How to choose a printer?

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You need to determine the main criteria for what you actually require from the printer.Here are a few questions that can help guide you toward the best choice.

How often, what documents, and in what quality do you plan to print?

Will it mainly be black-and-white text, color graphics, or photographs?

How important is print speed to you?

For home or business printing?

What format do I want to print in?

How many pages will I probably print per month?

Do you need functions other than printing?

(copying, scanning, Wi-Fi, CD printing, automatic duplex printing,..)

Summary, advantages and disadvantages

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Lower acquisition cost	Higher printing cost
Higher print quality	Possible ink drying
Low energy consumption	Possible smudging
Great for photo printing

An inkjet printer is cheaper to purchase, but if you calculate the printing costs, you will find that ink cartridges are a slightly more expensive matter.

If you print a small number of documents a few times a month, it is not that important for you, but if you print several dozen pages of text every day, it will already be noticeable in your wallet.An inkjet printer does not consume as much electrical energy as a laser printer because it does not need to heat up before each print.If you plan to print mainly photographs, an inkjet printer is recommended.Not only do photos from an inkjet printer have more vivid colors, but they also feature better-rendered details.The disadvantage of inkjet printing is its lack of water resistance.When an ink print comes into contact with water, the ink will inevitably run.You also need to be careful during the printing itself.If you are printing a larger area, the ink may not yet be properly dry when it comes out of the printer, and you may smudge the print.The longer the intervals between printing, the greater the risk of the print head drying out.It is therefore recommended to turn on the printer at least once a week and print one page.

 

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High printing speed	Higher energy consumption
Great for document printing	Higher purchase price
Cheaper printing	Not suitable for photo printing
Does not dry out

A laser printer is more expensive than an inkjet printer.

If you print more often, you will appreciate its faster printing compared to an inkjet printer.Another advantage is the lower acquisition costs for printing. Toner is indeed more expensive than an ink cartridge in many cases, but in terms of price per number of printed pages, it always comes out better.Thanks to the printing technology, a laser printer is not suitable for printing photos, but if you only print documents, you will appreciate the sharp letters, which tend to be rather blurred on an inkjet printer.The disadvantage is higher energy consumption caused by heating up the printer before each print.If you splash water on documents printed on a laser printer, they definitely won’t smudge like they would with an inkjet printer.You can have any delays between printing, because toner does not dry out like a cartridge.