Printers

One of the events that changed the course of human history was the printing press. And over the centuries, printing technology has evolved so much. Today anybody can have an affordable printer at their desk.

In today’s world, we deal a lot with papers. Whether it be to submit a bank document or to file an application, you need to print out certain forms before you can deal with them. If that is the case for home users, in an office or any other establishment, a printer is something that no one can do away with. Sometimes if you want to print large A3 or A2 sizes, printing from a reprographic centre can cost you a lot. But before you start shopping for printers, read this article to know more about them. This will help you make better choices when you are making the purchase.

Different types of printers

These days, printers use a variety of technologies to put ink on paper. Each one of them has some unique set of features that makes it desirable for specific use cases. The prices of the printers are also determined to a huge extent by the underlying technology. All these make it essential for you to have at least a tertiary understanding of various printing technologies to let you determine the best model for you. Here is a list of the four main types of models out there. In this article, you will also find some useful tips that you can follow while shopping for them.

Laser

Although laser printing have been around for more than sixty years, they are still some of the most popular types of printers out there. It was Xerox that managed to introduce the first model of laser printers to the market. The reason why laser printers are still popular is that they are much more efficient than traditional inkjet models. Yes, it is true that they cost more than inkjet printers. But the ink cartridges of laser printers are cheaper. Therefore, laser printing will save you more money in the long run if you print a lot.

Solid Ink 

If you are looking for a more affordable printer that comes in small packaging, look for solid ink printers. As the name says, these printers use solid inks to print. During the printing process, the machine melts the solid ink to form the flowing ink. The advantage of this process is that the cartridges can pack more ink in a small form factor. Apart from these things, solid ink printing have other advantages as well. For one thing, they do not create as much waste. When you consider the environmental repercussions of electronic wastes, solid ink printers are an environmentally friendly alternative.

LED 

LED printing is a more recent technology. Basically, in LED printing, the LED light replaces the laser in a laser printer. Inside these machines, the print drum is full of tiny light-emitting diodes that do all the printing. When you compare it to laser printers, these machines have far fewer moving parts, and this, in turn, makes them more reliable and faster. Being a modern technology, LED printers do cost a lot more than laser printers. However, if you are ready to invest a little bit in the upfront cost, this one is the better option.

Inkjet 

Inkjet printing is cheap. But the majority of the cost lies in refilling the ink itself. Sometimes it can cost you more to refill the ink than the cost of the machine. Still, most offices and businesses prefer to use inkjet printers for their efficiency. Because these printers have been around for a really long time, the technology is mature and free of bugs. Furthermore, they offer faster printing speeds, smaller sizes, and higher quality printing. There are a few downsides to them. After printing a document, it will take a few seconds before the ink is completely dry. Also, the cost per page is higher than an LED or laser printer.