Technology & Learning - January 2008 - (Page 7)

Choosing a Printer Here are 11 areas to consider when purchasing your printer. Resolution Printer resolution is measured in dots per inch (dpi), the number of dots of ink that the printer will print in one inch of space. While to a certain extent dpi affects the quality of the printed page, dpi itself is affected by the print mode chosen (for example, draft mode) as well as the printer driver settings. Most printers have multiple dpi settings you can access. Higher resolution is desirable for printing tasks such as photographs. Photographs Some printers are optimized for printing photographs; they usually have a large number of nozzles through which ink is sent onto the paper (the more nozzles in a specific area, the finer the print); some use special photo inks as well. If you intend to print digital photos yourself, this is an important feature for you. Ink-jet or laser The two most popular types of printers are ink-jet and laser. An ink-jet printer shoots streams of ink onto the paper; a laser printer’s output is created using a xerographic process similar to that of a photocopier. In general, laser printers are faster than ink-jet printers and create a crisper output. Ink-jet printers, however, are more commonly used for printing in color, an important feature to most schools (this, however, may be changing as the price of color laser printers has dropped). Regarding supplies, ink-jet cartridges are initially less expensive than laser toner cartridges, but usually need to be replaced more often, which results in a higher cost per printed page. need to be connected to a computer to print. Just insert the memory card into the slot on the printer and choose the file(s) you wish to print. Speed Printer speed is measured in pages per minute (ppm), the number of printed pages that are produced by the printer in one minute. In general, laser printers have a higher ppm than ink-jet printers. Multifunction vs. single function Do you want your printer just to print, or would you also like it to scan, copy, and fax? Multifunction printers can perform many of these tasks. Single- or double-sided output Some printers can print both sides of a piece of paper. In schools where printer paper is scarce, a doublesided printer can go a long way. Network or stand-alone A stand-alone printer is connected to a single printer, usually for printing from only that printer (although there are ways to use such a printer on a network). A network printer is connected directly to your network, for easy printing from multiple computers on the network. Some network printers can connect wirelessly to your network. Print without a computer Some printers come with memorycard support, so they do not even Color or black & white Do you want your printed output to be in color or black and white? If the main purpose is text, a blackand-white printer may suffice. Classroom computers are frequently color, so students’ pictures, photographs, and multimedia files can be printed in the same colors in which they were created. Cost of replacement supplies Specifically, ink cartridges and paper. Some printers have been referred to as nothing more than ink delivery systems; you can purchase an inexpensive laser printer for less than the cost of the replacement printer toner cartridge. Some printers may require special paper in order to get optimal output. These costs should be factored into your printer decision. Another factor is standardization. Whether ink-jet or laser, consider standardizing on models that use the same cartridge to save money. Paper handling Many inexpensive printers come with a single paper tray, holding about 250 sheets. More costly printers may offer multiple trays, high-capacity trays (500 sheets), envelope caddies, or photo-paper handling. —Jeffrey Branzburg Technology & Learning January 2008 | 7 » Product Guide

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Technology & Learning - January 2008 Contents Editor's Desk News & Trends Product Guide Reviews Cover Story: Ten Top Tech Trends ERP Makes a Comeback Tossing Out Textbooks LOY Profile Series Higher Ed How To Bottom Line What's New Emerging Tech

Technology & Learning - January 2008

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