Inkjet printer buying guide

Posted on 14 Dec 2009 at 14:52

Find out all you need to know about choosing the right inkjet printer.

Recommended minimum specifications

page size: A4

quoted speed: 18ppm mono, 12ppm colour

price per page: 8p text and graphics

resolution: 4,800x1,200dpi

ink colours: Four in two tanks

Follow the steps to choose your ideal specs

You can buy a decent inkjet printer for under £40. With the minimum spec shown above, high-quality printing is possible, but slow. The actual print speed of inkjets can be half the quoted (maximum) speed for text documents, and even slower when printing graphics. Budget inkjets such as these are designed only for light use and can be expensive to run.

Spending £60 will get you a much more capable printer that's either faster and better built or better at reproducing photos. If documents are your priority, you'll want double the minimum speed and half the print costs of the sub-£40 printer. Look for inkjets that can handle all your office media, including envelopes and labels.

If photos are your priority, speed is less important. Instead, choose a printer that reproduces subtle tones well. Only hands-on testing, rather than specifications, will tell you this, so check our reviews. Borderless printing (up to the edge of the paper) should also be possible. Pay particular attention to running costs: photos use three times as much ink as regular colour documents.

Heavy-duty office inkjets can cost up to £1,000 and their build quality is improving. They use large, ndividually replaceable ink tanks, which can cut running costs. Printers with automatic duplex (double-sided) printing or A3 capability are steadily becoming more affordable.

More expensive photo printers allow you to print digital photos by plugging memory cards straight into the printer â€“ no PC is required. An LCD preview screen gives you greater control over this. Many inkjet printers now have a PictBridge USB port, which can be used to print images directly from most digital cameras.

If you're really serious about photography, consider buying an inkjet that can print up to A3+ without borders. The best produce prints that are nearly as good as those supplied by professional labs.