How to choose a printer for quality printing

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

In order not to miscalculate when buying, pay attention to the technology of work, load and useful functions.

1. Decide on the type of device

There are two types of printers: traditional printers, which are designed exclusively for printing, and multifunctional devices (MFPs). In addition to printing texts and photos, MFPs allow you to scan and copy documents. Some models can even send data by fax.

Like conventional printers, MFPs support various printing technologies and differ only in additional functions. The machine takes up less space than a printer, scanner and copier, and costs less than three separate units. However, like any multifunctional technique, MFPs are not without drawbacks and, at the same cost, are inferior in quality and reliability to specialized printers.

It is worth buying an MFP in pursuit of the number of functions only if you really need them and will be used often. Otherwise, it is better to stay with a regular printer.

What to buy:

• Inkjet printer Epson L120, 8 290 rubles →
• Laser printer HP LaserJet Pro M15w, 6 990 rubles →
• Inkjet MFP Epson L3151, 15 990 rubles →
• Laser MFP Samsung Xpress M2070, 9,990 rubles →

2. Estimate the load

For the correct selection of the printer, it is important to define its tasks. Inexpensive home models are not designed for heavy loads and will quickly break down when working in the office due to increased wear and tear. In the same way, the capabilities of professional devices will be redundant in everyday life and will not justify the money spent.

Estimate how much a standard 500-sheet package of paper is enough for you, and determine the monthly print volume. If the batch is sold out in about a week, then the page load is 2,000 pages. If barely enough for a couple of days, then the print volume is at least 10 thousand pages.

Check the printer documentation for the manufacturer's recommended monthly load and use this figure as a starting point.

What to buy:

• Samsung Xpress M2020W laser printer (up to 10,000 pages / month), 5 590 rubles →
• Color laser printer Xerox Phaser 6020 (up to 30,000 pages / month), 12 490 rubles →

3. Select a printing technology

If you do not take into account outdated and less common technologies, now there are four types of image formation in printers. Each has its own advantages, disadvantages and tasks for which they are best suited.

Inkjet

Such devices operate on liquid ink. The print is created from droplet dots that are pushed out of the print head. Inkjet printers offer high quality color printing at an affordable price and are great for photography. Disadvantages - drying of ink with rare use, not very high resource of cartridges and slow printing.

Choose an inkjet printer if you regularly print a small amount of documents or are interested in photo printing.

What to buy:

• Inkjet printer HP Ink Tank 115, 7 490 rubles →
• Canon Pixma G1411 inkjet printer, 7 390 rubles →

Laser

Laser printers use powder toner instead of liquid ink, which is laser-transferred to paper and baked. The advantages of such devices include high print speeds, sharper and more moisture-resistant prints, as well as unlimited toner life. Cons - high price and color quality inferior to inkjet counterparts.

Choose a laser printer if you print a lot of documents and do not need photo printing.

What to buy:

• Laser printer Canon i ‑ SENSYS LBP112, 6 990 rubles →
• Laser printer Xerox B210VDNI, 8 690 rubles →

LED

A variation of the previous technology, which uses a panel with several thousand LEDs instead of a laser. It works on the same principle. The differences are in a more compact body size and a slightly lower print speed.

Choose an LED printer if you print a lot of documents and do not plan to work with photos.

What to buy:

• LED color printer Xerox Phaser 6020BI, 14,990 rubles →
• LED color printer Xerox Phaser 6510, 25 870 rubles →

Sublimation

During the printing process, the ink evaporates under high temperature and, getting into the pores of the paper, is reliably fixed there. In addition to very high quality color printing with perfect halftone reproduction, prints are also resistant to fading. The main disadvantage is the high price of the printer and consumables.

Choose a dye sublimation printer if you are interested in flawless photo printing and are willing to pay for quality.

What to buy:

• Compact sublimation photo printer Canon Selphy CP1300, 7 762 rubles →
• Sublimation photo printer DNP DS ‑ RX1 HS, 47 800 rubles →

4. Consider the number of colors

All printers are divided into monochrome and color. The former have one cartridge and can only make black and white prints - suitable for text documents, tables, graphs and other office papers. With the latter, it is a little more complicated: in such devices there are from 4 to 12 cartridges. And although you can print a photo on any color printer, the quality will be different.

The base models use four cartridges: black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. In semi-professional, light blue and light purple are added, which are responsible for more detailed rendering of the tones of the sky and skin. In professional technology, there are even more cartridges, but it is very expensive and is designed for printing on large paper sizes.

The more cartridges, the better the color gamut and the quality of the halftone reproduction. For home photo printing, four colors are enough; with six, you can even get pictures close to the level of a darkroom.

What to buy:

• Canon Pixma TS704 inkjet printer (4 colors), 5 490 rubles →
• Inkjet printer Canon PIXMA IX6840 (5 colors), 16 690 rubles →
• Inkjet printer Epson L805 (6 colors), 18,990 rubles →

5. Find out the resolution of your prints

In printers, this parameter is measured in dpi (dots per inch) and means the maximum number of dots per square inch from which an image is formed. The higher the resolution, the more detailed the photo will turn out, but also the longer it will take to print it.

For text documents, 600 dpi is more than enough, for diagrams and other graphics, 1200 dpi is needed. For acceptable photo quality, the resolution should be from 2,400 dpi and higher.

What to buy:

• Laser printer Pantum P2207 (1200 × 1200 dpi), 3 955 rubles →
• Color inkjet printer Canon IP-110 (9 600 × 2 400 dpi), 21 190 rubles →

6. Check the print speed

Print speed varies depending on the type of printer. Inkjet, designed for light duty, the speed is about 10 black and white and 5 color A4 pages per minute. Laser and LED are distinguished by higher performance: 20 monochrome and about the same full color. In professional printers designed for frequent use, the speed reaches 50 pages per minute, regardless of the printing technology.

For a home device, this parameter is not so important, but when buying for an office, you should focus on the number of users and the level of workload. An office with 3-5 employees will need a printer that prints up to 20-30 copies per minute, while a department for 10 or more people will need a machine with a capacity of up to 50 pages per minute.

What to buy:

• Canon Maxify IB4140 inkjet printer (24 ppm), 7 890 rubles →
• Laser printer HP LaserJet Pro M404dn (38 ppm), 17 590 rubles →

7. Find out the acceptable paper settings

Most printers print on standard A4 sheets, as well as smaller derivatives. Models exclusively focused on photo printing support the A6 format for 10x15 cm photographs. Professional printers can print on A3 sheets, but are not widely available and are very expensive.

In addition to size, paper has such an important parameter as density. The standard figure is 80 g / m², but it can vary from 32 to 240 g / m². Thin sheets are wrinkled by the rollers during printing and sometimes cause seizures and damage to the printer mechanism.

If you have any specific paper size or weight requirements, refer to your printer documentation. Manufacturers must indicate these data.

What to buy:

• Compact photo printer Canon Selphy CP1000 (10 × 15 cm), 6 990 rubles →
• Inkjet printer Epson L1300 (A3 +), 41,990 rubles →

8. Check the connection interfaces

Most basic printers are connected to a computer using a USB cable. More advanced versions have Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity, and in some cases even Bluetooth. Network connection options are more convenient because the printer is not tied to a computer and can be accessed over a local network from a laptop or mobile device.

For use with one computer, USB is sufficient, but if you need to print from multiple PCs, then it is better to choose a printer with Ethernet and Wi-Fi. In the latter case, you don't even have to pull the wires to the router.

What to buy:

• Inkjet MFP Canon Pixma TS5140 (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth), 4 490 rubles →
• Laser printer Pantum P3010DW (Wi-Fi), 7 690 rubles →

9. Check compatibility

All printers are guaranteed to work with Windows. The only exceptions are outdated versions, which are not supported in the latest generation models.

This is not the case with Linux and macOS. Both operating systems are less common, so not all manufacturers bother to create the necessary drivers for work.

Be sure to check that the printer is compatible with the computer to be printed before purchasing.

10. Understand the advanced features

Supports PZK and CISS

Useful options for inkjet printers to help you save on consumables. Refillable cartridge is a refillable cartridge: instead of replacing it with a new one, you just need to add fresh ink with a syringe. CISS is a continuous ink supply system. Thanks to external containers for dyes of increased volume, which are connected to cartridges inside the printer, CISS will completely allow you to forget about refueling for a year or even more.

Unofficial PZK and CISS can not be installed on all printers, so it is better to clarify this before purchasing. Some models are equipped with similar systems already from the factory: they are more expensive, but they are guaranteed to work.

If you are going to print a lot and often, choose the CISS. For periodical printing in small volumes, give preference to the shut-off device.

What to buy:

• Inkjet printer Epson M1120 (CISS), 11 890 rubles →
• Inkjet printer Epson L810 (CISS), 26,990 rubles →

Duplex printing

A useful feature for automatic double-sided printing. This can be done manually on any printer, but for multi-page documents, the process is rather confusing and complicated.

If you plan to frequently print various brochures, abstracts and want to save paper, this function will come in handy.

What to buy:

• Inkjet printer Canon PIXMA GM2040, 13,990 rubles →
• Laser printer HP LaserJet Pro M404dn, 17 590 rubles →

Borderless printing

In the process, printers use margins from the edges of the sheet. And if for ordinary documents this is even good and necessary, then for color photographs that are printed on expensive photo paper, such frames are wasteful.

What to buy:

• Canon Pixma TS9140 inkjet MFP, 15 490 rubles →
• Compact photo printer Huawei Pocket Photo CV80, 6 990 rubles →

AirPrint

Apple's proprietary technology that allows you to print documents and photos from iPhone, iPad and Mac without installing drivers or additional software.

If you are using Apple technology, then it is better to buy a printer with AirPrint support.

What to buy:

• Laser printer HP LaserJet Pro M15w, 6 990 rubles →
• Inkjet printer Canon PIXMA IP110 with battery, 21 190 rubles →

Card reader and USB port

Some models have the ability to print images from memory cards and USB sticks. This is convenient for using the printer without a computer: just insert the media into the slot, select the necessary settings and send the print job.

If you want to print photos directly from the camera or documents from a flash drive, the function will definitely come in handy.

What to buy:

• Laser MFP Xerox WorkCentre 3025BI, 9 590 rubles →
• Inkjet MFP HP Ink Tank Wireless 415, 12 490 rubles →