Computer Printers

2. Design and Desktop Publishing

You will need a high-end machine to reproduce designs and layouts created on your computer at a standard that is good enough for publication.

2.1 Consider how much colour printing you will need to do.

• Colour laser printers cost from £240 and should be considered seriously in an office environment. This proves most cost effective for a large volume of colour printing. Print speeds are significantly faster than inkjets.
• For low-run colour printing, an inkjet is useful and inexpensive. Prices start from £45. However, specialist papers and inks make day-to-day running costs higher.

2.2 Consider how often you print documents in different sizes.

• Most printers use A4 paper as standard.
• Some specialist laser and inkjet printers can use A3 paper.
• To print on paper larger than A3, use a wide-format inkjet printer or a plotter. A plotter writes with a pen on large sheets (eg for architects' plans).
• Use an inkjet printer with a roll of paper to avoid breaking up continuous images.

2.3 Consider whether you will produce newsletters or books.

• Laser printers can produce camera-ready black and white copy that is good enough to send to a commercial printer.
• Images demand higher-resolution printing. You will need a high-specification laser printer working at 800dpi or more. Use a commercial typesetter for complex images or photographs.
• Use a heavy-duty laser printer to print an in-house newsletter.