Printer accessories: Printer paper
The choice of printer paper also depends on the type of printer: Both inkjet printers and laser devices can cope well with standard printer and copier paper, which has a grammage of 80g/m2. With the normal feed, they can usually use papers up to 100 g/m². However, the models react differently to the properties of the papers:
- Inkjet printers work with liquid ink, which runs along the paper fibres on very simple copying paper. This can reduce the sharpness of the printed image. Inkjet printers therefore achieve the best results on papers with a very absorbent surface.
- Laser printers, on the other hand, print pages completely with heat and often achieve better print quality on "normal" copy paper than inkjet printers.
This is why, in addition to universal papers, there are also papers that are only suitable for inkjet printers ("inkjet paper") or only for laser printers ("coated laser printing paper"). Which types of paper are recommended for your own printer can be seen in the manufacturer's specifications.
Photo paper for printers
Those who value good photo prints usually use an inkjet printer that traditionally delivers the best results in the field of photo printing. The photo paper intended for this purpose is coated on one side and is offered in many variants: For attributes ranging from high-gloss to matt, it is primarily your own taste that is in demand.
However, there are also special coatings - microporous (fine-pored) or swelling - which are oriented to the type of ink. While dye inks provide good print images on both types of paper, pigment inks are best suited to microporous photographic paper.
Whether the paper is microporous or swelling is not apparent from most packs. However, specifications such as "instant dry" or "fast drying" are mostly microporous paper. Play it safe with the papers of the printer manufacturers themselves: They are basically matched to the type of printer ink used! The paper thickness varies from 120 to 300 g/m².
Photos on the laser printer are also possible. Photo paper for inkjet printers should not be used - all too often the high temperatures of the laser printer are not compatible with the sensitive coating. There are different types of photo paper especially suitable for laser printers, which are very temperature resistant. They are usually not quite as thick as those used for inkjet printing (around 200 g/m²), but they bring out the colours brilliantly.
The quality of the paper - not always decisive
For a simple printout, for example to prepare a meeting or to file a recipe, it is not necessarily important how high-quality the paper used is. If, on the other hand, you want to print applications or other important documents, you should also have high-quality paper ready. The choice is whether you have an inkjet printer or a laser printer? Depending on the variant, different paper types are used. Universal printer paper does not require any special quality requirements.
However, if you want to print important things, the paper should be as strong and stable as possible (but not too thick). For photos, on the other hand, there is special photo paper. You should also note that not every paper is suitable for double-sided printing - and not every printer supports double-sided printing.
Printer Accessories: Cleaning Kits for Printers
If your printer is dirty and the automatic cleaning program does not help (or only uses expensive ink), a cleaning kit is often the best choice.
- Clogged printheads or nozzles often cause trouble with inkjet printers. The blame lies with viscous ink, fibres and dust: although these can also be removed with distilled water or isopropyl alcohol, the special nozzle and print head cleaners available on the market usually clean the print heads more gently and efficiently.
- Thanks to special cleaning sets, the cleaning of laser printers does not require much effort either. Such sets contain particularly fine cleaning cloths and sticks, some of which are soaked with cleaning fluid. They can be used to gently remove deposits of toner and paper dust from the inside of the printer. On the other hand, a cleaning kit for lasers often also contains cleaning paper, which is used to clean the printer roller: The specially coated sheets gently remove toner residues and clean the paper paths.
Popular manufacturers of qualitative printer accessories-parts
If you want to use an original accessory part, you should take a look at the corresponding companies. These are not always cheap, but at least of high quality, which in turn justifies the price. We can particularly recommend the following companies when it comes to printers and printer accessories:
- Canon
- Epson
- Samsung
- HP
- Lexmark
- Brother
The offer is varied and apart from Canon, Epson, Samsung, HP, Lexmark and Brother there are numerous other companies which offer printer cartridges and other accessories in the trade. Depending on which brand your printer is or which model you have bought, the accessories will be different. In addition, the type of device also plays a decisive role.
An inkjet printer needs a different accessory than a laser printer. For this reason, the offer in the online shop is extensive and sorted according to category. Thus the printer ink and the further accessories, which are suitable for the own device, are found fast and simply.
Further printer accessories for the printer
Not only computers, faxes, scanners, 3D printers and the like need suitable accessories, but also the classic printer for the office or private office is equipped with much more than a toner or ink. Beside these common accessories you can also buy them:
- Printer cable
- printer paper
- ink ribbons
- printheads
- drum units
- transfer units
- maintenance kits
- waste toner container
- Ink maintenance tanks
- fixing units
- fine dust filter
- developer units
- duplex units
- printer stand