Laser printers have brought about a phenomenal change in computer aided domestic printing by making the whole process of printing a lot simpler and cost effective. Laser printers, which were a rarity at homes and small business, are fast becoming a big part of the PC entourage. With manufactures dishing out newer models by the day, choosing a laser printer that precisely fulfils your exact requisites might appear a trifle too exhaustive.
Quality First
Quality in print is synonymous with resolution. The Dots Per Inch or DPI in computer lingo defines the depth and quality in hard copy printouts. A higher DPI ensures better density of printed elements, on the hardcopy print out.
When using a laser printer to print text, an average Dpi of 300 can give you acceptable, if not exceptional print quality. But while printing graphics, look out for printers that give you a higher resolution with an average Dpi of 600.Popular standards for quality printing, start with 600 Dpi and can go up to 1200 Dpi. While printing multi coloured elements using Colour Lasers, insist on an average dpi of 1200.Resoulution on colour lasers can go up to 2400 Dpi.
Of late, printer manufacturers have been building printers with a built in optimized resolution range which works in association with softwares, to create optimized images and text resulting in enhanced printouts.
Speed Next
Speed in printing is heavily dependent on the elements on a page that needs to be printed. The printer takes more time to print graphics and images. Whereas text can be printed within a few blinks of the eye. Most Laser printers specify their speed of printing through PPM - Pages Per Minute. An average printing speed of sixteen pages per minute can be achieved across most models of Laser printers. But this speed can be achieved only on pages containing text or pages containing minimal images. If the desired printouts are heavy in graphics or images, 16 PPM is definitely out of question. Speaking from a slightly different perspective, speeds matter only in work environments that demand a huge quantity of printouts.
Any printer needs to heat up before printing. This processing time can marginally differ on different printers, according to each printer’s specifications and printing capabilities. Similarly printers are empowered with print control processors with different speeds that start with 33 MHz and can go up to 400 MHz.
Are Memory and Performance linked?
Yes. The printer receives the file to be printed from the computer, stores it and then prints it. A bigger memory can store files of bigger size and assist in increasing the speed of printing. Files with images and graphics, take up a lot of space and can even take up all available memory of the printer. You can download and store a good amount of fonts on your Laser Printer with a better memory capacity.
In-built memory on printers can go up to 128 Mb and certain high end models have higher memory capabilities. You can always upgrade your printer’s memory capacity using hardware from the manufacturer. In addition to this, certain models in Laser printers come with additional memory slots than can be filled with memory hardware from the manufacturer
Laser printers also come with up-gradable hard drives of different capacities for extended storage and security managed printing.
A4, A3 and More!
A crucial point that can determine the cost of a Laser printer is its ability to print on paper sizes that are varied in size and dimension. Certain laser printers can even print on envelopes and cards and manage to do a perfect job of it. If you intend to print on both sides of the paper, then go in for the Duplex Printer. These printers can print on both sided of a paper on a single run. Save time while saving paper.
Workgroup printers are printers that can be hooked on to a network and enables printing from multiple computers. Workgroup laser printers come with a built in print server and do not need an external printing server. Network printers are aimed at organisations that have a high volume printout requirement.
Colour Printing on the Laser
Laser colour printers have become pocket friendly on consumers in the recent past. Gone are the days when Colour Lasers cost a fortune .An increasing number of consumers are opting in for the Laser colour printer, due to its reduced cost and increased efficiency. You can find a Laser Printer that can print in colour for a little less than 300 pounds.
Traditional colour printing, done using inkjet printers gives results that are never a match to the crisp quality of high resolution printouts, from the new generation Laser Colour printers. Colour printing using LED technology has made colour printing a lot quicker, than the previous generation of colour laser printers due to its capability to print all four basic colours, in one pass. To add to its highlights, colour printing cost lesser on a laser in comparison to an inkjet printer.
The Printer Driver is in Control
The printer driver is fundamentally, a software that lets you to be in control of a comprehensive printing process, through your PC. The driver allows you to check on the printing process, alter print quality and helps you to gauge the printer’s performance. Analyse the driver, to see how well it allows you to be informed of pending print jobs, toner status and most importantly, see whether it helps you to find precise reasons, for the printer’s behaviour.
Laser Printers and Vendor Lock-ins
You are dependant on your printer and your printer is dependant on its manufacturer for its ink. Manufactures offer printers for throwaway prices in order to get you trapped into an arrangement, where you always need to approach the manufacturer for cartridges and toners.
Act with caution. Double check the cost of toner replacements before deciding upon a Laser printer. Estimate the time or number of pages, the toner might last, before needing replacement. Printer manufacturers provide a percentage ratio figure for assessing the life span of a cartridge. On an average a good cartridge will last you up to a little less 5000 pages at 5 percent coverage [a whole page of text]
Some cartridges can be refilled while others simply have to be replaced. Check whether the particular cartridge of the printer that you have zeroed in can be refilled. Certain printer manufacturers will not warranty your printer, if the cartridge has been refilled. A cartridge can be refilled several times, depending upon the model.
The issue of colour cartridges being refilled does not arise, since colour cartridges cannot be refilled as of now. In Colour lasers, Organic Photo Conductor (OPC) Drum has to be replaced at infrequent intervals. Colour printers have a few other consumables that need periodical replacement.Replaceble consumables might differ slightly from model to model. Make sure you analyse the must replace and must refill part of your purchase agenda, carefully. |