10 Thing To Consider Before Buying Printer.

1. Consider the printer's DPI (dots per inch) capability, which is the resolution at which it can print photos and documents. The higher DPI (dots per inch) you have, the better quality that you will have in either text or photo printouts.

2. Consider the cost of ink. When purchasing a new printer, take a moment to compare prices among ink cartridges and make sure that you can afford frequent ink purchases if you plan to do a lot of printing.

3. Take a look at the connector and make sure it's compatible with your system. Most new printers connect via a USB port. Older ones connect using a parallel port, which is not commonly found on new PCs.

4. When looking at the cost of ink, also look at the number of pages a single ink cartridge can print. If the page count is high, the cost of the ink may be reasonable. If the page count is low compared to other similar ink cartridges, you may want to select another printer that offer a better performing ink cartridge.

5. Check out the warranty. All new electronics, including printers, carry a manufacturer's warranty. Depending on the company, warranties can be valid anywhere from 90 days to 1 year and may include defects in material and/or workmanship. If your printer fails to perform correctly and develops a problem while under warranty, you will be glad that you saved the paperwork. Always keep the original purchase receipt and warranty information relating to your purchase.

6. Buy from a name that you trust. When shopping for any item, it is best to purchase from a manufacturer that you know produces a quality product and especially when it comes to a substantial electronics purchase.

7. Consider the size and weight of the printer. This is important for both cleanings general conveniences. If your desk is small, you may not want a bulky printer taking up most of your space. At the same time, you may not want to lift on a heavy piece of equipment when cleaning your workstation. A lightweight and compact style may be better, especially if your office is at home.

8. Make sure that your computer is capable of running the printer software, which means it may require a specific processor type and speed, available memory, etc.

9. Make sure that the printer you purchase has all the features and capabilities that you need. For instance, if your primary goal is to produce realistic photos and you also plan to print written documents from time to time, consider the purchase of a photo printer. You can change the quality of printing to suit either image or documents or even a combination of both, if you plan to print photo newsletters.

10. Make sure that the printer has all the necessary connector cables and that you will not need to buy any additional hardware before completing your purchase. If you need to purchase a USB cable, which is often the case with many new printers, you will want to purchase it at the same time to save on shipping if ordering online or having to make a special trip if you purchase locally.

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Comparing Inkjet and Lazer Printer

In the early days there was a vast difference between an inkjet printer and its laser version but with time the difference has narrowed down to point where it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between the two. Most individuals continue to use the Inkjet printers, as they are less expensive and nearly all of them are colour capable. The quality of the inkjet printers has improved over time and now there is not a huge difference in printing quality with the Laser printers. It?s therefore that small or home business can use an inkjet printer without having to worry about documents looking unclear or looking cheap.

The laser printer is capable of printing much faster and usually produces better quality image, it is far more expensive as compared to the Inkjet version. Laser printers are usually used for black printing but there are colour laser printers available now.

Having pointed that out, it is also useful to note that the general rule of the thumb for printers is the lesser the cost of the printer, the more expensive, the running cost?. This could however depend on the volume of printing the printer is being used for. If the printing volume were minimal, it would be more cost effective to use an inkjet printer. It is very easy to get carried away by the initial price of an inkjet printer but people buying them are often not aware that the running cost of the machine would play a huge part and should be factored into the decision making.

This would be better understood with an example. Let us consider a Canon i320 colour bubble jet printer. It usually does not cost more than ?30 obviously subject to the discounts applicable at your store. The cost of a cartridge is usually in the ?10 range and on an average it prints 170 pages. Even if you print as few as 7 pages a day that work out to 2100 pages over the year. This in turn work out to an annual expense of about ?135.  The amount one spends on cartridges is about 4 times the price of the printer in the first year that itself. This is the reason the subsequent expenditure needs to be considered while buying a printer.

Inkjet printers come with some added problems that need to be looked at considered.

1.    To begin with they are not as fast as the Laser printers. This is one reason why Inkjet printers are not recommended when printing needs to be done in large volumes.
2.    They are known to throw up cartridge error messages even though the cartridges might be working just fine. This is not to say that Inkjet printers are always problematic but these are just a few errors that do crop up once in a while.
3.    The print cans also start going haywire sometimes and it may start printing in endless loops.
4.    It is often difficult to minimize and regulate the amount of ink being used in the Inkjet printers.
5.    There is a difference in quality of an Inkjet print and a laser print. Often the laser print is of better quality.

It is therefore that the laser printers sales have taken of in a very big way in spite of being a more expensive buy.

However, in comparison to the laser printers, there are a few positives about the inkjet printers, which are more suitable to the requirements of a small or home business where they do not need to print as many in terms of volumes.

Colour laser printers have been around for sometime but they were frightfully expensive a few years ago. A recent study found that last year nearly 1.85 million colour laser printers were sold, a substantial growth from the previous year. Many offices are going in for the colour page printers. This is however not recommended if you do not need to print fliers or brochures in large volumes consistently.

There are a few other advantages that come with a laser printer, for example:

1.    Using a duplex unit: This would enable the user to print back to back. This is particularly useful for creating brochures and leaflets.
2.    Add a paper drawer: This would reduce the number of user interventions and in turn reduces the printer errors
3.    Assigning different paper trays for different drafts prints different documents without messing about with the tray each time.
4.    An Ethernet or a wireless network card can be added to the printer to attach it to a network. This functionality can be availed in the laser printer.

This is just to outline the benefits of using each kind of printer. This is aimed at helping the user to weigh the pros and the cons before buying a printer.

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Buying Ink Cartridges Printer Tips

$As a general rule, black ink cartridges are more affordable than color toner. When considering which to purchase, take a moment to think about how you will be using your printer. Will your printouts require color or will they work just as well in black & white? If the answer is ‘yes,’ you will save a considerable amount of money in purchasing the black ink cartridges.

$If you are cost conscious and also have a great concern for the environment, purchasing recycled ink cartridges may be your best bet. Not only are these more affordable, but they are also better for the environment as are other recycled products. One of the best places for purchasing quality recycled ink cartridges is Viking Office Products and Staples.

$When you purchase any type of ink cartridge, make sure that it is compatible with your printer. Many people are surprised to learn that ink cartridges are designed to be used with a specific model and manufacturer of printers, which should be clearly explained on the outside packaging. If you have trouble remembering the model number on your printer, simply write it down on a piece of paper and take it to the store with you. This will be the single most important information to have on hand when selecting ink cartridges for printers because without the right printer model number, you are not likely to get the right product.

$Because ink cartridges are sometimes very expensive, it is often possible to find a real bargain on a printer/ink cartridge combo. A recent visit to a local retail store revealed a single ink cartridge for $29.97. Just beside the ink cartridge selection were several boxed printers. Among them, a new printer and color ink cartridge combo, which was priced at just $34.95. When you consider the difference of only $5.00 and the fact that you could purchase a brand new printer and ink for almost the same price as a single ink cartridge, the better deal was obvious. In this scenario, you could simply resale your former printer on eBay and replace it with the new printer. This just goes to show that a little smart shopping can go a long way in terms of getting the best value for your dollar.

$The majority of ink cartridges for printers carry a manufacturer’s warranty guaranteeing your satisfaction. The only way to receive coverage as promised is to retain the original purchase receipt, ink cartridge packaging and warranty information. If your new ink cartridge should fail to work as promised, most manufacturer’s will either replace the cartridge at no cost to you or refund the original purchase price in it’s entirety.

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Printer Ink Cartridges Saving Tips

Buying a printer is a one time cost, but since printer ink cartridges need to be bought on a regular basis, the cost of operating the printer and maintaining it in proper condition can add up. Each ‘print’ command, however small, makes your printer use ink, but with some easy tips, you can actually save a lot of ink and use a cartridge for a longer period than usual.

Print only what is necessary

Let’s begin with economising. Most often, we end up making unnecessary printouts and in the process waste precious ink. For instance, you might need to print only a small portion of a web page instead of the whole page. Instead of simply printing the whole page, complete with its heavy graphics etc, be specific on what you want to have in hard copy and print only that portion.

Text always consumes less ink compared to graphics or images. If textual information is all that you need then you can make sure that you don’t print the graphics and images. If it is a web page you need to save in a printed form, check for its print version. If there is no print version, you can copy and paste the text in a word document and take a printout of that.

Also try to do a bit of planning and double check what you are printing before hitting the print button.

Go for a quick print preview

Most branded printers such as HP, Canon, Dell, Epson or any other printer come with a printer driver which has a very useful print preview function. With this function, you can have a prior preview of the copy you want to take a print out of.

This function is especially handy when you are directly taking the print out from the Internet. At times, what you see on a site is totally different as compared to the printed version. A quick preview can help to get the printout of the material that you specifically want.

Make sure the power is turned off

Just as you never switch off your computer without properly shutting it down, the same rule applies to your printer too. If you don’t shut down the printer properly, the print heads will remain directly exposed to air causing the ink to dry in the nozzles which, in turn, could affect the quality of printing adversely. Make it a habit to check the position of the print heads before cutting off the power.

Use good software

There are various ink saving software options available online. These software applications are designed to reduce the consumption of your printer ink. With these applications, you can get good quality printout copies with less ink consumption even during high resolution printing.

Use printer ink cartridges smartly

If you don’t do printing regularly, run a small printing test at least once a week, to avoid the ink cartridges from drying up. This little precaution will help you to increase the life of the cartridge.

Never expose your printer to extreme temperatures

Too much variation in room temperature is bad for printer ink cartridges. You must avoid keeping your printer in too hot or too cold a temperature as the cartridges can dry up. For lasting printer performance, make sure the room has a normal and stable temperature.

With these small but important tips, your printer ink cartridges will get a longer life. It is easy to buy good quality printer ink cartridges at excellent prices from online shops.

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Epson Stylus SX415

Epson Stylus SX415 All-in-One Printer (Individual Inks, 6.3cm LCD Viewer, Memory Card Slots)

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In stock.

This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery.

Technical Details

• Compact printer, scanner and copier
• View and print photos directly from your memory card using the 2.5” (6.3 cm) LCD viewer
• Save money with individual ink cartridges – only replace the colour used
• Print photos directly from a PictBridge compatible digital camera
• Epson DURABrite Ultra Ink prints lab-quality photos and high-quality documents

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Epson Stylus SX415 All-in-One Printer Description
Printer, scanner and copier with DURABrite Ultra individual inks, 2.5” (6.3 cm) LCD viewer and memory card slots
This all-in-one has a large 2.5” (6.3 cm) LCD viewer and memory card slots to make PC-free photo printing quick and easy. It’s cost-effective too, because with individual ink cartridges you only replace the colour used. A stylish, compact product for all your printing, scanning and copying, giving you a versatile printing experience for all your home needs. You can even print without a computer - view and print photos directly from your memory card using the 2.5” (6.3 cm) LCD viewer... Read more

Most Recent Customer Reviews

printer troubles
have been using this for 3 weeks now and it start with it was great. but in the last week the paper just keeps jamming and the printing is blurred.

 Nice But Noisy
I bought this printer for my eldest daughter for Uni but when my youngest daughter used up a colour ink cartridge in my Lemark at a cost of £20 in 2 days I decided it was time for... Read more

 Good value all-in-one
The Epson SX415 is a good printer. Photo quality is less good than with the Epson Stylus Photo R265 I also use but document printing is excellent.

 E S P
although this printer is very new to me i like the look of it and the price but up to now i do not find it as good as my epson 5400 it is very noisey and i sappose i have to use... Read more

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Canon PIXMA MP560

Canon PIXMA MP560 Wi-Fi Ready Premium All-In-One Photo Printer

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In stock.
This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery.

Technical Details

•     9600x2400dpi 1pl for superior photolab-quality: 10x15cm borderless photo in approx. 39sec
•     Smart & simple interface - 5cm TFT display and Easy-Scroll Wheel
•     Auto duplex, 2-way paper feed
•     2400dpi scanner for high quality scanning & copying
•     Print photos directly via PictBridge, memory cards or optional Bluetooth

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Manufacturer's Description

Top Quality All-In-One Photo Printer with WiFi & Single Inks.
The PIXMA MP560 is a top quality, fully featured and easy to use wireless All-in-One that lets you print photo-lab quality prints at speed from anywhere, with WiFi.  Ready for use straight out of the box, the PIXMA MP560 delivers bold black text, faithful copies, intelligent scanning and stand alone printing via memory cards, PictBridge and USB. With Auto Duplex printing to save you paper and Single Ink tanks for added economy, the PIXMA MP560 is a versatile and top quality wireless home photo printer... Read more


Most Recent Customer Reviews

 Lovely printer and a tip for wireless connection
excellent printer much quicker and quieter than my old HP
ink cartridges were a bit fiddly but after first time have got the hang of it
did have problem entering WEP... Read more

  Excellent printer
I bought on strength of other reviews and am very pleased. I run two Macbook's (operating 10.6.4 ) and a PC through a BT wireless router. 

 Canon PIXMA MP560 printer
Good product that is quite versatile. Produces good prints with good colour in relation to the original. Basic instructions could be simpler. 

 Excellent purchase
I'm very pleased with this printer. I decided on this model after reading reviews on a number of websites, in particular Amazon.

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