Single-use, general-purpose inkjet printers print text, graphics and photos (ranging in size from 3.5x5 to 8.5x11 inches in most cases) on a variety of paper sizes in both black-and-white and color, at speeds measured in pages per minute (ppm). Photo inkjet printers are increasingly popular and have features dedicated to printing pictures rather than just text, while wide-format inkjet printers can handle larger paper sizes, making them more suitable to small or home office needs. Frequent, high volume document printing is better suited to laser printers (see: How Much Does a Laser Printer Cost for more information).
Typical costs:
Budget home inkjet printers range in price from $30 to $100. These inkjet printers are designed to handle low volume print jobs, so they offer low-capacity paper trays and generally print at black-and-white speeds of 15-25 ppm at the highest quality setting. The Epson Artisan 50[1] costs about $100, holds up to 120 sheets and prints laser-quality color text at 5 ppm and photos in about 11 seconds.
Photo inkjet printers are aimed at home use for printing digital photos from computers or directly from digital cameras or memory cards. Look for a maximum print resolution of 4800x1200 dpi (dots per inch) to 9600x2400 dpi and expect to pay $50 to $250. Canon PIXMA iP4700[2] costs about $85, prints directly from camera phones and other devices, and offers a maximum color print resolution of 9600x2400 dpi. It prints a borderless 4x6-inch photo in approximately 20 seconds and can print photos up to 8.5x11 inches in size.
Mid-level inkjet printers for a small or home office tend to offer greater paper capacity and higher print resolution. Look for Ethernet connectivity to accommodate multiple users. Expect to pay $100 to $500. Canon PIXMA iX7000[3] costs about $305, prints at a maximum color resolution of 4800x1200 dpi and holds up to 250 pages.
High-end inkjet printers are good for small or home offices as they offer higher volume duty cycles and can usually accommodate larger paper sizes. These inkjet printers cost from about $500 to $1,300 (or $3,000 or more for super large format, specialist printers). The Canon PIXMA Pro9500 Mark II[4] costs about $780 and prints up to 13x19 inch poster-sized photos at a resolution of 4800x2400 dpi.
Mobile inkjet printers fold into a compact, portable size for on-the-go printing from devices such as PCs, PDAs, digital cameras and memory cards. Expect to pay $200 to $450. The HP Officejet H470b mobile printer weighs just 5 pounds, prints at a speed of 22 ppm in black and white, 18 ppm in color and features a lithium-ion battery that will print up to 480 pages on one charge. This mobile printer costs about $300 and offers an optional bluetooth adapter for wireless printing at a cost of about $80.
Additional features such as scanning, copying and faxing are found on multifunction inkjet printers, which cost $50 to $600. For more details, see How Much Does a Multifunction Inkjet printer Cost.
At least one color print cartridge and one black cartridge.
Printer driver software.
Most inkjet printers also include a USB cable.
Additional costs:
Replacement ink cartridges cost $10-$35. A replacement black cartridge will yield approximately 750 sheets, while a color cartridge will yield 400 sheets. (Generic brand or refurbished replacement ink cartridges can be found at a discount).
Refill kits from providers such as Inkjet Cartridges[5] offer an alternative to buying replacement ink cartridges and are capable of refilling a cartridge multiple times for a cost of about $15 to $40.
Photo paper costs $20 to $40 for 50 to 150 sheets. Brochure and presentation paper costs $10 to $30 depending on size and finish.
Print finishing lacquers cost $5 to $20 for a spray can.
A USB cable to connect the printer to the computer is about $10. A wireless print adapter costs $50 to $100. Duplex units are available for some models for two-sided/duplex printing; prices start at about $30.
Vendors that offer a wide variety of inkjet printer supplies include 123Inkjets[6] and Amazon[7] .
Discounts:
Sales and specials are common at electronics discount stores. One-generation-old models may be sold at a substantial discount compared to the latest model printers.
Manufacturers such as Epson[8] offer refurbished inkjet printers at a discount.
Shopping for an inkjet printer:
PCMag[9] offers a buying guide for inkjet printers.
Cnet[10] provides a guide to the best reviewed photo inkjet printers.
Compare online prices from sites such as Amazon[11] or JR.com[12] with those from national retails chains such as Best Buy[13] .
7 Lesser-Known Discounts for the 50+ Crowd As they age, members of the Baby Boomer generation don't like to admit that they're senior citizens, but they love getting discounts. It's kind of a quandary, because some of the best deals available are reduced prices for older folks. || Posted October 21 2013
7 Ways to Stretch Your Reduced Food Budget End of the year budgets are tight for everyone, especially in this economy.It's especially hard for the millions of Americans who depend on government programs like food stamps to help make ends meet. || Posted November 11 2013
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