Single Function Color Inkjet Printers

Single Function Color Inkjet Printers
Single function color printers are designed to perform one task very well or at least as well as its capabilities and features allow. Most feature multiple ways to connect a camera or video device to the printer (through USB, wireless, etc.), and many offer a variety of memory card slots that can support multiple card formats and sizes. A large number even have tiny LCD viewing screens that let you view and even manipulate images before hitting the print button.

Good examples of these printers include:

• Canon's Pixma iP4820 is a compact single function photo printer with print resolutions up to 9600x2400 dpi, a five cartridge ink system, auto duplexing, Canon's Full HD Movie Print technology, two-way paper feeding, and a front side PictBridge port. It can easily fit into a compact space and can produce good quality color prints. However, it is limited in its connectivity options (a single high-speed USB port) and can be expensive when it comes to replacing ink cartridges.

• Canon's Pixma Pro9000 and Pro9500 Mark II have been around for a bit, but are still extremely popular because they are very dependable and capable single function printers. They support wide format printing, so they have a particular appeal for photographers looking to create larger prints. They also both feature Canon's ambient light technology, two way paper feeding, USB connection, and all the standard bells and whistles. The main difference between the two is that the Pro9000 uses eight dye-based ink cartridges and the Pro9500 uses 10 pigment-based inks. Both are priced in the $300-$350 range.

• Epson's B-510dn, is not the best single function printer in terms of its photo-quality capabilities, but it is one of the fastest when compared with others - including some of the larger all-in-ones (AIO)and MFPs. It is primarily targeted at the monochrome and color printing needs of small and medium businesses, so provides a large paper capacity up to 650 sheets, a high capacity ink cartridge capable (that can reportedly print in color for as low as 4 cents per page), fast print speeds up to 18 ppm in color, automatic duplexing and a built-in networking capability.