Jun 09 2009
Printing Options
If you plan to print your pictures at home, consider a colour photo printer. Inkjets will likely offer the best quality print outs but you will quickly learn that the cost of buying the ink refills may outweigh the benefits of printing your pictures at home. Most inkjet printers are sold with what is referred to as “cheater cartridges”. Typically, these are about 1/2 full. Usually one black and a tri-colour cartridge. When it’s time to replace the cartridge, because you are going full speed ahead printing your own pictures, in about 1 month’s time, the amount you will be paying to get new ink for your printer may equal the cost for the printer itself ranging from $57- $87 for a complete set.
I have found that Kodak offers the best ink replacement options for your printer costing about $25 per set. The printer itself may cost a little more than your average Epson printer (I bought one for $67) for example but the cost savings for ink will justify the cost of the printer over time.
It’s important to shop around when you are looking for a printer. Multi function printers are great because they offer the ability to fax, scan and print. Not everyone needs to be able to fax documents from home but the option is there, just in case. I am using an HP 3380 laserjet. It’s a black and white multi-function printer and is suitable for what I need to print which is mostly documents. It’s an older model so be prepared that it may not be available for purchase anymore.
When it comes to printer needs, make sure you buy what you need. If you don’t need to print colour documents or don’t plan to print a lot of pictures from your home computer, don’t spend the extra money on the colour printer. A black and white laser printer will likely suffice.
