Inkjet printers are the most popular type of printer because they're inexpensive, quiet, and they print in color. Inkjets range dramatically in price, with speed, print quality and features the primary difference makers.

Basic inkjets print black-and-white pages at around 13 ppm (pages per minute), and usually a little less than that speed in color. A fast printer can print as many as 25-30 ppm in black-and-white and 18-20 ppm in color. Remember also that the listed speed is under ideal conditions—actual speed depends on document content and size, as well as your PC configuration.

Print quality (resolution) is primarily measured in dpi (dots per inch). The higher the dpi, the better the print quality. Other factors affect the quality as well: the type of paper and ink used, and size and the placement of the ink dots, to name just a few. Look for at least 600 x 600 dpi to print photographs. The best inkjets can print photographs at 4800 x 2400 dpi with amazing results.

Many inkjet printers serve a dual role as both a document printer and a photo printer. Networking options mean several computers can print from the same printer, which is very convenient for small businesses. They can also be set up to work wirelessly if you have a laptop or computer in another room. Also look for photo printing features such as memory card slots and LCD screens—these extras make direct photo printing fun and easy.

Shop for inkjet printers

If you need to continuously print out large documents, then you might want to consider a laser printer. Usually found in offices, laser printers print quickly, efficiently and quietly, using toner instead of ink cartridges. While laser printers usually cost more than inkjet printers, you’ll probably save some money over time because laser toner lasts longer than ink cartridges.

Shop for laser printers

Photo printers do exactly that: print photos. In fact, many are specifically designed to print pictures right from your digital camera.

Photo printers can save you a lot of time and money. Not only do digital cameras not need film, but the pictures also don't need to be processed—you can actually print them out on photo-quality paper with great results. Maybe the best thing about being your own photo lab technician is that you get to choose which pictures to print and which ones should never see the light of day.

Multifunction printers can print, scan and copy, and many can even fax. These multi-taskers usually have inkjet printers inside them, and they're ideal for a small office or dorm room with limited space and budget.

Shop for multifunction printers