When you are shopping for a printing device for your office or home, you should ideally know the top options to consider before buying a printer. With great deals out there and reputed brands coming out with dozens of new models every few months, it is very easy to get confused about which printer to buy.

You have to understand that buying cheap will turn out costlier in the long run. You may think that it will save you money upfront, but very soon you will realize that you have to keep shelling out money from your pocket to maintain it. If your idea is to only print movie or theater tickets, it is fine to choose an inexpensive model. But if you are an aspiring Ph.D. student working on assignments for a doctorate degree, you cannot afford to have a printer delivering poor quality prints.

Top options to consider before buying a printer

• Hardware costs
  It is important to not get fooled by the superficial features of a particular printer. You need to focus on features that will help you with your everyday task, not on those which sound appealing. While MFPs or multifunction printers are ideal for small businesses and individual students, these may not help you if you do not require scanning or copier features. Those keen on photography, for instance, will find it more economical to buy single-function printers that deliver superior prints instead of the all-in-one printers that can save you money. Printers are by and large affordable these days but a three-in-one model saves more money.
• Cartridge and toner cost
  This is unarguably one of the top options to consider before buying a printer. When you have to do heavy-duty printing, you have to be prepared to pay a lot. So, you need to see which ink cartridges offer a higher output. This requires some research and calculation on your part. You have to find out how many sheets a cartridge can print, what the costs of a replacement cartridge are, etc., to see the efficacy of the model. Toners will cost even more but you can actually end up saving in the long run if you check out the output. Unlike ink cartridges, these do not have to be changed so often.
• Software/networking features
  It is better to buy printers that can be shared on networks allowing multiple workers to access one printer simultaneously. Some printers have built-in intelligent chips that can inform you when ink levels are running low.
• Services provided by the company
  Finally, you have to find out if technical support is available to you and whether the staff is prompt enough. You should ideally have access to experts and experienced teams. Some brands even offer instruction manual and video tutorials online. These can help you save costs and ensure that your office printers work seamlessly.

If you can buy your home or office printer supplies online, you can also save a lot of time and money. Online retail stores will have lower overhead costs; so, they can give you much better deals than the brick-and-mortar shops. Accessories like connectors and USB cords are usually much costlier in physical stores than on websites. Do research before buying printers and consider the costs mentioned above; you are sure to get the right model that is both efficient and pocket-friendly.