Technology and Gadgets Online

You have finally decided that you want a portable printer, something that would fit your lifestyle. You want one of those small travel printers you can take with you wherever you go. This article is meant to show you the options that are available to you today in the market. The scope of this article however is among Epson, HP and Canon since they are the most well known in the printer industry. To keep an objective perspective, only the consideration of the important specifications will be made.

Let’s start with Epson’s PictureMate Dash PM260, which is a device retailing at about $180. Sporting a resolution of 5760 dpi x 1440 dots per inch, it is able to print 1.42 photo pages in one minute. It uses portable inkjet printer technology using the 4-ink system shooting out ink droplets at 3 picoliter. This printer has dimensions 9.1” x 6.5” x 8.7” (WxDxH) and it weighs about 5.3lbs. It uses wired connectivity and you are able to print directly using PictBridge and features card slots so you can print directly from memory cards.

Next is the HP Deskjet 460c Mobile which sells for $450. It prints color at a maximum resolution of 4800 x 1200 dots per inch. It is able to print 0.53 pages per minute for photos. It comes in the size of 13.4” x 6.5” x 3.1” and also uses ink-jet technology along with wired connectivity and direct printing capability with the PictBridge feature. It also supports multiple types of memory cards.

Lastly is the Canon Pixma IP100. This one sells for about $200. It prints 1.04 pages in 1 minute at a resolution of 9600 x 2400 dots per inch and shoots out ink droplets at 1 picoliter. It also uses ink-jet technology with 5 inks. This printer comes in the size of 12.7” x 2.4” x 7.2” and weighs about 4.4lbs. It offers wired as well as wireless connectivity via infrared or Bluetooth interface. It also offers direct printing features via PictBridge.

This will be a mixed verdict since each one will lead in some aspects such as price, printing speed, resolution, size, connectivity and flexibility. In speed, Epson leads at 1.42 pages per minute with Canon following at 1.04. This is already a very fast printer considering that you will be printing a 6” x 4” borderless photo. In size, Canon wins by an inch against HP in the height department although they come in a similar slim package. Canon also takes the first place in resolution with its patented printer head technology. In terms of connectivity, all of them use USB but Canon also offers wireless connectivity via IR and Bluetooth.

These are just objective views when choosing a printer. Of course, there are some who already have preferences when it comes to printers. This is due to past experiences of owning or using a specific type of printer. It would help to know which feature you really want so that it can help you decide which one you want. Every printer has a different flavor. It is up to you to figure out what taste you like.

In the market for portable printers and scanners? Well, there are a number of things you should consider here, some being perhaps more important than others. First, you want to check out all things “imaging”, and then you want to examine the inks and ink cartridges qualities. Lastly, it’s a good idea to scrutinize the particular paper paths for each selection you’re looking at.

First, unless you’ll be needed an actual laser printer, you may want to think about dye-subs and inkjets. For these provide superior quality at reasonable costs. Such printers will easily utilize standard paper for common, daily use, and also photography quality prints, comparable to those you’d get, using film.

Now, as for your image quality, even if you don’t think you’ll need much of the photo quality, it’s very likely you will, at some point. So, better to be safe than sorry. It’s definitely worth a few more dollars if you purchase a printer advertized to produce quality digital images.

Next, per your image resolution, you can take comfort in the fact that most of today’s printers, even the low-end products, are equipped with adequate resolution for prints with near-continuous tone.

Then, when it comes to your inks and ink cartridges, be sure to insist on a minimum of four reservoirs containing the various hues of black, magenta, cyan, and yellow. You might also decide you’d rather go with the five or six color models, which are even better quality. Yet, for your purposes, the four reservoir models may suffice and be worth the savings. Just be sure to check things out, and remember that the major difference is in the shadow detail.

Finally, ensure you examine your paper path. Don’t forget that a straight paper path is usually the cream of the crop, although this feature is normally found only in higher-end merchandise, or perhaps printers with sheet-fed back door apparatuses. Note that if your printer displays a “J” or “U” path, the heavier paper may not always travel smoothly through the device. You might notice that such a document may feed through, but will curl up, also unacceptable!

So, now that you’ve narrowed down your choice of portable printers and scanners, you’re ready to take out that cash or maybe even your check or debit/credit card. You can surely be confident that you’re making a good choice, if you’ve closely taken into account your imaging quality, resolution, and actual media. You can feel good also, if you’ve evaluated the available inks and ink cartridges. Lastly, you know you’ve got an effective and smooth-working paper path, so you’re now well on your way to “printing heaven”!