Buying a Printer For Your Home Or Office
Choosing the lowest-priced printer for your home or small business may seem like a good idea at the time, but it can end up costing you more money in the long run. Some ink jet printers are relatively inexpensive at the time of purchase, but the cost of replacement ink can, and will, add up. For some brands, the ink is more expensive than the actual printer.
When considering a home or office printer, make sure to check the prices its replacement ink cartridges. Find out how many pages each cartridge will print before needing to be changed. Compare that with the approximate number of pages you figure will be printed per month, then per year. This will give you a good idea of how often you'll need to buy the replacement cartridges and how much you'll be spending yearly on printer ink. You can also consider stocking up on ink if you know that you'll be using a particular color more often than others. Perhaps you have a blue logo, for example, and know that most of your printed documents will incorporate the logo. If you prink mainly in black and white, consider buying extra black ink to have handy when it's time for replacement.
Most ink jet printers have improved their speed over the past few years. They've gotten faster and the print quality has been enhanced. Typically, an ink jet printer will complete three to five pages per minute of text and one photo page or graphic artwork in two to three minutes. Higher-end ink jets can produce professional photo-quality prints. If you anticipate using your printer for graphic or photographic work, look for the models that are built specifically for that type of use. Some models even have built-in memory card port and a LCD panel that shows you the photo and offers options for quick cropping and editing without having to use your computer's photo software.
For text documents, you might want to look into buying an inexpensive black and white laser printer. This type of printer can give you much higher text quality than even a high-end ink jet. A black and white laser printer can cost as low as $200, making them a good deal for home or small business use. You can use a laser printer in conjunction with a color ink-jet. One for text documents, one for color graphics and photos.
Color laser printer toner cartridges are very expensive compared to ink jet cartridges. However, a toner cartridge can produce much more printed documents at a higher quality than an ink jet cartridge. In the long run, a color laser toner can actually save you money when you take into account the amount of high-quality pages it can complete.
Finding the right printer for your home office or small business comes down to cost, quality and performance. It's all about what you plan to print and the best way get it printed. Consider the cost of replacement ink or toner and choose the printer, laser or ink jet, which is most suited for your needs.
Mr. Oliver is a marketing agent of Cobb Technologies. The retailer specializes in copiers and printers to fit a wide variety of personal and office needs throughout the Richmond Virginia area. For more information on their Printers Richmond Virginia please visit their website.
