HOW TO BUY A PRINTER

Ink-spitters rank alongside dishwashers and boilers as one of the most infuriating household gadgets… but it doesn’t have to be that way

THE INK REDIBLES 1 Laser quest?

Fancy physical copies of your best snaps? Then an inkjet printer is for you. They produce images with superior quality compared to laser types… plus, while the ink cartridges don’t last as long, they are cheaper – handy if you only need to print sporadically. Laser printers like the Brother HL-1212 are speedier and more cost-effective for frequent use. ● Get this: Brother HL-1212 £50 / ar os.co.uk

2 Multitasker

Most printers these days are all-in-one, which means they’re capable of printing, scanning and copying. Still, don’t just assume the printer you’re looking at will have all of these features – always search for that ‘all-in-one’ tag. Not every all-in-one printer will be able to fax… but aside from dinosaurs and conspiracy theorists, who needs that? ● Get this: HP Deskjet 3720 £45 / hp.com

3 Easy access

Printers can be frickin’ frustrating when it comes to connecting your devices. Fortunately, there are now several easy ways to do it. If your printer is Google Cloud Print-enabled, you can print wirelessly with your Android or Windows device; Airprint does the same but with Apple gadgets. And then there’s Wi-fi Direct, which does it via your network. ● Get this: Epson Expression XP-345 £35 / pcworld.co.uk

THE FINE PRINT 4 Photo ready

If you’re getting a printer for your snaps, you may be tempted to buy a dedicated photo model. However, most standard printers will do the same job but with added features for a similar price, so you might do better to go for an all-in-one. Look out for one with a high DPI for great images and Pictbridge compatibility for plug-in printing. ● Get this: Canon Pixma Pro-100s £381 / canon.co.uk

5 Pocket Sprocket

The HP Sprocket is a good option if you just want to print photos from your phone. It’s pricey and lacks features found in all-in-ones, but it makes up for that with portability. ● Get this: HP Sprocket £120 / hp.com