Printers for Academic Use

Date: February 17, 2010

New York, NY -- As a college student, depending on which major you choose, writing papers and reports is just a way of life. As such, a printer is no longer really something a college student can live without. If you don’t already own a printer, here are some factors to consider.

The first thing to consider is affordability. Printers are becoming less and less expensive these day, so you can more for your money than even 2 or 3 years ago. That said, you need to make sure the printer produces good quality output that is readable. Turning in documents with poor text quality is almost certainly not going to win you any points with the professor who has to read it (along with dozens of other papers, potentially on the same topic). With prices dropping, a laser printer may not be out of reach, though many inkjets are producing text that is almost indistinguishable from laser printers these days.

There are other factors to consider as well. Dorm rooms are small…no doubt about it. They seem even smaller when you have a roommate. You don’t want to purchase a printer that will take up all the room on your desk or leave jumbles upon jumbles of wires around. There are plenty of inexpensive printers that now come with a wireless connection to your PC. More and more colleges have completely wireless campuses now, but check with your school’s IT department to be sure.

If you already own an inkjet printer, you can try and cut costs on the ink by using either generic cartridges like you would find at OfficeMax, or buying your cartridges online from a variety of OEM ink stores. Make sure either way to check for compatibility so you don’t damage your printer.

BY ADAM HAIGH, Editor