Your New Printer: What You Need to Know


Setting up a new printer needn't be a daunting task. Although the exact steps may vary somewhat between manufacturers, setup is generally straightforward, and printer manufacturers supply you with cheat sheets and wizards to help you along the way. Before getting started, though, there are a few other items you'll need. There are a couple of pitfalls in the setup process you'll want to avoid. And once the printer is up and running, there are things you should do to ensure that you're getting the most from it, and that your involvement with it is a long and happy one.


1. Buy spare ink cartridges. Most printers come with a single set of cartridges, usually starter (low- capacity) ones, but even high-capacity cartridges will run out sooner or later. Be sure to have at least one set of spares on hand; higher-capacity cartridges last longer and tend to be more cost effective.

2. Buy paper. Most printer manufacturers sell their own photo paper (usually in several qualities and sizes), which is optimized for their printers. Retailers like Staples and OfficeMax sell discount-priced, branded photo paper; you might want to test it against the printer maker's own paper to see if it is satisfactory. For everyday document printing, multipurpose paper will do, while you'll want to have higher-grade paper on hand if you plan to print fancier documents.

3. Buy any needed cables. Three kinds of cables are commonly used with printers: USB, Ethernet, and fax. Many printers include a USB cable (with a type B connector for plugging into the printer), and nearly all multi-function printers (MFP) with fax capabilities come with a phone cable. Many printers that support wired networking, however, don't include an Ethernet cable. Check to see what cables are included with your printer, and buy any needed cables in advance.