Printers

Printing has come a long way from the hey days of the clattering Dot matrix printers. A printer is a computer related machine that transmits information whether graphics or text into paper. Today printers can scan, copy, print and fax your data. With such multi function devices flooding the market the right choice depends on the basic requirements demanded of the printer. Your decision should be based on the kind of printing required, the quantity you would be printing, the time you may have to get it done and most of all the affordability factor. The three most popular varieties of printers available in India are laserjets, inkjets and dot-matrixes.

Laser Printers:
Laser printers are specially suited for high-volume printing. Multiple input trays with a capacity of upto 250 sheets of paper come with it. The toner cartridges are comparatively expensive and may cost somewhere between Rs 2,000-6,000.On an average and depending on the usage these cartridges have a print life of about 4,000 copies . Ordinary laser printers give 4-6 pages per minutes (PPM) whereas heavy duty lasers can give up to 24 PPM.

The sharpness of text and graphics in low-end printers are on par with their more costly counterparts. Topping the cost list is the colour laser printers.

High quality resolution, higher output speeds, better volumes and a very low noise level give these printers an upper hand. Shortcomings if any could be its failure to print on continuous forms, make mailing labels, and print in grey scale.

Inkjet Printers
Inkjets are highly suitable for PC users mainly due to the provision of built-in support for colour outputs. Formerly lasers were preferred over inkjets for their excellent resolution. Today's inkjets have not only rectified this gap they also offer excellent output (1440 DPI) at less than a laser (600 DPI). The Hewlett Packard Desk Jet720C is said to be one of the highest selling printers.

Versatility at low cost is the high point of an inkjet. It provides good graphic and text, colour prints and noise levels are low. The main recurring expense would be on replacing cartridges more so if you have a colour printer.

Dot-matrix printers
These were the first to come. The print quality of this printer cannot match the improved versions that came later on. However, low maintenance costs and suitability for high volume jobs where print quality can be compromised make the dot matrix printer stay abreast the other versions. Disadvantages include low print quality and high noise levels.

Going for a printer?

Text and graphics are handled differently by printers. Therefore always go in for a demonstration to help you decide. The other factors to bear in mind while buying a printer are the following:

Resolution
Tiny dots of ink, toner or dye are laid out by a printer to give out a graphic /text. Sharper image quality comes with smaller dots. Dots per inch is the unit of measuring resolution. A printer with 300x300 dpi, which is the minimum printer resolution can create 90,000 dots per square inch. Laser printers are available with 600 dpi whereas inkjet printers come with 720 dpi.

Speed
Pages per minute or PPM measures the speed of a printer. You should go in for a laser if you require high volume printing. High end lasers can give upto 24 pages per minute. Usually the range is between 4 to 24 pages ppm. An inkjet can give something between 2-7 PPM. Graphics it must be noted always take a little longer. The memory of the printer is suggestive of its speed. A 4MB printer may give out a first page quicker than a 2MB printer.

Paper size
Most printers insist on a 8.5x11 inch (A4) size paper. If you require special size papers make sure that separate trays are provided with the printer because usually these are not included.

Tips
Once you have made sure what you want out of a printer, large reports or the occasional letter your choice of a printer becomes easy. Decide if colour printing is really necessary. The volume of data that you would print as well as the number of users should be taken into account. Get to know each printer better by asking for demo versions. Take note to compare costs and to check the availability of replacement printers.

Your printer should come with a printing cable that is compatible with your operating system. You also ought to ask how fast the printer can give original pages; not its rated printer speed. If your printer will be taking up voluminous printing jobs check for good paper handling. Lastly check the prices of consumables(inks or toner cartridges).