Laser Printers Buyers Guide
Making an Impression
If you are planning to make a real impression with your prints, it is time you invest in a laser printer. Laser printers have ceased to be the rich man's printers. With the passage of time they have becoming more affordable. In fact the cost can be very reasonable when you wish to go for printing in bulk. You can get a bundle of prints from these printers much faster than you would from other varieties. The quality of the prints is where you will find a noticeable difference between laser printers and its other counterparts.
Once you have realized the goodness of laser printers and decide on buying one of them, you should do some groundwork. The research should involve a thorough understanding of laser printers so that you can wisely decide which model and make you should buy. There are several factors you should consider prior to the purchase of the printer.
Color or B&W
Laser printers are available with both color, and black and white printing options. You need to decide which one you wish to opt for. Colored prints certainly look very impressive but colored laser printers are comparatively more expensive. However, their cost is gradually coming down.
All-in-one printers
The all-in-one printers, also known as multi-functional printers perform functions like printing, copying, scanning and faxing. If you need your laser printer to perform all these functions, you should opt for an all-in-one laser printer. These may be a bit expensive but the effective cost will be acceptable since it will replace the copier, scanner and fax machine.
Prints per month
After having made the above two decisions, there are a few features that you need to check out, to see how good they are and whether they cater to your requirements or not. All laser printers do not produce the same number of prints per month. There are some that print more and some that print less. Hence, make sure you purchase a laser printer that approximately produces the number of prints you need every month.
Speed
The next feature you need to check on is the speed of the laser printer. The speed refers to the pages printed per minute (ppm) as well as the start up speed. The faster version of laser printers may be a bit more expensive than others. Hence it is best for you to judge your requirement and opt for a machine that is suitable for you. Laser printers should at minimum have a ppm of 20.
Resolution
You need to verify the resolution of the laser printer you are about to buy. This is more important if you are going to print photos with it, though it is best to opt for inkjet printers for good quality photo prints. The resolution is estimated in terms of dots per inch count. The greater is this count the better is the resolution and thereby the sharpness of the print.
Effective cost
It is not enough to check the cost of the printer. The cost of consumables like cartridge, paper, power, etc. are factors that will help you calculate the effective cost that may be higher for inexpensive printers. Among these consumables, the cartridges are the most important issue for consideration. You need to check their availability as well.
Other considerations
There are quite a few other minor issues that need to be borne in mind before you buy your laser printer. Ensure the size of the paper that the printer allows is the size you require. Check for networking facilities, if you need them. There are some laser printers that have the facility while there are others that provide for adding it. Ensure that there are paper trays for plain pages, envelopes, letterheads, etc., if you require. Duplex printing is yet another option that some laser printers offer. Buy a laser printer that suits both your requirements and your budget.
Key Features
| Key Features | | | Black Print Speed | | | Max Resolution (BW) | | | Printer Type |
| | With over 100 laser printers on the market, key features such as Black Print Speed, Max Resolution (BW) & Printer Type are important factors when buying. These features not only effect the performane and quality of the laser printer you choose, but also the price. Shown below are price guides for a selection of laser printers focusing on the key features: Black Print Speed, Max Resolution (BW) & Printer Type. |
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| Black Print Speed | | 20 ppm | £200.00 | | 19 ppm | £322.00 | | 16 ppm | £523.00 | | 36 ppm | £1,308.00 | | * | 20 ppm | £200.00 |
| | | Max Resolution (BW) | | 300 x 300 dpi | £123.00 | | 1800 x 600 dpi | £258.00 | | 2400 x 600 dpi | £385.00 | | 1200 x 1200 dpi | £511.00 | | 600 x 600 dpi | £3,508.00 | | * | 2400 x 600 dpi | £385.00 |
| | | Printer Type | | Personal | £189.00 | | All-In-One | £258.00 | | Workgroup ? Personal | £305.00 | | Label | £691.00 | | Workgroup | £826.00 | | * | Workgroup | £826.00 |
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* Taking into account all current laser printers on the market the most desirable would be a laser printer with 20 ppm Black Print Speed, 2400 x 600 dpi Max Resolution (BW) and Workgroup Printer Type.
Price Guide
| Min | £11.45 | | Avg | £768.40 | | Max | £7,817.86 |
| | Laser Printers cost anywhere from £11.45 for a basic laser printer with few features to around £7,817.86 for a fully featured laser printer. |
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Brand Guide
| Popular Brands | | | Hewlett Packard | | | BROTHER | | | Kyocera | | | EPSON | | | Minolta | | | LEXMARK |
| | The most popular laser printers brand is Hewlett Packard. The most expensive laser printers brand is Hewlett Packard. If you're looking for a bargain then look out for Dell branded laser printers as generally they offer the cheapest laser printers. |
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