What Makes A Good Laser Printer

By Author: Joshua Kenny
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Laser printers are not just found in offices. We are seeing more and more laser printers in home offices as well. If you’re thinking about making the switch from your old inkjet to a new laser printer then there are a few factors you may want to explore before you go and buy one. Good devices like Dell colour laser printers will combine speed, memory, resolution and media support.

Speed

When looking into buying a laser printer, you may want to consider its speed. The speed is measured by pages per minute and if you are going to be printing a lot of pages at once then you may want a printer with a high ppm. It’s safe to say that the higher the ppm the more expensive the laser printer. Color laser printers often have a slower ppm than the black-and-white ones. Black-and-white laser printers can print up to 60 ppm on high-end models. Contrastingly, color laser printers print between 12 or 40 ppms. If speed is your biggest swaying factor then your best bet would be to pay attention to the ppm listed.

Memory

All of the laser printers on the market ...
... come with a set amount of memory. Laser printers need memory because they need to hold an entire image of each page in their memory. More memory can significantly speed up a printer’s ppm. If a page is too complicated and the memory is insufficient then the page won’t print at all. Memory is also an issue when there are more than one computers linked to the laser printer. Memory can be added to some laser printers. This factor should be considered when needing to print large tasks.

Resolution

Resolution can be measured in dots per inch. The graphic quality is higher when the resolution number is higher. A color laser printer can have resolutions as high as 2400 by 1200 dpi (dots per inch). If you plan on printing pictures with your laser printer, then resolution is a big aspect. It is also important to note that ink-jet photo paper is significantly different than laser printer photo paper.

Media Support

Lastly, you may want to look into the media support that certain laser printers offer. Some laser printers support multiple paper types and sized. You can print standard papers in different sizes and thicknesses. Card stock, transparencies, matte, satin and glossy paper finishes may also be available. Furthermore, some laser printers can have up to five trays installed. Each tray can hold a different type of paper. These laser printers are often bulky, expensive and free standing. This feature is clever, but make sure it is practical for your office needs.

In brief, a good laser printer will have a high ppm and dpi. It will also have a reasonable memory capacity or the ability to upgrade. The laser printer should meet your specific needs and media support should be considered. All these aspects should be combined and sold at a reasonable price.