To start, ask yourself a few basic questions:
- How many pages do you intend to print per month?
- Is colour printing required?
- Are additional functions such as copying or scanning important to you?
- How many people plan to use the printer?
When choosing a printer, consider the following:
- If you are not going to print in colour, don't bother buying a colour printer - it will save you money.
- If you plan to print infrequently, less than once a month, an inkjet printer may not be the right choice, as the ink dries and can cause problems.
- Avoid printers with unused features such as scanning, copying, duplexing, faxing, automatic sheet feeding, WiFi, etc. The more features, the higher the chance of failure and the higher the price.
- Find out how much printer cartridges cost and how many pages they can print. It is important to know the cost per copy and compare it with other printers.
- Look for opportunities to buy alternative cartridges or refill your old ones, which can significantly reduce your costs.
- Avoid the latest printer models as they often do not have alternative cartridges, which means more expensive or harder to find cartridges.
- Avoid printers with extra-large cartridges if you will be doing a small amount of printing, as they will cost a lot and are unlikely to pay for themselves.
- Don't buy a printer based on looks or size if cost-effectiveness and quality are key - exclusivity costs extra.