Things to consider when buying a computer printer

A typical computer should always have a printer on hand. There are different types of computer printer

characteristics to look into first. The type of printer that is used is one of the characteristics to consider. This includes the printing quality and the speed of the printing.

Multiple services, including scanning and faxing, can take place from a printer too. However, for heavy volume jobs, it is still advisable to purchase separate equipments for printing, scanning and faxing. Damage to one of the components would in certain cases cause the printer to become totally unusable.

Here is a look into these computer printer characteristics.The type of the printer is one of  the computer printer characteristics to follow. The dot matrix printer is still used in some places. Dot matrix printers are generally used in printing receipts, invoices and on continuous from papers.  This is where pixels are printed to form a single image. However, more advanced technologies are being used. For instance, the toner based printer uses static electricity to move the toner into the paper for printing and then heat is applied to keep it on the paper. Toner based printers are ideal for documents and form processing, print-out quality of documents are crisp and does not smudge when wet. 

The inkjet printer is the most common printer on the market today. This is where small bits of ink are printed onto a piece of paper. Each bit of ink will be attached via a small electric charge.  Inkjet printers are usually ideal for photo and image printing. With the right quality printer and paper, you could achieve high quality images.

The first of the computer printer characteristics to consider is printing quality. The quality that a printer will be capable of handling will be measured by its dpi, or dots per inch. The dpi readout will be based on the ability of the printer to be able to print high quality images. For instance, a typical printer on the market will have a dpi readout of 600x600. This means that there will be 600 dots per inch on both the vertical and horizontal parts of the page.


The second characteristics is the speed of the printer. The number of pages per minute that it will be able to print measures the speed. This speed will be different based on whether or not black and white pages or color pages are going to be printed. 

The multiple features on a printer are the last of the computer printer characteristics to look into.  Some printers are able to handle scanning or fax technologies. Some will also be able to copy pages right from the printer without a connection to anything (printer connects to our computer via Blue tooth or wireless connection). Some can also print CD and DVD labels. However, in some cases, multiple feature printers as not recommended for high volume printing jobs. Damage to one of these feature will usually make your printer unusable.


These are the computer printer characteristics to consider when buying a new printer. The type of printer, its quality output and the speed of the printer should always be considered. Additional services may also be included, but it depends on your particular usage. By taking these features in consideration, finding a printer that is right for one’s specific needs should be easy.