Printers have been around for a long time. Over the years since their invention, the technology has changed, the size of the device has changed, and the cost has significantly decreased. But at the same time a large number of printer varieties appeared, which made the choice of the device much more complicated. Especially if you know absolutely nothing about computer technology. But if you are familiar with today's material, you will find that actually choosing a printer is quite simple.
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Top Printer Manufacturers
Strangely enough, new players rarely appear in the market of printers. This is due to the fact that they buy such devices not in large quantities. Yes, many people need a printer. But if it is already purchased, then a new printer may be needed only after 10 years, and maybe later. This is not a smartphone that many people change every two years.
When choosing a printer, we recommend that you pay attention to the following brands:
- Canon is a famous Japanese company that produces not only printing equipment, but also cameras, lenses, and even video cameras.
- Brother - it is often under this brand produced the most inexpensive printers, while having a very good print quality.
- HP is an American brand under which printers, scanners, multifunction printers, laptops and other equipment are produced that can be useful for work, study and entertainment.
- Epson is one of the few companies that is trying to regularly introduce some completely new technologies into its devices, speeding up printing and improving its quality.
- Xerox - this company mainly manufactures printers for large offices and printing companies. Its products have large sizes, very high print speeds and a frightening ordinary person price tag.
Would you like to know more about all popular models? Then read our article "best inkjet and laser printers».
Principle of operation and device printers
Virtually any printer is an external peripheral device of a computer, although many of them are quite capable of starting the printing process without the participation of a PC. There are also portable printers used in conjunction with a smartphone and tablet, but so far such devices are not very popular.
The printer is designed to print black and white or color documents. However, it is not designed for printing tens of thousands of copies one-time - a printing equipment used in printing houses is designed for this business.
This is explained by the fact that the printer works with the help of a printing head, the dimensions of which are small - this is exactly what makes it impossible to print a sheet in a fraction of a second. Also, a kilogram of ink cannot be poured into the printer — 100-200 ml of ink is placed in its cartridges, and only in some cases a slightly more capacious CISS (continuous ink supply system) is used.
The composition of any printer includes trays for feeding and outputting paper. They may have completely different capacities. Needless to say, the office needs a device with more capacious trays, so that workers do not need to very often put new sheets of paper.
Types of printers, their advantages and disadvantages
All modern printers differ in printing method. In short, some use liquid ink, while others use toner and laser. Now let's take a closer look at each type of printer.
Inkjet printers
The most popular type of device. The ability to print them provides ink cartridges or, less commonly, CISS. The number of color cartridges can vary from four to six.
The more of them, the more saturated will be printed photos. And for printing of ordinary documents four colors will suffice. Such devices are slow in terms of outputting the first print, as the printhead must first be heated.
Advantages:
- Most often, an inkjet printer has a low cost;
- The device is great at printing photos;
- A continuous ink supply system can be used;
- High reliability;
- Many models can boast a high resolution print.
Disadvantages:
- Long output of the first print;
- Many models have a high noise level.
Thermosublimation Printers
Such devices are acquired by the owners of printing centers. They are designed for regular printing in large volumes. Their main advantage is the cartridges filled with paint in a solid state - their stock is enough for a very large number of prints.
The printer converts the ink to a gaseous state under the influence of high temperature, after which printing begins. Photos created in this way can be stored for many decades, almost without fading.
Advantages:
- The output is perfect photos;
- Cartridges last for a long time;
- The printing process does not take much time.
Disadvantages:
- Very high cost;
- Consumables are not found in every region;
- Warming up can be quite long;
- Bulky sizes.
Laser or LED printers
Such devices use a special powder and a laser for printing, and in some cases LEDs. Toner laser printer is usually enough for several thousand pages. At the same time, the cost of consumables cannot be called high, which leads to a low cost of each printed page. In this regard, such devices are regularly installed in offices. But it should be noted that if black-and-white laser printers are gradually becoming cheaper, then this is not true of color.
Advantages:
- Low cost per print;
- The cartridge does not need to be changed very often;
- High print speed;
- Black and white models are relatively inexpensive.
Disadvantages:
- The worst option for printing photos;
- Print resolution is often very low;
- Color models have a clearly inflated price tag.
Thermal printers
These devices are used only in the commercial sector. Most often, they are embedded in cash registers, terminals and ATMs. Printing with such printers is carried out on thermal paper, some types of which from time can completely destroy the printed image.
Advantages:
- Minimum cost per print;
- Thermal printers often have small sizes.
Disadvantages:
- The image is not preserved on paper;
- Most often, such devices are intended only for cash registers and similar devices;
- Color printing is often unattainable.
Selection options
If you look at the characteristics of any printer, you will see a large list of them. What to pay attention in the first place?
Number of print colors
The printer can be monochrome, then it uses only a black cartridge. Color models often work with four cartridges. But there are also so-called photo printers that use five or even six cartridges - mostly for inkjet printers.
Maximum print format
The vast majority of home and office printers print on A4-size or smaller paper. A few models can boast the support of printing on A3 paper. And only polygraphic monsters can print an image on paper or A0-size film. Typically, these printers are called widescreen, they are placed in firms engaged in outdoor advertising.
Print speed
An important parameter if the printer is purchased for the office. Please note that the speed of output of the first print in the characteristics is indicated separately. As well as separately considered the speed of printing black and white and color document (although for some devices these parameters are the same).
Possibility of duplex printing
It will not be superfluous if you regularly print on both sides of the paper. Such a function will significantly speed up the printing of such documents, and will not allow you to print the second page "upside down."
Interfaces
All printers are connected to the computer via USB-port. But sometimes it is easier to connect the device to the router. In this case, make sure that the printer has an RJ-45 port or, as it is also called, Ethernet. At home, the ideal option would be a device with a built-in Wi-Fi module or at least Bluetooth. But a slot for a memory card is often completely unnecessary.
Maximum print resolution
This parameter is measured in dpi - pixels per inch. Cheap laser printers print with a resolution of 600 × 600 dpi. On the printed document, in this case, the graininess is visible, and the font with a very small size will turn into a jumble at all. The higher the resolution, the clearer the picture you get on a piece of paper. But do not forget that high resolution leads to increased consumption of ink or toner.
Capacity of paper feed and discharge trays
This setting is important only if the printer is selected for the office. It should be noted that a separate high capacity tray can be connected to some office printers.
Cartridge Resource
A very important parameter that determines how often you have to spend money on consumables. Notice that the so-called promotional cartridges come bundled with many printers - their life ends in half the time. Also pay attention to the name of the cartridge - look on the Internet, how much they cost. In some cases, you can stumble upon two almost identical printers, cartridges for which cost a completely different money - your choice should be obvious.
Memory
The least important parameter if the printer is purchased for home. But in offices sometimes there are times when you need to print a multipage PDF-document. Do I have to say that it can not fit in 32 MB of memory? Interestingly, office models often support the possibility of expanding the amount of memory - in this case, the characteristics indicate what its volume can be maximum.
Other specifications
For some people, it may seem important parameter such as power consumption. But much more often users pay attention to the noise level, because I would like to have a quiet device at home. Even more important parameter are the size and weight - if the office requires a large unit, then at home there may be no place for it.
Which printer to choose
In short, the choice of a particular printer depends on how you are going to use it:
1. Want to put the device at home, and from time to time to print on it something for school or college? Then you need an inexpensive laser printer that prints in black and white. Or pay attention to the cheapest inkjet models. But be sure to read the reviews, as many of these printers quickly fail.
2. Want to regularly print photos? In this case, you need a good inkjet printer with four, five or six cartridges. And it will not be superfluous to find out whether it is possible to connect a CISS to this model.
3. Is a printer bought for a medium-sized office? Then pay attention to the average cost laser printer. It can be monochrome. Required long life cartridge! A roomy paper feed tray is also desirable.
4. Need a device for a very large office? In this case, you need an expensive laser printer that can print in color on A3 paper.
5. Looking for an appliance for an outdoor advertising company? Pay attention to wide format printers. The printing method is not important - it depends on your money and preferences.
6. Need a printer for an ATM or cash register? Your choice is a thermal printer.
7. Will the device be in the photo center? Then you definitely need a hard-ink (sublimation) printer.
How much does a printer cost?
The cost of any printer depends on how quickly the device prints, how many colors are used, how reliable the device is, etc. Previously, laser models were much more expensive than inkjet, but now this applies only to color printers.
If the device is purchased for home, then you can keep within 6-8 thousand rubles. But if you are going to print photos, you will have to add to this about the same amount - then you will get a 6-color printer.
Devices for small offices are more expensive - up to 30 thousand rubles. Well, color laser printers can be appreciated for even more money, it all depends on the format of the selected device on which paper.
There is practically no price ceiling for printers - you can easily buy a unit for 150 and 250 thousand rubles.
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