In order to choose which printer to get you need to know why you need one. A lot will depend on your budget. However, finding the best way to spend your budget depends on how much and what you print. In some cases a simple Black & White laser printer and outsourcing color prints will be the best solution. In other cases a Professional inkjet printer and outsourcing Black & White prints is the best solution. Maybe a color laser printer will fulfill all your needs. Or maybe an inkjet will. The advantages and disadvantages of the two are discussed here.
Not Much Printing
Ask yourself what do you print most and how much do you print? If the answer is it varies, not much, and I don’t want to spend more than a few hundred dollars. Which printer you need may have limited options. A consumer inkjet may seem like a good solution. Yet ink cartridges dry up after a week or less of inactivity. If you could get by with Black & White, a monochrome laser printer and outsourcing color printing is a great solution.
If you print a lot of color I would try to find a used color laser printer. Or a used supertank inkjet printer. Finding a used inkjet may be hard. Still they tend to cap the printheads when idle and have better cleaning routines to unclog a printhead. Even an old office grade laser printer may be a solution. Call up a your local Copier dealers. Ask if they have any off lease or used color printers they are throwing away. Offer $100. We used to junk so many printers. A friend got a 10 year old color laser printer. They used it for 7 years and only had to get rid of it because they couldn’t find any toner. It was actually the first time it asked for toner since they made so few prints.
A Lot of Printing
If your answer to the previous question is: a lot, color, and your budget is as much as it takes. Which printer you need will have many options. Supertank inkjet printers and pro laser printers are going to have the most to offer. Depending on the model the quality and costs between the type of printer is negligible. It really depends on the application. It’s like asking which is the best car? Which depends on whether your car is for commuting 100 miles to work everyday. Or a sports car for touring. Maybe something for the snow or hauling. A lot depends on whether you’re printing advertising or internal reports. Check out the difference between inkjet and laser printers here. Or if you’re ready to check out some printers check out some reviews here.
Somewhere in Between
The answer to the question of what and how much printing can be vary as much as the solutions. If the answer isn’t as clear as those two extremes, the budget may narrow down which printer you need. Having a budget of around $100 or ability to go over $1200 does seem to have clearer options. In my experience the $300-600 budget seems to be the hardest to find a solution. There are so many options. Maybe a good place to start is with how each type works.
How it Works
The how to’s here are less about the technical and more about practical explanations. More technical explanations can be found Wiki or How stuff works. As fascinating as the details of an induction fuser are however most people might be more interested in knowing why an inkjet makes such weird noises.
People may ask which type is better, laser or inkjet? This post covers the differences between the two. The answer will depend on what it is required to do. It’s similar to asking which vehicle is better, a truck or sports car? It depends on whether you want to get somewhere fast or get a lot of stuff somewhere. Inkjet’s are better in some ways, laser printers better in others. What you’re printing and why will determine which printer is better.
Choosing a Type?
People may ask which type is better, laser or inkjet? This post covers the differences between the two. The answer will depend on what it is required to do. It’s similar to asking which vehicle is better, a truck or sports car? It depends on whether you want to get somewhere fast or get a lot of stuff somewhere. Inkjet’s are better in some ways, laser printers better in others. What you’re printing and why will determine which printer is better.
What to Look For When Buying
Once the decision about which type you need is settled, we have some buying guides for each type of printer. They are designed to give the consumer the most relevant information they need when shopping for a printer. Features to look for and traits to avoid are covered as well as any insider shopping tips. Written by a service technician with 23 years experience repairing and using printers, these guides are a must read before buying.
Lastly, The Printer JAM has reviewed some of the best printers available on the market. This list is by no means complete, but is provide good place to start. They are designed to give someone the most relevant information for buying one. We want you to get the most from your printer so you will continue to come back to this site!