Buyers' Guide: Printers

There is a lot more to consider than the cost of a printer. We show you what.

Written by PCW Staff

Personal Computer World, 15 Feb 2006

If you don’t need colour, consider a monchrome laser or LED printer. The latter tend to be cheaper and may last longer than a laser, but LED printers have a fixed resolution and can’t take advantage of software-based resolution enhancements.

If you print hundreds of pages a week, a laser is the best option as they’re cheaper and more reliable for high-volume printing. If you print a few pages a month, buy a cheap colour inkjet. If printing high-quality colour photos, buy a good photo printer.
Look for the manufacturer’s quoted ‘duty cycle’ – this is how many pages a month the machine can handle. Choose a duty cycle three or four times larger than your expected average usage. Also check the printer’s ‘engine life’ or ‘total print volume’ – after this expires, the printer’s on borrowed time and uneconomical to repair.

Quoted printer speeds often refer to the speed the printer pushes a blank sheet of paper through the mechanism; for documents they tend to refer to lower quality settings. PCW’s tests use real documents and photos, giving a better idea of print speed. For serious inkjet photo printing, consider higher-end models that use six, seven or eight colour cartridges. Normal inkjets use three colours (cyan, yellow and magenta) plus black, while specialised photo printers add extra shades to improve
colour fidelity. Cheaper models often combine three colours in a single cartridge, which is not as economical as using separate cartridges for each colour.

Some ‘convertible printers’ use four separate black cartridges for longer-life mono printing and you can replace three of them with cyan, magenta and yellow
cartridges for colour printing.

Laser models for business use often have a large number of paper-handling options. They’re usually modular so you can add features as required. They also have a wider range of interface options and consumables.

You’ll often find bundled software with a printer. Their quality varies, but there can be some useful programs.

The quality and usability of the driver software is vital, but it’s difficult to assess before buying. Check PCW’s reviews and online forums and read the manufacturer’s technical support site for any known problems.

Third-party or refurbished consumables generally work fine, but can cause problems with quality and reliability. Your warranty may not cover the use of non-approved consumables.

Recommended Printers:

Photo Printers

Epson Picturemate 100
High-quality photo printer that’s cheap and easy to use
Check prices >

Canon Pixma IP5000
If it’s pixel-perfect printing you’re after, look no further than the IP5000 – a real bargain
Read review >
Check prices >

HP Photosmart 8450
HP’s Photosmart 8450 is a bulky printer, but it’s capable of producing stunning photo prints
Read review >
Check prices >

Epson Stylus Photo R340
A high-quality photo printer with a good range of features
Read review >

Multifunction Devices

Konica Minolta Pagepro 1380MF
This fast and compact MFD is ideal for anyone who has to do a serious amount of printing and scanning
Review >

Dell Photo All in One Printer 944
A bulky, but good quality MFD that would suit both home and small office use
Read review >

Canon Pixma MP150
Photo quality might not be the best, but as a budget MFP the MP150 is a great buy
Read review >
Check prices >

Laser Printers

Dell 1600n
A good multifunction mono laser, perfectly suited to small or home offices
Read review >
Check prices >