Buying a new printer can be a daunting task. There are plenty to choose from, and many options to consider: inkjet, laser, LED... a standalone, or an all-in-one, which integrates scanning and copying functions into a single device? And there are other, more hidden factors to consider, such as running costs. As with any purchase, getting your requirements clear at the start is critical. Luckily, ITReviews is here to help you out, as we talk you the plus points and the pitfalls of the printer market.

Inkjet printers
The most common printer technology (and usually the cheapest to buy) is inkjet. These printers use tiny nozzles to squirt small amounts of liquid ink onto the paper to create your image or text.

Inkjets are great for creating high-quality photographic prints, but they can be expensive to run and the ink is susceptible to water - making them a bad investment for the office. For best results when printing images, too, you'll need to use specialist inkjet papers, which will also help to push costs up.

Laser printers
Laser printers write an invisible, latent image onto an electrostatically charged drum, which then picks up an image composed of fine particles of toner, which are then rolled onto the paper and fused using heat - creating a waterproof print which is robust and clear. Laser printers are typically fast and cheap to run - particularly as they require no specialist paper, but produce good results on standard copier paper.

The down side is that the purchase price of a laser is typically higher than that of an inkjet - though in time, if you are a heavy user, this can be more than offset by lower running costs. Colour laser printers aren't particularly well suited to photographic prints.

LED printers
LED printers work in a simialr manner to laser printers, but replace the pricey laser module with less expensive light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Quality can be as good as that of a laser printer, but they typically require less electricity to run and cost less. They're relatively uncommon, however. Borther and OKI are the only two major manufacturers to use this technology, which may restrict your choice of brands.

While other printer types exist - such as dye sublimation devices, impact printers, and wax printers - they're relatively uncommon, and usually used for specialist purposes.

Features
While choosing between LED, laser, and inkjet is important, it's also worth taking other features into consideration. If you're running a home office, you may find that an all-in-one device - which combines printer, scanner, copier, and fax machine - will save you space compared to the equivalent multiple devices.

For those who need to print high volumes, models that include a duplexer - which allows the printer to print on both sides of the paper - are also worth looking into. You may also want to think about extras such as memory card slots or WiFi connectivity.

If you don't get a printer that boasts WiFi, one annoyance to bear in mind is that it probably won't come with the required cable needed connect it to your PC. The majority of printers on the market these days use a USB connection, and require a USB A-B cable which shouldn't set you back more than around £4 - but you'll need to order one if you want to use it straight out of the box.

As with our other guides, we'll be taking a look at products that will appeal to budget, mainstream and premium users.

BUDGET
As a budget buyer, you probably won't print very often. You want a printer so you can have copies of online tickets and flight details, plus the occasional photograph, but you won't be doing high-volume work.

Inkjet printers can be had for extremely small amounts of money - so much so, in fact, that they're often given away free with low-end PCs in order to make the deal seem more attractive. There's a key point to consider before you buy that £20 bargain, however: running costs.

Always take into account the cost of running a budget inkjet.

Inkjet printers, unsurprisingly, need ink - and inkjet ink is one of the most expensive substances on the planet. On average, round 75 per cent of the total cost arising from owning an inkjet printer comes from the cost of replacement ink cartridges.

So while that £20 printer might seem like a bargain, the replacement cartridges can often cost as much if not more than the printer itself - and the ones that arrive bundled with the printer are often only half-filled, meaning you'll have to shell out for new ones before you know it. We can't stress enough that you should always investigate the cost of a full set of replacement cartridges before buying a cheap inkjet.

If you're on a particularly tight budget, it's worth investigating third-party 'refilled' or 'remanufactured cartridges'. These are usually recycled, cleaned and filled with fresh ink - and can set you back a fraction of the cost of an original cartridge. Some manufacturers are trying to put a stop to this industry, fitting their cartridges with chips that prevent refills from working - so have a look to see if compatibles are available for the printer you're looking at.

A word of warning, though: third-party refills have a chequered reputation, and some have been known to leak and cause damage to printers - and using them will almost certainly invalidate any warranty the manufacturer offers on your printer, so it's possibly something to consider only after the warranty has expired.

At the cheap end of the market, you won't get many bells and whistles. While the print quality of even a cheap inkjet is surprisingly good these days, you'll struggle to find one that features a duplex function or built-in scanner, never mind niceties such as wireless connection, or slots for your digital camera memory card, enabling you to print without booting up your PC.

For a high-resolution capable of printing in A4, you can expect to pay no more than around £40. If you're not going to be printing in colour, a black and white laser printer will cost around £50 and comes with significantly lower running costs.

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