The main purpose of the printer will play a big part in the type you eventually choose. If the printer is for heavy business use, you will no doubt need a heavy duty, top of the range variety that just keeps on going. If it is just a home printer that is needed for occasional use then it won't be the very best on the market that is required but just something reliable. It may not even need colour printing capabilities. When you buy a printer, it is a bit like signing a contract with the manufacturer, because you are only able to buy a certain type of printer cartridge from then on. Although the printer may be relatively cheap, the ink may not be so reducing your printing and finding the ideal model of printer will help keep costs to a minimum. Here is a guide to the different types of printers on the market.

Inkjet Printers

These are a flexible type of printer, suitable for both home and office use. They work very well, producing continuously high quality printing and by using less ink than other varieties. Often inkjet models are combined with scanners and photocopiers and the products themselves are very reasonably priced. Models within the range can be quite basic which make them ideal for occasional use at home, but on the other end of the scale they can be extremely feature rich with many capabilities. These are perfect for office and business use.

Laser Printers

These are another very popular type of printer. They are often more expensive than inkjet models and use more ink too making the price per printed page increase, but they offer exceptional printing. They also carry another huge benefit in that they print extremely fast. When just a couple of pages are being printed, speed isn't a huge issue, however if the printer is in constant use or is located in an office then the increase of speed can make a dramatic difference.

Photo Printers

These are self-explanatory, they are for photo printing specifically. Inkjet and laser printers are capable of printing pictures onto photo paper, however for professionals out there or photographers looking for stand alone quality then the high level of definition and quality offered by a specialist photo printer cannot be beaten. They can be much more expensive to run that ordinary printers as the paper required can be very specialist and therefore more expensive and a considerable amount of ink or toner is likely to be used through mass printing, but they do enable anyone from hobbyists to professionals to print their pictures out from the comfort of their own home.

Multifunction Printers

These are favoured by small businesses and offices as there are many benefits of having a laser printer that also works as a scanner, photocopier and even fax machine. These days, faxes are rarely used, and with the advent of scanning, photocopying is also relied on less and less. Nonetheless it is important to have these capabilities in your office for the odd occasion when they are required. A multifunction printer can save room and hassle as they work as 3 in 1 or even 4 in 1 machines! They can be wired up to many different computers too so only one is necessary per office.

Whatever type of printer you decide to choose in the end, be aware that the printer ink cartridges you need will have to fit that design. It can be prudent to choose the model based on the price of the cartridges, as it is the cartridges that provide the expense in the long term. Photo printers will need specialist cartridges such as the hp photosmart c5180 ink cartridges, or ink, for example epson stylus photo r300 printer ink which can add further cost. Do your research beforehand and look for bargains online as this can save you money.