Choosing the right printer depends on what you need. There are a lot of factors to consider, and this article will help you prioritize which ones to weigh most heavily.

1. The most important question is: how often will you be using your printer? If your answer is at least weekly, a laser printer is a good bet, but if you use it even less, a standard inkjet printer should suit you fine. If you're really serious about printing, and are looking towards large scale color posters, a color laser printer is a great option. While they may be more expensive, the time and effort spend schlepping your film to a commercial printer will go towards developing your own high quality prints, right at home.

2. For the businesspeople out there, a combination fax, printer, copier may be what you're looking for. These machines aren't really made for the heavy duty usage of all functions, especially if you copy over 1000 pages a week - if that's your situation, buying a commercial copier would better suit you. On the other hand, if your copy, fax, and printing requirements are more moderate, this style of machine is a good choice.

3. Going wireless isn't just for cell phones and flat screen TV's. A wireless printer is a viable option, especially if you want to connect your printer to more than one computer. Creating a print network is simple with a jet card or an adapter. A word of caution: if you don't follow print networking protocol, you may run into syncing issues.

4. LED, or Light Emitting Diode printers, use a diode to flash across the drum of a printer and generate an image. In comparison with laser printers, these bad boys are even more reliable because they have fewer moving parts. Print speed is high, so if you need a fast paced printer, an LED may be what you're looking for. These printers come up short, however, when you need high resolution images. For that you would be better off with a laser printer.

5. Reliability is the name of the game in the printing world, and for that it's a good move to go with trusted name brands. All of the moving parts in a printer can easily lead to the wearing down of one in particular, costing you time and stress. As far as laser printers go, Brother Toner printers are highly reliable. Plus, you don't have to worry about the re-installation of Brother Toner cartridges because this brand makes self-installation easy.

Printing with ease depends on what you need. If you want to invest in a quality printer that will last, choose a laser printer. If your printing needs aren't extreme, and your budget isn't bouncy, choose an inkjet - but remember that these print cartridges can easily run $30 per cartridge. Don't be intimidated; if you are kind to your printer, it will be kind to you.