Suggestions for printers

sagarpadaki · 25th September 2023, 17:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by guru_max

Should i go for ink tank or laser for very minimal use. This may not be used for months.

The bold part above is good enough reason for you to go with Laser printer. Inkjet/Inktank printers need usage atleast once or twice a month to keep them working in prime condition.

JithinR · 10th November 2023, 00:45

Is it really necessary to get an ink tank printer? Doesn't Amazon/Flipkart still sell CISS kits that can be Frankensteind onto ink cartridges or have modern printers found a way to defeat this exploit?

I am reluctant to spend anything close to the amount All in one Ink tank printers are selling for these days. 10k+ for something that we might need use of occasionally is a lot. I was hoping Laser printers would be more affordable but boy was I in for a surprise.

I actually managed to repair the cartridge of my old school printer (not referring to the print technology, it's actually the printer I used during my school days) and have put it to use in Bengaluru.

Now I am looking to purchase another one for my parents' house and I can't believe the amount that people are plonking down on these.

UPS_Guru · 13th February 2024, 19:28

Printer for Home – Layperson Edition

1. Do you need a printer?

Yes, if you:

Print often or print occasionally but prefer doing it independently (for confidentiality, convenience, or cost reasons).

2. Do you need a color printer?

Yes, if you:

Often need color printouts.

Occasionally need color printouts but prefer doing it independently (for confidentiality, convenience, or cost reasons).

3. Do you need an ink tank printer or a laser printer?

You need a monochrome ink tank/laser printer if you:

Need to keep the ownership and operational costs low. *

Primarily print in black.

You need a color ink tank printer (NOT color laser printer #) if you:

Often need color printouts.

Occasionally need color printouts but prefer doing it independently (for confidentiality, convenience, or cost reasons).

* The new generation of monochrome ink tank printers have a lower ownership and operational costs compared to similar monochrome laser printers.
# Color laser printers do not make sense for low volume printing due to expensive consumables.

4. In an ink tank printer, do you need a printer that uses dye ink or pigment ink?

You need an ink tank printer that uses pigment ink for black and dye ink for colors (cyan, magenta, and yellow), if you:

Need to keep the ownership and operational costs low.

Print documents in black for exceptional detail (crisp and sharp text) and archival quality (fade, water, and highlighter resistant).

Occasionally print photos in color on glossy photo paper (for vibrant colors and saturation). *

* You need an ink tank photo printer that uses 6 colors for professional photo outputs (for more accurate colors and smoother gradients) and borderless printing (although high-end ink tank printers may support it).

You need an ink tank printer that uses only pigment ink (for both black and color inks) if you:

Print documents in black/color for exceptional detail (crisp and sharp text) and archival quality (fade, water, and highlighter resistant).

Occasionally print photos in color on matte photo paper. *

* You need an ink tank photo printer that uses 6 colors for professional photo outputs (for more accurate colors and smoother gradients) and borderless printing (although high-end ink tank printers may support it).

5. Do you need a multifunction/all-in-one printer (for print, scan, and copy)?

You need a multifunction/all-in-one printer, if apart from printing you also need:

Digital version of a document (scan a physical document and save it as an image/document file on a computer/mobile). *

Copy of a document (scan and print a physical document independently without a computer/mobile like a photocopier).

* High-end multifunction/all-in-one printers support USB/memory card slot to save a scan directly to a USB drive/memory card. Most such printers also support printing images stored in the USB drive/memory card.

6. What automatic document feeder (ADF) options do you need in a multifunction/all-in-one printer * (for scanning/copying documents)?

No ADF, if you:

Prioritize lower initial cost of the printer over the time taken for every scan/copy through the platen (flat glass surface of the scanner).

Do not need the option to scan documents larger than the platen.

A simplex ADF/single pass ADF, if you:

Prioritize lower initial cost of the printer over the time taken for every scan/copy with manual intervention.

Need to scan/copy one-sided documents larger than the platen (such as a legal-size paper through the ADF when the platen supports up to letter-size paper).

Often scan/copy, especially a large set of one-sided documents.

A duplex ADF/reversing ADF (RADF)/dual pass ADF (DADF) if you:

Prioritize the time taken for every scan/copy without manual intervention over the higher initial cost of the printer.

Need to scan/copy two-sided documents larger than the platen (such as a legal-size paper through the ADF when the platen supports up to letter-size paper), each document in one attempt.

Often scan/copy, especially a large set of two-sided documents.

* The new generation of ADFs have a compact/foldable design for aesthetic (does not add much to the overall size of the printer) and functional (protects the printer from dust when not in use) purposes.

7. What connectivity options do you need in a printer * (USB, Ethernet, or Wi-Fi)?

You need:

A USB printer, if you connect your printer directly to a computer.

An ethernet printer if you connect your printer to a wired network. In such cases, you will share the printer with all computers on the network. Further, if a wireless router is part of the network, then you will also share the printer with all mobile devices on the network.

A Wi-Fi printer, if you connect your printer to a wireless network. In such cases, you will share the printer with all computers/mobile devices on the network. Most Wi-Fi printers also support Wi-Fi Direct to directly connect your printer to your mobile device bypassing your network.

* The new generation of printers support multiple connectivity options (typically both USB and Wi-Fi).

8. What other options * do you need in an ink tank printer?

You need an ink tank printer that supports:

Removable print head, to clean it if not replace it when the print head gets clogged.

User replaceable maintenance cartridge/box (that stores waste ink during printing/cleaning) to replace it at your convenience.

Large ink tank for black ink to prevent frequent refilling of black ink.

Keyed ink bottles to ensure an ink bottle only refills its dedicated tank to avoid mixing up colors.

Covered paper tray to store large quantity of paper for printing and protect the printer from dust.

* The new generation of ink tank printers can print as fast and at similar resolution and duty cycles as laser printers.

10th November 2023, 00:45	#467
JithinR BHPian Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 947 Thanked: 3,503 Times	Re: Suggestions for printers Is it really necessary to get an ink tank printer? Doesn't Amazon/Flipkart still sell CISS kits that can be Frankensteind onto ink cartridges or have modern printers found a way to defeat this exploit? I am reluctant to spend anything close to the amount All in one Ink tank printers are selling for these days. 10k+ for something that we might need use of occasionally is a lot. I was hoping Laser printers would be more affordable but boy was I in for a surprise. I actually managed to repair the cartridge of my old school printer (not referring to the print technology, it's actually the printer I used during my school days) and have put it to use in Bengaluru. Now I am looking to purchase another one for my parents' house and I can't believe the amount that people are plonking down on these.
	() Thanks

13th February 2024, 19:28	#468
UPS_Guru BHPian Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 48 Thanked: 231 Times	Re: Suggestions for printers Printer for Home – Layperson Edition 1. Do you need a printer? Yes, if you: Print often or print occasionally but prefer doing it independently (for confidentiality, convenience, or cost reasons). 2. Do you need a color printer? Yes, if you: Often need color printouts. Occasionally need color printouts but prefer doing it independently (for confidentiality, convenience, or cost reasons). 3. Do you need an ink tank printer or a laser printer? You need a monochrome ink tank/laser printer if you: Need to keep the ownership and operational costs low. * Primarily print in black. You need a color ink tank printer (NOT color laser printer #) if you: Often need color printouts. Occasionally need color printouts but prefer doing it independently (for confidentiality, convenience, or cost reasons). * The new generation of monochrome ink tank printers have a lower ownership and operational costs compared to similar monochrome laser printers. # Color laser printers do not make sense for low volume printing due to expensive consumables. 4. In an ink tank printer, do you need a printer that uses dye ink or pigment ink? You need an ink tank printer that uses pigment ink for black and dye ink for colors (cyan, magenta, and yellow), if you: Need to keep the ownership and operational costs low. Print documents in black for exceptional detail (crisp and sharp text) and archival quality (fade, water, and highlighter resistant). Occasionally print photos in color on glossy photo paper (for vibrant colors and saturation). * * You need an ink tank photo printer that uses 6 colors for professional photo outputs (for more accurate colors and smoother gradients) and borderless printing (although high-end ink tank printers may support it). You need an ink tank printer that uses only pigment ink (for both black and color inks) if you: Print documents in black/color for exceptional detail (crisp and sharp text) and archival quality (fade, water, and highlighter resistant). Occasionally print photos in color on matte photo paper. * * You need an ink tank photo printer that uses 6 colors for professional photo outputs (for more accurate colors and smoother gradients) and borderless printing (although high-end ink tank printers may support it). 5. Do you need a multifunction/all-in-one printer (for print, scan, and copy)? You need a multifunction/all-in-one printer, if apart from printing you also need: Digital version of a document (scan a physical document and save it as an image/document file on a computer/mobile). * Copy of a document (scan and print a physical document independently without a computer/mobile like a photocopier). * High-end multifunction/all-in-one printers support USB/memory card slot to save a scan directly to a USB drive/memory card. Most such printers also support printing images stored in the USB drive/memory card. 6. What automatic document feeder (ADF) options do you need in a multifunction/all-in-one printer * (for scanning/copying documents)? No ADF, if you: Prioritize lower initial cost of the printer over the time taken for every scan/copy through the platen (flat glass surface of the scanner). Do not need the option to scan documents larger than the platen. A simplex ADF/single pass ADF, if you: Prioritize lower initial cost of the printer over the time taken for every scan/copy with manual intervention. Need to scan/copy one-sided documents larger than the platen (such as a legal-size paper through the ADF when the platen supports up to letter-size paper). Often scan/copy, especially a large set of one-sided documents. A duplex ADF/reversing ADF (RADF)/dual pass ADF (DADF) if you: Prioritize the time taken for every scan/copy without manual intervention over the higher initial cost of the printer. Need to scan/copy two-sided documents larger than the platen (such as a legal-size paper through the ADF when the platen supports up to letter-size paper), each document in one attempt. Often scan/copy, especially a large set of two-sided documents. * The new generation of ADFs have a compact/foldable design for aesthetic (does not add much to the overall size of the printer) and functional (protects the printer from dust when not in use) purposes. 7. What connectivity options do you need in a printer * (USB, Ethernet, or Wi-Fi)? You need: A USB printer, if you connect your printer directly to a computer. An ethernet printer if you connect your printer to a wired network. In such cases, you will share the printer with all computers on the network. Further, if a wireless router is part of the network, then you will also share the printer with all mobile devices on the network. A Wi-Fi printer, if you connect your printer to a wireless network. In such cases, you will share the printer with all computers/mobile devices on the network. Most Wi-Fi printers also support Wi-Fi Direct to directly connect your printer to your mobile device bypassing your network. * The new generation of printers support multiple connectivity options (typically both USB and Wi-Fi). 8. What other options * do you need in an ink tank printer? You need an ink tank printer that supports: Removable print head, to clean it if not replace it when the print head gets clogged. User replaceable maintenance cartridge/box (that stores waste ink during printing/cleaning) to replace it at your convenience. Large ink tank for black ink to prevent frequent refilling of black ink. Keyed ink bottles to ensure an ink bottle only refills its dedicated tank to avoid mixing up colors. Covered paper tray to store large quantity of paper for printing and protect the printer from dust. * The new generation of ink tank printers can print as fast and at similar resolution and duty cycles as laser printers.
	(7) Thanks