Things to Consider When Buying a New Printer

By: Vincent Rogers

Your computer needs a printer in order to complement its use. It adds great functionality and will help you get the most out of your computer's use. However, computer technology, along with printing technology, changes quickly and you need to examine certain factors before making a final decision. Follow these things to consider before buying a new printer for your home or business.



1. What are your printing needs? You need to be able to define your printing needs including such factors as size of paper, need to print colour documents and photos or if your major needs are to print text documents. Defining what your needs are will help you choose the correct type of printer. Defining your major needs will also help you decide about certain features such as speed and overall print quality.



2. Do you need multifunctional features? Nowadays, many printers are what they call an MFD (multi-functional device) allowing for a number of different uses beyond just printing, for example, the ability to scan documents as well as fax information . Many of today's models can easily print directly from your digital camera producing professional looking photographs when you have the proper machine using the proper type of photo paper.



3. Light or heavy use? You need to consider not only your per-job production needs, but the amount of volume you might produce on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. This may be a tricky calculation since, if you are adding a printer for the first time, the novelty of its use may compel you to a great deal of volume.



However, the cost savings that you will have from printing your own photos can easily be translated into the investment you make when buying a machine capable for producing the photos you want to make as well as other printing needs. Try your best to calculate your present and future training needs before making a decision about which one to purchase.



4. Cost must be considered. Everyone has to maintain some sort of budget when it comes to buying any products. The good news is that in recent years the price of printers has come down quite a bit while their on-board technology and features have been enhanced, meaning that what once were custom options are now standard.



You must be careful when examining which model to purchase since toner cartridge replacement might cost more than the printer itself. However, just like a lot of different high-tech equipment such as laptop computers, HD televisions, cell phones and more, printers are quite affordable in today's market even when considering the top line ones.



5. Do a thorough research. A good way to pick up valuable information about different computer choices is to read reviews made by actual owners and users. Surf the net heading to Tech sites and blogs where you can read the opinions of people who have purchased printers to meet the similar needs you have. Often, distributor sites, as well as manufacturer sites, will offer visitors the opportunity to contact real live customers where you can elicit truthful opinions about the product you are examining.