Comparison Epson Expression Photo XP-55 vs Canon PIXMA iP8740

The largest paper size that the printer can handle. Most often, the formats are marked from A0 to A10; it is from here that the famous “A4” is taken, denoting a standard landscape sheet. Modern printers can use the following formats:

A2 — 420x594, the size of a newspaper spread. The largest format used in today's consumer-grade printers. In fact, this size is rarely required, and the printers themselves are expensive; therefore models under A2 are usually high-end professional devices.

A3 — 297x420 mm (2 times larger than the landscape sheet, magazine spread). It is mainly used in the business area for printing large letterheads, brochures, announcements, posters, etc.

A4 — 210x297 mm, standard landscape sheet. The most common paper size for home and office use — usually this size is sufficient for non-specialized printing.

A6 — 105x148 mm (a quarter of the landscape sheet). Printers of this format are usually designed primarily for printing photographs — the sheet size is approximately equal to the size of a standard print of 10x15 cm.

A8 — 52x74 mm, an extremely miniature format, which is 1/16 of the popular A4 (comparable to the size of a standard business card — only a little shorter). It is found mainly among portable printers (see "Type"), including models with specific p...rinting technologies (on special paper without the use of dyes).

Note that the media format specified in the specifications is rather conditional: many printer models do not have length restrictions — the main thing is that the media fit into the width, and in some devices the actual maximum size is somewhat different from the standard sizes of a certain format.

The maximum resolution of the image to be printed. It is usually indicated by two numbers denoting the number of dpi (DPI) horizontally and vertical: 600x600, 1200x600, 1200x1200, 2400x600, 2400x1200, 4800x600, 4800x1200, 4800x2400, 5760x1440, 9600x600, 9600x2400. The detail of the image depends on this parameter - the higher the resolution, the more fine details the printer is able to convey and the better their image will be. High print resolution is important, first of all, when working with graphic material; low resolution is sufficient for high-quality text display. So

The black and white print speed provided by the printer. It should be noted that this parameter is often indicated for low quality when the device is running at maximum performance; at a higher quality (even at standard), the actual speed can be noticeably lower, so you should choose with a certain margin. Also note that high speed significantly affects the price, power consumption and noise level. Therefore, it does not always make sense to chase maximum performance — for simple applications (for example, at home or in a small office), a relatively slow and inexpensive device may be the best choice.

As for specific values, speeds up to 20 ppm are considered relatively low, 20 – 30 ppm — average, 31 – 40 ppm — decent, and the fastest models are capable of delivering more than 40 pages per minute.

Colour print speed provided by the printer. Usually, the specifications give speed at low quality, when performance is highest; on standard and especially high settings, the print speed can be noticeably lower, so it’s worth choosing with a certain margin. It is also worth considering that high speed significantly affects the price, power consumption and noise level. Therefore, it does not always make sense to chase maximum performance — for simple applications and small print volumes, a relatively slow and inexpensive device may be the best choice.

The "slowest" colour printers today are capable of delivering less than 10 pages per minute. A more decent value is considered 10 – 20 ppm, a speed of more than 20 ppm can already be called quite good, and in the fastest models this figure exceeds 30 ppm.

Printer print speed in photographic (highest) quality. Unlike other similar parameters, in this case the speed is usually indicated for a 10x15 sheet (A6, the most popular format for photographs). In addition, photo printing speed is not expressed in pages per minute, but in seconds per page, because. printing takes a lot of time. This option is worth paying attention to if you plan to print photos frequently.

The maximum number of pages that the printer's ink (toner) can print. The value is rather conditional, in reality the deviations from the norm are very large (up or down). In inkjet printers, the cartridge life is relatively small and amounts to several hundred prints. In laser and LED devices, the bill is already in the thousands.

The maximum number of pages that the printer's ink (toner) can print. The value is rather conditional, in reality the deviations from the norm are very large (up or down). In inkjet printers, the cartridge life is relatively small and amounts to several hundred prints. In laser and LED devices, the bill is already in the thousands.

— 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 formulations 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 printer). On the other hand, pigment ink gives higher detail, which is especially important for photo printing. In addition, finished images resist moisture 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 color reproduction in color printing, they are well absorbed into the deep layers of paper and are cheaper than pigment ink. Also, water-soluble ink does not dry as quickly in the cartridge or print head of the printer. 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 inks are afraid of moisture and direct exposure to ultraviolet rays - when water gets in, the paint “floats” on paper, and it fades under sunlight.

– Pigmented / water soluble. Some printers 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 wi...th pigment ink, and the color one is filled with water-soluble ink.

The types of cartridges (both black and white and colour) used in the printer. Some printer models are able to work with "non-native" cartridges, but this feature usually refers to undocumented features, and the manufacturer's warranty covers only specific types of cartridges. So use "non-native" models with caution.