Print Type
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Inkjet. With inkjet printing, an image is applied to paper using microscopic drops of ink directed by the print head. This technology is well suited for home use and colour printing: inkjet printers are relatively inexpensive, and print quality can be as high as photographic. On the other hand, such printers are not suitable for printing large volumes, in case that cartridge yield is low and the price per page is quite high. In addition, if left idle for several days, ink remains in the print head will dry out, degrading print quality. This can be avoided by using the printer continuously or by using a special cleaning procedure that does not improve cartridge yield.
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Laser. Printing in such printers occurs as follows: a laser beam marks individual points of the photosensitive drum, toner (powdered paint) sticks to these areas, which is then transferred to paper. Laser printers are more expensive than inkjet printers and are primarily monochrome; at the same time, they provide high quality and permanence of black and white printing at a low cost of the print itself, which is why they are considered optimal for business documents.
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LED. Printing technology, in many ways similar to laser (see above); the only key difference is the use of a string of LEDs instead of the actual laser. This allows you to keep the main pros of laser technology (quality and d
...urability of black-and-white prints at their low cost), slightly reducing the cost of the printers themselves.
— Solid ink. As the name implies, the ink for such a printer is initially in a solid state. Right before printing, they are heated to become liquid and applied to paper through a special heated drum (as in laser printers) or directly (like inkjet printers). Prints from a solid ink printer are distinguished by high-quality colour reproduction and resistance to moisture. On the other hand, the resolution of such devices is lower than that of inkjet printers, and the prints fade quickly enough in the light and are sensitive to scratches. Another feature is that the printer takes a portion of the dye from the cartridge every time it is turned on, and if there was no printing, this dye does not return to the cartridge when it is turned off, but is dumped into a special container as unsuitable for further use. Thus, ideally, a solid ink printer should not be turned off at all. Therefore, such devices are mainly used for office printing in design and advertising firms.Number of colors
The color palette that a printer or MFP can print.
A large number of colors is required for high-quality photo printing and obtaining color prints with many shades. As a standard, for a color MFP,
4 colors are provided.
Max resolution
The maximum resolution of the image to be printed. It is usually indicated by two numbers indicating the number of dots per inch (dpi) horizontally and vertically, for example 1200x600. The detail of the image depends on this parameter – the higher the resolution, the more fine details the printer is able to convey and the better their image will be. High print resolution is important, foremost, operating with graphic material; low resolution is sufficient for high-quality text display. So there are the following options:
600x600,
1200x600,
1200x1200,
1800x600,
2400x600,
2400x1200,
2400x2400,
4800x600,
4800x1200,
4800x2400,
5760, and
higher print resolutions.
First page print
The time passed from pressing the Copy button to the completion of the first copy in MFPs. Typically specified for low quality black and white printing on A4 paper. The time for the first copy to be released is the longest (because of the time to prepare for work and scan the document); subsequent copies of the same document are printed much faster.
Fast first copy time is important if you have to copy documents frequently.
Autofeed
The maximum amount of sheets that can be loaded into the MFP's document autofeed at one time.
The autofeed makes it easy to scan and copy a large amount of documents - just load a stack of sheets and turn on the programme, after which each document will be automatically fed for scanning. An auto-feed MFP is worth considering if you frequently scan or copy a large amount of documents.
Monthly Duty Cycle
The maximum number of pages that the MFP can print in a month while remaining fully operational.
Black Ink Page Yield
Approximate number of pages that the MFP can print in black and white mode without replacing the cartridge. In fact, this greatly depends on the specs of the images to print, so the actual resource may greatly differ from the claimed one in one way or another. Nevertheless, according to this indicator, it is quite possible to evaluate the capabilities of the MFP and compare it with other models.
Colour Ink Page Yield
Approximate number of pages that the MFP can print in colour mode without replacing the cartridge. In fact, this greatly depends on the specs of the images to print, so the actual resource may greatly differ from the claimed one in one way or another. Nevertheless, according to this indicator, it is quite possible to evaluate the capabilities of the MFP and compare it with other models.
OPC drum cycle
The yield of the optical photoconductor drum installed in the laser or LED MFP (see "Print Type").
This spec is based on the approximate amount of pages that can be printed on the device without scratches or scuffs on the drum. Such defects lead to artefacts on prints and deterioration in quality, which may eventually require the replacement or refurbishment of the drum. The longer duty cycle, the less often such events will have to be carried out.
