There are many different printer types and models in the market today — so many in fact that you really have to give serious thought to how you’re going to use your next printer. Some printers are better at printing photos than others, while some printers area so advanced that they can double as a copier. Before ever paying a visit to Best Buy or Staples, be sure to give your needs some serious thought. The worst thing you can do is to make an impulse buy or allow a pushy salesman to talk you into a printer with features you’ll never use.

Once you determine how you’re going to use your new printer, spend some time researching printers online. There are many great websites that have compiled hundreds of printer reviews. Spend some time reviewing printer specifications to get feel for what’s out there. Pay close attention to print speed (measured in pages per minute). Look for printer that produces output at the rate of about 20+ pages per minute in black and white. Also look at resolution – there are many printers in the market today that offer very low resolution print outs. If you plan on printing photos, high resolution is critical.

The absolute best advice – read what other consumers had to say about printers. Amazon, Epinions, and other online shopping sites including my site (http://www.inkcartridgesworld.com/_printers.html) have collected user feedback on most printers. This is a great indicator of how good the printer really is. You can gain considerable insight into common printer problems that you never would have known about. You’ll probably want to steer clear of printers that have known issues with paper jams, that use excessive ink or are probe to smudging, and printers that under deliver.

My last recommendation – check out costs of replacement ink cartridges before making a final purchase decision. Ink cartridge prices are at all ends of the pricing spectrum. Obviously, you want to find the least expensive inkjet cartridges. Remember, you’ll be replacing printer cartridges once every couple of months. Can you afford to pay $50 every time you run out of ink? Be especially weary of printers that cost less than $100 – they usually require the most expensive replacement cartridges.

Contrary to popular belief, the quality of your printer paper can have a serious impact on the quality of your printer output. You can buy the best printer in the word – feed it lousy paper, and you’ll get lousy results. Most consumers just purchase the cheapest paper they can find at Staples, which is normally just copier paper. Sure, this will work fine for text print outs. Try printing images or pictures on this paper. – not very crisp, right?

Image quality on your print outs is largely dependent on the brightness of the paper and the absorption capacity of the paper. Smooth paper is best for brightness since it reflects the most light directly back to the eye. Coarser paper tends to diffuse light in all over, really weakening the amount of light that makes it back to your eye. The end result is an image with less brilliance.

The second factor that plays a huge role in paper quality is the absorption potential of the paper. With cheap paper you tend to see ink bleed or run. Rather than nice tight graphics, you get blurred images. Coated paper is really the way to go here. It prevents the paper from absorbing the ink. For true, high resolution photo printing, coated paper is required. You’d be surprised how much the paper actually has to do with the end resolution of the print out. The right paper can sometime double the resolution of your print out.

Most homes these days have at least one printer hooked up to their personal computer. And a personal computer gets a fair amount of use through the day as an average family of four find a variety of uses to fill their time at the computer, including entertainment, information, to help with school work, to find recipes, to shop, to browse the Internet, etc.

So it is no surprise then that the printer gets a lot of use. With so many computers in North America running so many printers for so many people, it is no wonder that many printer manufacturers sell their printers at almost no profit because they make huge profits on ink refills.

Ink refill can be expensive, especially if you have a color printer, since you have to refill the black cartridge plus the three primary color cartridges as well. Filling a modern BubbleJet printer can cost well over $100!

It does not have to be that way. There are options available that are more affordable. Here is a review and evaluation of your cartridge refill options:

You can go out and buy the manufacturer’s ink cartridges. It is quick, easy, clean but can cost $100 or more if you have to replace all four ink cartridges. However, by staying loyal to the brand, you maintain the warranty on your printer.

Affordability factor: low — Cleanliness factor: high — Convenience factor: high

You can buy off-brand ink cartridges. These may void your warranty, but you can be sure that they will likely work in your printer since many other people are purchasing them as well and the off-brand ink cartridge manufacturing company does not want to lose customers by producing a product that does not work.

Affordability factor: medium — Cleanliness factor: high — Convenience factor: high

You can go to a printer refill kiosk in the mall and have then refill your cartridges. This will void your warranty as well, but for people who find the high cost of ink cartridges prohibitive, this is an excellent option. It’s also environmentally sound since there is little waste.

Affordability factor: medium — Cleanliness factor: high — Convenience factor: high

You can purchase a commercial ink refilling kit and do it yourself. This is the most affordable method but it can be messy, and take a long time if you have never done it before. And while it may only cost you a few dollars, you void your warranty by using any non-manufacturer-approved ink and equipment.

Affordability factor: high — Cleanliness factor: low — Convenience factor: low

For most people who are willing to risk the warranty and who don’t want the hassle of doing it themselves, buying off-brand cartridges or getting used cartridges refilled at a kiosk is the best option.