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Printers
A printer is the one absolutely essential peripheral for your computer.
You're not using your PC to its full potential if you can't print
reports, letters, presentations, photos, and the rest of your creations.
Significant technological advances have produced very affordable ink-jet
printers that deliver top-notch color print quality and a new breed of
personal laser models priced right for small office/home office (SOHO)
users. Now high-quality printing is within reach of most computer users.
Overview
The printer performs a critical role in the computer setup--it lets you
translate electronic ideas into tangible records. A good printer
supports multiple applications, from simple text to complex color
graphics. Today's laser printers let you quickly print reams of
documentation, while color ink jets let you make brilliant prints of
photos and graphics. Choosing a printer can be confusing, especially in
the current competitive landscape--this guide will help you understand
what you need to consider before you buy.
Print technology
The biggest decision you're likely to face when choosing a printer is
which print technology to go with--laser or ink jet. While mainstream
laser printers use a toner cartridge/drum assembly, ink jets accept ink
tank cartridges. Your pick should reflect the way you work and the jobs
you plan to send to your new printer. Lasers are generally better for
high-volume printing and have higher duty cycles--the manufacturer's
rating for the unit's recommended monthly workload. Lasers also produce
better-quality black text than most ink jets, though some ink-jet models
rival low-end lasers.
Lasers still hold the high ground in terms of speed, while ink jets
offer the important advantage of color printing. For home use, you'll
probably want to print out digital photos or graphics, which makes color
a must. The traditional differentiation between lasers and ink jets has
been office versus home use; however, color offers obvious presentation
advantages for business use as well. Fortunately, prices for both
categories of printers have come down enough to make it practical to
purchase both a laser and an ink jet if you absolutely need both color
and high-quality text.
Resolution
A printer's resolution predominantly determines its print quality.
Resolution refers to the number of dots per inch that appear on the
page--usually represented as a horizontal and vertical measurement (e.g.
600 x 300 dpi). Today, most printers support a basic 600 x 600 dpi
resolution that produces adequate quality in most instances. Many ink
jets, however, offer a higher vertical resolution than horizontal, so
resolutions such as 600 x 300 dpi and 720 x 360 are common.
Bear in mind that resolution ratings do not tell the whole story.
Most printer vendors implement their own techniques for smoothing curves
and enhancing resolutions through software algorithms. Consequently,
some output from 600 x 300 dpi printers looks just as top-notch as that
from a 600 x 600 dpi unit. Bear in mind that although some printers go
as high as 1200 x 1200 dpi, you're not likely to notice any difference
in quality with common print jobs once you go above 600 x 600 dpi
resolution.
Speed
Performance is a crucial consideration when choosing a printer. Printers
rarely deliver the manufacturer's rated performance specification, but
ratings can be used to gauge relative performance between a given
vendor's models. When it comes to printing typical black text documents,
personal laser printers still hold an advantage over ink jets. SOHO
lasers are typically rated between 6 and 10 pages per minute (ppm),
while ink jets usually carry black text ratings of 4 ppm and above.
Ink/toner configuration
With lasers, you usually have to replace a toner/drum cartridge when the
printer runs out of ink. With ink jets, you replace ink tanks when
they're depleted. Both of these types of cartridges vary quite a bit
both in rated pages and price so be sure to include cartridge details in
your pre-purchase research. Some of these replaceable modules contain
both ink and the print head nozzles; some just the ink. Separate ink
tanks are usually cheaper to replace than those combined with print
heads. Ink jets also vary in their cartridge configurations--some use a
single four-color cartridge that includes black, some use a tricolor
cartridge and a separate black one, and still others use totally
separate tanks for each color. If you plan to print a lot of
monochromatic documents on your ink jet, you should look for a printer
that offers a separate black ink tank; some vendors even offer a
high-capacity black cartridge for day-to-day monochrome printing.
Cost per page
The purchase price is just the beginning of the overall cost of your
printer. Ongoing cost is measured in cost per page--an often-nebulous
figure measured in cents. If you print even a fair amount, this per-page
cost adds up quickly. Lasers offer the lowest cost per page--usually
only a couple of cents per page. Ink jets, on the other hand, can cost
four or five times as much depending on what you're printing. Ink-jet
printing cost depends on how much ink you use (determined by the percent
of page coverage you're printing) and the cost of the paper. Unlike
laser printers, which usually use normal-weight, uncoated paper, with an
ink-jet printer you likely will opt for more expensive, coated and
glossy paper for higher quality color output.
Ink-jet tank configuration is part of the cost evaluation as well. If
your ink cartridge combines black ink with colored ink and you've
printed lots of text recently, you may find yourself throwing out a
cartridge with plenty of ink in it just to replace your black. To avoid
such waste, consider getting an ink jet with separate black and color
cartridges.
Paper handling
How your printer moves your paper and envelopes can make all the
difference in the world. Each manufacturer tends to use its own approach
to paper paths and models vary in their input and output page capacity,
as well as their compatibility with special media such as envelopes and
card stock. Take a look at a printer's multipurpose input tray--usually
a fold-down or stationary slot that can accept odd-sized media. Does it
adjust to stock of any width? Does it have sliding paper guides? Can you
leave five or 10 envelopes in the slot for occasional mailings?
Paper path design is also important. Some printers--especially
lasers--use S- or U-shaped paths, while many ink jets use nearly
straight-through designs. Generally speaking, the straighter the path
the fewer jams; however, curved paths make more flexible input and
output tray configurations possible. Remember, gravity counts--opt for
ink jets that move paper down and not up.
Interface
Most printers use a parallel connection to your PC. However, other
interfaces are also available. Many ink-jet printers include both
parallel and Macintosh connectors, making them compatible with both the
PC and Macintosh platforms. Serial connectors are also available for
both ink jets and lasers, though they are rarely used with PCs anymore.
More advanced interfaces offer more flexible printing solutions. Some
printers now come with infrared I/O ports that allow wireless printing
from notebooks or other devices with infrared ports. If your printer
accepts an Ethernet option or comes with an Ethernet interface standard,
you can quickly attach it to your network to share among several users.
While there are many interface possibilities, a printer seldom comes
with the hardware for all of them. Make sure to note which interfaces
are standard on a printer and which require optional hardware.
Driver software
The printer driver is no longer just a file that makes a printer work
with your computer. Along with its companion programs, it now acts as
the software interface to your printer. Most drivers pack in a lot of
functionality, so crisp design is key; cluttered driver screens are
confusing and intimidating. In addition to basic settings such as
copies, page size, and orientation, drivers also provide control for
resolution, text smoothing and media types. A useful driver also lets
you configure paper-tray usage, apply watermarks, and create your own
custom-setting profiles for quick selection.
Graphical status indicators are all the rage in drivers these days.
Ink-jet drivers frequently offer graphical indications of remaining ink
levels for each color, and any good driver should show you where paper
jams occur and where your current print job stands. Some drivers even
change their graphical portrayal of the printer to reflect installed
options and paper tray status.
Your printer's driver software is likely to determine how much of
your printer's capabilities you actually take advantage of. If it offers
a quick and productive interface, you'll be sure to learn all the bells
and whistles of your printer.
Application software
Software is often an overlooked part of a printer purchase--keep in mind
when you're choosing a printer. In a cramped low-end price bracket,
ink-jet printer vendors use bundled software as a way to distinguish
themselves. For the buyer, this can mean a significant bonus in
value-added software. Some companies offer their own integrated bundle
of applications, while others include separate programs. Typical bundled
applications include greeting card, poster, and banner creators. Other
common programs let you edit and apply effects to photographic images.
Many ink jets targeted at home users include software for kids that
provide a user-friendly way to create word processing and graphics
documents. Some such bundles even include subscriptions to
family-friendly online services.
Control panel
Onboard controls vary widely between printers. On laser printers, it's
reasonable to expect an LCD panel with text messages, scrollable
configuration menus and indicator lights. Such control panels allow you
to change setup options directly at the printer without using the driver
software. Ink jets typically offer less control. Some ink jets offer
only a power button and power indicator light, delegating all real
control to utility software in order to reduce hardware
complication--and cost. Although software control panels usually work
quite well, some ink jets offer more hands-on functionality for flexible
use. An ideal ink jet will at least let you change quality modes with a
single touch at the unit and offer a light to indicate low ink levels.
Construction
Though a slick-looking case may gain style points for a printer, your
real concerns should be more practical. A truly well-designed unit will
provide you access to all points in the paper path to clear paper jams
quickly. Ink jets usually have only one cover to open, but lasers can
have multiple access doors--especially if they use S-shaped paper paths.
Removable paper trays and their rails should be sturdy enough to handle
quick ins and outs, and flip-down input trays and paper guides shouldn't
be so delicate that they break after a few uses. These latter concerns
mostly apply to ink-jet models--look for cases with few hinged
appendages and minimal complications.
Footprint is also worth considering--will the printer fit comfortably
in your workspace? If your printer accepts optional paper feeders, do
they stack below the base unit or do they require more clearance around
the printer? Generally speaking, printers are well designed, but watch
for form-factor gotchas.
Media
When choosing a printer, make sure you look down the road to the
different types of printing you might need to do. In addition to
standard 8.5-by-11-inch paper, you'll probably want to print envelopes
from time to time. Make sure the printer you choose can handle envelopes
and feed them efficiently. Printers that feed envelopes through manual
feeders differ in the number they can handle at one time--check the
capacity. Also investigate whether the printer can handle
transparencies, card stock, and special glossy photo paper. Some ink
jets are even versatile enough to print on fabric.
Options
While basic printer configurations may be fine for your immediate needs,
take a look at the options available for each unit before you buy. Laser
printers often accept memory upgrades, optional paper feeders and
network cards. Some ink jets also accept optional interfaces, but many
are limited to the built-in connectors. Ink jets do often accept
optional photo ink cartridges for snappier-looking photographs, however,
and some even accept scan heads to turn the printer into a personal
scanner. When you check the optional devices available, make sure you
note their prices.
Pricing
Whatever your budget, there's a printer choice for you. Amazingly,
printers are now available for as little as $65. On the high end, you
can literally spend as much as you want for a faster, more flexible
print system. Ink jets are the most affordable, with serviceable models
in the $120 to $399 range. Such an investment will get you fine color
quality, easy setup, and a home-oriented software bundle. Personal laser
printers overlap the prices of ink jets at their low end, with some 8-
and 10-page-per-minute models selling for less than $400. You won't
always get what you pay for, so be skeptical of the low prices and
critical of the high ones. A comparison of similarly equipped models
among three or four vendors will tell the real story. |
