| While at work, I help a lot of customers pick out a new | | | | page yields average 3000 to 5000 plus pages printed |
| printer. So in this article I will cover some of the most | | | | per cartridge. Inkjet cartridges get you between |
| commonly asked questions I get. But... Before you go | | | | approximately 200 to 600 pages per cartridge. These |
| out looking for a new printer, here are some of the | | | | page yields are usually based on printing text only at |
| things you should ask yourself. | | | | 5% page coverage. |
| 1. What are my printing needs? You really want to | | | | Photo Printer vs. Document Printer |
| know what you'll be printing before choosing a printer. | | | | In the ink jets, there are differences between the two. |
| Some printers are more efficient for certain types of | | | | This has mainly to do with the ink. There are two |
| printing then are others. Some can be quite costly to | | | | types, dye based inks, which are better for photo's, |
| maintain if all you are going to do is print out your | | | | and pigment based inks which are better for |
| homework. | | | | documents. Some inks are chemically formulated to |
| 2. How many pages per day, week, month will I print? | | | | work with the manufacturers brand of photo paper, |
| Your printing volume is important. For example, if your | | | | but most brands of photo paper will work with any |
| print volume is high, you may want to consider a laser | | | | printer. Hewlet Packard for example has put kind of a |
| printer for long term cost savings. | | | | bar code on back of their photo paper which the |
| 3. Do I want to print photo's or just documents. While | | | | printer reads, claiming a chemical bond with HP Photo |
| photo quality printers will print any document, it may be | | | | Paper and therefore the fastest print. |
| costly to do so in some printers, as the black ink | | | | Another difference is in the print heads (where the ink |
| cartridges often tend to be different prices, sometimes | | | | sprays out from). With Canon, Brother, Epson and |
| higher sometimes lower then the color. | | | | some newer HP's, the print heads are actually a part |
| 4. Do I even need to print in color or just black and | | | | of the machine. This requires regular printing, meaning |
| white? Small black and white laser printers have come | | | | at least a page a month (weekly would be better), |
| way down in prices these days. | | | | otherwise the print heads could dry up, and then it can |
| 5. What type of paper will I want to use? (Cardstock, | | | | actually be cheaper to replace the printer, if the |
| photo paper, mailing labels etc.) If you intend to print out | | | | replacement print heads are even available. These |
| greeting cards on cardstock, you need to go with a | | | | printers are generally better for photo printing. |
| slightly higher end printer. Cheap printers can't handle | | | | With Lexmark and most HP's the print head is a part |
| that thickness of paper. | | | | of the cartridge. So when you replace the cartridge, |
| 6. Does the printer I am replacing use a USB Cable or | | | | you get a new print head. These tend to be better |
| does it have a Parallel (big fat Plug)? Printers no longer | | | | document printers, although they will print out good |
| come with the cables to hook them up to the | | | | photo's the others tend to be better at it. |
| computer. | | | | The market trend in home printers is pushing more |
| 7. It also helps to know the age of the computer you | | | | towards photo quality. With print resolutions reaching |
| will be hooking it up to. If you are still using Windows 95, | | | | 9600 DPI, (Dots Per Inch), you would never know the |
| your pretty much out of luck and would be better off | | | | difference between a photograph printed from your |
| looking for a used printer on eBay, Windows 98, it's | | | | printer vs. one that is printed out at your local photo |
| going to be hard. If you are using XP, your USB ports | | | | shop. However, many of the new features of some |
| may still be out of date and need to be upgraded, at a | | | | of these printers can be confusing. |
| cost of aprox $30 bucks for a USB 2.0 card and $30 | | | | Features |
| for an install. (If you bought your computer in the last 3 | | | | Photo printers are coming with a range of new |
| years or so, you should be ok with this.) It can also be | | | | features including card readers and LCD screens. With |
| helpful if you know how much memory your computer | | | | this combination, you can take the card from your |
| has and how fast your processor is. This can be | | | | digital camera and put it in the printer. Your pictures |
| found out by going to the control panel on your start | | | | then show up on the screen and you can print out the |
| menu and clicking on the system icon. | | | | photo from that. |
| Once you know this information, you are ready to go | | | | Picture bridge capabilities is another common feature. |
| choose a printer. The first thing you will notice is that | | | | With this type of set up, you plug your picture bridge |
| there are a lot of differences between printers. | | | | compatible camera into the printer and tell it to print the |
| Laser Printer vs. Inkjet | | | | picture from the camera. Pretty much any name brand |
| For the average home user an inkjet printer is | | | | digital camera 2 to 3 years old will have this capibility. |
| adequate. Most people I deal with want to be able to | | | | All in One machines, can print, copy, scan and some |
| print out the occasional photo from their digital camera | | | | even have fax capabilities. To fax you plug a phone |
| and their documents. Some just want to print out their | | | | line into the printer. Many of these may not work |
| homework. An ink jet printer is great for this. | | | | properly with older computers because of the |
| Laser printers are more designed around the needs of | | | | outdated USB ports. |
| a business. They are more cost effective for higher | | | | Some printers are network ready. You can plug them |
| volume printing. They do not use ink, instead they use a | | | | into a router and print from any computer on the |
| powdery substance called toner. Many are black and | | | | network. Others can be used in a network with a print |
| white only, and take a single toner cartridge, color laser | | | | server. |
| printers take four toner cartridges, black, cyan, | | | | Attachments |
| magenta and yellow. | | | | Although most printers come with a set of cartridges, |
| Laser printers are usually a lower resolution print and | | | | these are usually starter cartridges. This first set has |
| are not considered photo quality. However they give a | | | | about half to a third of the ink in a new set of |
| permanent bond, so if you intend to print out brochures, | | | | cartridges. So the sales person will try to talk you into |
| they are better done on a laser printer. If the paper | | | | buying a set of cartridges. |
| gets wet, it can still be read, unlike an inkjet. A few of | | | | You will also need to buy a USB cable to hook the |
| these such as Oki, use a waxed based toner which | | | | printer up. Although older printers came with a parallel |
| gives you a nice magazine quality glossy print, most | | | | cable to hook up to the computer, these cables are |
| however give a flat finish. | | | | outdated. So you may also have to be prepared to |
| A toner cartridge can range in price from $50 on up. | | | | buy a cable. |
| Although toner is usually more expensive per cartridge, | | | | |