First page print time
The time from the receipt of a print command to the exit from the printer of the first page printed in black and white, in other words, how long after pressing the "Print" button, the user will receive the first page. Most often indicated for draft (fastest) print mode, higher quality will take longer. You should pay attention to this parameter if you often need to print small documents (on one or several pages) on the printer.
Mono print
The black and white print speed provided by the printer. It should be noted that this parameter is often indicated for low quality when the device is running at maximum performance; at a higher quality (even at standard), the actual speed can be noticeably lower, so you should choose with a certain margin. Also note that high speed significantly affects the price, power consumption and noise level. Therefore, it does not always make sense to chase maximum performance — for simple applications (for example, at home or in a small office), a relatively slow and inexpensive device may be the best choice.
As for specific values, speeds
up to 20 ppm are considered relatively low,
20 – 30 ppm — average,
31 – 40 ppm — decent, and the fastest models are capable of delivering
more than 40 pages per minute.
Colour print
Colour print speed provided by the printer. Usually, the specifications give speed at low quality, when performance is highest; on standard and especially high settings, the print speed can be noticeably lower, so it’s worth choosing with a certain margin. It is also worth considering that high speed significantly affects the price, power consumption and noise level. Therefore, it does not always make sense to chase maximum performance — for simple applications and small print volumes, a relatively slow and inexpensive device may be the best choice.
The "slowest" colour printers today are capable of delivering
less than 10 pages per minute. A more decent value is considered
10 – 20 ppm, a speed
of more than 20 ppm can already be called quite good, and in the fastest models this figure
exceeds 30 ppm.
Duplex printing
Automatic duplex printing function .
In this mode, the user does not need to manually turn over each sheet and send it to print on the second side — this will be done by the printer mechanism, and materials printed on both sides will immediately enter the output tray. This not only saves time, but also eliminates confusion: a person can make a mistake and print one of the sides “upside down”, automation does not allow such errors.
Monthly resource
The maximum number of pages the printer can print in a month while still operating at full capacity.
Mono cartridge resource
The maximum number of pages that the printer's ink (toner) can print. The value is rather conditional, in reality the deviations from the norm are very large (up or down). In inkjet printers, the cartridge life is relatively small and amounts to several hundred prints. In laser and LED devices, the bill is already in the thousands.
Colour cartridge resource
The maximum number of pages that the printer's ink (toner) can print. The value is rather conditional, in reality the deviations from the norm are very large (up or down). In inkjet printers, the cartridge life is relatively small and amounts to several hundred prints. In laser and LED devices, the bill is already in the thousands.
Built-in CISS
The printer has a built-in
CISS — a continuous ink supply system.
The essence of such a system is that the ink for printing is not in the cartridge, but in external containers, from where it is supplied to the print head as needed. This provides a number of advantages over traditional cartridges. Firstly, CISS containers hold much more ink and need to be refilled less frequently. Secondly, refilling the CISS in terms of one print is much cheaper than "recharging" and even more so replacing the cartridge. Thirdly, dyes of different colours are refilled into such a system separately, and when ink of one colour is exhausted, it is enough to replenish only their stock (whereas some colour cartridges need to be changed completely, even if only one of the colours has run out).
Note that CISS can be installed separately; however, the factory setting is more reliable, such devices are less likely to fail. At the same time, this feature significantly increases the cost and complicates the design of the printer. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to models with built-in CISS first of all if you plan to print often and in large quantities.
Ink type
— Pigment. Ink based on pigments — solid dyes, which are diluted in the form of microparticles in a liquid filler to a state of suspension. Compared to more popular water-based inks, these formulations are noticeably more expensive, and the finished image may turn out to be somewhat less bright (compared to printing with water-based dye on the same printer). On the other hand, pigment ink gives higher detail, which is especially important for photo printing. In addition, finished images resist moisture better and do not fade as quickly in bright light — this resistance is not enough for outdoor use, but indoors such prints can be stored for a very long time.
- Water soluble. Inks based on water-soluble dyes allow achieving high realism of color reproduction in color printing, they are well absorbed into the deep layers of paper and are cheaper than pigment ink. Also, water-soluble ink does not dry as quickly in the cartridge or print head of the printer. They are recommended for use with inkjet paper - ordinary thin paper strongly absorbs dropsy, which can cause ink to show through on the back of the sheet. At the same time, water-soluble inks are afraid of moisture and direct exposure to ultraviolet rays - when water gets in, the paint “floats” on paper, and it fades under sunlight.
– Pigmented / water soluble. Some printers have a print head that allows you to print with two types of ink at once. A common case is when their black cartridge is filled wi...th pigment ink, and the color one is filled with water-soluble ink.
