Keith Shirley

Epson Inkjet printers sometimes just piss me off. It’s a pity – as the print quality is generally excellent.

Why do I get annoyed? If you don’t use the printer regularly then the jets get blocked. You then have to spend a half eternity running the cleaning routine to try and get it working again. If you are lucky it will work the next time you need it.

This happens across multiple models and on multiple sites – it’s nothing to do with general handling or environmental conditions. With ink costs potentially being higher than the initial cost of the printer I want to cry when I realise how much money is being wasted.

So what should you look for when buying a new printer?

Firstly you need to decide if you need an inkjet or laser printer.

The biggest advantage that inkjets have is that they are cheap to buy. They also print very good quality graphics (especially photos). They are, however, expensive to run if you are printing a lot (i.e. using lots of ink). Another disadvantage is that the ink can run if it gets wet – not ideal for address labels or engineering documents that will be needed outdoors.

Laser printers work with special powders (called toner) to put the colour on the page. They create excellent quality black and white documents as well as coloured text and logos. They are not suitable if high quality photos are required and the initial purchase cost can be high. Laser printers are faster than inkjets but the running cost for laser printers is less than inkjets if you do a lot of printing. The initial purchase price is dropping – colour laser printers are now available for under €300 but A3 colour lasers still cost well over €1000.

Top tips for choosing a printer

• Review how many black and white or colour printouts you are likely to be making. If you don’t need colour then go for a laser printer. If you do need colour – review if a colour laser is within the budget.
  
• Check out the cost of replacement ink/cartridges before buying the printer. If the cartridge fits multiple printer models then it should be available for longer and get cheaper.

• Check if cheap refills are available. They will void your warranty but the price difference can be large enough that you don’t care. Be aware however that these can fade much faster than the brand name inks. If you get a printer with the printhead attached you can buy original parts regularly to keep them in good shape (e.g. Buy an original then refill it a few times then buy another original).

• If quality photos are important – you will need to buy original photo paper and ink – It does make a difference.

• Get a printer with the colours in separate cartridges – that way if you print a lot of one colour you don’t need to dump the rest.

• If you need colour A3 size printing – buy an inkjet. The colour A3 laser printers are a crazy price.

• If you are buying a laser – check how long it takes before you can print the first page. You don’t want to wait ages for the printer to warm up first.

• Consider buying a multifunction device – these have fax, printer, copier and scanner all in one device.

• Try out Fineprint – It’s a great tool for saving ink and paper

• Check if your supplier can also service the printer. Some will provide a temporary replacement while your printer is being fixed.