Computer Printers by Brand
The best type and brand of printers for your business may not be the most popular
By M. Worcester
Choosing computer printers by brand name often helps you sort through the overwhelming number of brands of printers, but other aspects may be just as important as brand name. If you print a large number of pages each month, buy computer laser printers. For occasional color printing, consider getting a small color inkjet and use a large monochrome laser printer for the majority of your documents.
The best brand computer printers are not the same for everyone, so base your selection on your business’ needs and budget. You have several choices of popular types of printers.
1. Small inkjet printers print in color or black-and-white (monochrome) and work well for both individuals and a small workgroup.
2. Laser printers come in a variety of sizes, are color or monochrome and are high-output, economical business printers.
3. Multi-function printers can print in color or monochrome and also scan, fax or photocopy in addition to printing.
4. Impact and dot matrix printers work best for forms and billing functions.
5. Small dedicated photo printers use specialized ink and paper to print high quality photos comparable to those developed at a photo shop.
Produce high quality photo documents with inkjet computer printers
Makers of inkjet printers include Epson, HP, Canon and Lexmark. Inkjet printers are faster than laser printers and print beautiful color images. If you print smaller quantities of documents and often need to use color, choose an inkjet printer.
Try: Choose from a large number of brands of inkjet printers at Best Buy, where you can narrow your search by brand, price range, print speed and other features. Browse by brand or price range at CompUSA.com, where you can sort your search results by consumer rating or price or get the best selling printers at the top of the list.
Purchase computer laser printers for high quantity printing needs
Makers of laser printers include Lexmark, Okidata, Brother, Xerox, HP, Dell, Samsung and Sharp. Laser printers are the most economical if you print many documents. Several models hold large stacks of input paper in several different sizes, giving network users more choices without having to refill the paper tray.
Try: Search computer printers by brand, type, price or computer platform at PC Connection, Inc. Narrow your search by brand, color, popularity, price or print speed at pcRUSH.com.
Save space with multifunction computer printers for sale
Dell, Lexmark, HP, Sharp and Samsung manufacturer multifunction printers. Choose a multifunction laser printer for a large office with lots of printing needs or a multifunction inkjet printer for a small or home office. Integrate fax functions into your computer network, which allows you to send faxes to those on your computer's contact list. Store fax documents electronically by choosing a multifunction printer with network capabilities.
Try: Shop by brand or type, or visit the Multifunction Printer Learning Center at Super Warehouse. Find poplar brands and narrow your search by type or brand at costcentral.
Print forms with impact and dot matrix computer printers
Impact and dot matrix computer printers, manufactured by Epson, IBM and Lexmark, don't hold as much sway as they once did, but computer printers of the dot matrix or impact type work well if you need to print continuous or multiple-part forms. Generally these documents don't require high quality printing.
Try: Choose a computer brand of impact and dot matrix printers at BlueDogInk.com. TigerDirect sorts printers by popularity, price or product rating.
- Most full-sized inkjet printers print excellent quality photos. If you print photos often, purchase a small photo printer that prints snapshot sized photos.
- While a multifunction printer combines several machines into one, keep in mind the number of users for each function; you may find it better to purchase separate machines depending on the office usage.
