Which laser printer to choose for home or office?

A printer is a device designed to print information in electronic form. This is not only text, but images, tables, charts, and more. Among the variety of laser printers, it is difficult to choose the one that suits the characteristics of you.

How to choose a laser printer?

Varieties

Black and white. This printer is designed to print documents or monochrome images.

Product Features:

• Low price, relatively colored counterparts.
• No need to install additional software, and large amounts of memory.
• The first page usually takes 10 seconds.
• This device prints 12-16 pages per minute.
• The possibility of "economical printing", which saves up to 40% of the cartridge, without significant loss of quality.

Advantages:

• Fast speed and excellent quality.
• Low price for consumables.
• The ability to withstand large volumes of work.

Disadvantages:

• Not suitable for printing photos and complex patterns.

Colored. Suitable for those who need fast and high-quality printing. Of course, the cost of such devices and consumables is high, but it pays off for the characteristics of the device. Some models have several cartridges that cannot run out at the same time. Therefore, they must be replaced individually.

Advantages:

• Low cost per page.
• Automatic cartridge cleaning on most models. If it is not provided, then it will not be difficult to implement.
• Fast print.
• Longer toner cartridge life.
• High accuracy when printing schemes with small details.

Disadvantages:

• The high cost of consumables when replacing a cartridge.
• Large device sizes.
• Printing color images is expensive.

What characteristics to consider when choosing a laser printer

Each device is designed for the maximum number of pages that can be printed per month. Therefore, decide immediately how much you will print. The printer should not be overloaded, because this will lead to its quick failure. If we are talking about office office equipment or you work with documents at home, then this is a very important factor.

REFERENCE! But, if you need to print documents at home, even if the volumes sometimes exceed the norm, that's okay. The main thing is that the load is not systematic.

• Print resolution. This characteristic is referred to as dpi. The value indicates the number of dots per inch that can be printed. The optimal value is 600 × 600.
• Print speed. This is not such an important factor as manufacturers are trying to present it. If your device prints not 22, but 24 pages per minute, then in the end you will save no more than 15 seconds on printing a large document.
• First page exit time. Before printing, the printer must “warm up”. Modern printers do not spend more than 25 seconds on this, so this factor is not so important for home use.
• Memory. This factor is important for those who print heavy presentations or PDF files. When a computer sends a document for printing, it is stored in the device’s RAM until it is completely printed. Some models support the connection of additional RAM modules.
• OS compatibility. If you use standard "Windows", then skip this item. But, being the owner of MacOS or Linux, you should keep in mind that not all models have drivers for them.
• The complexity of the service. Replacing a cartridge, removing jammed paper, etc. Is it possible to do it yourself, or will it be necessary to resort to the help of specialists.

TOP 3 models

Ricoh SP C260DNw

Great for home use and a small office. There is no recommendation for print volume in one month.

Advantages:

• Automatic duplex mode.
• Affordable price.
• Wireless connectivity.

Disadvantages:

• Noisy at work.
• It requires a certain quality of paper.
• Not compatible with all virtual repositories.
• Lightweight starter cartridges.

Canon i-sensys lbp712cx

Color printer that belongs to the middle price category. Ideal for office.

Advantages:

• Quality color printing.
• Pairing with most modern devices.
• Ability to increase the number of devices from which paper will be fed.

Disadvantages:

• There is no possibility of wireless data transmission.

HP Color LaserJet Professional CP5225 (CE710A)

Color laser printer, which can be called universal. It has a large format.

Advantages:

• Low cost per page.
• Large format.

Disadvantages:

• Not all OSs have drivers.
• For duplex printing, you need to install additional accessories.