Buying a Printer
There are so many printers available to choose from that it can be quite confusing as to which choice you eventually make. First decision is to decide the main purpose that the printer will be used for. Most printers nowadays are known as MFP's (Multi Function Printers) or MFD's (Multi Function Devices). This basically means that they will do more than simply print. Most MFP's will print, scan, copy(same as a photocopier) and also have card readers for printing directly from your camera's memory card. First of all when buying a printer let's go through some of the basic specifications of a printer and what they all mean.
The speed at which the printer prints to a page will be listed under the term "pages per minute", or ppm. The top of the range Inkjet Printers will be rated at around 20ppm in black and white (draft quality), and 12ppm in colour, but if you're looking at a mid-range Inkjet Printer, expect to see figures from 8ppm to 16ppm in black and white, and 1.2ppm to 12ppm in colour (depending on print quality mode settings). Note: (for the average home user most modern printers print at an acceptable speed so ppm ratings are only relevant where large quantities of printing or high speed printing is a concern)
Resolution and print quality
The quality of the print from a printer is known as its resolution. Resolution is the number of "dots per square inch" or dpi. The higher the dpi means the better or finer the print quality will be. Inkjet Printers generally have a maximum colour resolution of 2400x1200dpi, with some of the more expensive printers quoting up to 4800x1200dpi. For the average full-colour 8x10in photograph, you're unlikely to see any significant improvement once you get above 1200x1200dpi.
Why does a Photo Printer produce better pictures than a standard Inkjet Printer ?
Generally the main difference with a photo printer is that many of them use additional printer ink cartridges to provide better "in between colours" . They usually employ the standard Black, Yellow, Cyan and Magenta ink cartridges but they also throw in a Light Magenta and a Light Cyan ink cartridge to provide a better overall photo quality. Epson commonly employ these extra cartridges in many of their printers.
What other factors should I consider when buying a printer ?
One of the FIRST considerations before purchasing a printer should be the cost of replacing the ink cartridges. Many of the HP, Canon and Lexmark printers have the "Printer Head" (the part that actually prints the ink onto the paper) built into the ink cartridge. This makes replacing the cartridges very costly. Make sure that you price the ink cartridges before purchasing the printer. Often manufacturers will sell quality printers for very low prices knowing quite well that the first time the customer replaces the ink cartridges that they will redeem their money.
Conclusion: what to buy ?
If you are simply after a CHEAP basic "MFD" Printer that will print, scan, photocopy and has a card reader (for digital cameras etc) it is very hard to beat the Brother Printers. They are inexpensive, reliable, produce a good quality print and the ink cartridges are reasonably priced. (in fact our Brother LC37,LC47 and LC57's are one of our biggest sellers). The only problem with Brother printers is that they have a habit of "Paper Jamming". For photographic printing you may like to look at the Canon printers. Remember the basic specifications wev'e looked at above and chose your printer according to the purpose you will most be using it for. As a final comment let me say that I strongly advise people against purchasing a Lexmark,HP or Epson printer. Although they are very good printers the price and availability of ink cartridges is a large deterrent. Happy hunting !