BEST PRINTERS OF 2016
It can be a tough job to select a printer as they have so many features to choose from and printers are available with almost any possible mishmash of those variations. Below are given some pointers that will help you find both the right model and category within that type.
The three most functional ways to categorize printers are by technology, intended use (home or office) and purpose (general or special). You can define your needs by all three categories and then you are well on your way to find the printer right for you.
Most printer including most injects that are marketed by manufacturers as photo printers are general purpose models which are meant for printing text, photos and graphics. Special purpose printers include dedicated and near dedicated photo printers, portable printers and label printers. Even among the special printers, 3D ones are a unique case. If you are searching for a model to print let’s say photos, consider what you want from your printer, whether you want to print only photos or a printer than can produce other kinds of output also.
General- purpose printers focus on photos if intended for home use or on text if they are intended for office. Many all-in-one printers or MFPs are designed for home and office printer (particularly for home offices), generally favoring one role over the other. By planning how you are going to use the printer, pick on designed for that role. Let’s have a look on some of the best printers of 2016 and this will ease your process of getting a printer for you.
Epson Expression Home XP-430-Best Printer:
The Epson Expression Home XP-430 is best multifunction printer for students and families with compact form factor and trays that can be folded into the device when it is not being used. It has “small-in-One” nickname. It can print from almost any device such as iPads, iPhones, PCs, Macs, Chromebooks and Android devices, which amps up the convenience factor.
The XP-430 replaces XP-420 of 2015, holds similar features and boosts the size of color display and updates ink cartridges to 288 tanks. The DuraBrite Ultra Inks reduce smudges immediately after you print a photo or document and adds a bit of water resistance on both glossy and plain photo paper.
Similar to previous design, the XP-430’s space-saving design is machine’s main focus. It measures just 20.8 inches deep, 15.4 inches wide and 11 inches tall when the printer is ready for action means with both paper trays fully extended and when they are closed, you can fit the printer in the space measuring just 15.4 inches wide, 7.5 inches tall and 11.8 inches depp in storage.
Paper input has the capacity of holding 100 sheets of plain paper and it is also able to accept all different kinds of paper including Ultra Premium Presentation paper, Epson’s own Iron-on Cool Peel Transfer Paper and more. It has no auto-document feeder for batch scanning and copying.
The center control panel resides with a console rotating up to view 2.7 inch mono LCD display at suitable viewing angle. The printer’s directional buttons feature a tactile click that let’s you know when a press is registered.
There is a memory card reader on the front that enables you to print from an SD card without touching a computer. However, you don’t have open USB input to connect a flash drive. You can preview your photos on LCD and make simple adjustments to crop dimensions, resize or perform one-button touch-ups.
It provides you the option to connect your printer to computer using direct USB, Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi Direct if your router supports it. Connecting through Wi-Fi means you can take advantage of Epson’s host of free mobile printing apps letting you print directly from mobile devices. The Epson iPrint application for Android devices and iOS lets you print photos, documents, Web pages and anything else on smarphone directly to the printer.
From any Chrome browser window using Google Cloud Print or connecting immediately to any iOS device using Apple AirPrint, you can take advantage of remote printing. The XP-430 is power-driven internally by three separate color ink cartridges (yellow, magenta, cyan) and a black ink in addition, that saves you the hassle and money of replacing a tricolor ink tank.
Pros:
Reliable output quality
Can print from many mobile devices
Large color screen
Cons:
Doesn’t offer two-sided printing
Cost per page for ink cartridges is a bit higher than average
At an Ultra affordable price, the Epson Expression Home XP-430 is one of the best printers and combines a space-saving design and a reliable multifunction printing.
Brother MFC-J470DW-Best Printer:
The Brother MFC-J470DW is an easy to use multifunction inkjet printer which operates as a dedicated copier, scanner and fax machine. It advances in design beyond the clunky older sibling, with its compact footprint measuring 7.1 inches tall, 14.7 inches deep and 16.1 inches wide. Though it is not the smaller printer on the shelf but it still holds the bragging rights for its “Small-in-One” series.
It as an integrated useful piece of hardware the duplexer, which automatically flips over the sheet of paper to print on both sides and offices can save money on paper. On top, there is a 20-sheet auto-document feeder (ADF) tray useful for batch scanning of faxing utilizing the dedicated phone line. Using an Internet connection to communicate from your computer to the unit, you can also perform a “PC Fax” which is faxing a document without having to print it first.
Its control panel has buttons for menu navigation, phone number entry and mode selection and all are made of mushy rubber that are uncomfortable to use and brings overall experience down a step. It has a 1.8 inch color LCD display on the left side that displays ink levels, location of paper jams and setup assistance.
Brother bills it as a “Work Smart” printer which might explain lack of photocentric features such as memory card reader and PictBridge-compatible USB port for pulling off photos directly from digital cameras and flash storage drives.
There are plastic tabs on removable paper tray on the bottom that easily accommodate popular photo paper sizes 5 by 7 and 4 by 6, in addition to standard sizes like legal, executive, letter and even index cards and envelops.
The flatbed glass scanner fits up to letter-size documents as well and can save projects in different formats onto a hard-drive folder, a Microsoft Office project, an email message or directly into free Scansoft PaperPort document-viewing software that is bundled with the machine.
Following the simple manual instructions, if you connect the printer to your Wi-Fi network, you can set the scanner to send projects to your compatible mobile device automatically, running the Brother iPrint&Scan app for iOS, Windows Phone 7 & 7, Android/Amazon Fire and BlackBerry (Cortado).
Brother offers a full suite of cloud printing software which lets you use your tablet or smartphone in conjunction with Web services like Flicker, Facebook, Dropbox and more to view your projects across wide landscape of services. Brother additionally also works nicely with Apple AirPrint and Google Cloud Print to send wireless jobs to and from printer using the Apple iOS devices and Google Chrome Web browser respectively.
Pros:
Low consumable cost
Fast print speeds
Cloud connectivity
Cons:
Overall plastic feel of unit
Cheap rubber buttons
If, for office, you have only $100 to spend on a multifunction inkjet printer, you are going to have a tough time to find a faster performer with ink refills as cheap as Brother MFC-J470DW which is one of the best printers on the market.
Brother HL-L2360DW-Best Printer:
The Brother HL-L2360DW monochrome laser printer is an upgrade to HL-2270DW. If you have older model now, you will not notice the aesthetic difference between the two unless you look closely. The new model is a bit thinner than the legacy model and is also slightly lighter by more than a pound.
The front lip folds down to unveil the toner part and you can remove the paper tray like most printers. The paper tray is located on the face of the unit for toner refills. Probably you will not need to refill it too often as the printer is capable of holding 250 sheets of 8.5 by 11 inch paper and has a 10,000 page monthly duty cycle. There is a single-sheet manual-feed bypass tray that handles an assortment of different paper sizes including Legal, Letter, envelopes, Executive and A4, A5, A6, B5, B6.
Due to Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) standard, you will face no problem linking your printer with your computer. The WPS lets you create an additional device to your home network in few easy steps mentioned in the accompanying instruction manual and also aided by onscreen drives. If you have your network name and password, you are able to connect the printer and computer without wires in almost 10 minutes.
If you don’t have a wireless connection, instead you can opt for a USB connection to your Windows PC, Mac or Chromebook. Manuals, drivers and software are available via download on the Brother’s website or on the included CD.
The biggest draw of the updated model is wireless printing from iOS or Android device using Brother’s in-house iPrint & Scan app. The app is clear-cut and simple and carries various templates that can be used to create custom projects of your own photos or even an entire photo album. By importing names and address directly from contact list of your phone, you can print own mailing labels as well.
It supports devices running iOS, Android 2.2 or above. But if you don’t have a compatible device you can always works with Google CloudPrint, which is search giant’s browser extension and can print from any device running a Google’s Chrome Web browser version, each window on the Google’s Chrome Web browser has a small print button on toolbar combing your network for a device that will accept Cloud Print connection. And AirPrint which is Apple’s wireless printing format for iOS.
The HL-L2360DW includes 32MB of internal memory and a vigorous 266MHz processor that enables you send more documents through printer and speed up the whole printing process generally.
Unfortunately, Brother offers a “starter” toner cartridge with unit that lasts about 700 pages. It is an annoying step back, but good news is that after you deplete the one in box, you can buy your own standard cartridge for $50 that can yield 2,600 pages approximately, at a very cost-efficient 1.9 cents per page.
Pros:
Small footprint
Easy installation
Supports cloud printing
Cons:
Includes a “starter” grade toner cartridge
If you are looking for a text-only printer than can print from Cloud and will not empty your wallet on toner refills, the HL-2360DW, the best printer would be a strong choice.
Canon Pixma MG5620-Best Printer:
Canon Pixma MG5620 is a wireless inkjet multifunction printer than can scan, copy and print documents in addition to outputting full color photos and text pages. It is an eye-catching printer with a matte black finish and low-profile chassis that will not take much room in your work space.
It measure 18 inches wide, 5.9 inches tall and 14.6 inches deep and with no auto-documentation feeder in the back, it is easy to push this printer all the way flush with a wall keeping it out of the way until you need it. Like most Canon consumer inkjet printers, the flatbed scanner of 2,400×1,200 dpi sits on top of the printer and lifts up by a small indented lip on the lid. You get standard 8.5 by 11.7 inches of space to work with and the company generously gives two articulating hinges on the back that enable you raise the lid and fold it over it over media like textbooks which are extra-thick.
As the multifunction moniker describes, it also works as a copier but lacks a tray that normally lets you place stacks of paper for hands free scanning which is also known as auto-document feeder or ADF. Since this a consumer photo printer. That is not unusual.
With its single-sheet feed tray, either you can copy one sheet at a time using the scanner or duplicate an existing sheet, this could be an immediate deal breaker if you male lot of copies.
The printer has a very easy setup process which requires little effort especially if you start with standard USB connection that aids you install the drivers onto a computer with hard connection.
It is also easy to hook up a Wi-Fi connection that gives you access to files through cloud-based services such as Google Cloud Print and Apple AirPrint that enables you print wirelessly from Google Chromebooks and iOS devices, respectively. Also Cannon works hard to continue improving Canon Easy-PhotoPrint app compatible with devices running Android, iOS and Windows RT.
With the app installed, you can connect to most Selphy devices or Canon Pixma and print single photos with relative ease. Canon also brings in two other software titles: full HD Movie Print which is Canon’s proprietary software which enables you extract high-quality still images from movies that you film on your Canon cameras and My Image Garden which helps you organize and get creative with your photos.
There is a simpe 2.5 inch LCD screen on the front panel that works well to display details about your prints, though you will not be doing heavy duty photo editing on it.
Pros:
Includes auto-duplexer for double sided prints
Excellent output quality
Easy to connect with wireless network and mobile
Cons:
Heavy photo printing is limited by expensive ink costs
It lacks a media card bay
While the Canon Pixma MG5620 has an attractive set of features and an easy set-up process, its high cost consumables cuts into the overall value.
HP Officejet 4630-Best Printer:
The stout HP Officejet 4630 is a midrange multifunction inkjet printer. It puts together impressive list of features to $100 price tag which makes it a cost-effective device for busy home offices that require copying, scanning, printing and faxing.
The new flatter design of 4630 features the combination of glossy and matte finishes giving the printer a professional quality. HP made the correct decision moving the paper input tray to the bottom so that you can push it up against the wall without obstructing the paper path. With no paper loaded and all the trays folded up, the printer weight 13.72 pounds and measures 17.56 inches wide, 13.07 inches deep and 7.45 inches tall.
The feeder has the capacity to hold 100 sheets of plain 8.5×11 inch paper but guides also adjust to fit different kinds of media including index cards, envelopes, iron-on transfers and various sizes of photo paper. It has a built-in, automatic duplexer that enables you print both sides of a sheet of paper and also you can load a 35 page stack into the ADF on top for batch scans and faxes.
Purposefully the front panel is kept simple with a backlit monochrome display and few buttons around the border that let you steer through the onscreen menus. There is also a number pas to the right side for adding phone numbers to built-in address book and few more buttons that toggle networking settings, assistance and Web services. The printer is unfortunately missing a media card reader and a USB flash drive port due to which there is no ability to quickly or conveniently print snapshot photos without loading them on a phone or computer first.
Hp provides a manual for initial setup and basic troubleshooting. The driver CD you get is easy to follow with a clearly labeled guide connecting printer to your computer and home network. On the disc there are also a few extra titles that help you update the firmware on printer, shop for paper and ink online and start projects using photos and HP’s Photo Creation templates.
With a simple USB connection, you can start printing in minutes and with subscribing to Google or Apple ecosystems, you can benefit from print sharing and cloud printing features. Alternatively, you can also input SSID and network password into the printer directly to go wireless. HP even provides a way to use printer wirelessly without a router.
Pros:
A dedicated fax machine
Feature rich printer
Compatible with HP’s new Instant Ink refill subscription service
Cons:
Prints slower than competitors
Limited output quality due to expensive tricolor ink tank
Missing an Ethernet port and a media card reader
It is not the fastest printer on market but delivers professional quality prints as well as future-proof features.
Epson Expression Home XP-420-Best Printer:
If you are shopping for a reliable, fast printer in the sub-$100 category that can fit in tight spaces, the Epson Expression Home XP-420 is worth your attention. This “small-in-one”, compact inkjet printer can copy, print and scan along with an array of productivity features.
Its space saving design is the printer’s main focus, measuring a bit more than 15 inches wide, 20 inches deep and 11 inches tall. It features folding paper corral tray guides which help to shrink its overall size when not in use.
There is a scanner inside the printer that tells what type and size of media you load into the rear tray but it still requires you to push the sliding corral tab so that it is snug up against your paper to prevent paper jam when it tries to spool a sheet into the feeder.
The XP-420 falls somewhere between a monochrome laser and a single function inkjet printer but at 9 pounds; it is only half the weight of an average laser and is ideal for offices that might require you to move the unit.
The center control panel resides with a console that can be rotated up to view 2.5 inch color LCD display at an appropriate viewing angle. The XP-420’s directional buttons let you navigate the on-screen menus.
Epson improves the design with new display that doesn’t require much pressure to engage some of the buttons. The display also appears to be more solidly built. As it costs $99 only, you can’t blame it for not including multiple paper input trays or auto-document feeder, so all paper handling is done through the single 100-sheet tray on back and exits through “mouth” below the controls.
The front has a memory card reader to let you print from an SD card without touching a computer. However, like previous models, you don’t get an open USB input to connect a flash drive, which is not a big deal because now the Epson offers one-touch photo uploads to cloud-based services and Facebook. On the LCD, you can preview your photos and can make simple adjustments to crop, resize or perform one button touch-ups.
It provides the option to connect printer to your computer using Wi-Fi or direct USB. Smart setup on the touch panel is just a two part process. The XP-420 is powered by three separate color ink cartridges (yellow, magenta and cyan) and an additional black ink saving you the hassle and money for replacing a tricolor ink tank.
Pros:
Supports full suite of connectivity options
Fast print speeds
Excellent output quality
Cons:
Lacks Pictbridge-compatible USB port
The Epson Expression Home XP-420 is an all-in-one best inkjet printer forging ahead of the competition with its compact design, its ability to print high-quality snapshots and cloud connectivity options.
Epson EcoTank ET-2550-Best Printer:
It might look like a standard small form inkjet printer but one big difference is that instead of traditional inkjet cartridges used by most printers to put images and text on paper, the EcoTank series comes with a set of ink bottles that you yourself empty into a large, refillable reservoir on the side.
Apart from the ink reservoir, the ET-2550 resembles closely the Epson Expression XP-320. Even with the reservoir included, it doesn’t take too much space in an office, measuring 19.3 inches wide, 20.7 inches deep and 11.6 inches tall.
There is a small 1.44 inch color LCD on the front, with a directional pad and three action buttons next to it. The whole console mechanically rotates up/down to be set at adjustable angles according to your work space.
You can lift the top cover up to reveal a 2,400 dpi flatbed scanner which allows you to scan only one document at a time as there is no auto-document feeder. Printer can accept paper from only one source which is the input tray that folds vertically out of the back.
It can hold 100 sheets of paper, typical for a printer to have in home or small office with light printing needs. There is also a small SD card reader on the side of the front panel, for printing documents and photos directly from an external drive.
Epson gives you the option of connecting the printer to your computer using USB direct or Wi-Fi via downloadable software, installation disc or Wi-Fi Direct if your router supports it. It is a two-part process establishing a wireless connection between the printer and your computer. Turn on the printer and click Network Setting, designate your wireless network and enter its password. The entire process takes about 5 minutes.
The process of installation also includes a step which asks if you want your system to automatically hunt and install firmware updates. Connecting through Wi-Fi also means you can benefit from Epson’s host of free mobile printing apps to let you print directly from mobile devices. The Epson iPrint application for Android and iOS devices let you print photos, documents, Web pages and anything else on a smartphone directly to the printer.
You can also take advantage of remote printing from connecting to any iOS device and Chrome browser window using Apple AirPrint and Google Cloud Print respectively.
It might seem like a daunting task to fill up the EcoTank reservoirs when you do it for the first time but actually it is a very simple process if you follow the instructions included in the manual.
Pros:
Multifunction printer
Large ink capacity that can last two years
Offers potential saving over the long term
Cons:
Expensive than cartridge-based models
Minimal display and feature set
Lack Ethernet port, auto-document feeder, fax functionality and duplexing
With the Ultra-low cost refillable ink bottles, the compact Epson EcoTank printer does away with expensive ink cartridges once and for all but it costs you a lot more upfront.
HP Envy 4520-Best Printer:
The HP Envy 4520 truly deserves its “all-in-one” moniker offering the user control over what to do with printer, where to pull print materials from, how to connect it to different devices and how to refill depleted ink cartridges.
HP’s Envy series of printers lean heavily towards a slim design and the 4520 continues the legacy with new and curved chassis measuring 17.5 inches wide, 14.5 inches deep and 5 inches tall. HP Envy 4520 is one of the sleekest multifunction printers.
It has a matte finish with patterned scanner lid on top. The control panel sits on a lip just below it at a fixed angle and is easily viewable. Aside from the power button on the left, there are no physical function buttons on the panel. The only way to interact with the printer is through the 2.2 inch monochrome display which means you should not expect to be viewing and editing photos.
The user experience on tiny display makes you lift and drag your finger to scroll all the menus and also the touch is not as snappy as on a smartphone which causes issues with latency and accidental presses.
From bottom of the printer, a 100-sheet input tray pulls out of a drawer and has adjustable sliders which accommodate popular media sizes including A4, A5 and A6. Also the tray has designated size markers inscribed into it act as a guide to ensure that the paper fits properly into the feeder. The output tray which is directly below the display can hold maximum of 25 sheets of paper at a time.
HP includes a manual for initial setup and basic troubleshooting and the drives CD you get in package in very easy to follow with a plainly labeled guide to connect the printer to your computer and home network.
With a simple USB connection, you can start printing in minutes but you can also take advantage of print-sharing and cloud-printing features. The easiest way to do this is by subscribing to Apple or Google ecosystems.
Alternatively, you can also input SSID and network password directly into the printer to go wireless and you can also establish a connection with a single push of a button if your router features Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS).
Unfortunately, there is no Ethernet port, so you need a wireless network to get the printer online. The ink delivery system locates underneath the scanner and integrates a single tricolor cartridge for dye-based black and another for tricolor.
Pros:
Uses latest ink delivery technologies
High quality output
Save you money through Instant Ink delivery service
Cons:
Lacks an Ethernet port and a memory card reader
Touch display can also be tricky to use
The HP Envy 4520, the best printer is a capable all in one machine that combines a copier, scanner and a printer with two ink delivery choices premeditated to ease back on expensive ink refills.
XYZprinting da Vinci Jr. 3D Printer-Best Printer:
It is the lowest priced 3D printer to date. Don’t let the low price fool you as this is one of the best-designed and easy to use 3D printers on market. It doesn’t require any manual calibration and is just ready to use out of the box.
Basically the Da Vinci Jr. is a scaled-down version of its predecessor Da Vinci 1.0 AiO. The new and compact printer exclude the scanning option but now includes the ability to print directly from an SD card. From setup process to software, print speed and quality, the rest is very similar.
Setting up this 3D printer is very easy process as it comes with a very well-illustrated, step by step guide. You get it out of the box and it is assembled and ready to use. All you need to do is remove the packing material, install the filament tool spool included and plug it in. the printer doesn’t require a manual calibration before use.
In 3D printing, calibration is a tricky process where you must ensure that the print platform’s entire surface is at a perfect and consistent distance from print-head’s nozzle. If you do it the wrong way, the printer can’t produce an object reflecting the 3D model. Many printers require manual calibration before making their first print.
It uses proprietary filaments which are raw materials for 3D printing. They come in different colors and are easy to melt, rapidly congealing plastic strings that are fed through print-head nozzles during a print job. Filaments come in open spools with most 3D printers.
In Da Vinci Jr, the spool has a small chip itself and according to XYZ printing, connects to printer via near-field communication informing the printer of the type of filament, its color and how much is left. This printer works only with spools made for this model.
Proprietary filament spools requirement means that you can only get them from XYZ printing and you might have to pay a price higher than for generic filament. But they make life easier in return as you don’t have to manually change printer’s settings to match the type of filament.
It is significantly smaller than the Da Vinci AiO but measuring 16.5×15×17 inches, it is still quite big as compared to other printers. Despite that, it has modest build platform that is able to make objects only as large as 5.9 inches cubed. Though it is big, actually it is very light weighing just 26 pounds. It just has lots of empty space inside.
The printer’s build-bed is non-removable and is not heated. Instead, the package contains a set of three reusable form-fitting bed tapes covering the top of build platform when in use.
Pros:
Easy to setup and use
Requires no calibration
Most expensive 3D printer
Cons:
Relatively bulky
Uses XYZprinting proprietary consumable
Low cost and high ease of use of the XYZprinting Da Vinci Jr. 3D best Printer make it ideal entry-level 3D printer for anyone.
be3D DeeGreen 3D Printer-Best Printer:
The DeeGreen is about the same physical size as the Monoprice by measuring 19.4 by 15.5 by 15.3 inches. However, it just takes a few minutes to get set up and running. Out of the box, you get fully assemble printer with all of its important parts tied in place. You need to install just two parts.
There is 1.7 pound spool of PLA filament included of which the string needs to be loaded in to print-head but you don’t need to worry since the filament loading tube is already assembled. As the DeeGreen is a single extruder printer, it works only with one filament spool at a time and if you want to print objects having more than one color, swapping out filaments even during a single print can be a frequent task.
Be3D sells extra filaments at about $30 per spool of 1.7 pound. The DeeGreen also works with 1.75mm other standard filaments and with both PLA and ABS filaments. Uniquely, it also works with be3D’s wood-based filament.
The other part to install in 5.9 inch square glass print plate that requires to be placed, underneath the print-head, on its holder, the print platform. This plate comes with three magnetic metal feet which are designed to make it fit securely and stay put on top of platform while at the same time allowing users to remove it easily.
The maximum size of an object that a printer can print depends on the size of print platform. In case of DeeGreen, the maximum size is 5.9 cubic-inch which is quite large. Nonetheless, its removable print plate is a nice design touch helping with both preparation and post-print process. It comes included with a palette knife and a glue stick, making it convenient for anybody to print multiple objects right away.
On the front, it has a large 6-line resolution touchscreen and a SD card slot and has a USB port to connect to a computer by an included USB cable and a power switch and on the back. The biggest timesaver with this printer is the fact that it requires no calibration on the user’s part as it has a built-in sensor for this job and the printer is so well put together that the self-calibration process takes just a few seconds to finish.
Pros:
Easy to use
Useful built-in touchscreen
Includes simple and powerful software
Cons:
Requires an SD card to work
Very expensive
The best printer DeeGreen, though cost-prohibitive, is an excellent entry to 3D printing because of its reliable and fast performance and plug and play ease of use.
Choosing a Printer
For home- it is profitable to have a printer than can manage everything homework to stationary to photos. Wi-Fi compatibility and built-in memory cards are great features for easy sharing.
Or home office/small business- from faxing invoices and scanning documents to printing color-rich brouchures, an all-in-one printer can handle the demands of a business, if to handle your business matter, you use multiple devices, a printer featuring mobile printing capabilities might be a good idea to get your task done when you are on the go or out of the office. Or you should consider a printer than can be capable of handling wide-format printing for creating large-scale documents such as spreadsheets for a presentation, posters or flyers.
For student- to print term papers on your thesis, an inkjet laser printer is engineered to crank out pages of detailed images and crisp text. Dedicated app are ideal for sending documents to your printer even when you are in class or study session or at library. And Wi-Fi feature allows multiple users to share the same printer.
For photographer- for photos that rival what you get from mail-order service, you should look for a dedicated photo printer. These allow you the convenience to print photos, right from your home whenever you want.
What to look for:
Paper handling:
Both laser and inkjet printers typically print on letter and legal size paper and feature input and output trays that can hold at least 100 sheets of paper. Whereas printers will multiple paper trays have the capability to hold a lot more pages which helps reduce how often you will have to refill the trays.
There are some ways by which printers can move paper through the feed. Some draw paper from front of the printer using rubber rollers to bring the paper out of the tray. Top-load printers use gravity to move the paper down through feeder and out the front of the printer. it would be a good choice if you plan on printing stiff media or such types of paper than can’t be bent.
Duplexing:
Duplex printing is both money and time saver as it has the ability to print on both sides of a page. Printers providing duplex printing often use a reversing automatic document feeder which allows duplex scanning and then prints double-sided pages without turning the paper over and re-feeding it into the machine.
Wi-Fi:
If you want to share your printer between multiple computers, it is a handy feature. It is somewhat similar to wired USB printing as it requires you to install apt printer drivers on your computer before printing. By connecting over a wireless network, the printer is available to other devices and computers with appropriate driver. For a home with more than one computer or a small business, this type of connection is great.
Touch-Screen Display:
Touch-screen LCDs render it easy to navigate your printer and input data quickly such as the number of pages to print, the paper tray you want to use or the e-mail address you want to send a scan to.
Built-in Memory Card Reader:
You can also get a printer with built-in memory card reader that supports formats like Memory Stick Duo, MultiMediaCard or Secure Digital. This allows you easy access and with some printers, to edit your photos without using a computer.
PictBridge:
It can be a hassle transferring your photos onto your computer to make just a few prints. With PictBridge, you can print photos form a digital camera directly without needing to upload them on your laptop or PC first. Simply plug your cameras by a USB cable and select photos you like to print.
Printer Speed:
When shopping a printer, you may notice some terms that indicate the output speed. CPM (copies per minute) or PPM (pages per minute) determines how many pages per minute that printer can push out. The higher that number is, the faster the printer can copy or print your document. Whereas for a photo printer, the term used is IPM (images per minute) which goes by the same principle.
Mistakes to avoid:
You can make your everyday printing cheaper and easier by considering the factors to be considered and avoiding the mistakes told.
Purchasing a cheap printer- many buyers aim at saving on cost which in turn may result to more costs in the future. For example, you may plan to purchase a printer costing five hundred dollars but later on notice that you can do the work you want at only two hundred dollars if you had bought another printer. Despite the low upfront cost, you will end up in spending more money for the maintenance of that printer. Cheap ones usually turn out to be more costly in future.
Having wrong printer technology- it is very imperative to have the right printer technology which largely depends on the way you intent to use your printer.
Software compatibility- when purchasing a new printer, you should keep in mind that some printers don’t always work with certain operating systems. For this, you need to research well before buying.
Not planning for the future- before purchasing a printer, evaluate how your business operations might change over years. Businesses are basically started with intend of having them develop after some years. So it is advisable to always realize all your requirements not only at the time of purchase but also ahead.