Category Archives: Printers

ZUtA, the First Portable Robotic Printer

By Vincent on September 18, 2016

Robots are taking over!

Last year, ZUtA Labs created a new ZUtA Printer printing kind of printer, a portable robotic printer. I was so amazed when I read about this small robotic printer I just had to share it with you. The technology that is being used here is absolutely amazing. The ZUtA makes it possible to print everywhere, as it is only 10.2cm in diameter, 7.5cm in height and it weighs only 350gr. As of right now, competitors and other companies are looking into this idea to come up with their own version of this printing machine. One fact is for sure: interesting times are ahead of us. December of this year the first ZUtA’s will be delivered. I’ve already ordered mine and I can’t wait to get it. In the meanwhile, you should definitely check out this great portable photo printer too.

Great Features

ZUtA labs made a breakthrough invention by creating the world’s first portable robotic printer. The ZUtA printer can be connected to any device with Wi-Fi connection. It can work with all operating systems, is designed to work with micro USB charging to work for around 60 pages or about one hour per full battery. It can print with a speed of 1 to 1.2 pages per minute with a 300 dpi quality (not the fastest printer ever!) on standard paper sizes and prints rather quietly unlike the existing printers we know. All things considered I think this is really fast for such a small device.

A cartridge of ink can produce approximately 100 pages and you can easily replace the cartridge with a new one. For now ZUtA can only print with black ink. Pre order is still open for $299 and the printer is going to be shipped to your door by December 2016.

Desktop printers are always getting smaller and easier to use, but we still have a long way to go. This is why ZUtA came out. To provide people with a very small and easy solution to our everyday printing problems. You can print directly from your phone or tablet on any paper sizes.

My Prediction and Latest Updates

I absolutely think this is the future. ZUtA Labs is definitely ahead of its competitors. According to the latest news, ZUtA is also going to be able to print images. ZUtA Labs has been very honest and straightforward to its customers and continues to do so. ‘’ Beginning with a successful Kickstarter campaign, to winning awards and shows, including the Best of Innovation at CES, we have matured into a great company. As we move forward with the development, our ability to print out different images develops too.‘’ The last months they have been focusing on getting the accuracy nailed with the robot’s movement.

If you are interested in more news about them feel free to ask me in the comments and I will keep you updated, or you can always follow them on their website where they post the latest updates.

Share This:

What are the best printer brands?

By Vincent on September 27, 2015

What company makes the best printers? This question goes hand in hand with what kind of printer you are looking for. The answer will be different depending on what kind of user you are. There are literally thousands of companies that make printers, so picking out just 1 might be a bit difficult. I will narrow it down for you to what I would consider the best printer brands in no particular order.

printer-market-share

HP

First brand that comes to mind when thinking about printers would probably be Hewlett-Packard. Up until 2000 no other brand came even close to their market share. This has changed however. The software those printers use hasn’t always been that crisp, might be a bit harder to install and can lead to printer errors and paper jams. On the flip side, the quality of the prints is still really high and they have a very wide product range. You can find a review of my recommended HP printer here.

Ricoh

Their main focus lies with the corporate world and industrial printers. They do a really good job at it and have a very strong footing in that particular market. Ricoh printers are compatible and very reliable. Company to customer service, even after you bought the printer, is amazing with them. When you are looking for more of an industrial printer this might be your go to brand.

Kyocera

Kyocera makes use of a somewhat different technology compared to other brands. Their printers run with ceramic drums, hence the company name Kyocera. The advantages of this ceramic drum are the lower printing costs and the lower impact on the environment. On the other hand those printers tend to have a higher initial price tag. It wouldn’t be my first choice of printer, but in some cases it can be interesting getting one of those.

Epson

Interesting brand that is the only one who makes use of a different printing process. Other brands make use of the thermal drop on demand process whereas Epson uses a piezoelectric drop on demand. My only experience with this process is that the print head nozzles clog up faster than usual. This is a huge turnoff to me so I wouldn’t call Epson a very user friendly brand.

Canon

Very trustworthy brand. They are a big player on the printer market for a very long time now and cover a wide range of niches. Whether you are looking for an industrial printer or you are a student with a low budget, Canon probably has something for you. Biggest advantage would probably be the reliability of their printers. One thing to look out for are the prices of their ink and cartridges. Those prices lean towards the more expensive side so be careful and do your research before you buy.

Brother

A brand which main focus is on the personal user market. Their inkjet printers produce great quality prints and are very reliable too. The cost for these printers can be higher in the long term (due to higher production costs) but that shouldn’t be too much of a problem for a personal or home user.

Conclusion

Don’t forget to check out some reviews before buying. There might be things I didn’t cover in this post and you don’t want to stumble upon any unpleasantries. Thinking about your printing intentions is a good start. Will you need a laser printer or an inkjet printer? After you can decide what brand fits your wishes the best and finally you can decide to make a purchase. Good luck to you on your next printer hunt!

Vincent

Share This:

Best printers for home use

By Vincent on September 21, 2015

One of the most common questions we get in our business: “What would be considered the best printers for home use?” Everything comes down to your own preferences. However, few things need to be thought-through. First you will have to decide your main printing goals. Will you be printing a few photos or are you planning on making thousands of prints? Or do you prefer more versatility coming from a multi-function printer? Next you can start thinking about the budget you are willing to spend.

In the first case you are probably looking for an inkjet printer. Although this isn’t set in stone anymore, inkjet printers have a better reputation regarding photos. This is because of the printing process. Producers of inkjet printers are already incorporating software to ease printing out photos. This software often contains memory card readers and PictBridge, for an easy connection between a printer and a digital camera.

HP DESKJET 2540 ALL-IN-ONE

You aren’t planning on making lots of prints. Probably you just need a few documents printed out every month. This really is the ideal printer for basic
users. The HP Deskjet 2540 all-in-one has built in wireless technologies. Making it possible for the user to connect with a pc, phone or tablet. Furthermore you can scan all your documents, making it possible for the printer to act as a stand-alone copier. Flexibility is probably the best word to describe this rather cheap, multifunction printer.

You can get this awesome printer here.

Secondly there are laser printers, those have excellent features regarding monochrome prints and lean more towards office environments. Fast, spotless and more economic printouts are qualities which most companies will be looking for. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean a laser printer won’t be any good for home usage. If you aren’t planning on making a lot of color photos then this might be what you’re looking for. Toners for laser printers yield higher quantities of prints and therefore will be more cost efficient than inkjet cartridges. Definitely keep this in mind when purchasing a printer.

Share This: