Which Computer Printer is right for you.

by editor@text4price.com @ 27 April 2006 - 11:05:12

Computer Printer Buyer's Guide

In the age of wireless broadband, MP3 and emails by mobile, the humble computer printer seems almost old fashioned. So you would have thought that buying cheap computer printers should be pretty simple. If only!

Multifunction printers are those that combine a copier, fax and scanner. They’re produced by the main manufacturers such as canon and Epson.

There are four main types of printer and two types of multifunction printer:

• Inkjet (multifunction too)
• Laserjet (multifunction too)
• Dye sublimation
• Dot Matrix.

Inkjet Printers

There are two types of inkjet printers. Manufacturers like Epson and Brother offer machines with the an in-built print-head while others, like HP and LexMark put the printhead on the ink cartridge. The main difference is that those with the printhead type ink cartridge are usually more expensive to run.

Inkjet ink is usually dye based rather than pigment. This is because pigments are heavier and more likely to clog. The problem with dye based inks is that they lack vibrancy and don’t last particularly well but the good news is that the manufacturers are making progress in producing pigment friendly machines. However, this is only an issue if the quality of colour reproduction is critical to your needs. Otherwise, a dye based ink will suffice.

Manufacturers are using a fusion of dye based and pigmented inks to create high quality photo printing with vibrant colours that will last. If you do a lot of colour printing, you could find that it pays to invest in a four cartridge machine rather than the base level two cartridge version. This is because the two cartridge machines tend to waste colour ink and cartridges are horribly expensive. Inkjet printers are good all rounders for general purpose home or small business use but they’re not good for high volume work. You can print onto paper, card, photo paper, canvas and other media to get different effects.

Laser Printers

Laser printers use toner, a very fine powder, rather than ink. They’ve been the best option for heavy office use because they produce a high quality black finish and are relatively cheap to run. Prices of lasers have fallen but be careful. The cost of toners, just like cartridges, is worth calculating before you buy. They’re great for high volume use but they take a while to warm up, so are not really suitable for single sheet printing.

Solid Ink Printers

Solid ink printers are produced almost exclusively by Tektronix / Xerox and are typically aimed at those businesses needing high volume colour printing. They used to be cheaper to buy, and to run, than lasers but the price gap has narrowed. Quality of text and graphic reproduction is not as good as the top colour laser printers and photographic repro is inferior to the best inkjets.

Dye-Sublimation Printers

Dye-Sublimation printers are not worth considering, unless you need to print the highest quality photographic images. They’re usually more expensive to buy and run than lasers or inkjets but they do reproduce durable and visually stunning images. A constraint is that they are usually limited to photo sized prints and can only print onto specialised paper. And they’re not quick either.

Dot Matrix Printers

Old technology and cheap to run, dot matrix printers are slow, noisy and suitable only for continuous staionery and other low quality outputs. Cost of Ownership

In summary, when buying a printer, be clear about the quality and volumes you’re likely to need, the cost of consumables and the likely lifetime of the print.

Checkout where to get cheap computer printers including canon and all the major manufacturers here.

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