things to consider when buying a printer

1. Why do you need a printer

If you use the printer mostly for photo prints and occasional letters, choose photo printer that deliver lab quality photo prints. If you print mostly office documents with moderate volume, then look for printer meant for business usage with speed and volume to match your need.

2. Look out for running cost

Always look out for the running cost when selecting your printer. The purchase price of a printer will soon become a small portion of the total cost of owning and running it.

The cost of the print cartridge replacement will soon amount to sizable expenses. Inkjet cartridge in general is more expensive than monochrome laser and is not recommended if you require volume printing and copying. Laser printer in general cost more to purchase but save you money in the long run.

Inkjet printer can produce black text from black ink cartridge or from combination of color cartridges. Look for inkjet device that has a separate black ink cartridge. Black ink cartridge will produce crisper black text and cost less.

For color inkjet printing, look for device that uses separate cartridge for each color. You replace the cartridge individually when one color is run out, this reduces wastage.

Ask for the cost per page info and compare them among manufacturer and printer model.

3 Duplex printing

Duplex printing will allow you to print on both sides of paper and thus save you on paper cost. Duplex printing is normally found on higher end model, but might saves you a bundle in the long term. Choose printer with auto duplex if possible instead of manual duplex. Printer with manual duplex requires you to manually reinsert paper to print on the other side.

4. Fax speed

For multifunction printer with fax feature, choose the fax speed of 33.6kbps or higher to save transmission cost. Higher speed will reduce the duration of sending and thus reduce the call cost. The cost reduction could be significant if you send a lot of interstate or overseas faxes.

5. Standalone functions without computer

Do you require the multifunction printer (MFP) to function without the use of a computer? Look for a unit that would allow you to fax and copy documents without using a PC. This is common feature among MFP but there is no harm to double check.

Some inkjet models contain a memory card slot or even a small LCD screen that would allow you to print directly from your SecureDigital, CompactFlash or MemoryStick cards without going through a PC.