Not so very long ago, when you wanted to travel with a printer, that meant that some truly impressive travel arrangements had to be made. You might be stuck with something the size of a small desk that would need constant support and attention. You might have been using an ink jet printer or a thermal printer.
All of these printers had their drawbacks. For instance, thermal printers needed their own special type of paper and the results were often strange. Ink jets gave you good results, but changes in temperature, humidity or set up could have you spending hours cleaning the heads. Similarly, ink jet printing could get very pricey very quickly. These were all problems that you might have had to deal with.
Or, you'd get a 'laptop' printer which needed to be babied, and had an average service life between failures of about three months. None of these were particularly great solutions; they tended to make people cranky and make IT departments unhappy at supporting them.
Happily enough, all the recent changes in technology did not leave printers behind. Desktop printers shrunk from 70-pound monsters down to 20 pounds and smaller. Ink jet and lasers printers have shrunk and ink jets have gotten much more stable as to how they can deal with their environment.
The real winner has been the ever shrinking laser printer. While initially marketed for college students who needed to pack a printer they could fit into a dorm room, these small 'personal laser' printers are still pretty impressive, with pages per minute in the 12+ range, and good durability cycles - and they're small enough to fit into a suitcase.
Cost per page on consumables for a laser is about 7 cents per black and white page with 10% coverage - typical reports (or papers) won't strain them. For some of the more robust photo printers, the cost per page is upwards of a dollar, but it is kind of neat to be able to print out hard copies of your photos on your vacation while you're there.
Remember that when we are talking about small printers, we mean small! For instance, the PH 1006 Personal LaserJet is just a little bit bigger than a toaster. When we go to trade shows, it is invaluable for printing out sales reports and data sheets for our customers, it comes in at 14'' wide, by 8'' deep by 9'' tall, and it even folds down neatly into its box.
Though the pass through tray is something that you can use, we leave it off, as it is something of a pain. The ease of getting it set up, the low cost of its ink cartridges and the impressive functionality all make this a great printer and when you are on the road, these factors are all things that you need to look for.
All of these printers had their drawbacks. For instance, thermal printers needed their own special type of paper and the results were often strange. Ink jets gave you good results, but changes in temperature, humidity or set up could have you spending hours cleaning the heads. Similarly, ink jet printing could get very pricey very quickly. These were all problems that you might have had to deal with.
Or, you'd get a 'laptop' printer which needed to be babied, and had an average service life between failures of about three months. None of these were particularly great solutions; they tended to make people cranky and make IT departments unhappy at supporting them.
Happily enough, all the recent changes in technology did not leave printers behind. Desktop printers shrunk from 70-pound monsters down to 20 pounds and smaller. Ink jet and lasers printers have shrunk and ink jets have gotten much more stable as to how they can deal with their environment.
The real winner has been the ever shrinking laser printer. While initially marketed for college students who needed to pack a printer they could fit into a dorm room, these small 'personal laser' printers are still pretty impressive, with pages per minute in the 12+ range, and good durability cycles - and they're small enough to fit into a suitcase.
Cost per page on consumables for a laser is about 7 cents per black and white page with 10% coverage - typical reports (or papers) won't strain them. For some of the more robust photo printers, the cost per page is upwards of a dollar, but it is kind of neat to be able to print out hard copies of your photos on your vacation while you're there.
Remember that when we are talking about small printers, we mean small! For instance, the PH 1006 Personal LaserJet is just a little bit bigger than a toaster. When we go to trade shows, it is invaluable for printing out sales reports and data sheets for our customers, it comes in at 14'' wide, by 8'' deep by 9'' tall, and it even folds down neatly into its box.
Though the pass through tray is something that you can use, we leave it off, as it is something of a pain. The ease of getting it set up, the low cost of its ink cartridges and the impressive functionality all make this a great printer and when you are on the road, these factors are all things that you need to look for.
About the Author:
The market for portable tiny printers is still in its infant stage and you will need to be careful before purchasing a portable printer. If you're in a hurry read our review of the HP h47wbt mobile printer. It has received raving reviews from a lot of people.
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