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Considerations in Selecting a Printer
Although there are now many local and online printing services that provide reasonably priced, consistent, and expanded product lines, it is still hard to get along without some of your own printing capacity. The capability and cost of printers continues to improve, and a very good selection of photo quality printers is now available at a reasonable price.
Types of Printers
Printers operate using several technologies.
Dye-sublimation, LaserJet, and Inkjet printers serve different primary
purposes. For a good overview of photo printer types and considerations, visit:
Ebay Printer Buying Guide
Amazon Printer Knowledge Center
As the choice in printers and scanners is extensive, It is useful to explore a bit to get a sense for features and prices.
Generally, inkjet printers are considered the most versatile when you intend to print both photos and documents. This would likely be the case for most non-professionals.
Some Printer Rating Considerations
Printers are rated and marketed based on a number of specifications. The two most common are dots per inch (DPI) and pages per minute. DPI is the number of dots of ink the printer can place within an inch on each line of paper. Two numbers, often both referred to as DPI, denote dot spacing in each line and lines per inch (LPI) that the printer can advance the paper. Therefore, the smaller number, normally LPI, is the limiting resolution factor. However, DPI and LPI have become relatively uninteresting to the non-professional as DPI and LPI for current printers both exceed everyday needs. With current brand name printer technology, it is generally agreed that a DPI and/or LPI of 1200 or greater will provide high quality photo realistic results.
Pages per minute, rated in black & white and color, tend to increase with price as sophistication of feeders and feeding systems increases. this becomes a personal choice based on how much time versus money you have to spend.
Recommendation: Similar to the recommendation for routine scanning capability, my recommendation for day to day photo print capability is a brand name photo quality all-in-one machine. I do not recommend a specific machine, as you can best evaluate your specific needs. However, it is of note that HP is the dominant printer manufacturer. Therefore, accessibility of replacement ink cartridges, solid customer service, and feature laden machines are associated with the HP brand.
For additional insight into printer technology and links to printer products:
Ebay Printer Buying Guide
Amazon Printer Knowledge Center
As described in Best Overall Online Printers, quality online printing has become so accessible and reasonably priced that I believe these professional services should be used for most printing needs. However, for the day-to-day printing and scanning of a typical family or local historical society, a moderate priced multifunction machine should provide plenty of capability.
