Characteristics and capabilities of printers.
Printers available today are usually either laser printers using electrophotographic technology or inkjet printers using electrostatic spray technology. Dot matrix printers using impact technology are used in applications that require carbon copies.  The list of printer selection criteria.

Capacity and Speed Printer capacity and speed are factors to consider when selecting a printer. Inkjet printers are usually slower, but they might be adequate for a home or small office. The speed of a printer is measured in pages per minute (ppm). The speed of an inkjet printer is 2–6 ppm. The speed of a laser printer is 8–200 ppm.

Color or Black and White A computer monitor produces colors through the additive mixing of dots that are displayed on the screen. The eye picks up the colors directly. The dots produce the color range using red, green, and blue (RGB) dots.
A printer produces colors using subtractive mixing. The eye sees a color that reflects from the combination of colors on the paper. Figure 2 shows a CMYK color wheel.
The choice between a black-and-white printer and a color printer depends on the needs of your customer. If your customer is primarily printing letters and does not need color capability, a black-and-white printer is sufficient. However, an elementary school teacher might need a color printer to add excitement to lessons.

Quality The quality of printing is measured in dots per inch (dpi). The more dpi, the higher the resolution. When the resolution is higher, text and images are usually clearer. To produce the best high-resolution images, you should use both high-quality ink or toner and high-quality paper.

Reliability A printer should be reliable. Because there are so many types of printers on the market, research the specifications of several printers before selecting one. Here are some of the options available from the manufacturer:
            .Warranty – Identify what is covered within the warranty.

             .Scheduled servicing – Servicing is based on expected usage. Information is  found in   the manual     or on the manufacturer's website.

            .Mean time between failures (MTBF) – There is an average length of time that the printer works without failing. Information is found in the manual or on the manufacturer's website.

              .Total Cost of Ownership Consider the cost when selecting hardware. When buying a printer, there is more than just the initial cost of the printer to consider. The total cost of ownership (TCO) includes a number of factors:
Initial purchase price
Cost of supplies, such as paper and ink
Price per page
Maintenance costs
Warranty costs
When calculating the TCO, you should also consider the amount of material printed and the expected lifetime of the printer.