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Guide for Choosing an Affordable Printer

When you are in the market for a new printer it is tempting simply to buy what is on sale and skip the research, but this usually results in paying more in operating expenses than the printer is worth. Simply put, if the printer is free or almost free, the manufacturer wishes to make his profit on the ink cartridges he sells you instead of on the printer itself. If, however, you spend a little more for a higher-end printer requiring less expensive cartridges, you can actually spend less in the long run.

It should be noted that there are several companies who make compatible and/or refill print cartridges, but it has been JBUR-Solutions's experience that you run a huge risk in using these cartridges. We have seen the damage "compatible" toner can cause if it does not melt/fuse at the correct temperature for the printer. We have also seen many refilled cartridges fail, simply because they were not designed to last for more than one usage and thus were worn out. Though it is true not all of these companies make a bad product, those making a usable one typically charge almost as much as the printer manufacturer does for the genuine article. For these reasons JBUR-Solutions does not recommend using refilled or "compatible" cartridges. The only time we would recommend using such a cartridge is when the printer manufacturer no longer makes the required cartridges or you can risk printer damage and/or cartridge failure.

The very first step in choosing a printer is to take an inventory of your requirements. Here are some questions to get you started:

  1. Do you need to print in color?
  2. Do you need to print photographs?
  3. How many pages will you print per month?
  4. What operating system does your computer(s) use?
  5. Do you need to be able to print directly from your camera or memory card?
  6. Do you need to share this printer on a network and always have it available?
  7. Do you also need a scanner, copier, or fax machine? (If so, an all-in-one multifunction machine might be a wise choice.)

The next step is to find out what is available to fit your demands. If you cannot find one machine to answer all of your needs, you might consider a combination of printers. An example might be to purchase a mono color laser printer for your office documents and a photo printer for your pictures.

Here are some tips to help you narrow your search:

  • If you need to print pictures on picture paper, you need an inkjet printer.
  • If you print more than 500 pages per month, a laser printer is recommended.
  • If you need only to print in black and white, a mono color laser printer will cost the least to operate.

The third step is to find out what other people have to say about the printer(s) in which you are interested. An easy way to find this out is to do a keyword search in your favorite search engine using the printer's model number followed by "+review". Some reviews you read will be tainted by those who paid for the research and others will be spoiled by the user's lack of experience, thus it is wise to read several reviews and be moved only by the general consensus as opposed to the view of only a few.

 

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