If you are looking to save time, space and have one solid go-to office machine, then owning an all-in-one printer is your best option. Within one unit, you can print, copy, fax and scan. If you have seen the many advertisements online or in print for all-in-one printers then you may have noticed that there are many factors that you will have to consider when making a purchase. Some factors will be more important than any of the others. So let's take a peek at some of the most important factors to consider so it makes it easy for you to evaluate your choices.
What is the Print Resolution?
An important performance characteristic of any all-in-one printer is the print quality. This is determined by the print resolution measured by the DPI or dots per inch metric. If you plan to do printing from your home then it is important to have professional grade printing quality from your printer. An acceptable standard for quality color photo prints is a 600 x 600 DPI resolution. Some inkjet printers go as high as 9600 x 2400 DPI in resolution. The higher the DPI measurements, the better quality print you will receive. Though you will have a more expensive all-in-one printer when the all-in-one printer copier fax scan machine has a higher DPI rating. This brings me to the next tip that is about pricing.
What Type of Features And Benefits Do You Get For The Price?
Some printers are still quite expensive, even with all the nice all-in-one printer discounts and deals. Instead of saying that they are overpriced, it is more accurate to say that they are not. The reason being is that they do not have good price to value ratio. A printer that is priced lower will not be able to stand against a more costly printer. You have to decide if the additional benefits and features are worth the increased price. And value is specific to your usage needs.
In general, all-in-one printers typically offer great value. Instead of having to spend $80 - $120 buying separate copy or fax machines, you can a multi-faceted print, copy, fax and scanner machine for under $300. As noted above, the value of a machine to a user varies according to the individual needs of the user. So if you do not need a fax, you could be saving an extra $50 - $80 off the price the all-in-one unit that does no have faxing capabilities. In that case, you will be getting better price to value ratio, or to put it simply, a better buy for your needs.
What Type of Print Technology: Laser or Inkjet All-In-One Printer?
Traditionally, if you are looking for value with volume printing, a laser all-in-one printer will be a better choice than an inkjet printer. If you plan to do a heavy amount of printing, take in mind that an inkjet printer will require expensive ink cartridges. On the other hand a laser printer requires toner that will require changing periodically, however it lasts for quite awhile. Therefore it won't be as often as an ink cartridge and the value offered is better for you. The newer models of inkjet all-in-one printers currently also offer competitive cost per print values along with better color photo prints than color laser printers.
So there you have it, the top 3 questions to consider before you buy an all-in-one printer. It's a good idea to jot down and quantify the pros and cons of each factor and printer choice.