Compact printers for a laptop are very helpful in times when we’re in need of a printer while traveling. By merely sending postcards to our loved ones, we are maximizing the features of having a laptop printer. Which is why, as much as possible, we should also learn ways of saving money with our printers.

There are a number of ways where we can save money in using these compact printers. However, for this article, we will concentrate on two ways. First way that we can save money is on how we use these printers. Second is with the things we use with our printers.

How We Use These Printers

We can actually save money by our manner of use of this printer. The basic thing is by unplugging them when you are not using them. Even if the printers are not being used, there is actually current flowing along the wires to the power supply of the printer. This is barely noticeable on your electric bill. However, in an office with a lot of unused printers that are plugged in, the difference will be clearly felt.

We should keep our printers clean. Printers are normally well lubricated when it comes to their movable parts. Aside from avoiding jamming that can lessen paper loss, dusty printers may have a hard time printing because their lubrication is minimized. Since it has a motor inside, more current will be used to maintain printing speed, thereby increasing power requirements. We should keep them clean as well to keep them running smoothly and avoid frequent maintenance visits.

When using these printers, we should use the appropriate settings for our printing needs. In other words, we should choose the right resolutions that are fitting for what we need. If we’re printing drafts, we don’t need a high resolution so we can keep the resolution at a minimum. However, if we need to make business presentations, we can change the settings to maximum resolution to insure the quality of our documents. Printing this way can actually prolong the life of ink cartridges.

What We Use With and For Our Printers

Aside from the usage of our printers, we can actually save money with what kind of materials we use. For printers, we should always use the recommended replacement ink or toner cartridges in order to ensure a longer lifespan for our printers. The use of non-recommended ink can actually damage printer-heads if the replacement ink has lower quality. You will think that you’ve made a bargain since the ink is cheaper, however repair cost will cost you more in the long run.

In the same way, use the recommended paper sizes when using these printers. Compact printers for a laptop actually have smaller slots compared to desktop printers since they do not offer the same paper flexibility as desktop printers. If you use media that are thicker than recommended, there is a high probability that you will damage the printer.

There are a lot of innovative ways to saving money from a printer aside from these two ways. You just need to be aware of those opportunities.

Portability is what most people are looking for in small devices. In the recent years, computers have been converted to laptops. CDs are converted to flash drives. Televisions now have portable versions. There are even those that play DVDs. What about printers? Are there small travel printers available? The answer is a big YES. A very good example of that is the Canon Pixma IP100.

With this printer model, you actually get to have more than just portability. This printer was built for superior photo quality with its lifelike pictures created using Canon’s patented printer head technology. It is able to shoot ink droplets of 1picoliter to achieve maximum accuracy and realism.

This printer comes in a very compact package that you find it hard to believe that it is actually a printer. With its dimensions of 12.7” x 2.4” x 7.2”, it even slips easily in your laptop bag along with your laptop. It will be very convenient to bring with you especially on those holiday trips. This comes very handy especially in holiday trips as it offers you the chance to make instant photos of your favorite spots and sceneries, including you of course. Send out a postcard in less than a minute. In about 55 seconds, you are able to print 4” x 6” borderless photos.

If your camera has the PictBridge feature, it would even be more convenient since you can print pictures directly from your camera. There would be no need to upload it to the computer in order for you to print it. Just plug in your USB cable and you’re good to go. It also offers infrared connectivity so you can also use print from your mobile gadgets. This printer also offers Bluetooth but this is an optional feature. For an additional cost, you can get this feature. You don’t even have to worry if you are not able to touch up the photo. With the Image Fix feature, the printer automatically produces the best image possible. So there is no need to worry if the pictures are too bright or too dark.

For you who do not only need to print photos but also documents as well, worry not. This printer is not only good for photo printing but also for document printing, colored or monochrome. It prints out colored documents at a rate of 12 pages per minute. Printing black text is even faster at 20 pages per minute. Not bad for a printer which is have the size of a laptop.

Portability and printing functionality, both is in one package. This can certainly be considered as one of those milestones in printing technology.