Printers are one of the common office equipment that help in printing, scanning or photo-copying work-related documents. But now-a-days, they have become a part of necessary home needs as well for completing children’s homework assignments, printing tickets and others.
Choosing the best printers among several models can be tricky, especially if you are unaware of the factors and features to consider. To help you out, we have gathered up detailed information in this guide. Read it thoroughly to make an informed purchase.
4 Decision-Making Factors To Make an Informed Choice
Factor 1. Choose the best Types of Printers
Factor 2. select as per your use: Monochrome or colored
This printer is suitable for people who intend to print text or documents mostly. It is cost-effective compared to other types of printer. Monochrome printers mostly allow printing in black and white copies.
They are well-known for providing better yield and super-fast printing. Comparatively, they also reduce the cost-per-page. Monochrome printers are further available in two options – inkjet and laser.
Inkjet
- Average printing cost of Inkjet monochrome is Rs. 1 to Rs. 3 per page
- Cost of the printer ranges from Rs. 1,500
- Prints are not waterproof on normal water
Laser
- Average printing cost of laser printing is Rs. 0.2 to Rs. 1
- Cost of the printer ranges from Rs. 6,000
- Printers are not waterproof on normal water
These printers have become quite popular for both office and home use. They are mostly used for printing multi-colored images and documents. These printers are available in both inkjet and laser models.
Inkjet
- Average color printing cost ranges from Rs. 0.5 to Rs. 4
- Cost of the printer ranges from Rs. 2,000 – They provide high quality color prints.
Laser
- Average cost of laser printing ranges from Rs. 0.2 to Rs. 1
- Cost of the printer ranges from Rs. 30,000 – They are capable of printing high volume of prints
Factor 3. Choose your Printer functionalities
Factor 4. Choose your Printer functionalities
1. Printer Speed (PPM & IPM)
Previously, printers used to take at least a minute to produce a single printer. But with the advent of fast printing technology, the latest printers can produce 40 to 50 prints per minute.
However, this number can vary based on whether you are printing in black and white or colours. The average speed taken by an ink-based printer is above 10.5 to 6 images or pages per minute which is an acceptable range.
2. Duplexing
It refers to printing on both sizes of the pages simultaneously. This will save you both time and energy as you don’t have to constantly flip the pages and re-insert them manually back into the feed. In modern printers, automatic duplexing has become quite a common feature.
However, it is not available in budget-friendly models.
3. Connectivity
Now-a-days, most of the printers come with multiple connectivity options ranging from basic WiFi to cloud printing. With the invention of wireless technology, you can now easily connect the printer to a laptop or smartphone without any wires.
USB: USB connections are common on printers, with the USB-A standard being especially common. This allows you to hook up external hard drives and a variety of other devices, then use the printer’s menu screen to print files directly off of them.
Wi-Fi: The majority of home printers are designed to connect directly to your Wi-Fi network. It’s one of the most convenient options for home projects. Wi-Fi connections also allow for remote printing to an office, which can be very important in work-from-home situations.
Wi-Fi Direct: Wi-Fi Direct is a peer-to-peer connection not really related to your Wi-Fi network. Instead, it establishes a secure signal directly between a device and the printer. Apple’s AirPrint, for example, is a type of Wi-Fi Direct connection, and other platforms support similar technologies.
Cloud printing: Many fully featured printers, particularly AIOs, now offer internet-based features that let you access photos stored on sites such as Facebook, Flickr, Dropbox, and Google Drive, as well as remote printing and access to arts and crafts you can print out. Keep in mind that if your printer isn’t connected to the internet, you won’t be able to access said services or print to it remotely from devices such as a smartphone or tablet.
4. Printing Resolution
For optimal printing, resolution plays an important role. High quality printing will obviously look professional and decent while low resolution printing looks indistinct, fuzzy and unprofessional.
Usually, printing resolution is measured in terms of dots per inch (DPI). An ideal printing resolution is considered as 300 PPI. Anything less than that is not considered good enough for high quality printing.
5. Support and Warranty
Most of the printers in India come with at least 1 to 2 years of warranty. During this period, you can get repairs, service, replacements and troubleshoots at free of cost. Or else, you may have to take out the money from your pocket.
Apart from warranty, it is also important to check the customer service of the brand you purchase. You can find out about the customer service quality by reading the customer reviews.
6. Best Printer Brands in India
