"I need a new computer printer!" you think as you grab your keys and hop in the car. Once you arrive at the store, however, you see that "computer printer" is a generic classification. There are all sorts of printers, each with different features and benefits. You’ll find even more options if you search for a printer online. To help you sort through your choices, here’s a brief overview of the most common types of computer printers.

Multifunction printers

Multifunction printers are printers that perform multiple functions in addition to printing documents. Typically those functions are faxing, scanning and photocopying. Multifunction printers can be either laser or inkjet printers.

Multifunction printers save you money because they take the place of four separate pieces of office equipment. Multifunction printers continue to grow in popularity because they save space and energy consumption and make for convenient document handling.

Photo printers

Born out of the digital camera revolution, photo printers are made specifically for printing vivid, quality pictures. To produce the overall appearance of a professionally developed picture, photo printers make use of additional ink cartridges. You can purchase standalone photo printers as well as photo printers that hook up to your computer and print regular documents.

These standalone, portable photo printers usually are dye-sublimation printers, which are printers that employ a printing process that uses heat to transfer dye to a medium such as photo paper. The process is usually to lay one color at a time using a ribbon that has color panels. Many consumer and professional dye-sublimation printers are designed and used for producing photographic prints.

People like the convenience of printing their photos at home. You can have your photos ready in mere minutes, much quicker than even a speedy one-hour photo shop. Using a photo printer also offers you greater privacy and creative freedom.

Office printers

Office printer is a term that can describe any number of different types of computer printers. What separates office printers from home computer printers is the type of usage they’re built for. Many offices use one or more multifunction printers which have added features such as document storage, wireless network capabilities, binding, watermarking and collating.

Laser printers are another popular choice for offices because they’re designed to handle a high volume of printing. Other printers might not hold up as well to such intense daily use. The ink cartridges are relatively inexpensive, and the high-quality images produced are appropriate for professional use.

Large format printers

A large format printer is any printer that has a print width between 17 and 100 inches. Large format printers are also known as wide-format printers. If you want to print posters or banners, then a large format printer is what you need. Instead of individual sheets, large format printers use a roll of paper. The idea is to create a smooth, continuous image with no page breaks.

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