Check the prices of the ink cartridges of the printer you are considering and find out how many pages each cartridge will print. Once you figure out approximately how many pages you will print per month, you can determine the cost of the printer plus ink over the course of a year. Consider getting individual cartridges if you know you'll need one color more than others - for instance, if many of your documents have a red logo or if you print mainly black and white.

Manufacturers very often list faster print speed specifications on their packaging than we see when testing performance. A typical inkjet printer can produce two to four pages per minute of text and one full-page, 8.5-by-11-inch photo or graphic in two to three minutes.

Some color inkjets can print photos at a level that approaches the quality of a professional photofinisher. If you plan to use your printer primarily for photos or graphics, look for models that are built for that. If you plan to print mostly photos, look for photo printers with features such as a built-in PC Card slot, an LCD panel that allows you to view and print an image without using your PC, and bundled image-editing software.

If you print mainly text documents, consider buying an inexpensive black & white laser printer. These printers provide superior text quality compared with high-end inkjet printers. Some monochrome lasers cost as little as $200, making them a good deal for home users. If you need to print a lot of text and high-quality graphics, buying a good photo inkjet printer in addition to an inexpensive monochrome laser printer could save you money on ink and maintenance costs in the long run as opposed to buying an ink jet to do it all.

Many monochrome lasers come with optional Ethernet ports for networks. If you plan to use the printer with one PC, don't pay the extra money for an Ethernet card.

Color laser printer toner cartridges are the most expensive consumable you can buy for a printer, but their yield is so much higher than an inkjet cartridge that, in the long run, color laser toner is less expensive on a per page basis.

If you're not running a graphics department but still want to print color, you'll most likely choose an inkjet printer, which can create beautiful graphics at a tenth of the cost of a color laser. However, keep in mind that the inexpensive price of an inkjet is quickly surpassed by the cost of replacement ink.

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Gregg Hall is a marketing consultant for many online businesses. See who he recommends for printer supplies. http://www.businessprintingproducts.com/