How do I sort out printer specs?

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When evaluating printers, the first thing you're likely to see is a long list of specifications chock-full of acronyms such as dpi and ppm. Not only are all these specs confusing, they often have little or no bearing on the performance you'll actually get in the real world. Here's how to keep it all straight.

Required specs: Resolution | Print speeds | Connectivity | Processor and memory |
Paper handling

Resolution

One of the most widely used specifications, the resolution refers to the maximum number of dots per inch (dpi) that can be printed, measured both horizontally and vertically. For example, a 600x600dpi laser printer lays down a one-inch square composed of 600 dots across by 600 dots down. In theory, a printer with a higher resolution is capable of producing more-detailed text and images, as seen in this representation:

Though manufacturers have inflated the numbers for marketing purposes, and the numbers no longer correlate directly with higher image quality, resolution still has some bearing on the quality of text and curves, especially on premium papers.

Print speeds

This spec measures how many pages or photos per minute (ppm) a printer spits out. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Unfortunately, it's not so simple. To come up with the fastest-possible speeds, some manufacturers test using basic text documents at the lowest-quality print settings (Draft mode) on plain paper--not exactly a real-world test. Based on our experience, you can expect to see about half the speed promised by the manufacturer.

Connectivity

The USB (Universal Serial Bus) is truly universal--all printers now have a USB 2.0 port. But if you want to go old school, you'll still find plenty of printers that accept those big, 25-pin parallel cables. Workgroup printers also support printing over a network using a standard Ethernet cable with an RJ-45 connector. For even better mobility, many models support printing wirelessly, using infrared, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi access points with built-in print servers.

Processor and memory

Nearly all laser printer manufacturers provide information on the processor and the memory, but at least for personal use, these specs are relatively unimportant. Your computer does a fine job, largely on its own, of lining up print jobs and sending them on to be printed. If you have multiple users or you often print high-resolution photos or other large files, however, then you'll want a printer with a faster processor and more onboard memory.

Paper handling

The typical paper-handling specs on a printer include everything from the size and thickness of various types of paper to the standard and optional input- and output-tray capacity. Generally, all inkjets and personal laser printers print on standard paper (letter and legal sizes), accept envelopes, and have input and output trays that hold at least 100 sheets, except for snapshot and portable models. More advanced paper-handling features--such as tabloid-size printing, duplexing (printing on both sides), and auto document feeders for faxing and copying--will be found on only higher-end models, though they're beginning to trickle down to everyday consumer models as well.

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