Buying an Inkjet Printer: Dos and Don’ts
Are you in the market to buy a new inkjet printer? If so, I urge you to take the following suggestions with you when you go shopping. They are dos and don’ts that are sure to save you from disappointment! They’re also very simple and easy to implement. Continue reading for the full scoop!
Quality Speaks for Itself
Often times, we ask for the best without realizing we don’t really need that kind of technology. Take printing, for example. You don’t really need high quality printing if you’re in the business of printing large pictures and photographs. It’s enough for individuals and even small businesses to go for a medium quality printer that prints just as well. Print quality is nothing but the number of dots per inch. So, the greater the number, the higher the print quality will be.
For a printer, this is as important as the ink that goes with it. The best way to judge this is to ask if the printer you’re buying needs a separate set of ink cartridges for good quality prints. If the vendor says, “yes,” it’s likely the regular ink cartridges are filled with inferior quality ink and you should avoid buying a printer like that. The next step is to actually take some paper and test the print quality yourself. What usually happens is that vendors conduct the trial by printing the photo on very high quality photo paper. So, when you see the very same photo printed on plain paper, you will immediately know if the printer and ink are inferior. If there are ink smears or the edges are blurred, you’ll know for sure that the printer is not good enough for you.
Speed Matters
This one is also a matter of volumes. If you run a small office or if your printing needs are limited, ignore this tip. On the other hand, if your work requires you to print 20 pages a minute (which could be true if you have a small printing press), it makes sense to look at the print speed, which is usually measured by the number of pages per minute. Be it 10 pages a minute or 20 pages a minute, this kind of speed works wonders if you have a high volume business where printing means everything.
Replacement Costs
Here is the real scam! Most printer manufacturers sell printers very cheap, only to make up for it by manufacturing costly ink cartridges. So, before you choose a printer, be sure to find out the cost of the ink cartridge as well. If it’s outrageous, skip it and go for the next brand and then keep at it until you find a printer that’s cheap on both ends. You know, something that works just a little bit better for you!
Happy printer shopping!
~ Zahid H. Javali