There are only a few basic things you need to know to take the pain out of printer ownership.

How it generally works:

You go into a retailer, buy the cheapest printer you can find and get going.

So what's wrong with that? You've saved a bit of money? 3 weeks later you're out of ink, and you discover the cartridges are more expensive than the printer itself, so you either:

a) Bite the bullet and shell out for the cartridges, you need to print ASAP

b) Buy another cheap printer, go through the pain of installing and setting it up again & disposing of the old one, starting the process all over again. Sound familiar?

How it should work!

It's not rocket science; take the advice of the cartridge experts not a printer salesmen!

Rule #1 The cheaper the printer the more expensive the cartridges.

Rule #2 Don't forget rule #1

Choosing a Printer

Once you've cast aside the cheap and nasty $30 - $60 printers, you can concentrate on picking a machine that passes our checklist:

?Is it the latest model?

You don't need the latest model! It is always better to buy an older model that's in stock because there is an increased likelihood of a compatible cartridge being available for that machine, new printer model generally means new cartridge type and that means a compatible has to be developed and brought to market - you could find yourself having to use genuine cartridges for months before an alternative is released.

?Does it use 4 separate ink cartridges?

Every printer uses atleast Black and 3 colours (Cyan, Magenta & Yellow) 2 ink printers use 1 black cartridge, and 1 colour cartridge, inside the colour cartridge are 3 chambers containing the 3 colours ? If you print a bunch of blue pictures the cartridge is stuffed even though there is a full chamber of magenta and yellow ? this means wastage! 4 ink printers overcome this by allowing you to replace colors individually as they are used - more economical!

How much do the cartridges cost?

It is surprising how many people don't do this basic bit of research before buying. Many big retailers don't offer compatibles, so you can use the price of their genuine cartridges as a guide.

Are theses cartridges it takes free of print-heads?

We want to know this for 2 reason, firstly compatible cartridges that incorporate a print-head take more time to develop and release as a compatible. The second reason is ofcourse price - a compatible ink cartridge without a print-head will always be cheaper than one with a print-head.

Narrowing down which manufacturer most likely to meet your needs?

Shortlist Features	Brand	Recommended
Basic black and colour printing, photos on standard paper thickness, scanning, cheap to run	Check out Brother Printers	Yes
Print photos, use thicker photo papers, print to CD's, want to save money by using a compatible ink	Check out Canon Printers	Yes
Print photos, use thicker photo papers, don't mind paying for genuine ink for reliability and results.	Check out Epson Printers	?

Can't be bothered? Just call us! We will tell you exactly what printer to go for and where to get it.