How to choose the right printer

If you are thinking about buying a printer and you have not decided, maybe these basic notions and tips can help you. These are the main concepts that you have to know in order not to make mistakes and choose the right printer.

The types of printers:

Inkjet printers

They are printers that, in general, are recommended for users who print few copies per month. Although they are becoming more robust and there are models capable of printing up to 1,000 pages per month without problems, it is normal to be a type of printer recommended for less than 500 pages / month. The only drawback is the speed of printing, since they tend to be a bit slow, but the quality of the print in both black and white, as in color, is very good and the price of ink cartridges has dropped a lot, so which is an ideal printer for small offices or offices and for the home.

Laser printers

They are recommended machines for users with high printing needs, either in color or in black and white. They are more solid and resistant and are designed to print more than 1,000 copies a month. Although its print quality is not as good as the inkjet, it is quite acceptable and they are much faster, which makes them perfect for offices and schools.

Multifunction printers

They are the ones that have evolved the most in recent times. They are printers that, in addition to printing, make photocopies, scan or send faxes and exist both in inkjet and laser. This type of printer is recommended for users who need to cover several of those needs but do not want to have several devices. This can be used for special needs such as EDDM printing although for professional needs, asking for help from a third party is highly recommended. https://www.55prints.com/cheap-every-door-direct-mail-eddm-printing/ is one example of how we can need professional help for EDDM printing.

Compared with its equivalent in only printer, they have no real drawback, and even the price is very similar, so they have become the best selling printing devices. The recommendations to choose between multifunction laser and multifunction inkjet are the same as between laser printer and inkjet printer, so you can apply the same tips.

Characteristics

After defining what type of printer we need, we must think about what characteristics we could use. These are some of the most common:

WiFi connection
Many models have the ability to connect to them via Wi-Fi, eliminating the inconvenience that some users assume the cables and allowing printing from any device, whether the computer, phone, tablet or even TV.

Network connection

It allows to connect the printer to a network without having to physically depend on a computer, enabling all users of the network to print without having it directly connected.
Duplex

It is the ability of the printer to print double-sided.

Ink cost:

Once defined the needs and characteristics of the printer we want, it is time to see the cost of ink cartridges or toner. It is the last thing to look at, but it can be the most important, much more than the cost of the machine itself. Many times the cheapest printer is, in the long run, the most expensive. Many users do not fall into the fact that the ink consumed during the life of a printer is much more expensive than the printer itself. To be able to compare prices in a more realistic way we have to calculate the cost per printed page, for which it will be enough to divide the price of the cartridge or toner among the number of copies that can be printed.

This will help us to identify the real cost of consumables and, taking it into account, to choose the most economical option for our needs without losing sight of the fact that, for most models of printers, there are compatible cartridges or toners that have prices up to 60% lower than the original ones.

As you can see, they are basic tips and recommendations but very simple to follow and that can save us some unpleasant surprises when choosing a printer.