6 Things to Consider Before Buying a Printer

BUY A GOOD PRINTER

To buy a good printer that is right for your needs can be a real challenge. The choice available today is probably greater than ever before. Inexpensive does not equate to a low quality machine with a set of basic features. Likewise, a high price will not guarantee that you will find a printer that is right for you.

Identifying what you really need from a printer and which printing technology is the best value for your budget is not always a simple task. Here is the seven-point Guide to help you choose a good printer:

BUY A GOOD PRINTER

1. List your Printing Needs:

It is always useful to start by sorting out the resources you really need for the day-to-day and separate those that would be nice to have, but are not really essential. For example, do you need a device that prints only, or would it be more useful to have an all-in-one? Do you need A3 sizes? Do you still use fax? Do you really need color? Do you print, scan, copy single pages or multi-page documents? How much do you actually print each month?

2. Understand the characteristics that your printer must have

Nowadays, even small and inexpensive printers can offer a number of features such as a direct copy button, scanning and automatic sending by e-mail, folders on the computer and USB and printing from the operating system and many more options. for PC App

3. How will you use your printer?

Questions you should consider include questions like how many people are going to be printing? All printers come with USB connectivity, but do you need it to be more versatile and connect via network or Wi-Fi? If more than two people are going to use the printer at the same time, the new device should probably have PCL drivers instead of GDI.

Understand the popular printing technologies available today

Laser, LED and inkjet printers are the most common. Here are some points of difference between them:

Laser and LED printers are likely to have a higher initial purchase price for cartridges, but are likely to cost less when it comes to cost per page. This is because you can usually print more pages from a cartridge compared to an ink cartridge. Here is the list of ink tank printer you might be interested in.

Laser and LED printers also tend to print faster than an inkjet. They can come with a duplex unit, which allows double-sided printing, and are well suited for high volume printing. The print quality of text tends to be better, but the quality of the photo may be lower compared to an inkjet printer.

LED printers are known for their superior print quality, relatively low power consumption and small size. Inkjet printers generally use less energy than laser printers. Ink, toner powder in reverse, can run when cool outside the printer, or get wet. The exception to this is the Ricoh GELJET range of printers that combines the characteristics of laser and inkjet machines and prints using fade-resistant water and gel-like ink.

4. How much space do you have?

Do you need a desktop printer or a floor printer? Do you need extra paper trays and / or cupboards? Consider whether the printer should have full front usability so that you can easily load paper, change cartridges and use the operator panel.

5. It’s not just about the price

In addition, it is worth checking the size of the toner that comes with it, as this will determine when you will have to buy the next cartridge.

Some brands like Ricoh provide cartridges with generous volumes that can print long before they need to be replaced. You should also consider the power consumption of the printer in operation, stand by and while it heats up. One option may be to compare the TEC (typical electricity consumption) values. For example, many Ricoh printers come with two energy saving modes, as well as night echo sensors, weekly timers and quick start technologies for shorter warm-up times.

6. Check the manufacturer’s website

Check that the manufacturer provides driver updates and that it still offers a driver for your operating system. Also, check what types of software come with the printer as some packages can be very attractive.

Also, check out how you can get user guides (some come with the printer) as well as mobile printing applications. The Ricoh Smart Print App is an application available for download from stores such as APP STORE and GOOGLE PLAY, other vendors offer their own solutions or Air Print compatibility.

We also recommend that you check the warranty terms. The one-year warranty is standard, but be careful as the period may vary. Warranties may also include on-site support, return to base (in other words, you have to return it), or it could be on a temporary quick replacement basis, where you borrow other equipment temporarily while the printer is on. maintenance.