The choice of the printer is not based only on the type of printing. The same producer makes a lot of different models of , to correspond to customers wishes. Every model has different possibilities of printing speed and quality, color rendering and other characteristics, which influence the price.
Quality and speed of printing
The main criterion in the choice of the printer is the quality of printing. It is characterized by the maximum resolution. Resolution is measured by the number of dots per inch (dpi – dots per inch). For qualitative every day printing you can buy an inkjet printer with 1200 dpi, for laser printers 600 dpi is enough. If you want to print photos, you’ll need 2880 dpi.
Such characteristic as printing speed is important, if you need to print a lot of paper. Usually producers indicate two speeds – for black-and-white and color printing. But the number of pages per minute is not quite right, because it characterizes the printing speed with low quality. So in reality, the printing speed will be lower.
Printer format
Choosing a printer, pay attention on the fact that majority of printers print only in A4 format. If you want to print in A3 format (for example, publication), then you should choose large-format models. Their price is higher then the price of A4 models. In the characteristics of some models, it can be stated that the printer can print in such formats as A5. It is important that the printer could recognize the necessary format.
Printer memory
Choosing a printer you should pay attention on its built-in memory. Insufficient memory can lead to some problems. When the printer works line by line, then its memory will affect the speed of printing. If the information is outputted page by page, then the memory will affect the whole work without failures. For text printing, 8 Mb memory will be enough. If you want to print large files, then you should choose printers with large memory. Nowadays there are models, in which this characteristic can be extended.
Cartridge refill
Selecting a printer, you should consider not only its price, but also the price of materials. Your expenses will differ considerably depending on the printer model.
The expenses on color tape for dot-matrix printer will be minimal, but the printer itself can be very expensive.
In the inkjet printer the cost of the prints will depend on the cartridge type. If it is combined with the printhead, then the cost of new cartridge will equal the price of half of the printer. If the ink tank is a separate element, then the price of such cartridge will be much lower. To cut the expenses of the printing you can refill the cartridge. It can be done in any computer firm. One cartridge refill will be enough for 500 pages.
In the laser printer the facilities of printing are limited to 2500 pages.
So the expenses on the printing also should be considered. For example, if you are choosing between laser and inkjet printer, then you should consider the expenses on equal size printing. If you are printing a lot of files, then laser printer will be more pay in the end.
Pay attention that when you buy a printer, the cartridges are filled only on 60%, or even 30%. That’s why you’ll have to refill them soon.
Connection with computer
The possibility to connect with printer is also important. Majority of modern printers work with USB, but some also have LPT-port to connect with old computer models. That’s why it is advisable to know beforehand, with which computer you will connect your printer.
So you can choose an appropriate printer, after studying the technical characteristics of exact model. The price will of course depend on all the characteristics. But the famous trade mark will increase the expenses. Hewlett Packard printers are not cheap, but are very qualitative.
But you of course can like another producer and the choice of printer will completely depend on your own preferences.