The first and foremost important consideration to consider when purchasing a printer is the technology the printer utilizes to print. Today, there are two major technologies available, ink jet and laser.
Ink Jet - Inkjet printers are an affordable and effective solution for home users and home businesses.
Laser - Laser printers are a recommended solution for businesses or networks that require speed and efficiency, and high quality resolution.
Resolution
Resolution on a printer is measured by the amount of dots per inch a printer is capable of printing. When looking at purchasing a printer, it is important to look at the DPI the printer is capable of printing.
It is also important to know that some printer manufacturers may generate their own methods through software for increasing their resolution.
Speed
Speed is another important consideration when looking at computer printers. The speed of a printer is rated in PPM, or pages per minute, and rate anywhere between 4 and 10+ PPM, depending on several factors such as if it is Black and White / Color, text only or full page. You should expect a faster PPM from a laser printer printing text than an Inkjet printer.
Ink / Toner
Ink or Toner is becoming a very important factor when purchasing a printer. Look at the below characteristics of the Ink / Toner used with the printer.
Price - By far the most important factor is price; if the printer becomes a frequently used device you may find that the price of the ink can far surpass the price of the printer. Look how much the ink will cost when it needs to be replaced.
Availability - From where can the ink or toner be purchased? Some printer manufacturers may require that you purchase the ink directly from them; and if purchased from a third-party, cause your printer warranty to become void. Verify that the ink can be purchased from a third-party and if so, from whom.
Type - See what ink or toner used with your printer, and for users considering an Ink Jet printer, see if the printer accepts separate color cartridges. Some manufacturers may include all the cartridges as one cartridge, causing you to have to purchase all the available colors for one color that may be out. In addition, see if the cartridges are just ink or ink and nozzles. Cartridges with ink and nozzles will cost more than those that have just ink.
Cost Per Page - The measurement of the ongoing price of the printer after its initial purchase. It is important to look at the cost per page and see how much you may be paying for the amount of printing you expect to do. Generally speaking, you can expect to pay less for a laser printer than an ink printer when looking at Cost Per Page.
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