There are so many printers available on the market today that choosing the right one can be quite confusing. A decision needs to be made about which type of printer will suit requirements, inkjet or laser and also whether a standard or all-in-one version would work better.

The final decision will be made easier if the end result required is taken into consideration at the outset. It's important to know if the main use will be for reproducing images, text or a combination. A need to produce a lot of print-outs, quickly and cost-effectively, requires a different train of thought than if the top priority is quality of image and the ability to use a range of stock.

Inkjet printers offer the best solution when the quality of image is all-important. Laser images, though good, can look lifeless in comparison. Lasers also tend to only print onto laser paper, unlike inkjets which have a variety of stock choices available.

Laser printers are better for larger volume printing. They're faster and cheaper to run than inkjet and good for printing professional looking documents. Lasers are generally more bulky than inkjets as they have more capacity built in for volume printing.

Where space is an issue, multi-functional inkjet printers are a good buy. They may be a bit bigger than average inkjet printers but this is compensated by the fact that they have built-in scan and copying capabilities and some are able to send faxes too. Laser versions are too big for most home uses and more costly too.

The price of the printer is important but not as relevant as the cost of the consumables to keep the printer running. It's often the case that the cheapest printers to buy are the most expensive to run. How many prints you can expect to get from a single set of ink or toner cartridge is usually a lot less than advertised and, similarly, print speeds are much slower, which just adds to the confusion.

As with other types of products, just because a manufacturer is well known doesn't automatically mean they will be offering the best deal when it comes to certain products. Lasers vary from model to model just as inkjets do. The differences may not look very important but they could greatly affect overall performance.

Such a broad choices means there is likely to be a model of printer that's just right for the task required. If photo-quality pictures and diverse stock are important features then inkjet is probably the answer and it's time to look at the slight differences between similar models. If larger volume runs are needed then the speed of output laser offers is probably essential too. As different models of laser handle paper differently, further investigations need to take place.

Compatibility is something that needs to be considered too, especially when printers are going to be connected to Macs or even older style PCs. Before making the purchase it's worth checking that the printer is going to work with the existing operating system. If not, it should be possible to download and install the appropriate driver form the manufacturer's site.