How do you choose a printer?
What do you mainly use the printer for?
Print at home
Are you looking for a printer for at home? You don't want a large product. That's why printers for at home are compact. There are single-function printers and all-in-one models, which allow you to scan and copy as well. These printers are suitable for printing papers, your bookkeeping, and e-tickets. With some printers for at home, you can print vacation photos as well. These printers have a higher printing quality.
Print at the office
Office printers are made with speed, efficiency, and low printing costs in mind. With a business printer, you can print extra fast and in large amounts. These printers often have extra functions as well, like an automatic document feeder and automatic duplex printing. This saves you both time and paper. Business printers aren't just useful in offices, because you can also print more efficiently in your home office with these printers.
Print photos
Photo printers go even further than color printers. These printers have a minimum print resolution of 4800x1200DPI. A photo printer has more than 4 cartridges and even uses special photo black, light cyan, light gray, or light magenta ink sometimes. This allows you to print photos with sharp colors and a beautiful contrast. If the printer uses multiple cartridges, the color gamut is wider. You can keep photo paper in a separate photo paper tray, so you don't have to replace the paper all the time.
How often do you print?
If you print occasionally, a basic printer is good enough. Extra functions like duplex printing and a fast print speed are often unnecessary. Do you print often and a lot? You want to be able to do this quickly and save paper. That's why you should choose a printer with a higher print speed. If you mainly print text and tables, a laser printer is a good option. You can print more beneficial and faster than with an inkjet printer. Do you want to print images as well? An inkjet printer is a better choice.
Do you want to print affordably?
Do you print a lot? You want to save on printing costs. There are 3 options for affordable printing: a laser printer, an ink tank printer, or an ink subscription. Do you only print text? A laser printer is the best option. With a printer with an ink tank, you can print thousands of pages with just 1 set of affordable ink bottles. With these printers, you can print vibrant images as well. There are also ink subscriptions, like HP Instant Ink, Epson ReadyPrint, the Canon PIXMA Print Plan, and Brother EcoPro. With these, you pay a fixed amount per month for the number of pages you print.
Do you want to copy and scan?
Do you want 1 product you can copy, scan, and even fax with? An all-in-one printer is suitable for you. The advantage of an all-in-one printer is that you don't need a separate scanner, copier, or fax machine. Do you only use your printer to print? Don't worry about a built-in scanner and fax, and choose a single-function printer. If you scan or copy often, you should choose a printer with automatic document feeder. These printers automatically copy a stack of paper, which saves you time and manual work.
