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Tips for choosing your printer

Air tickets, registration records, tax notifications, DNIs … we have many options, and we all end up printing papers at some point. Contrary to what we might think, the choice of a printer should not be made lightly; it is a long-term investment that commits a loyalty to a certain brand, it will not be just for the cartridges. Before going to the cheapest printer or those in the big supermarkets during the return to school, ask yourself the right questions.

The type of printer

Laser printers

Laser printers are a very good choice for small businesses and administrative jobs. If you essentially want to print black and white documents, the inkjet is not properly amortized. Indeed, in a laser, the price per page is lower in black and white.

As for the color laser, do not think too much. A much larger budget is needed for color laser printing to be close to the quality of an inkjet printer, even the entry-level printer. To know more about this type of printers, I invite you to see our detailed comparison on this page.

Inkjet printers

The color injection printers are a good transaction in the chaos of the market, regardless of the range. And rightly so … they can print anything: photos, administrative documents, etc … They have a greater number of multifunction options and generally, a better value for money. If they were a little faster than laser printers in the past, it is becoming less frequent. I invite you to consult our detailed comparison concerning these printers on this page.

Photo printers

As the name suggests, photo printers are specialized in this variety of printing. Obviously, they will not be profitable if you only make impressions of an administrative type. Most of them give access to a multitude of options for retouching images, usually through a specific application, in order to leave the same printer more free of buttons and that is more transportable. Do not hesitate to consult our detailed comparison of photo printers on this page.

The multitasking

For domestic use, it is usually advisable to give priority to an all-in-one printer: print (obviously), photocopy, scan, even fax. This will make you gain space and normally, save.

Most of the time, these multifunction printers are inkjet printers. They are more versatile. But if you are sure not to use your printer except to print text documents, favor a laser printer, which will be cheaper in terms of printing costs. And if you have the necessary funds, buy both: a multifunction inkjet printer that makes a lot of good photos, and a laser to print 200 pages without calling the bank!

The functionalities

The connectivity

Always check if your printer is compatible at the connection level with all the devices from which you are likely to print. In this way, a USB 2.0 printer will probably not be able to recognize your USB 3.0 key. USB, Bluetooth, NFC, WiFi, specific mobile application … To determine what you need depending on your equipment.

The straight-verse print

This concerns both the printing part and the scanner part for the multifunction printers. This is a time saving that should not be overlooked for those who deal with a significant amount of documents each day. In addition, it is a certain saving of paper (let’s be ecological!).

The type of compatible paper

Not all types of paper are suitable for all types of printers (risk of jamming or blockage of rollers, etc.). In this category, inkjet printers are the champions: they can print on almost all surfaces. It is quite interesting if you have a company and want to print your budgets for a more serious result.

The question of price

The problem with printers today is that some entry-level models are sometimes cheaper than cartridges. Some manufacturers, like HP, have understood well that, if they sell you a € 20 printer at the Carrefour on the corner, you would not be so picky about the merchandise. But the original cartridges could become your worst nightmare if you do not look twice before buying.

Do not forget to never look at the price per page, something that is not always indicated in the technical sheets. The simplest thing is to go through American sources looking for the name of the printer and “price per page”.