What are inkjet printers?

Inkjet printers are the most common home printers available today. They come in a wide range of prices, depending on what features you need and the type of quality you're looking for. You can get a solid printer that can do your business letters and your kids' birthday cards for under $100; if you want something that will print professional-level graphics, you could spend ten times as much.

How do inkjet printers work?

Inkjet printers create text and pictures on paper by shooting tiny dots of ink through tiny nozzles. The nozzles are contained in a print head, which moves back and forth across the page. As it finishes each passage, the paper is moved forward so that the printhead can continue across the next few lines.

Most inkjet printers use four colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. By combining these colors in various combinations, printers can recreate almost any shade the user wants.

In the past, these printers were not used in more professional applications because the ink had a tendency to smear, or to spread slightly, depending on the quality of the paper. However, new types of ink and more efficient print heads have taken care of much of these problems.

What costs comes with inkjet printers?

Besides the initial cost of buying a printer, you are going to be buying ink cartridges on a regular basis. How much this will add to the cost of the printer depends on several factors. For example, color ink is more expensive than black ink, so if you're going to be doing a lot of color printing, your expenses will be much higher. In addition, some printers tend to run out of ink much faster than others.

Some users try to save money by buying ink cartridges sold by third-party companies -- in other words, companies other than the printer manufacturer. If you can find a reputable firm that sells good products, then you can indeed save a great deal of money on ink cartridges. However, a badly made ink cartridge can damage your printer, and negate your warranty, so look before you leap.

What are the advantages of inkjet printers?

• Inexpensive.  
• Color.  
• Easy to operate.

Disadvantages?  

• Slow.  
• Printing not as precise as laser.  
• Ink cartridges can be expensive over time.