Printer Basics - Things You Need to Know Before Buying One

So what do you need to know when buying abe black-only or colored. However, most people opt
computer? All you need to know is that yourfor a laser printer with no color as color laser printers
computer will come equipped with everything youcost $500 or more than a black-only laser printer.
need to get up and running. You literally plug all yourGenerally if you need color you should probably
devices into the ports and turn on your unit. It will alsopurchase an inkjet printer instead of buying color laser
come equipped with extra ports and you can useprinter. Inkjet printers cost for as low as $100 but if you
these for additional devices such as scanners andprefer extremely high-quality black-and-white paper
printers.prints you must consider purchasing a laser printer.
Personal Computer PrinterBuying a Printer
Today's personal computer printer includes inkjet andWith the use of a printer you can merge a data with
laser printers. The resolution of a printer for both inkjetsthe main document and print the results. Once you
and lasers is the number of dots per inch (dpi) which ishave scanned your document or your photo and
the same resolution in monitors. This implies that themanipulated the text or image to your heart's content,
more dots, the better the image and typically the moremaybe it is time to do a print on your color laser printer.
expensive the printer. Also, an even distribution of dotsIn a relatively short time, the resolution of prints from
horizontally and vertically gives you higher quality outputthese printers has leaped ahead. More to the point,
than an uneven distribution dots. For example a printerprices have also leaped downwards to the point
with a resolution of 1,200 x 1,200 produces imageswhere it is well within the reach of the home user.
using 1,440,000 dots per square inch. That resolutionChoosing and purchasing a printer is less complicated
would be higher quality than a printer that usesand a lot easier than buying a computer. Take note
1,440x720 dpi (1,036,800 dots per inch.)that like the computers, printers are also quickly
Inkjet vs. Laseradvancing. New printers are being released constantly
An inkjet printer makes images by forcing ink dropletsin order to meet the newer standards but this doesn't
through nozzles. Most inkjets today can producemake the laser and inkjet printers outdated. The best
images in color using combination of black, cyan (blue),thing to do is to survey all your options and, as always,
magenta, and yellow. Some inkjets are speciallyconsider how much money you want to spend for
designed to produce high-quality images and are oftenyour printer. Some products available are much
advertised as photo printers. These have six colorscheaper compared to others, depending on the brand
that provide a better range of coloring. A laser printerand other factors that you need to look at. There's
forms images using an electrostatic process- thealways one for you.
same way a photo copier works. Laser printers can