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TIPS & HINTS

• How To Choose The Correct Model of Inkjet Printer
• How To get the Best Printout
• How To Save Costs on Printing
• Common Myths & Their Realities
  - You can tell the resolution of the printer by the first number
 

- Printer with the highest resolution is the best
 

- Buying a cheap printer equals more cost savings



How To Choose The Correct Model of Inkjet Printer
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Decide what you need the printer to do most of the time. If you need to print high-quality photos, then choose a dedicated photo printer. If you need to print voluminous documents and graphs, then choose a business printer.
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Do you need to print A3 size? If yes, choose an A3 size printer.
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Check if the printer is compatible with your PC/Mac .
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Do you need to travel with your printer? If yes, choose a portable printer.
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How To Get The Best Printout
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Use original inks to prevent clogging, leaks and bleeding.
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Use the right type of paper to get the most out of your printer. For instance, use glossy photo paper when printing photos.
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Set the driver settings correctly.
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Use good quality paper even for printing drafts as it prevents paper dust from clogging the printer.
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Make sure your printer cable is not twisted as it affects the speed of USB connection.
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Keep printout from direct sunlight and fluorescent lighting as they reduce storage period of printouts.
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Check if you need to replace the printheads. After many hours of extensive printing, a printhead may be choked with dried ink.
To buy the full range of printheads, click here.
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How To Save Costs on Printing
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Use draft print mode if the printout is not meant as the final copy.
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Use a smaller font if the printout is meant only for checks. .
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Leave the printer on because each time it is switched on or off, the printer purges inks out to clean the printhead.
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Choose a printer that has individual ink tanks if you print a lot of photos. That would give you more cost-savings, as you don’t have to replace the entire ink cartridge just because one or two colours run out.
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Maximise the use of paper. For instance, you can print four 4R images on a single A4 sheet.
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Common Myths & Their Realities
You can tell the resolution of the printer by the first number.
The printing resolution indicates how much detail a printer can print on a piece of paper- expressed in dots per inch (dpi).

Resolution is often quoted in two numbers (eg 2400 x 1200 dpi). The first number usually indicates the number of dots a printer can print on the horizontal line of the paper, in an inch. The second number indicates the number of dots a printer can print on the vertical line of the paper in an inch. Of course, the higher the number, the richer and finer the image will be.

Sometimes, consumers judge the resolution of a printer by the first number. And this often give rise to the false impression that a printer with “2880 x 720 dpi” has a higher resolution than a “2400 x 1200 dpi” printer, as 2880dpi is bigger than 2400dpi.

Although the former printer can squeeze 2880 dots in the horizontal line, it can only input 720 dots on the vertical line. Therefore the dots on the horizontal line are very close but the dots are sparsely spread across the vertical line. The end result is that the picture printed on a “2880 x 720 dpi” printer will appear more grainy compared to one printed on a “2400 x 1200 dpi” printer. Therefore, always check the total number of dots produced by the printer for a correct assessment of the printer’s resolution.
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Printer With The Highest Resolution Is The Best
A printer with the highest resolution may not necessarily produce the best printouts because print quality is also affected by ink dot size and shape of the ink from the ink nozzles.

In order to achieve optimal photo reproduction, ink droplets have to be perfectly and consistently spherical. The distance between the printhead and the ink nozzles cannot be too far apart or else ink that is ejected out will be exposed to atmospheric changes.

Canon researchers developed the Microfine Droplet Technology which modify the ink droplet ejection system, reduces the size of ink droplet to 2 picolitres and make nozzles in a star shape so ink that is ejected takes on a perfectly spherical shape that remains stable until it hits the paper.
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Buying a cheap printer equals more cost savings
The cost of buying the printer is only the initial investment. It is important to consider the running cost, made up of cartridge and paper costs.

Canon individual ink tank system allows users to replace the ink which runs out, without throwing away the whole cartridge. Each ink tank only cost $15.90 (colours) and $17.90 (black) to replace. Canon special photo paper PP 101 (A4 size) only costs $19.90 for 20 sheets and PP101 (4R size) only cost $8.90 for 20 sheets. The cost of printing one A4 photo is less than $2. And the cost of printing one 4R photo is only around $0.37.

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