Printer Buyers Guide
Before choosing the type of printer, think about how you will use it. Will you be printing mainly word-processed documents, invoices and letters or will you also be printing colour photos or images? You also need to think about what you want to print on: paper, envelopes, photo paper or fabric, and whether you want the ability to scan and photocopy documents too. And lastly, would you benefit from being able to print wirelessly? Make sure the printer you choose has the functions you need, but don’t pay over the odds for expensive features, such as Bluetooth or the ability to print on A3 pape, if you don’t think you will use them.
Which type of printer is best for me?
There are four main types of printer: inkjet, laser, photo printers and all-in-one printers. Which you opt for will depend on what you want to use it for.
Inkjets: These are the most popular printers for the home and they can handle a variety of tasks, such as printing envelopes and photo-quality prints. Inkjet printers use a series of nozzles to shoot minuscule droplets of ink.
Laser printers: These are designed mainly for businesses as they can print large volumes of text documents very quickly. They are not good for printing photos and they are physically very large so you need to ensure you have enough space for them. Price-wise, they are more expensive compared with inkjets. However, printing costs per page are less, so if you do high volumes of printing, you may recoup the initial outlay over time.
Photo printers: These are designed for digital camera enthusiasts who want to print good-quality pictures straight from their cameras or their mobile phones. They are portable, so you can take them on your holiday and some can be powered by batteries. Photo printers can produce better quality photos than standard printers and some can also print images on to DVDs and CDs. To print pictures without using a computer, your camera will need a PictBridge connection or a memory card that is compatible with the printer’s memory card slot. The LCD screen on the printer acts as a monitor for the print process. You can also connect photo printers to your computer via a USB cable. Most photo printers print only 6”x4” photos but some also print 7”x5”.
All-in-one inkjet printers: These are printers that incorporate other functions such as a scannerphotocopier or a fax machine too. These tend to be bulkier than standalone printers but can generally perform all the same printing tasks that standalone models can achieve. However, many people prefer to have a separate printer and scanner/photocopier. That way if something goes wrong, you don’t have to replace or repair both the scanner and the printer. Also, all-in-ones take considerably longer to copy than standalone photocopiers. If you think you will do a lot of photocopying, choose a model with an automatic document feeder.
Does it pay to buy a cheaper printer?
Not always. A primary consideration with any printer you choose is the cost of printing. Compare manufacturers’ claimed print costs per page with each other and also look at the cost of the ink cartridges the printers use – both the branded inks and their generic versions – and do some calculations. Cheaper printers can be a false economy if you have to spend a fortune in ink.
Is it cheaper to print photos myself on a photo printer than taking them to a processor?
Not necessarily. Much depends on how much you spend on ink and paper as well as how economical the printer is with ink. Jessops for example, charges £7 to print 100 prints on its next day service and £21 for its 1 hour service. Although you could probably beat the costs of its 1 hour service, you’d be hard pushed to print 100 6”x4” prints for less than £7 at home.
Glossary
Bluetooth: If you want to print wirelessly, from a blue tooth mobile phone for example, you’ll need a printer with Bluetooth capability.
Dock: Some printers have docks that let you click your camera directly on to the printer to select and print your photos. Docks work only with particular cameras, usually from the same manufacturer.
Ink cartridges: Printer manufacturers encourage you to buy their own-brand ink cartridges but you’ll find it much cheaper if you buy generic brands. Shop around to see what you can find. If you do a lot of black and white printing, it is best to have a separate black printer cartridge instead of using a colour cartridge. This is because colour cartridges run out quicker and are more expensive to buy.
LCD display: Some printers have an LCD display on the control panel which shows the image you’re printing and the printing progress. Some let you edit images and reduce red eye when printing from a memory card.
Memory card slots: Some printers have memory card slots so that you can print straight from the memory card without using your computer.
Optical character recognition: This is software that comes with all-in-one printers that automatically scans word documents and transfers them into a computer file, such as a Word document, for easy editing.
PictBridge logo: If you don’t have a memory card or a dock, this allows you to connect your printer to your digital camera via a special USB cable, and print photos without having to use a computer.
Picolitre: This is a measurement of the size of the ink droplet in an inkjet printer. Droplets can be between 1.5 and 5 picolitres. Less is best when it comes to picolitres as smaller drops are not only more economical but they produce sharper images.
Printer speed: Measured in ppm (pages per minute), printer speed determines how quickly your print job can be completed. Colour documents take longer than black and white sheets. You should aim for a minimum of 4-8ppm with an inkjet. Laser printers can print faster, usually at between 6-10ppm.
Resolution: Resolution refers to the number of dots per square inch (dpi). Most printers can print at 600 × 600 dpi which produces good quality results for most common print jobs. However, you will want a higher resolution if you are printing photos – a minimum of 1440 x720 dpi.
USB ports: Most printers connect via USB ports and cables to computers. Check that your computer’s connections are compatible with the printer you want to buy.
Slide scanning: This allows you to scan 35mm film negatives and slides but is available only on the pricier photo printers.