Are you having trouble selecting a good printer from the various models in the
market? How do you decide between an ink jet printer, laser printers or color
laser printer? Will what you buy give you the quality printouts that you need?
This article attempts to answer some of these questions by running through the
various types of printers out there. We'll cover both ink jet and laser
printers, so read on and find out more about these two categories of
products.
Some computer printers available in the market
Ink Jet
Printers
Ink jet printers are the slowest type of
printer, but are also the most affordable. Ink jet technology shoots a lot of colored dyes through tiny holes
within a print head onto pages, giving maximum resolutions
of 4800 by 1200 dots per inch. This makes them capable of very good quality photos
and graphics.
Here are some of the considerations to think
about when buying an inkjet printer.
Print quality
Always try to print out a sample from the ink jet printer you intend to buy.
Check that the printout does not smudge and gives good color tone.
Maximum print resolution The maximum print resolution (i.e. the number of dots that lie inside a square inch
of paper) is another factor to look out for. This is extremely important if you're
printing a lot of detailed graphics and photos.
Cost of Replacing a Cartridge
Remember that the ink in the printer is a consumable. Many manufacturers cash in
on the replacement ink jet cartridges of ink jet printers. Before shelling out
money, be sure to check the prices of replacement ink cartridges and how many pages
they can print.
Monochrome
Laser Printers
Monochrome laser printers are a necessity in
the modern office. They are now extremely cheap and affordable even for home
users. Compared to ink jet printers, monochrome laser printers are faster and
give better text reproduction. Also, the laser toner cartridges are cheaper
to replace than ink jet cartridges. Let's look at the key factors to consider
when buying a monochrome laser printer.
Printing Speed
The speed at which the laser printer can print out full text pages is a
important consideration when you're looking for one. Always check this
specification out before purchasing one.
Maximum print resolution
Similar to ink jet printers, the maximum print resolution is also a key
consideration in monochrome laser printers. Pay attention to this specification
if you're printing out a lot of graphics.
Paper tray capacity
Although not critical to home users, the paper tray capacity is important to
corporate users of laser printers. In big offices where employees tend to use
the same printer, it is vital that the printer can hold a lot of paper.
Color Laser
Printers
Color laser printers are catching on recently
with small business owners, with once sky-high prices coming down to reasonable
levels. Color laser printers are useful for printing color brochures,
photographs, or graphics. These printers are also prohibitively expensive - so
if you're a home user, you'd most likely want to stay away from these. Let's
look at the key factors to consider when buying a color laser printer.
Print speed
If you own a publishing business, printing a lot of graphics, then spending
extra money on a fast color laser printer makes good sense. Usually, the
less-expensive model print at a rate that is too slow for a business.
Print quality
Print quality is very important for business owners who need to print crisp,
detailed graphics. Remember to check out sample prints from the color laser
printer you intend to buy.
Maximum print resolution
Again, the maximum print resolution is also a key consideration in color laser
printers. You need to consider this when buying such printers.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article has shown you the
differences between ink jet printers, monochrome laser printers and color laser
printers. If you're out shopping for a printer, keep the above shopping tips in
mind and you'll be able to pick a model that's just right for you.
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