Choosing the Right Color Printer
Fortunately, choosing a color printer is not something that has to be done every day. There are so many to choose from, that selecting the right model can take a long time. With a few simple tips, and using some of your research skills, you can easily choose the perfect one for your needs.
First, let's take a look at options and what you want the printer to be able to do. Are you interested in faxing? How about scanning? This will determine whether or not you want an all-in-one or a stand-alone printer. Most all-in-one models are able to send and receive faxes, scan documents and photos and make copies. Better all-in-one printers can fax color documents, print photos directly from memory cards, DV camcorders, and digital cameras. They can even automatically enhance the photos you wish to print.
There are even all-in-one machines than can do all of this, without a computer attached. And with the addition of an automatic document feeder, faxing long documents is no longer a time consuming task. Whether you are looking for an all-in-one, or a single purpose model, there are a few things you should check. For any machine that you intend to purchase, do a quick search on the internet and see what other users have to say about that model. If you find a site that sells the printer, many times they will allow comments. This will be one of your best sources of information.
If you will be printing color photos then you will need a multi cartridge machine as these can give more accurate representation of colors.
Ink is the single largest running cost. You pay for the machine one time. You will be buying ink, and paper for the life of the printer. This can add up fast. Paper costs are pretty standard across the board. The same pack of paper can be used in every printer. But ink is different for every brand, and sometimes every model. The model you choose will directly impact the cost of your printing.
Let me give you an example. I own a machine that uses 6 separate ink tanks. This allows me to just replace the color that is empty, while keeping the half-full cartridges in place to fully empty them. Make sure and check the cost of purchasing refilled cartridges. Many manufactures produce a high quality refilled cartridge. And they can be very inexpensive. Today, I can buy 7 refilled cartridges for my printer, for $10.21. This is at a major online store. This includes one of each color plus an additional black cartridge. That's a cost of less than $2 each. After I empty the cartridges, I take them to my local office supply store. They give me $3 credit for each empty cartridge. I'll let you calculate the cost to print on that deal.
One last tip. Don't buy a printer just because it's cheap. There are companies that almost give their models away. Then you have to buy their expensive propriety ink cartridges. So do a little research on the Internet and you can find a color printer that you will be happy with for years to come.
