Affordable and Reliable Printers

When it comes to purchasing a new, affordable printer, finding the one that has the features that suit everyday personal needs can be a frustrating task. There are different types of printing technology to choose from, each built for different needs. Inkjet, laser, or multifunction – one can get lost between a sea of models and brands of printers while searching for the best one, let alone the most affordable (or downright cheap).

First of all, you’ll have to ask yourself what are the new printer’s purposes and specifications. Is it for occasional printing of documents (such as school assignments)? For home users, then a color inkjet printer would be sufficient. For example, one of Hewlett-Packard’s budget printers is the Deskjet D1660. Small and light, the D1660 measures 17 inches by 8 inches by 6 inches while weighing under 5 pounds. Professional reviews have praised its efficiency in doing basic printing tasks. While it doesn’t have many extra features, it has one of the best prices on the market.

If you’re looking for an affordable inkjet printer, yet sharper than its peers and with a reliable resolution (to print, let’s say, borderless photos), be sure to check out the Pixma iP2600. This Canon printer has received positive reviews on tech sites, especially for its so-called ChromaLife100 system, which allows the iP2600 to produce long-lasting prints with longevity up to 100 years. Compact and smart, its price starts at about £30 on Amazon.

For those of you who print daily, a laser printer will highly recommend for its fast print speeds and high text quality. One of the most affordable small-office printers is the Konica Minolta Magicolor 1600w. This little laser workhorse outputs up to 35,000 prints monthly on a variety of paper sizes. Consider buying it from an online vendor such as Amazon.co.uk to get the best possible price – this speedy, reliable printer’s price starts at £90.

Crisp, precise printing is also the job of the Samsung’s 315 and 315W (the latter is wireless). Tech reviews praise it for doing a magnificent job at printing text as well for its demure size. For the quality of the print output, the 315 and 315W have set a high standard among color laser printers while having one of the best prices on the market – somewhere around £215.

However, if you’re looking for a printer that can handle a variety of needs such as printing, scanning, copying (and maybe faxing), an affordable multifunction printer should be your first option. The Lexmark Impact S305, for example, serves well as either a light-duty home/office all-in-one printer without breaking your bank account – the best price for the S305 can be found on Amazon, where it starts at £80. Tech reviews highlight the best features of this speedy printer: wireless, Ethernet, and USB connectivity.

With built-in wireless connectivity and the ability to print directly from standard memory card formats or USB flash drives, Canon’s Pixma MP560 is another fierce competitor among the affordable category of multifunction printers. An easily networked (there’s even an optional Bluetooth adapter too) and also surprisingly stylish printer, with its flashy 2-inch LCD screen for previewing pictures, tech reviews emphasize Pixma MP560’s strongest points: two-sided printing and a five individual ink tank system for savings on consumables. While already having one of the best prices on the market – starting at £105 – this little Canon multifunction printer is an outstanding value for the money.

The quality of all printers has improved massively over the last few years, and prices have dropped at the same time. The lines above are a compilation of a handful of advice that should help outline what type of printer is suitable for you. When buying a new one, the chances are that all will come down to falling somewhere in between two or more of these archetypes, so carefully consider for what purpose you’ll be using your new printer.