First page print
The time passed from pressing the Copy button to the completion of the first copy in MFPs. Typically specified for low quality black and white printing on A4 paper. The time for the first copy to be released is the longest (because of the time to prepare for work and scan the document); subsequent copies of the same document are printed much faster.
Fast first copy time is important if you have to copy documents frequently.
B/W printing
The number of pages the printer can produce per minute in black and white mode. Typically indicated for low print quality, higher print quality takes longer. This setting is important if you need to frequently print text documents.
Colour printing
The number of pages the printer can proceed per minute in colour mode. As like b/w printing, the print speed is usually indicated in the worst quality (at maximum speed), in higher quality the print speed is lower. This setting is worth paying attention to if you need to print colour graphic materials frequently.
Double-side printing
Feature of a
double-sided printing function. This mode implies that after printing on one side, a special gear turns over a sheet of paper and feeds it for printing on the other side. This not only saves the user from manual paper turn-overs, but also exclude the risk of printing the second side upside down.
Black Ink Page Yield
Approximate number of pages that the MFP can print in black and white mode without replacing the cartridge. In fact, this greatly depends on the specs of the images to print, so the actual resource may greatly differ from the claimed one in one way or another. Nevertheless, according to this indicator, it is quite possible to evaluate the capabilities of the MFP and compare it with other models.
Built-in CISS
The device has a
built-in CISS — a continuous ink supply system. Instead of cartridges, such MFPs use external tanks with ink being pumped to the print heads. This allows you to reduce the cost of consumables: one refill of CISS is much cheaper than several replacement cartridges for the same printing page volumes. And refilling such systems is cheaper than changing the cartridge.
The availability of CISS is especially important if you intend to print often and in large volumes. Note that such devices are available in the form of external attachments; however, the integrated system is more convenient and safer — you do not need to mess with its installation, and the risk of incompatibilities and failures is minimal.
Ink Type
— Pigment. Ink based on pigments — solid dyes, which are diluted in the form of microparticles in a liquid filler to a state of suspension. Compared to more popular water-based inks, these inks are noticeably more expensive, and the finished image may turn out to be somewhat less bright (compared to printing with water-based dye on the same MFP). On the other hand, pigment ink gives higher detail, which is especially important for photo printing. In addition, finished images resist humidity better and do not fade as quickly in bright light — this resistance is not enough for outdoor use, but indoors such prints can be stored for a very long time.
— Water soluble. Inks based on water-soluble dyes allow achieving high realism of colour reproduction in colour printing, they are well absorbed into the deep layers of paper and are cheaper than pigment inks. Also, water-soluble ink does not dry as quickly in the cartridge or print head of the MFP. They are recommended for use with inkjet paper — ordinary thin paper strongly absorbs dropsy, which can cause ink to show through on the back of the sheet. At the same time, water-soluble ink is afraid of moisture and direct exposure to ultraviolet light — when water gets on, the paint on paper “floats”, and it fades under the sun light.
— Pigmented / water soluble. Some MFPs have a print head that allows you to print with two types of ink at once. A common case is when their black cartridge is filled with pigment...ink, and the colour one is filled with water-soluble ink.
Number of cartridges
The amount of cartridges required for the full operation of the MFP. In black and white devices, usually, one cartridge is installed. For colour printing, at least 4 colours are required (CMYK colour scheme), however, cartridges in such devices can be installed as
4(one for each colour), or only
2 — black and colour. The last one is essentially three multi-coloured cartridges in one case; This design somewhat reduces the cost, but creates certain inconveniences: when the ink of one colour is empty, the entire colour cartridge becomes inoperative. However, this disadvantage is not critical if the possibility of refueling is provided.
There are printers designed for more than 4 cartridges. This design means that this model uses one of the extended colour schemes; this, on the one hand, contributes to high-quality colour reproduction, on the other hand, it significantly affects the price.
Cartridge model
Types of cartridges (both black&white and colour) used in the MFP. Some models of the MFP are able to work with third-party cartridges, but this feature usually refers to undocumented, and the manufacturer's warranty applies only to specific types of cartridges. So, use third-party compatible cartridge models with caution.
