© ANDREW REILLY

Pick a printer

Selecting the right printer for your needs

by ERIK J. MARTIN

Documents on a screen or in the cloud will only get you so far. When you need a paper trail, an image printout or just a closer look at the text, a quality printer is indispensable.

“You never know when you’ll want to print out some family vacation photos, flyers for a garage sale or physical copies of that quarterly report you need for a meeting,” says Allen St. John, a senior tech editor for a leading consumer magazine.

Costco member Nils Madden, marketing director for printer manufacturer Epson America Inc., which is based in Los Alamitos, California, says reading from hard-copy prints can reduce screen fatigue and provide workspace flexibility, too. “One solid printer on your home network can eliminate the need for multiple printers around your household,” continues Madden, who recommends selecting a multifunction printer that can also scan and fax for added flexibility.

Home office printers fall into two main categories: inkjet or laser. Inkjets spray tiny ink droplets onto the paper, often producing better print quality although at a slower speed. Lasers print more quickly, using heat to fuse toner ink to the paper.

“If you typically print a combination of text, graphics and photos in color, an inkjet printer is the way to go,” suggests St. John. “If you print a lot of text documents in black and white, a monochrome laser printer, which produces sharp text, makes the most sense.”

The cheapest printers often aren’t the best bargain in the long run because many use a lot of ink for both printing and main-tenance cycles. Consider an inkjet printer with a refillable ink tank, or a laser printer with low toner replacement costs, to get the most bang for your buck. “Features to consider include a compact printer with a large paper capacity, two-sided printing, automatic document feeder and Wi-Fi connectivity,” says Madden.

A quality printer is a vital tool that nearly every household should have.

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