo, so a burst of prints is slow. Output is borderless 4×6 only, with no 5×7 and no document printing.
The setup guide is a genuine problem, and reviewers who print heavily report the film cartridges being consumed faster than expected. If you print more than a few photos a month, a dedicated inkjet like the PictureMate above may cost less per image over time.
How to Choose a Compact Printer That Actually Fits?
Start by measuring the width and depth of the free surface, not the whole desk. A 24-inch desk gives you a usable strip once a monitor, a keyboard and a mug are in place, and that strip is often closer to 14 inches than it looks. Compare the manufacturer’s width against that number before you fall for any feature.
If the machine on the desk is only half the problem, our guide to compact gaming desktops for small spaces covers the other half: what else has to share that measured strip with the printer.
Then add the depth nobody quotes. Rear input trays, output slots and paper paths extend past the stated body depth, often by several inches. Our advice is to buy a tape measure, or use a phone photo against a ruler, and confirm the in-use footprint for the specific paper size you load most.
Height is the third axis, and in a shared room it is the one that decides whether the printer lives on the desk or in a drawer. The TS3720 at 5.8 inches tall and the OfficeJet 250 at 3.6 inches are the two shortest here. The same logic applies to desks themselves: it is worth reading our guide to compact gaming desks for small rooms if you are planning the whole workspace rather than just the printer.
Inkjet or laser for a cramped desk
Laser prints black and white fast, handles paper well and never dries out. Inkjet wins on colour and photo output and generally costs less up front. If your printing is mostly text and you value reliability over a rare colour page, the monochrome laser options win on every practical measure including size.
Laser machines are heavier, typically 15 to 25 pounds, so plan how you will get one onto a high shelf before buying. Inkjets under 10 pounds can be moved by one hand, which matters more in practice than the spec sheet suggests.
Cartridges, toner and total running cost
Running cost per page is the number that decides whether a printer is cheap, and it has almost nothing to do with what you paid for the machine. A low-cost cartridge printer can cost several times more per page than an expensive printer with a cheaper ink system, especially for colour.
If you print regularly, a refillable ink tank system such as EcoTank, MegaTank or Smart Tank lowers cost per page dramatically because ink arrives in bottles. None of the machines here use a tank, so within this list the laser options run cheapest for monochrome and the cartridge inkjets are the ones to think hard about before committing.
Duplex, ADF and connectivity
Automatic duplex is worth paying for if you print documents of more than one page, and it appears on the DCP-L2640DW, the HL-L2460DW, the TS6520 and the TS7720. Manual duplex means flipping the stack and re-feeding it, which is a real tax on a busy week.
An automatic document feeder matters only if you scan multi-page documents. It is the feature that adds the most bulk to a compact all-in-one, which is why the print-only Brother lasers are so much shallower than the multifunction models. Print-only designs such as the HL-L2460DW make sense when scanning is occasional.
For connectivity, dual-band Wi-Fi is the baseline we would want in 2026, and every printer here supports it. AirPrint and Mopria support on the Canon models means phones can print without installing anything, which is worth more than a bundled application.
Quiet rooms, shared walls and infrequent use
If you share walls, print speed matters more than raw noise specifications because a fast machine spends less time running. A 36 ppm laser finishes a page in under two seconds; an inkjet at 7.7 ppm grinds on it for noticeably longer. Laser also avoids the whir of ink feeding through a carriage. Speaker placement in the same room is the other half of that problem, and our picks for compact subwoofers for small rooms cover it.
For infrequent use, the dry-out question comes up constantly in printer communities and it is worth answering directly. Inkjets with pigment black and dye colour can clog when left sitting, and the fix is a weekly print job or a maintenance print. Laser toner has no such failure mode, which is why the monochrome Brother models suit people who print a few pages every few months.
How much space does a small printer take?
Compact desktop printers run roughly 12.9 inches wide, 5.8 to 12.5 inches tall and 8.7 to 25 pounds in this group. Allow an extra 3 to 5 inches of depth for the rear tray and output path before you commit a desk to one, and measure the shelf height above it rather than the surface below.
Should you buy a compact printer at all?
If you print one document every couple of months, a library, a print shop or an office supply counter will be cheaper than owning a machine and cheaper than the ink. Ownership starts making sense once you print weekly, or once travel to a print shop becomes a real cost in time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the smallest most compact printer?
Among all-in-ones, the Canon PIXMA TS3720 is the smallest and lightest here at 12.9 inches wide, 5.8 inches tall and 8.7 pounds, though it needs 17.2 inches of depth for the rear tray. For the smallest footprint with no desk space at all, the HP OfficeJet 250 folds to 7.8 inches deep, 3.6 inches tall and 6.5 pounds and stores in a drawer between uses. For documents only, the Brother HL-L2460DW and HL-L2405W are 14 inches wide and 7.2 inches tall because they skip the scanner.
Which printers have the cheapest ink?
Monochrome laser is the cheapest to run in this group, with Brother TN830 and TN830XL toner giving the lowest cost per page on the HL-L2405W, HL-L2460DW and DCP-L2640DW. Refillable ink tank systems such as EcoTank and Smart Tank are cheapest for colour, but none of these ten machines use one. Cartridge inkjets such as the Canon PIXMA TS3720 with PG-275 and CL-276 cartridges run among the most expensive per page.
Which printer is good for small office use?
The Brother DCP-L2640DW is the strongest small office pick here, printing 36 pages per minute in monochrome with automatic duplex and a 50-page automatic document feeder for multi-page scanning. For a print-only workflow with duplex, the HL-L2460DW offers the same speed in a shallower body. If the office needs colour, the Canon PIXMA TS6520 adds duplex and a flatbed scanner at 14 inches wide.
What is the best compact photo printer?
The Epson PictureMate PM-400 is the best compact photo printer for quality, printing borderless 4×6 and 5×7 photos at up to 5760 x 1440 dpi in about 36 seconds from a phone over Wi-Fi. The Liene M100 is smaller and cheaper per photo, and the KODAK Dock Plus adds a phone charging dock and a laminated 4PASS finish, though both print 4×6 only.
Are compact printers slower than regular printers?
Yes. Compact inkjets such as the Canon PIXMA TS3720 run at about 7.7 pages per minute black and 4 colour, while full-size models are considerably faster. Compact laser printers are the exception, with the Brother DCP-L2640DW and HL-L2460DW reaching 36 pages per minute. The smaller machines usually also have smaller paper trays, often 60 to 100 sheets.
Does a small printer dry out if you only print rarely?
Inkjets are the ones that dry out, particularly when pigment black and dye colour cartridges sit unused for weeks. The Canon PIXMA TS3720, TS6520, TS7720, HP OfficeJet 250 and Epson PictureMate PM-400 all use cartridge-based ink and benefit from a weekly print job or maintenance cycle. Monochrome laser printers such as the Brother HL-L2405W and HL-L2460DW use toner on a drum and have no dry-out failure mode, which makes them the safer choice for occasional printing.
Conclusion
If you want a single recommendation rather than a survey, the Brother DCP-L2640DW covers the most ground in the least space. If your desk has vertical room to spare but little depth, the Canon PIXMA TS7720 and TS6520 are the colour options to measure first. And if the printer only needs to exist occasionally, the HP OfficeJet 250 removes the footprint problem entirely rather than shrinking it.
The best compact printers for small desks are the ones whose depth fits your surface before you fall for anything else. Measure first, then pick the functions you will actually use, and let the ink running cost settle the rest. Updated for 2026.