ALLBIDS Blog

How to Buy a Computer Printer

Thursday, 23 August 2018 | Mike Leano

A computer printer can cost $100 or below (especially if you browse our auctions), but as long as you use one, ongoing costs are involved - including the cost of paper and ink/toner cartridges/tanks.

This is exactly why you have to consider several factors to find the right one. To help you in your search, here are a few suggestions on how to go about buying a computer printer.

What's it for?

The first step is to think about what you'll be using the device for.

Home use
If the printer is going to be based at home, it has to be versatile yet reasonably priced. Something that can churn out book reports, take-home work and the occasional photo.

The suitable choice is a home inkjet printer, ideally with Wi-Fi connectivity and/or memory card reader for easy file sharing. Plus, you won't have to deal with wires.

Small business
If you're going to use the printer for a small business, it needs to have the following capabilities:

• Send/Receive fax (companies still use it).
• Function as a copier.
• Scan documents.
• Print in colour.
• Connect to the internet, enabling people to print even when they're not in the office.

You can find these features in inkjet and laser models, especially the all-in-one/multifunction variety. Depending on the nature of your business, you may also need a computer printer that supports wide-format printing for banners, large posters and such.

Large organisations
For corporate types, the best fit would be a workgroup laser printer, which can handle multiple printing tasks, network printing, wide-format printing and produce something like 50 pages per minute.

But if your organisation isn't big on printing but may still need the occasional hard copy, you can go for those all-in-one/multifunction models.

Photography
Here's an easy one: if you need to print photos, you'll need a photo printer - which is essentially an inkjet printer that specialises in photographs.

Know the different types

Each type of printer has its own strengths and weaknesses. Here are the most common ones:

Laser printers
They print faster, produce sharper black text, and have a lower cost per page compared to inkjets. This makes laser printers more suitable for producing documents, especially in large quantities.

But beware: they're not great with complex, high-resolution photos.

Inkjet printers
Inkjets are better at smoothly blending colours and have deeper blacks, meaning they're a better choice for photos. They also print relatively slower than their laser counterparts, especially when producing high-resolution images.

MFP
In addition to printing, multifunction printers (or MFPs) can also photocopy, scan, and in some variants, send and receive fax. They come in laser printing and inkjet models.

The most useful variants come with duplex printing (i.e. printing on both sides of a page) and memory card readers.

Photo printer
As mentioned earlier, this specific type of inkjet printer specialises in producing photographs. Photo printers typically have PictBridge support, letting you print directly from a digital camera.

The print quality of a photo printer is comparable to a regular photo developed from a darkroom.

Portable printer
You can take portable printers on the go. Because they're smaller and more compact, they can fit in a bag. But there are compromises: image quality and print speed aren't as good as their regular-sized counterparts.

Other aspects to consider

There are several other things to take into account when deciding what computer printer to get. These include:

Print speed
While looking for a printer, you'll likely encounter the term "pages per minute" or "copies per minute". If you're planning to use the device for mass producing documents, this will be crucial.

But take note that some printer manufacturers base their measurements on text documents, which may increase the results, so make sure you research beforehand.

Connectivity
All printers have a USB 2.0 port at the very least, but not all are equipped with various connectivity options like Wi-Fi, cloud printing and infrared. Being able to connect to Wi-Fi and a service like Google Cloud Print is a big deal because these let you to print without having to deal with wires, or be in the same room.

Paper handling
How many sheets of paper can the computer printer's tray handle? How many trays does it have? Can it print on both sides of a page?

The answer to these questions affect the printer's ease of use. Think about this: if you plan to use the printer for producing reams of reports, you need to know how frequently its tray needs to be refilled.

Supply availability and cost
You'll eventually run out of ink or toner, so you'll need to know a couple of critical details about the model you're buying:

1. Availability. Are there many stores that stock its replacement cartridges or tank refills? Are these outlets nearby?
2. How much do each of these cartridges or tank refills cost?
   

While the cost of the computer printer is a factor, it's not the only expense you have to shoulder. Think about the following as well:

• According to PC World, ink generally costs around 20 cents per page for black and colour cartridges. For just black ink, it's about 7 to 8 cents per page.
  
  
• Later-model printers are pricier but more cost-effective because they use ink tanks, which are larger than ink cartridges. Plus, there are separate tanks for each colour, so you can just refill them individually instead of replacing the entire cartridge when one colour runs out.
  
  
• Paper also costs money. What will you use? Remember this: the better the paper quality, the better the printouts, and the higher the price.

Find the right printer

ALLBIDS runs many online auctions for your computer printer needs. We provide all buyers layers of protection, which means you can bid with confidence. So look for the right printer at ALLBIDS today.

If you're looking to sell your printer, you can also use ALLBIDS to maximise your return. Give us a quick phone call, message or chat to find out how.