How to Select the Best Laser Printer

Before determining the best laser printer that is suitable with your needs, the first thing you should do is understanding the basic knowledge about printer. Printer has two ways to produce a picture, an inkjet printer produces a picture by spraying very small dots of ink onto the paper while a laser printing device produces a picture by throwing powdered ink to paper which goes by an electrically charged drum. If you have needs to print more photos or graphics and less text-based documents, you had better buy an inkjet printer. But if you have needs to print so many text-based documents, a laser printer will be the best choice for you.

Choosing the right device for printing is very important because if you frequently print many documents then you use an inkjet printer, you will spend more money for the cartridges over the expense of toner over the lifetime of a laser printer.

Monochrome or Color Laser Printer

You can find a black and white laser printing device for less than $150. These types are usually cost-effective plus cheaper to maintain as compared to inkjet printers. A color laser printer is significantly more high-priced, and it is right here that you can be teased to select an inkjet printer as an alternative. Remember that the first investment pertaining to color toner cartridges enhances the upfront price of a color laser printer, yet colour printing is going to definitely cost cheaper per page than inkjet printers. Although some color laser printers can handle to print photographs, the picture quality will be substantially worse than inkjet printers. That is why if you have strong intention to print photo, it is recommended that you select an inkjet printer.

Print Quality

A laser printing device can yield crisp and razor-sharp text output associated with simple graphics (grayscale) yet it doesn't mean you need to neglect resolution specifications entirely. Printer resolution is usually assessed in dots per inch. If you have printer which has higher resolution so it will result in sharper and crisper the print job. That is why it is worth taking into consideration if you will print graphics. Monochrome/grayscale laser printing device has resolution at 1200 by 1200 or 600 by 600, however these scales are usually more than enough regarding printing text and graphics. The resolution of Color laser printing device is often as high as 2400 by 1200, that increases the quality of the colour print.

Printer Memory

Memory space decides how fast your printing device prints plus the quality of the prints it creates. Printing devices with laser technology save documents within memory. More memory enables you to print a higher resolution at quicker speeds. If you deliver a high-resolution works to your printing device yet do not have the memory to take care of it, the printer instantly sets the work's resolution to check the actual printer's capabilities.

Memory space upgrades are relatively affordable, therefore if you select a cheaper laser printing device along with less memory, search for one which can allow memory space upgrades, particularly important if you will do network the printer with several users in your workplace. The majority of expensive laser printing device is equipped with at least 64MB of memory space. If you are purchasing for a large business with many print jobs, select a laser printer which can be upgraded to 128MB. Once again, if velocity is key element, take into consideration to buy the model with additional memory space.

Kinds of Computer Printers

Computer printers make the information in hard copy easily available. The processing of business transactions is made easier. These printers are one of the most important computer hardware parts. It connected to the computer to enable the printing of documents from your desktop.

Printers have become one of the necessities to any business to make the daily operations work smoothly. The kind of printer that a company should acquire depends on its requirement to accomplish the tasks.

Currently, there are different kinds of computer printer in the market. These are laser printer, ink jet printer, plotters printer, and dot matrix printer. Let me provide the description of each printer type.

Laser Printer

This is the most often purchased printer today. Its high quality print output outfoxes prints from other printer types. The text and graphics are printed with quality result. The reason why there are lots of people who choose lasers despite is comparatively higher price is that it is economical. Its LED technology helps reduce the use of toner from a cartridge. It takes small particles in minimal amount to give out quality prints.

Ink jet Printer

Before the advent of laser printers, ink jet printers are the most widely used printer type. They are cheaper than any other printer types and produces quality output. However, the only disadvantage is that the printing time would take longer. It is because such kind of printers uses variably-sized droplets of ink that is propelled onto the paper or various print media. This printing process takes time to perform the printing of the material. The advantage of using these printers aside from cheaper price is that they are capable of printing colored documents such as photos and with a glossy finish.

Plotters Printer

This type of printer is ideal for printing larger drawings. High quality print out is made out of having the pen plotters pen move across the surface of the medium. This is the most unique printer so far invented and available in the market.

Thermal Printer

This is very common among department stores and malls. Thermal printer are convenient to be used by cashiers because it allows the calculations and giving the print out at the same time in fast manner. Fax machines also have this kind of technology. This, however, works only on papers that are heat sensitive. It operates by having the heated pins pushed against the medium.

Dot-matrix Printer

Of all the printer types, this is the oldest type. Inspired from typewriter, this printer operates by having its pin strike against the ink ribbon. The print out from dot matrix is easily recognized because of the obvious lines and dots that you can see on the image or character it prints; hence it is called dot-matrix. Despite its obsolescence, dot-matrix printer is still used by some business establishments because its mechanical pressure enables the producing of carbon and carbon-less copies.

Wireless Printer Routers Save Time and Money

For homes and offices with multiple workstations or computer users, a wireless printer router can simplify network printing and printer configuration. Rather than invest in a printer for each computer, consider a wireless printer router to share a single printer throughout your network. It is a great tool for efficient printing that reduces the need for additional equipment, additional printing costs and valuable space.

There are actually a number of options when it comes to configuration for your wireless printer router. The first is the installation of a printer server at the primary Wi-Fi access point on your network. You will need a direct cable connection between the printer and server, which can limit the placement of the printer itself. You may also run into compatibility issues if you use a printer server with multiple computers that run different operating systems. This particular configuration is most successful with computers on the same operating system.

A second option is printer sharing, in which one computer is selected as a host and other computers on the same network can add jobs to the printer queue wirelessly through the host computer. Once again, the printer must be cabled to the host computer, which limits the location options. The host computer attached to the printer must be left on at all times, and this printer sharing option is only feasible if you have a desktop computer in addition to the more mobile laptops you use on the network.

A third and more successful approach makes use of a wireless printer. The wireless printer router is configured so that the printer can operate wirelessly. This is often a great option because you can position the printer wherever you like within the range of your wireless network. Once the wireless printer is functioning, most compatibility problems are reduced or eliminated altogether since configuration was done simply to make the printer operate wirelessly.

If you already have a printer with a USB port and a functional computer network, installing a wireless printer router can be done in less than twenty minutes. Once the router is installed, the initial configuration can be done from any computer on your network. Simply load the instructional CD and follow the step-by-step instructions for naming the printer and telling it how to handle multiple jobs as they come in. You can assign priority to certain computers over others, or simply queue the jobs to print in the order that the requests were placed.

Invest in one today and enjoy the ultimate in computer network mobility. Maintaining a single printer will save you money as well as valuable desk space. The most current wireless printers can be used not only to print standard documents, but also to scan, fax, and print or load digital pictures. For this reason, it is a valuable addition to any home or office with wireless capability.

Printer Not Working? 6 Things to Do to Fix It

Before you go pay someone to fix your printer, here is a list of things you can do if your printer is not working. Sometimes it is the simplest things which cause the printer to stop working and the simplest things which cause it to start working again. Here are six things you need to do.

#1 Plug the Printer into the Computer
Make sure the printer is properly connected to the computer. Unless it is a wireless printer, follow the printer cable from the printer to the computer. Firmly press the cable into the computer or laptop to secure the connection.

#2 Plug the Printer In
Plug the printer into the power source. If the power source is a surge protector, then you need to make sure the surge protector is plugged into the wall. Then make sure the surge protector is turned on. Generally, you can make sure the surge protector is turned on by the LED light.

When you turn the printer on, you should hear a series of beeps as the printer sets. Additionally, you should hear the printer cartridges move across the printer and the paper should attempt to load.

#3 Put Paper in It
Sometimes the problem is it just ran out of paper. Put paper in the paper tray and press the load button.

#4 Print a Test Page
Most printers come with software that gives you the ability to print a test page, read the instruction booklet to determine how to print a test page. The test page should have diagnostic and troubleshooting tools to determine printer problems. It will help you with vertical and horizontal alignment along with other formatting issues.

#5 Compatibility with Your Computer
While most printers will work with both Macintosh and PCs some printers will not. Check to make sure your printer will work with your computer. Additionally you will need to check the compatibility with your version of Windows, this is especially true if you have a new printer and an older version of Windows such as Windows XP or older. The minimum system requirements will be listed on the printer box and the user manual.

#6 Update the Drivers
If everything else is working, then you may need to update the drivers. You can do this manually or automatically.

To update manually:

• Download the driver
• Go to the printer manufacturer's website
• Locate the drivers for the specific printer for your computer's operating system
• Download the driver to a location you can remember
• Install the driver

• Click Start
• Click Control Panel
• Click Printers
• Right Click Your Printer
• Click Update Drivers
• Follow Onscreen Instructions

To update automatically:
Updating automatically is much easier with driver update software. With driver update software, in just minutes your printer drivers will automatically update and install without you having to look for them.

How to Connect Printers Wirelessly to Your Computer

The advent of wireless technology has greatly revolutionized the way not just how we get connected to the Internet. It has also provided us the option to create computer and printer networks without the need of cables running to and from a router or a hub. Many computers and even printers are now equipped with the ability to be connected wirelessly to each other with the use of plug and play wireless networks. Connecting your computer or laptop to a printer through wireless means is extremely easy. Here is how you can do just that.

Step 1. Get your equipment in order

The first thing that you would need to do is to first check if all of your computer equipments are capable of connecting with each other via a wireless connection. Newer printer models are now equipped with this capability. This information is usually included in the printer's manual. If you are not sure that printer has been equipped to connect to computers and laptops through a wireless connection, check the manufacturer's website. Better yet, contact your printer manufacturer's customer service hotline to find out.

Step 2. Update your drivers

In order to ensure that your wireless connection between the computer and printer does not encounter any problems, make sure that your wireless network printer drivers are up-to-date. You can do this by simply going to the support page of the website of your wireless network card or your laptop's manufacturer. This is particularly crucial if your computer or your laptop is running on Windows Vista since your wireless network card would not work well if it is not updated.

Step 3. Choose a good location for your printer

Although you would be connecting to your printer through a wireless connection, it is ideal to make sure that your printer is placed not far from the router for two reasons. The first is that in order for you to connect to your printer through a wireless connection, you would need to connect your printer at the port located behind your router. The second reason is that because you would be connecting to your printer through the use of a wireless connection, the further your computer or laptop is to the printer and router, the weaker the signal would be.

Step 4. Create the network

If you are just connecting just one computer to the printer, you can go ahead now and test the connection by turning your printer and laptop or computer on to see if your printer would be recognized and connected. If you are going to use different laptops and computers to one printer, the next step is to create a wireless network for your home office. Before doing this, make sure that you have the IP address of each computer handy. You can easily check this by clicking on the Start button and selecting the Run option. Type cmd in the space provided to bring you to the MS-DOS screen. Type Ipconfig and then press enter for you to view your computer or laptop's IP address.

How You Can Save Money When Buying Computer Printer Ink

Buying computer printer ink repeatedly is necessary if you are using a printer a lot. You may find yourself spending too much money if you are buying computer printer ink quite often. You need to think how you can save money on buying computer printer ink. However when you are purchasing ink for your printer there are a many ways to control on your savings.

You have to consider the value packs instead of single packs while buying computer printer ink. In fact you have to spend a bit more money on the value packs of computer printer ink when you are purchasing computer printer ink; you can save several dollars on each cartridge too. However buying bulk proves to be cheaper in the long run like anything else sold in these days.

Already I have mentioned that you should not rely or compromise the quality of the ink while you are buying for your computer printer. In fact by this doing you can save yourself a bundle. For instance, if you are buying ink refills may sound good at the time. But thing is that how far it is true? Printing quality is severely reduced when a consumer uses ink refills and the process of refilling the cartridge get messy. That is why you should go for a better quality ink cartridges on the Internet or at your different local stores.

However you have to pay a few extra dollars but you can save quite a bit of hassle down the road. In fact, you have to consider recycling your ink cartridges when you are finished with them if you want to save a few dollars on computer ink. Several companies are there to refill your cartridges as you send across to them. By this doing you can get back a few dollars on your initial ink purchase in return. The cartridges that they get can later refill and sell by them.

Buying Bulk Computer Printer Ink:

You can also save your money in buying bulk computer printer ink cartridges and refill kits. In fact you have to find out the best deal to get such ink cartridges and refill kits. Do you know you're saving money without compromising quality when buying bulk computer printer ink?

Manufacturer Filled Cartridges:

Advantages: Usually you can get the discounts for 4 or more cartridges of same type. You can use most the bulk buy ink if you do have both a color and a black cartridge. You can use black for document printers and for photo printers it'll be color. You'll get a better quality ink which has a long lasting if they are first-filled cartridges from the manufacturer.

Disadvantages: While you are seeking the ink option, bulk-buying computer ink will be the most expensive option for you, but you can still save plenty of money in buying this. They do dry out like the refills when they sit in the packages. But due to higher quality packaging they won't dry as fast as refills. Shipping is usually higher for these than the same number of refilled cartridges.

Remanufactured (Refilled) Cartridges:

Advantages: You have to consider buying the cartridges that are already filled with ink in bulk if you don't want the hassle and mess of refilling your ink cartridges. All most all inks are in form of recycled cartridges. You can save lot more dollars on the refilling cartridges without the mess to you. You can get these inks both in color and black ink for Canon, Epson, Lexmark and Hewlett Packard printers. There are also many different brands which can vary in availability and reliability.

Disadvantages: Shelf life of ink once it's in the cartridge is less than ink in the bottle. While you definitely don't want to unwrap a cartridge until you're ready to install it, it's drying out in the cellophane wrap. These are more expensive than the kits to refill cartridges yourself.

Do-It-Yourself Refill Kits:

Advantages: The most advantage of this kind of cartridge is Cheap. You can refill your cartridges by a bottle of ink many times. There will be no chance of evaporation or absorption. So you should not be worry about that. In fact the plastic bottles won't allow the ink to evaporate or be absorbed.

Disadvantages: The disadvantage of this cartridge is you will have to refill more often. There are many of the printer cartridges which are especially low-cost models, require special tools to refill or else it can not refill at all. Another disadvantage of this cartridge is the messy in fact you can not use this handy.

Finding the Best Computer Printer

There are over a dozen different computer printer manufacturers. They all promise high quality printing, fast page per minute output, and ease of use.

The brand name of the printer is not as important as its intended use and compatibility with your computer. This is one area of computing where it is possible to buy too much of a good thing. Many computer printers today advertise their excellence of photo quality printing. However, unless you print a large number of photos from your computer this is not a good deal. You pay extra for that high quality printing. Let us determine the different uses for computer printers.

1. Student: Students write reports. Often their reports include graphs. Most students perform their photographic work and communications online. They do not need an expensively priced computer printer with all the bells and whistles, usually. A basic color capable printer with a quick page per minute output is probably the best for them. There are many such computer printers available under a hundred dollars. Be careful though, some ink cartridges cost more than the printer does! Check the cost of replacing the ink before buying the cheapest printer you find.

2. General Individual: Individuals need computer printers for a broad range of uses. Many printers, called all-in-one devices can copy, scan, and fax as well as print. It is certainly cheaper to pay a couple of extra dollars to have a fax capable printer in your home than have to pay seventy-five cents or more to use a commercial fax service if you have frequent or long term fax needs. Most of us however, need a fax only occasionally. Why pay for more than you need? If you do not need a fax more than once a month, look at a computer printer without that option. The scanning and copying options on the computer all-in-one printers are still a good buy for the general individual. Almost everyone likes to save newspaper articles and recipes for future reference. The photo quality of the print is an individual consideration here as well. If you enjoy taking photographs to share with others you may want to pay extra for that high quality print. If you can upload your photos online, though, the high quality photo printing option may be more than you want to pay. Remember, photo printing uses a lot of ink!

3. Home or Small Office: Here again, we need to determine just what use the computer printer will have. This is where you might want to consider purchasing that fax option and high quality photo option. While you may not need them all that often, the money saved in terms of time lost in leaving the office, to have it done, can more than make up the difference in cost.

Base you computer printer decision on what you will use it for and compatibility with your operating system and you will be able to buy the best printer for you. Remember to pay attention to the cost of replacing the ink this is where you will spend the bulk of your printing dollar.