When it comes down to buying a printer, the real key is finding the best printer for your needs. And how do you find the best printer for you? Ask questions! Here are 10 great questions to ask yourself in order to find the absolute best printer for all of your printing needs.
1. Is it going to be the only printer in the home or office?
If yes, then you need the printer to be able to do multiple functions like print pictures, print text fast, and do it all effectively. But very few offices have one printer, and even some homes have more than one with the price of printers on the market. So it might not be a bad idea to buy two printers for your home with one for photo printing, and one for everything else.
2. Do you need a multifunction printer or not?
Nowadays you can buy printers that scan, copy and fax. Will you need your printer to perform any of those things? If you don't necessarily need the printer do any of those things, then it will not be a factor you need to consider. If not, your buying decision will be much more speedy.
3. What are you going to use the printer for?
If you have a need for one particular function in a printer, look for just that at first. For instance, if you want scanning capability, look for that first and then go for the printing part. This means what are you going to use the printer mainly for? Here are some common printer uses, usage levels and the type of printer that may be best suited for this usage:
4. What is your budget?
You can start by coming up with a budget and then try to get the best printer that fits your needs in that budget. This can work several ways. Most likely, however, you will think of a number that looks great on paper. After a bit of research, you may find that you overestimated or underestimated the cost of a printer that fulfills all of your needs. Then, you’ll come up with a more accurate budget and go from there. Be sure to consider the cost of printer ink cartridges in your budget as well, as they will be a recurring expense.
5. What is the cost of printer ownership?
Find the supply cost of the printer before you buy it. Calculate the cost per page estimation - if the cartridge yield is 300 and the price of cartridge set is $30, then you will average 0.10 per page--and if you print about 200 pages a month you are looking at $20/month cost or more.
Things to keep in mind:
6. Have you heard of the printer model before?
Usually, very few new printers have breakthrough technology and designs that can last. Try something that has been tested by the market--you can read reviews for it and supplies (not just original expensive printer supplies but also aftermarket or generic replacement cartridges) are and will be available. Same thing that happens with new Software releases (full of bugs), immature new Car models (lack of part, dealer repair issues, design problems) happens with new printer models.
7. What do professionals and customers think about it?
In this day and age, we spend a lot of time and money on our printers so it really is worth it to spend ample time on research. Some good printer review sources you can use include: Amazon , PC Magazine website, PCWorld Magazine Website and CNET reviews
8. What do your friends think about it?
Ask friends and family about their printers if you think they use one similar to yours. There is nothing like a good review from a close personal friend or relative to encourage you to make that purchase—if you trust their opinion, that is.
9. Have you thought about non-traditional brands?
Consider other brands besides the usual suspects like HP, Lexmark, Epson, Canon or Dell. A lot of new good printers are out there like Brother and Samsung. Even Kodak is coming out with new printers these days. Doing your research means digger deeper than the label.
10. Where will you buy it?
Many people opt to buy products online these days, which is great. But a major purchase like a printer gets tricky. Buy the printer from a local store and if you are going to use it a lot, and the printer is expensive it might worth it to get their store warranty. Don't try to save a few bucks ordering online. Printers are still delicate equipment and can get broken during shipment. Also, you might want to return the printer after you try it out and it’s much easier to walk into the store to do so.
Article Written By: Christy Berger from PrintCountry.com. Ms. Berger is a constant contributer to Printer Ink Cartridge Blog and other PrintCountry articles on a wide variety of subjects like brand specific articles Epson Printer Ink or more general Printer Driver Downloads.
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