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How to buy a printer for your office of home

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Buying a new printer may sound simple, but once you get to the shop, you’ll be faced with so many choices that you may have to go back home and do more research, or worse, spend a longer time at the store while the staff explain lots of complicated stuff to you. Here are some things that will help you narrow things down–tips on how to figure out what printer is best for you.

1. You should be aware of your needs. The two choices that you’ll find are inkjet and laser, and you need to know what type of function your activities require. Here are some of the main functions and advantages of each:

Laser

– Ideal for those who are printing black and white texts–lasers are still unbeatable when it comes to speed.

– There are two types of laser printers: the monochrome laser printer, which will produce excellent text and line graphics; and the color laser printer, which prints fast and print quality color and black and white texts and images.

– Perfect for those who are printing large / high volume print jobs (this is one of the reasons why lasers are common in offices).

Inkjet

– Produces quality images i.e. photographs from your camera, images from the internet, colored charts and graphs for reports, etc.

– More flexible than lasers, because they produce both good images and text.

– Most inkjet printers have smaller sizes, so they’re usually preferred by those living in dorms or apartments.

2. Know where you’re going to put the device. Going home finding that your printer won’t fit in your workspace will just make things hard for you, so before you make the purchase, see to it that you have an idea of how big your printer space should be (providing exact dimensions will  help a lot).

3. Read online reviews.  In order for you to arrive on the best model, you should read reviews of experts or users who have bought the product. A good place to start is pricespy.co.nz or amazon.com (for reviews and comments)

Once you’ve done the finger work. Pop down to your local store such as Noel Leeming or Bond & Bond – speak to their staff about the printer(s) you are interested in buying.
4. Ask about the warranty and service. Know the coverage of repairs, services, part replacements, and the overall warranty that goes with the product. Also think twice before purchasing an extended warranty (especially for the cheaper models, which could expire in a span of just two to three years), because sometimes it will be more economical to buy a new one than have an old model repaired.

5. Last but not least is to know whether the printer will be compatible with the computer you’re using. Take note of your operating system and ask the experts at the shop if your device will have no problems installing the model you want to purchase.

Not having enough knowledge on printers in the market today could lead you to purchasing the wrong product. Take note of these things and do further readings in order for you to find the exact item you’re looking for. Good luck, and choose wisely!

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