Best multifunction printer
Like most consumers, you want to guide you to a versatile model, able to print in color, scan in high resolution, and copy your pages on the fly? Please do not hesitate to check out our selection of the best multifunction printers in 2020.
Best photo printer
Fill a wall of photos, make a to-hand, or simply to do or get pleasure: there are a thousand reasons for wanting to print some photos. Whether you're looking for color fidelity or compactness, we have selected for you 5 of the best photo printers on the market.
Best laser printer
The technology of laser printing was previously only available to enterprises. Today, it has become accessible to all, and many models, monochrome as color, are now available to the general public. What are the best laser printers of the time? Find out in our top 5!
Best inkjet printer
The market of the inkjet printer has evolved greatly over the past few years. Some manufacturers change the game and make it more complex to choose at the time of the switch. For not to deceive you, and buy the closest to your needs, see our selection of the best ink jet printers.
How to choose the best printer ?
The resolution
Then, you need to check a few points, check a number of criteria. The first relates to the resolution. It is necessary to rely on 4 800 dpi (dots per inch) in printing and 1200 dpi scanning. If the printer does more, so much the better, but it is not necessary, except in the case of using a photo. In this case, you can opt for a model that will rise to 5 760 x 1 440 dpi.
The print speed
A speed approaching 10 pages per minute (black-and-white, draft quality) will ensure fast execution of your print jobs. Careful not to give in to the sirens of the manufacturers, including the songs tend to inflate the performance with pages almost pristine. You can reasonably divide by 2, or even more, the reported numbers. To more easily compare the print speeds of the model, the ISO/IEC 24734 has been created, but it is not mandatory.
Cartridges one-piece or separate
Separate ink cartridges are preferable, especially if you are printing photos. Look at the price of consumables and look for manufacturers that offer cartridges of black ink (the one you will use most of the) large capacity.
Connectivity
Connectivity is another criterion to take into account, as far as the USB cable that usually connects the computer to the printer is not provided with the latter. If Wi-Fi is now democratized, other solutions are to be explored. Ethernet port, Bluetooth compatibility... The " Wi-Fi direct ", for example, allows you to easily connect Wi-Fi devices such as smartphone, tablet, or computer directly to the printer without going through a router or access point. It therefore becomes unnecessary to turn on the computer to print from your device. Last trend : NFC (Near Field Contact) allows you to connect quickly and easily in your smartphone or tablet to the printer, since it is sufficient to bring the two devices so that they can communicate. For now, the compatible devices, however, are still few in number. Anyway, think of your needs, taking into account the position of your printer in your home.
The presence of an SD card reader
The presence of a reader of memory cards of various formats (SD, microSD, in particular) could be very useful if you plan to print photos. In this regard, some printers are compatible PictBridge a standard that allows a digital camera to simply communicate with a printer, without a computer and without even having to transfer the memory card.
The ability to accommodate a USB key
In the same vein, you may be enticed by a printer capable of hosting a USB stick on which could be directly saved the scanned documents, for example. Again, it is the autonomy of the device, which is referred to, avoiding the use of the computer. A time saver for the user.
Energy consumption
In these times of saving energy, the consumption of the different printers is also a criterion to be considered. This is a game, the laser printers are often of poor students. Also watch the consumption in standby mode : some ink jet printers are equipped with a device that allows you to delay the drying of the cartridges, a device that requests a standby permanent.
Watch finally the decibel level in the operation announced by the manufacturers. In excess of 50 dB, the printer can be considered as noisy.
Laser printer or ink jet ?
Although there are different types of printers, there are two main printing technologies : laser and inkjet.
A jet printing ink is effected by a print head moving along a guide rail and dropping of tiny droplets on the paper and dries in the open air. With the laser technology, the toner is fused to paper by a process of electrostatic. It is directed and then attached to areas previously magnetized.
The main differences between these two technologies ? The inkjet printer has the distinction of being, in general, less bulky and less expensive to purchase. On the other hand, the cartridges are expensive and have a tendency to dry out if you don't use them.
The laser printer is traditionally faster and less noisy than an ink jet printer, and proposes a cost to the page lower. It is also more comfortable with printing text than inkjet printers. But it is expensive (especially the models multi-function), uses more power, is more voluminous and shows a lesser quality in color.
As always, what are your needs that will dictate your choice. The people who print regular documents in black and white will be able without fear to turn to a laser printer. On the other hand, if you want to print a few photos in the year or that you want to focus on the versatility of your device, it will be better to opt for an inkjet printer.
How to choose ink cartridges ?
Without reaching the heights of an Armagnac of 150 years of age, the printer ink is part of the fluids the most expensive in the world, since it amounts to about 2 000 euros per litre. Consequence : if the price of the printer must obviously be taken into account in your decision, the consumable should also be a criterion of choice.
In this framework, the sinews of war, it is the price to the page. It can be calculated easily a posteriori by dividing the price of a cartridge by the number of pages printed. Distrust all the same : the printers are sometimes sold with cartridges that contain less ink or toner than the standard versions you purchase afterwards. If you do a calculation a posteriori, it is better to do this with other consumables than those provided with a printer.
Understanding this figure before buying, it is even more complicated. Of course, you can refer to the information provided by the supplier (if it exists). But these announced quantities do not correspond, obviously, not for all uses.
To buy the printer that preserves your long-term portfolio, it is better to think about how you are going to use your printer. It all depends on the type of document you are printing : the more your pages are loaded in the text, but especially in the image, the less the number of possible impressions is important.
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