Choosing The Right Printer For Your Needs

Best Printer Under 100 - It is unavoidable that that sooner or later you will need to print something from your computer. A good printer can make your digital photos sparkle or your school assignments stand out from the pack. It may be school reports, photos, bank statements or office documents. Printers can range from one-function machines, to the multi-functional machines that can scan, print and copy. Not only do you have to think about printer functions, but you also need to consider ink requirements to determine if the printer is a good investment.

Choosing the right printer for your needs and workflow is an important process. For example, if you seldom use a printer, then it's not worth getting a printer that will give you the best quality and fastest performance – you could choose a budget model that is perfect for occasional print jobs.

Different printers are designed for different capacities. Think about how often you will need to use your printer. If you just need a printer to print an occasional article that you find or web pages of information that you were looking for, then the cheaper, low-end printers can handle these light print jobs.

Generally, an inkjet printer will have at least one colour ink tank and one black ink tank, which combine to produce the colours that you see on the page, although some printers have individual tanks for each colour and might also include more than three colours. Some models designed for high quality photo printing may have six individual colour ink cartridges or more.

A laser printer is useful if you have high volume printing needs – such as in the office – as its toner can print many more pages than even the largest inkjet tanks. Laser printers are also generally faster than inkjet printers for completing large print jobs.

There are two types of laser printers: monochrome, which will only print in black and white; and colour, which will print in colour or black and white. Colour laser printers are more expensive than monochrome lasers, and are generally bigger in size too, unless you opt for a compact laser printer.

A basic monochrome laser printer can be bought for as little as $70, while a basic colour laser might cost around $150. Prices will vary greatly depending on how fast the printers are and also what type of features are installed, such as an extra paper tray or a duplex unit for printing on both sides of the paper.

Laser printers are designed for work or home office environments but some small units are available for personal use, too. Laser printers are great for printing large jobs quickly, with crystal clear text. Many lasers don't print photos well at all, so if you regularly print out only pages of text and charts, and don't mind printing your photos at a store, then a laser printer may be a good choice for you.

If you want to buy a printer, and also need a device that can scan photos and documents onto your computer, then a multifunction printer is what you should consider. Multifunction printers are basically a standard inkjet or laser printer, but with a flatbed scanner on top, where you can place the documents you want to copy or scan into your computer. Some models also have a fax/modem built in, so they can be used as a fax machine. The benefit of a multifunction printer is that it is an all-in-one device, so you don't use much desk space, nor do you need extra power outlets and computer ports to plug it in.

However, beware that for some all-in-one machines, the functions are interdependent. If you are low on toner and you cannot print, this may also prevent you from scanning. Multi-functional machines are a little more expensive than stand-alone printers, depending on the model. But the convenience of having multi-functions in one machine attracts many users.

Ink is an important thing to consider. You will notice that printers go on sale quite often, and sometimes a printer can be free after rebates. However, ink is usually where the money is spent. When you are making a selection, look at the type of ink that is used.

A printer that uses individual ink cartridges for each colour has the advantage of only needing to replace one colour when the colour runs out. On the other hand, printers that use cartridges that contain three or more colours will need the whole thing replaced if just one colour runs out. This is a cost consideration. So, make your decision wisely.