Hewlett Packard Officejet 5610 All-In-One InkJet Pri...
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Inkjet Standard Printer Buying Guide
We may be living in a Digital World, but that doesn’t mean we’ve gone paperless. In fact, with the advent of digital photography, some of us are printing more than ever before. Inkjet printers can be one of the most cost-effective ways to manage your printing needs (documents, graphics, photos), but before you buy any inkjet printer, you’ll want to know how much printer you really need. Pronto’s Inkjet Printer Buying Guide takes you through the key points to consider whether you’ll be printing at home, the office, or your home office where everyone in the family uses the printers for something different. If after reading the guide you decide an Inkjet Printer is not for you, view our Laser Printer Buying Guide, Photo Printer Buying Guide or Multifunction Printer Buying Guide.
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the five
What are the five key points I need to look at?
What Are You Printing?
What you’ll print, how often you’ll print and how much you need to print at a given time is the best way to narrow down the selection of inkjet printers to the one that’s best for you and, as you’ll learn, the upfront cost to purchase an inkjet printer means less than the ongoing cost to operate one (ink cartridge replacement).
Print Quality
Inkjet printers print by spraying tiny dots of ink through even tinier holes onto the page. The more dots thrown per inch, the better the printout or resolution. Today, most inkjet printers have maximum resolutions of 4800 x 1200 dots per inch (dpi), which make it possible to print high-quality graphics and photos without having to rely on professional printers or photo labs.
Ink Cartridge Replacement Costs
The price you pay for ink is the best determiner of what the printer will cost you over time. Two key things to learn before you purchase any inkjet printer are how much replacement ink costs and how many pages each cartridge can print. Ink cartridges can cost as little as $10 (black ink only) and as much as $50 for a three-color cartridge. Usually, the less a cartridge costs, the less ink it contains.
Print Speed
Printing speed is measured in pages per minute (ppm), but don’t be fooled by manufacturers’ claims: advertised printing speeds are faster than what users actually experience. The complexity of the print job—a black-and-white text-only letter versus an 8 x 10 color photo for example—is what ultimately determines printer speed.
Output Capacity
Most inkjet printers come with a single paper tray that holds standard 8 ½ x 11 paper. If you’ll be printing documents as well as photographs on a regular basis, consider printers that come with additional trays to hold the different papers you’ll be using. Inkjet paper trays typically hold 50-100 sheets, about the same number of prints you’ll get from the ink cartridge.
pronto pick
What product do we recommend?
The HP Officejet Pro K5400 is a solid pick for either a home office or small office. It is not too bulky, and prints almost as fast a laser jet printer. Because HP cartridges are readily available and sometime can be found on sale, ink costs will be manageable. The text quality is very good for general use, but don’t count on it for photo quality. With a retail prices ranging form $200-$250, the HP Officejet Pro K 5400 is a strong choice.
experts say
CNET - With its affordable price, networkability, and decent print quality, The HP Deskjet 6940 Printer is a good choice for students in a dorm room and budget-conscious home office users. Source: CNET
PC World – “The Canon Pixma Printer generated top-notch text, graphics, and photo prints faster than any other model we tested.” Source: PC World
Expert User – The HP Photosmart C3180 Printer is an easy to set-up and install multifunction printer. Scans copies and prints in good quality - enough for everyday use. Haven't used it much for photo printing, but when I have, the results have been sufficient enough for what I was trying to accomplish. Source: Matt R.
blog buzz
What are the Bloggers saying about standard inkjet printers?
It cost $8000 per gallon for the ink in your inkjet cartridges. And you thought the cost of gas at $3.00 a gallon was high! Secret: Find a reliable compatible ink supplier and save about 50% on the cost of ink. Or $4000 per gallon. Want more info? Check out: http://blog.laserprinterexperts.com/
Wallet Impact
What can I expect in my price range?
| Price | Description | Good Pick (see all Inkjet Standard Printers) |
| $ | Budget inkjet printers ($60-150) get the job done and may still offer sought-after extras like duplex printing or additional paper trays. You’ll give up speed and high resolution, but for casual users, these low-cost printers are worth a look. GOOD PICK: Canon Pixma iP4200 |
Compare prices at 15 stores $55 - $145 |
| $$ | Mid-range inkjet printers ($150-250) may come network ready, offer PictBridge connection for photo printing and print at higher resolutions and/or print sizes than budget models. Some manufacturers may also offer good technical support. GOOD PICK: HP Deskjet 6940 |
Compare prices at 33 stores $84 - $196 |
| $$$ | High-end inkjet printers ($250+) provide you with the highest resolution, fastest speed and may offer extras like rechargeable batteries for printing on the go or in locations where you don’t always have access to an outlet. GOOD PICK: HP Deskjet Mobile 460cb |
Compare prices at 77 stores $266 - $488 |
shop talk
What are the terms and definitions I need to know about?
Postscript Fonts
Postscript is a scaleable font system that is compatible with Postscript printers. It allows users to see fonts on the screen the same way they would be printed
Dots per Inch (dpi)
Inkjet printers print by spraying tiny dots of ink through even tinier holes onto the page. The more dots thrown per inch, the better the printout or resolution. Today, most inkjet printers have resolutions up to 4800 x 1200 dpi, which makes it possible to print high-quality graphics and photos without relying on professional printers or photo labs.
Pages per Minute (ppm)
Printing speed is measured in pages per minute (ppm), but don’t be fooled by manufacturers’ claims: advertised printing speeds are faster than what users actually experience. The complexity of the print job—a black-and-white text-only letter versus an 8 x 10 color photo for example—is what ultimately determines printer speed.
PictBridge
Allows users to print photos directly from cameras to the printer without the use of a computer, regardless of brand. Nice-to-have if you don’t want or need to edit your photos first.Duplexing. A printer’s ability to print on both sides of the paper. Most printer models today do not have duplexing by default, but offer add-on hardware for duplexing. An add-on like this adds to the upfront cost, however, duplex printing may reduce costs over time by reducing the amount of paper you use.
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