Buy new printer

A printer is a device that allows you to print text and images on paper. Some printers also have the ability to copy and scan. A printer is used next to a computer, laptop, tablet or mobile. It is not a necessary device to have at home, but it can bring a lot of convenience.

The network printer is now standard. This printer is connected to the home WiFi network. If you want to print something, you don’t necessarily have to connect a cable from the computer to the printer. You can simply send the print job to the printer via the home network. With a network printer it is also easy to print something from a tablet or smartphone. See the article ‘Wireless printing’ for more information on how this works.

A small portion of the printers currently being sold are wired. This requires a cable connection between computer and printer.

Do you want to scan and copy in addition to printing? Then choose a so-called all-in-one (all-in-one) printer. At the top is a flap with a glass plate underneath on which you can place a document, photo or drawing to copy or scan. Are you sure you just want to print? Then your wallet is in luck: a normal printer is often slightly cheaper.

Most printers use inkjet or laser as the printing technique. The main differences are:

• An inkjet printer works with cartridges. The ink is contained in these cartridges. They are separate parts that you click into the printer and replace when the ink runs out. This printer is often inexpensive to purchase, but cartridges can be quite expensive. They need to be replaced more often than the toner in a laser printer. If you only print very occasionally, you can consider an inkjet printer because of the lower purchase price. Keep in mind that if you do not use the printer for more than a few months, the ink cartridges can dry out. It is therefore advisable to make a printout every month. If you like to print your own photos, you really can’t ignore the inkjet printer. The more expensive printers especially for photos have individual cartridges per color. Some even have multiple shades of one color and only need to replace the color that has run out. Special ink and paper are also available for these printers, so that a print will remain good for at least 100 years under the right conditions.
• A laser printer works with a laser and toner. Toner is the dye in powder form. By lasering this it sticks to the paper. The result is a nice sharp print that unfortunately is less attractive in color than an inkjet print. In fact, some laser printers can only print in black and white and are ideal for those who only want to print text. A laser printer is often more expensive to purchase. The advantage is that toner lasts longer than a cartridge. If you often print something, a laser printer will save you money in the long run. Moreover, the laser printer is a speed monster compared to the inkjet printer. An average laser printer does twenty to forty pages per minute, an inkjet only does five to ten pages per minute and in photo mode it can sometimes be even slower.

After purchasing the printer, you also incur costs for the ink. This can add up quite a bit. Most printers come with some kind of starter set when you purchase it. It contains a small amount of ink, which you can use to print immediately. After that you will have to buy cartridges and toners yourself. These are not cheap and need to be replaced every once in a while. Good to keep in mind: with some brands of printers it is only possible to use ink cartridges of the same brand.

Some printers can also use bottled ink. It is then not necessary to keep buying new patterns, you simply add to the old pattern. That is an economical option. Do you see this? Then look for a printer where this is possible.

A cheap printer can turn out to be more expensive in the long run than a printer with higher purchase costs. It is therefore wise to look at the costs per print when purchasing. At webshop coolblue can be filtered, for example, on costs per printed page.

It is helpful if the printer fits well where you have in mind. Some printers can be quite large. Do you have a small desk? Then look out for a compact printer. Print larger than A4? A number of printers have this option. Note that these printers often take up a lot more space. So make a trade-off between wishes and the available space.