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Understanding Printer and Scanner Specs

There are a few important specs to understand before you buy your printer or scanner. Here we'll look at the basics of resolution, color and bit depth, file formats, print and scan speed, and print and scan area.
Print Speed
Print speed depends on what kind of document you're printing and how your printer's preferences are set.
Understanding Printer Resolution
Printer resolution refers to how many dots per inch a printer can put onto a piece of paper.
More About DPI
Dots per inch, or DPI, is confusing enough, but there are added dimensions to it when you're measuring resolution for desktop publishing. Luckily, your friendly Guide to Desktop Publishing is there to help explains the ins and outs of DPI.
Understanding Scanner Resolution and Color Depth
Resolution refers to the amount of information, calculated in dots per inch, that the scanner can read.
Understanding Image Formats
When you're working with images or scans, there are many different file formats you can choose. Here are some tips on how they're different, and when to use each one.
How HP Measures Print Speed
If you're wondering how printer manufacturers measure the speed of their printers, you'll find all the details in this explanation from HP.

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