Printer components
Replaceable cartridges: When selecting a printer, you'll want to consider convenience factors such as replaceable cartridges , so you can spend less time changing and replacing — and more time printing! With lasers, you usually have to replace a toner/drum cartridge when the printer runs out of ink. With ink jets, you replace ink tanks when they're depleted. Both of these types of cartridges vary in rated pages and price so be sure to include cartridge details in your pre-purchase research. Some of these replaceable modules contain both ink and the print head nozzles; some just the ink. Separate ink tanks are usually cheaper to replace than those combined with print heads. Ink jets also vary in their cartridge configurations--some use a single four-color cartridge that includes black, some use a tri-color cartridge and a separate black one, and still others use totally separate tanks for each color. Some inkjets use as many as six different ink cartridges, with a special cartridge for photo quality.
Replaceable cartridges: When selecting a printer, you'll want to consider convenience factors such as replaceable cartridges , so you can spend less time changing and replacing — and more time printing! With lasers, you usually have to replace a toner/drum cartridge when the printer runs out of ink. With ink jets, you replace ink tanks when they're depleted. Both of these types of cartridges vary in rated pages and price so be sure to include cartridge details in your pre-purchase research. Some of these replaceable modules contain both ink and the print head nozzles; some just the ink. Separate ink tanks are usually cheaper to replace than those combined with print heads. Ink jets also vary in their cartridge configurations--some use a single four-color cartridge that includes black, some use a tri-color cartridge and a separate black one, and still others use totally separate tanks for each color. Some inkjets use as many as six different ink cartridges, with a special cartridge for photo quality.
Printer paper trays can hold as few as 50 sheets of paper and as many as 500, depending on the model, so consider the volume of printing you'll be doing, and choose accordingly. Front feed uses rubber rollers to bring the top sheet from the tray into the printer. The tray for new sheets is placed in front of the printer, requiring more desk space. Whereas Top feed printers feed the paper down into the printer and hence they don't require as much space.
Printer cables: To get your new printer up and running, you'll need a printer cable. Most printers do not come with cables included. Cables are fairly inexpensive, however, just be mindful of the type of connections you need (serial, parallel, USB, etc.). Make sure you have the proper cable to connect your printer and computer and that it's long enough to suit your setup.
Memory: The type and amount of memory used by the printer or your PC will affect the speed of printing, so make sure you have enough memory on your PC and/or printer. Some printers don't need memory, because all of the processing is done on the computer. Graphics and high-resolution printing require more memory to process and print than text. Laser printers uses their own memory to print. Some printers use additional memory for features that will speed up printing such as the ability to process one page while printing another, or private printing, which holds a page in memory until you physically go to the printer and punch in an ID number. If a printer supports a memory upgrade, find out what the additional memory will be using.
Interface: Most printers use a parallel connection to PC. However, other interfaces are also available. Many ink-jet printers include connectors making them compatible with both the PC and Macintosh platforms. Serial connectors are also available for both ink jets and lasers, though they are rarely used with PCs anymore. More advanced interfaces offer more flexible printing solutions. Some printers now come with infrared I/O ports that allow wireless printing from notebooks or other devices with infrared ports. If the printer comes with an Ethernet interface standard, you can quickly attach it to your network to share among several users. While there are many interface possibilities, a printer seldom comes with the hardware for all of them. Make sure to note which interfaces are standard on a printer and which require optional hardware.
Control panel: Onboard controls vary widely between printers. On laser printers, it is reasonable to expect an LCD panel with text messages, scrollable configuration menus and indicator lights. Such control panels allow you to change setup options directly at the printer without using the driver software. Ink jets typically offer less control. Some ink jets offer only a power button and power indicator light, delegating all real control to utility software in order to reduce hardware complication--and cost. Although software control panels usually work quite well, some ink jets offer more hands-on functionality for flexible use. An ideal ink jet will at least let you change quality modes with a single touch at the unit and offer a light to indicate low ink levels.
Demands to Construction: Any printer must be comfortably in your workspace A truly well-designed unit will provide you access to all points in the paper path to clear paper jams quickly. Ink jets usually have only one cover to open, but lasers can have multiple access doors--especially if they use S-shaped paper paths. Removable paper trays and their rails should be sturdy enough to handle quick ins and outs, and flip-down input trays and paper guides shouldn't be so delicate that they break after a few uses. Paper path design is also important. Some printers--especially lasers--use S- or U-shaped paths, while many ink jets use nearly straight-through designs. Generally speaking, the straighter the path the fewer jams; however, curved paths make more flexible input and output tray configurations possible.
Software. Sometimes if you see two printers with the same features but a significant difference in price, the higher price may be due to the type and amount of software offered in the package.
Drivers: The printer driver is no longer just a file that makes a printer work with the computer. In addition to basic settings such as copies, page size, and orientation, drivers also provide control for resolution, text smoothing and media types.
Languages: Laser printers use one of two print languages: HP-PCL or Postscript. Postscript is a more complex language and is used in printers that handle complex graphics. Some printer manufacturers choose not to pay PostScript's high licensing fees, and instead use a clone interpreter to convert the PostScript language into printer commands.
Resident Fonts are fonts built into the printer. Resident fonts can be printed quickly by the printer at very high resolutions.
Applications: Software is often an overlooked part of a printers purchase - keep in mind when you're choosing a printer. Some companies offer their own integrated bundle of applications, while others include separate programs. Typical bundled applications include greeting card, poster, and banner creators. Other common programs let you edit and apply effects to photographic images. Many ink-jets targeted at home users, include software for kids that provide a user-friendly way to create word processing and graphics documents. Some such bundles even include subscriptions to family-friendly online services.