Printer Buying Guide: Top Tips & Information

17/10/2017

Choosing a printer

What to Look Out for When Buying a Printer

We often get asked about which printers we would recommend; customers are either looking to switch and save, upgrade or invest in a brand new machine if their existing printer is on its way out. However, when it comes to recommending the best buy, it ultimately comes down to your printing requirements. We’ve put together a few things you need to ask to help understand what printer would be best for you.

What printer is best for me?

Firstly, you need to look the main types of printers available:

Inkjet Printer
Laser Printer
All-in-One/Multifunctional Printer

Inkjet

If you are printing full colour photos/images on a regular basis, an inkjet printer may be the best option for you. Budget photo printers have advanced considerably in recent years, so you can now access a variety of models that are faster, more efficient and give you high quality prints without breaking the bank. Canon and Epson are probably the best when it comes to offering a range of photo printers to suit all budgets.

Laser

The laser printer has long been a machine found in offices all over the UK, but increasingly, with more compact models being produced, they are finding their way into the home too. Traditionally, laser toner printers have fast print speeds, a greater paper capacity and therefore can print in higher volumes. They also have lower running costs as laser toner cartridges tend to last longer than inkjets. If you print text documents on a frequent basis then a reliable mono laser printer would be the obvious choice, and Brother is a good brand to consider. In terms of printing both text and image, Samsung have a good range of single function printers to choose from, although you need to consider that your cartridge costs will be higher due to the use of both black and colour cartridges.

All-In-One

All-in-one or AIO machines are now more accessible for home use. Modern, multifunctional printers can print, copy, scan and fax, they’re compact and comparatively lightweight. You can choose from a range of small, affordable and smartly designed inkjet AIO’s. Alternatively you can opt for a less elegant, but often stronger print performance from a laser toner model. Multifunctional printers are more expensive than their single function equivalents, but if you need a printer that does everything, they are worth bearing in mind.

Connectivity

A factor that has become prevalent when consumers are buying printers is connectivity. If you want to be able to send documents and images to your printer wirelessly, you need to ensure that it has the functionality to connect to your local network. This is also the case if you are printing on-the-move; most printers will have an app that can be downloaded onto your smartphone or tablet which provides all you need to print remotely, but you must check that it has this capability.

Other Things to Consider

How many pages does it print?

All printers should specify their ‘duty cycle.’ This means that from the start, you can identify approximately how many pages you can print in a month without causing any long-lasting damage to the printer.

What will I be using the printer for?

You need to think about what you are using the printer for – will it be everyday use or customer facing? If you are not particular about producing a high quality document then you need to consider this before spending a small fortune on a printer that has all the bells and whistles.

I want to be eco-friendly, what features do I need to look out for?

Duplex printing is an important feature to look out for; printing a multi-page document on both sides means less blank pages and less paper wasted. Find out if your prospective printer has an ‘eco-mode.’ This will give the option to print using less ink or toner if you want to. A lot of manufacturers also specify average energy consumption so you can see how efficient your new machine may or may not be.

What are the ongoing cartridge costs?

These can vary dramatically, and it is an important aspect to consider because the costs associated are ongoing. If you consider a recycled option, like the ones from our ranges here at Red Bus Cartridges, you could actually save up to 70% on your printing costs in comparison to OEM/original cartridges. The overall performance and quality is not affected because a recycled cartridge works in exactly the same way as an original, and an added bonus is that we offer free next day delivery on all cartridges and 100% money back guarantee so all bases are covered!