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10 Buying Tips to get the Best Printer

2007-11-28

When it comes down to buying a printer for yourself, the real key is finding the best printer for your needs. And how do you find the best printer? Ask questions! Here are 10 great questions to ask yourself in order to find the absolute best printer for all of your printing needs.

1. Is the printer going to be the only printer in the home or office?

If yes, then you need the printer to be able to do multiple functions like print pictures, print text fast, and do it all effectively. But very few offices have one printer, and even some homes have more than one with the price of printers on the market. So it might not be a bad idea to buy two printers for your home with one for photo printing, and one for everything else.

2. Do you need a multifunction (all-in-one) printer or not?

Nowadays you can buy printers that scan, copy and fax. Will you need your printer to perform any of those things? If you don't necessarily need the printer do any of those things, then it will not be a factor you need to consider. If not, your buying decision will be much more speedy.

3. What are you going to use the printer for?

If you have a need for one particular function in a printer, look for just that at first. For instance, if you want scanning capability, look for that first and then go for the printing part. This means what are you going to use the printer mainly for? Here are some common printer uses, usage levels and the type of printer that may be best suited for this usage:

  • Light everyday home use: occasional printing , mainly text, maps for directions, a few photos here and there. (Basic entry level inkjet printer).
  • Heavy home use (Or home office, light office): High number of pages, still mainly text or no photo images (no color needed then b/w laser printer, if color is needed a good fast inkjet printer, and if budget available than an entry level color laser).
  • Home photo printing: Uses a few mainstream paper sizes, print family photos, cards, scrap booking, but nothing in high volume (entry to medium level photo printer depending on the budget).
  • Professional photo printing: High quality photo printing (high end photo printers).
  • Printing marketing materials. Small businesses, real estate agents, etc. (color laser printers small-to-high end).
  • Heavy office use for mainly text: if black/white is enough (b/w fast laser printer).
  • Heavy office use with also a lot of images and color: a lot of text with graphics, company newsletters, brochures, graphs and presentations. (a good high end color laser printer)

4. What is your budget for buying that printer?

You can start by coming up with a budget and then try to get the best printer that fits your needs in that budget. This can work several ways. Most likely, however, you will think of a number that looks great on paper. After a bit of research, you may find that you overestimated or underestimated the cost of a printer that fulfills all of your needs. Then, you'll come up with a more accurate budget and go from there. Be sure to consider the cost of printer ink cartridges in your budget as well, as they will be a recurring expense.

5. What is the true cost of printer ownership?

Things to keep in mind:

- Laser printers are less expensive per page (always) especially just black/white lasers as they are great for heavy printing.

- Off Brand Printer Cartridges. Not all of them are good. Some stores sell not-so-great quality off-brand or after market products but if the seller is reputable and has a guarantee then why not try it?

- Laser Printer Cartridges. Most of the time, if the model is popular enough, you can find good remanufactured cartridges. If you do this, buy remanufactured cartridges that have a new drum, as this will make a big difference. For less popular printer brands and models you may not be able to find cheaper cartridges so check before you buy.

- For inkjet printers, most HP, All Lexmark, Xerox and some Canon do not have compatible new generic brands but do have cheaper--but not by much--remanufactured cartridges. Most Epson, Brother, Some Canon, Oki and Xerox have good compatible affordable cartridges. You can forget Dell. And Lexmark has old technology and inferior printers with expensive supplies that you can buy only from Dell.com directly but some cheaper remanufactured cartridges do exist.

6. Have you heard of the printer brand before?

Usually, very few printers have breakthrough technology and designs that can last. Try something that has been tested by the market--you can read reviews for it and supplies are and will be available.

7. What do professionals and customers think about it?

In this day and age, we spend a lot of time and money on our printers so it really is worth it to spend ample time on research. Some good printer review sources you can use include: Amazon , PC Magazine website, PCWorld Magazine Website and CNET reviews

8. What do your friends think about it?

Ask friends and family about their printers if you think they use one similar to yours. There's nothing like a good review from a close personal friend or relative to encourage you to make that purchase-if you trust their opinion, that is.

9. Have you thought about non-traditional brands?

Consider other brands besides the usual suspects like HP, Lexmark, Epson, Canon or Dell. A lot of new good printers are out there like Brother and Samsung. Even Kodak is coming out with new printers these days. Doing your research means digger deeper than the label.

10. Where will you buy the printer from?

Many people opt to buy products online these days, which is great. But a major purchase like a printer gets tricky. Buy the printer from a local store and if you are going to use it a lot, and the printer is expensive it might worth it to get their store warranty. Don't try to save a few bucks ordering online. Printers are still delicate equipment and can get broken during shipment. Also, you might want to return the printer after you try it out and it's much easier to walk into the store to do so.

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HP Printer Models

2007-11-26

HP printers are one of the best printer models in market due to its unabated experience in the printing industry. As a PC maker, their printer models are top of the line and one of the most anticipated products every economic quarter. HP products are geared from small to medium business companies to large scale models. With their top of the line HP printer models and printing supplies and accessories such as printer ink cartridges, every new product always have people piqued with interest.

One of HP latest multifunction and HP LaserJet printers is the HP LaserJet M2727 MFP. With the small office in mind, the HP LaserJet M2727 MFP is a mono laser printer with an automatic document feeder, Ethernet connector, duplexer, and efficient capability. It is geared toward all-business use with its gray and bulky body that is 16 inches deep and 18 inches long. The HP LaserJet M2727 MFPs reliability and high performance values features a fast 27 ppm with an instant-start technology that allows fast printing just as it is turned on. The HP LaserJet M2727 MFP is also a fast solution to for your faxing needs with its print to fax feature.

The HP Photosmart A626 is also one of the new middle-line printer offerings for this season. It is sleek and small making it very mobile with a large touch LCD screen and adjustable panels on the side. The HP Photosmart A626 gives a fun twist to photo printing by adding in captions and messages in printed photos. With a 12 inch touch screen, the HP Photosmart A626 provides clean editing that can rival the integration of Kodak camera and Kodak Easyshare integration.

Another HP printer model for review is the HP Photosmart D7360. This class follows the line of affordable printers that can do special tasks such as DVD printing and on-board duplexer. The HP Photosmart D7360 black resolution measures up to 1200 dpi with the color resolution are 4800 dpi. It can print up to 32 pages per minute in black and white mode with the color printout printing for 24 pages per minute. The HP Photosmart D7360 features the uniform photo look design that has patches of white and gray smartly mixed together to produce a nice business fixture for offices. The HP Photosmart D7360 also has on-board printing from its color LCD displays.

These set of HP printer models are coming into the limelight as a top printer class for 2007. They are just catching the wind of the holiday season for families or businessmen looking for new tools to play with. These HP printer models also have OEM printer ink cartridges in the package. However, affordable alternatives such as a refurbished printer ink toners and printer ink cartridges will make these HP printers run more efficiently.

iYogi  offers a 24-hour support on all Printer Trouble Shoot and Service. Our helpdesk will set up a mutually convenient time to schedule our experienced, factory trained and industry certified technicians, combined with up-to-date technical knowledge and practical skills, ensures the expertise needed when servicing and supporting a wide range of past, current and future printer, fax & photocopier brands and models. Our high standards enable us to preserve your printers to their maximum productivity.

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8 Quick Tips for Printing Better Photos

2007-11-19

Use these tips to print better photos and to help choose the HP Photo Printer that's right for you.

1) Choose the right resolution for your print

Most digital cameras offer a range of resolution settings. It's a good idea to use a higher-quality setting if you plan on printing larger-than-wallet-sized pictures. Here are some general guidelines:

  • The more pixels your photo has the more clarity and detail it will retain as you increase its dimensions.
  • Resolution is sometimes expressed by the width and height of the image as well as the total number of pixels it contains.

2) Select the best format for your image files

Chances are, your digital camera shoots in JPEG. It's the most common file format, and is especially well suited to:

  • Use online
  • E-mail
  • Most printing needs (4" x 6", 5" x 7", panoramic)

Some cameras let you change the format you shoot in to TIFF or RAW. These are best for:

  • Large format printing
  • Prints made from cropped photos

Tip: These formats have the least amount of compression, meaning the photo will take up considerably more space on your memory card and computer. The advantage of these formats is that you get very clear prints, and in large sizes. Check your camera's manual to see if you can change the format.

3) Edit images for printing

Use a photo-editing program, like free HP Photo smart Essential-to do basic photo editing such as cropping, contrast and color changes for your digital photos.

  • Use the auto-fix button in HP Photosmart Essential to adjust contrast and brightness automatically-one click and you're done.

4) Pick the right dpi

Dots per inch (dpi) is a measurement of print resolution that indicates how many individual dots a device can create on a page per square inch of area.

  • For crisp, colorful, professional-looking prints, choose a printer with at least 600 x 600 dpi.

5) Match print quality to the job

You can designate the "quality" of the print, depending on what you're printing. For routine print jobs, such as letters or recipes, "draft" or "fast" is probably sufficient. Reference your printer's manual to learn how to change quality settings.

  • Choose "Best quality" for most photos
  • Use "Normal" for wallet-sized

6) Adjust paper settings

Paper settings control the amount of ink that's laid down on paper, so using the setting in your printer software that matches your photo paper is essential for quality good prints.

  • When you find a setting that works for a particular paper type, make note of it so you'll be able to get the same results when you use the paper again.

7) Match paper and ink

There's a good reason to use genuine HP supplies-they're specifically developed to work with your HP printer. HP's newest generation of inks, HP Vivera inks, deliver optimum color and fade resistance, and they're engineered for the absorption properties of HP photo paper.

  • Choose HP Premium Plus photo paper for prints that will last generations.
  • Choose HP Advanced photo paper for quick drying and water resistance.

8) Give prints time to dry

Before you frame a photo or add it to a scrapbook, be sure to give it enough time to dry.

  • It's best to allow the print to dry for about 24 hours prior to framing or placing it in a photo album.
  • If you're printing multiple pictures, remove them from the printer as they emerge and set them aside. This will eliminate accidental smearing or running.

Enjoy your prints for years to come and remember all of your great memories with your photos!

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HP Printer Models

2007-11-19

HP printers are one of the best printer models in market due to its unabated experience in the printing industry. As a PC maker, their printer models are top of the line and one of the most anticipated products every economic quarter. HP products are geared from small to medium business companies to large scale models. With their top of the line HP printer models and printing supplies and accessories such as printer ink cartridges, every new product always have people piqued with interest.

One of HP's latest multifunction and HP Laserjet Printers is the HP LaserJet M2727 MFP. With the small office in mind, the HP LaserJet M2727 MFP is a mono laser printer with an automatic document feeder, Ethernet connector, duplexer, and efficient capability. It is geared toward all-business use with its gray and bulky body that is 16 inches deep and 18 inches long. The HP LaserJet M2727 MFP's reliability and high performance values features a fast 27 ppm with an instant-start technology that allows fast printing just as it is turned on. The HP LaserJer M2727 MFP is also a fast solution to for your faxing needs with its print to fax feature.

The HP Photosmart A626 is also one of the new middle-line printer offerings for this season. It is sleek and small making it very mobile with a large touch LCD screen and adjustable panels on the side. The HP Photosmart A626 gives a fun twist to photo printing by adding in captions and messages in printed photos. With a 12 inch touch screen, the HP Photosmart A626 provides clean editing that can rival the integration of Kodak camera and Kodak Easyshare integration.

Another HP printer model for review is the HP Photosmart D7360. This class follows the line of affordable printers that can do special tasks such as DVD printing and on-board duplexer. The HP Photosmart D7360's black resolution measures up to 1200 dpi with the color resolution is 4800 dpi. It can print up to 32 pages per minute in black and white mode with the color printout printing for 24 pages per minute. The HP Photosmart D7360 features the uniform photo look design that has patches of white and gray smartly mixed together to produce a nice business fixture for offices. The HP Photosmart D7360 also has on-board printing from its color LCD displays.

These set of HP printer models are coming into the limelight as a top printer class for 2007. They are just catching the wind of the holiday season for families or businessmen looking for new tools to play with. These HP printer models also have OEM printer ink cartridges in the package. However, affordable alternatives such as a refurbished printer ink toners and printer ink cartridges will make these HP printers run more efficiently.

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Hewlett Packard Printer - Dependable and Reliable Printers

2007-11-05

Regardless of whether you are working in your home and creating professional appearing documents or commercially creating printed materials, you can always rely on The Hewlett-Packard printer to help get your job done. Over many years, one of the most trusted partners when it comes to providing excellent quality prints at the most efficient and fastest timeframe is the Hewlett-Packard printer.

HP Officejet 5610 All-in-One Printer, Copier, Scanner, FaxSince Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard founded HP in 1939, the company has made some breakthroughs in the field of desktop publishing. From the dot matrix technology to the present laser printing technology, Hewlett Packard printers have been one of the most innovative in the industry.

Digital Printing at its Best

Whether you are printing books, brochures, business cards, catalogs, greeting cards, magazines, manuals and other forms of documents, you can always count on the Hewlett Packard printer to deliver the best quality there is. The HP Indigo series for commercial printing will surely make a big difference if you are in the printing business.

If you are turning out volumes of printed materials every day, you might want to check out the HP Indigo Press 3050 for high volume printing. This type of Hewlett Packard printer is designed to handle heavy daily loads and you can always count on it to give high quality printing with its two print engine that delivers high speeds up to 4,000 duplex (8,000 numerical) 4 color A4 images per hour.

If you were engaged in the label printing business, the HP Indigo Press ws2000 would be great for your business. This Hewlett Packard printer is very efficient when it comes to giving you the definitive edge in the label printing business. Designed to produce short-run, high quality-labels, this Hewlett Packard printer is really the best when it comes to delivering the right quality of labels at a very short notice.

Personal Use Printers

For personal use at the office or in the home, you will always be able to find a Hewlett-Packard printer that will take care of your needs very well. There are numerous models of HP printers you can pick from and when you desire to have some efficient and reliable printers for personal use. If you are looking to rent some quality pictures from your computer, you may want to take a look at those smaller color laser printers that are now available on the market. These particular HP color laser printers are very efficient and affordable.

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