The kind of printer you buy depends on whether you’ll use it for heavy office work, home office support, photo printing, copying, scanning, or a mix of all of the above.
All-in-ones
Today’s home office printers are often all-in-ones. These devices can print documents and photos, scan and copy, and even print off homework assignments and activities for kids. To stay on top of your ink usage, subscription plans solve yesterday’s ink-cost aggravations and let you pay for only what you use each month.
Inkjet vs laser printers
Inkjet printers use cartridges or ink tanks that spray microscopic droplets on a page. Some use two ink cartridges—one black, one color—whereas others store and utilize multiple color cartridges for more detailed prints.
Laser printers use a powdered ink called toner that melts on paper when it’s heated by a laser. They tend to last longer and print faster than inkjets, though they particularly excel at black text documents.
Photo printers
If you’re into photography, consider a photo printer to preserve your work. Photo printers rival the quality of online printing services, and they generally print in dedicated sizes like 4 x 6 inches, 8 x 11 inches, or wide format 24-inch prints.
WiFi capability
WiFi printers eliminate the octopus of wires that used to tangle under printers and catch dust. Modern WiFi printers let you locate printers centrally, then print via any nearby PC, laptop, phone, or tablet. They also cut the need to dedicate a room as a “home office” and let you put your printer wherever it fits.
What to look for
When shopping printers, pay attention to the page-per-minute (PPM) speed, dots per inch (DPI), and duty cycle. That last metric reveals how many pages per month your printer was designed to print. Find the right printer from top brands like HP, Canon, Xerox, Brother and more.
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