Make sure your new printer has a decent display on it

Printers are crazy cheap these days but please don't let that cheapness cost you too much on the flip side.

Often I am asked to set up a cheap printer that has only the most basic of displays on it. Sometimes they just have flashing lights.

That's kinda fine if you are using them for the bare minimum USB or Ethernet connection, but if you want to do wireless printing (assuming these things can do that), then you'll be in a world of pain with these basic displays.

The reason for this is that advanced functions like connecting to Wifi are going to require some input to the printers settings that are harder to do when there's no display.

These types of printers will have crazy-arse ways of connecting and disconnecting USB cables at magical times (and they usually don't come with the right cable to do this these days) combined with special actions during the set up to (maybe) get it connected to Wifi.

Whereas, with even the most basic of displays, you can usually fairly readily enter the Wifi access key.

Cheap printers are usually a false economy anyway.

They are all about getting you into the expensive ink buying cycle.

If Wifi printing is important to you then I strongly suggest you spend at least a bit more money on a printer with a decent built in display.

Ask for a demo' if you can because connecting your printer to Wifi probably won't just be a one time affair.

David

#printer