When you begin your search for a brand new printer, there are often a lot of different factors you must take into consideration. Not only is it important that you look out for a printer capable of your exact requirements in terms of workload, it is also essential that it fits within your budget.
Tiny Printers
[easyazon-image-link asin="B000P30IKO" alt="Pocketjet 3 Portable Printer" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21jQMSEvArL.jpg" align="right" width="200" height="200"]If very small printers are what you desire then you have to take into consideration that the tiniest of printers are less likely to have many functions and may be a little basic in what they deliver. The tiniest of printers tend to be thermal printers and often only used for receipts.
A printer that is no bigger than an elongated stapler is the Pocketjet 3 Portable Printer. For its size, it is surprisingly decent for the low volume user. It prints on thermal paper which has its downside with expense but the upside is that for traveling, it is ideal, as no messy inks to concern you with, making it an ideal traveler’s choice. What you lose on the expensive paper you gain on the simple fact that you don’t need to purchase inks.
It’s not exactly fast; in fact it’s a slow one, around 3 pages a minute. The resolution is 300 dpi but be careful to ensure that you are buying the Pocketjet 3 Plus as the standard Pocketjet 3 has only 200 dpi. Sometimes they are not labeled properly on some online market sites, so watch out for that.
It comes fully ready to use with NiMH battery provided and IrDA ready for short range wireless prints. This isn’t the greatest printer you will ever own but for the purpose it was made it is excellent. You can print letter and legal size on thermal sheets or a roll of 8.5 inched wide and tear off the length you desire. You won’t find anything smaller that spits out legal size documents.
Price-wise you can expect to pay up to $400 for the Pocketjet 3 Plus but by shopping around they can be cheaper. The Pocketjet 3 Portable Printer is around $160 less than the Pentax Pockjet 3 Plus. On Amazon, you can obtain a better price as low as $240. Ensure that you know which one you are getting as already stated the labeling is not always clear in online ads.
The Tiniest
Not exactly the kind of printer everyone can use but the SiPix Pocket Printer A6 is an ideal little purpose made printer for those that just need to print out receipts on the road. It is capable of infrared printing and a great tiny pocket size of 5.85” (L) x 4.25” (H) x .875” (D). It’s a lightweight 14 oz. when batteries are installed.
[easyazon-image-link asin="B00005LDPI" alt="SiPix Pocket Printer A6 - Printer - B/W - direct thermal - A6 - 400 dpi x 400 dpi - up to 2 ppm - Serial, Infrared" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41B7FYq0phL._SL160_.jpg" align="left" width="160" height="117"]Again it’s a direct thermal printer giving you great advantage with not having to purchase inks and less messy for the on the road user. Best of all it runs off 4 AA Alkaline batteries making it simplicity itself.
Obviously not for everyone as it definitely has its limitations but for the purpose it is made, it’s ideal as a simple receipt printing device and such likes. It comes in a drawstring bag and is well insulated against the outdoor environment.
The speed is only 2ppm which is not too surprising when u consider it runs off 4 AA alkaline batteries. The paper is rather a loaded roll of paper or A6 sheets 4.13” x 5.83” (105mm x 148mm). If you buy the better quality long life Alkaline batteries then you can obtain around 50 prints before the battery discharges.
The print resolution is not bad considering the tiny size as it gives you 400 dpi which isn’t bad at all considering. You can pick up the SiPix Pocket Printer A6 for under $35.
Some talk of the price of thermal paper as if it’s a major expense but they seem to ignore the fact that you do not have to buy inks. With careful shopping around online you can find Packs of 100 sheets of A6 paper for the SiPix PS00057 Thermal Paper for under $5 and the SiPix PS00040 Thermal Paper Roll also available for under $12.
Taking the Time to Research
One of the best ways that you can ensure that the printer you purchase is able to do the things you want is by looking up reviews from customers. Some people typically utilize the internet and post about their experiences, whether it is positive or negative. It’s always a wise idea to take note of user comments as they are unbiased and can give you a good indication as to how a particular printer performs.
Finding a High Quality Printer
If you have never bought a small printer or you simply want to learn of the best place to do so, you need to begin utilizing the internet. There are tons of online marketplaces that sell the products you’re interested in at much cheaper prices than found at most stores. www.ebay.com and www.amazon.com are both great options as they offer a huge variety of printers, often at the most affordable rates.
Naturally, in store shopping means you get the best advice and even can have demonstrations of various printers and the knowledge of the salesman can be helpful. Remember though, he is looking to make a sale so make your own judgment based on what you see and understand.
This is a good way to find a printer that suits your needs but if you want the best prices then its online shopping every time. Know exactly what your requirement is and don’t buy features you don’t need as you will be paying for what you don’t use.
Other Choices
For small mobile portable printers that have more function and quality then consider looking at Canon and HP. Leaders in this field, they are definitely your best options for higher grade portable mobile printers.
[easyazon-image-link asin="B0012W9APQ" alt="Canon PIXMA iP100 Mobile Photo Printer" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41gQQLeshQL._SL160_.jpg" align="right" width="160" height="160"] Choices like the Canon PIXMA iP100 Mobile Photo Printer is one of the best on the market and aimed at the mobile businessman/woman, as it offers great speed and quality of prints on documents and photos. It is available at around $200 on Amazon, and with the addition of a Canon LK-62 Printer Portable Kit Battery & Attachment for around $90, and the Canon BU-30 Bluetooth Adapter for another $50, you get a high end mobile printer for only $340.
HP H470wbt Officejet Mobile Printer which is very much on par with the Canon and available for around $355 and fully equipped with battery and Bluetooth.
From the basic tiny purpose made printers from Pentax and SiPix to the latest models from Canon and HP, these are all leaders in the particular field these printers were designed for.
loading...