Printers – Finding The Right Printer

There are a couple of questions you need to ask yourself before finding the right printer.  Most consumers will need to consider a couple of things.  First, what type of printing requirements you have and what conveniences you are willing to pay for.  Those and a few other questions are answered here to help find the right printer for you.

Black and White or Color Printer:  This is an important decision on what printer you choose.  If you primarily print documents, such as letters, legal documents that have no graphics and you can live with just printing in black and white then consider buying a laser printer.  If all your going to print is text then laser printers will give you the lowest cost per printed copy.  Laser printers are also faster than inkjet printers.  Unfortunately, you can buy laser printers that print in color but the price per copy is very expensive.

Printing Photos From Your Printer:  Many consumers use a printer to their 4×6 print photos only.  If your one of these consumers you may want to consider a snap shot printer.  A snap shot printer will print from your camera’s memory card or directly from your camera.  Again, these are great little printers when all you are printing is a 4×6 standard photo.  To print a larger photo, you will need to look into buying a bigger printer.

Important Features on Your Printer:  Another decision to make in your selection of a printer will be the different features each will have.  Many printers now have an additional tray for those 4×6 snap shot pictures you want to print.  Many others will now let you print directly from your Bluetooth device such as a smart phone.  An all in one printer will give you the capability to fax if that is a feature you need.  You will even find printers that print labels directly onto your CD’s or DVD’s.

Printer Hidden Costs:  The initial price of a printer is not the only cost going into owning one.  The price of ink over the lifetime of the printer will usually exceed the initial price you paid for the printer.  Compare the costs per page in both text and photo printouts when shopping for your next printer.  Beware of off-brand, low-cost ink for your printer.  Many of these will leave you with poor quality printing and will not hold up to fade-resistance over time.  Also, beware that these low cost ink cartridges may not be cheaper as they may provide you with less ink and print fewer texts and photos than the brand name ink cartridges.