How do you know what printer to buy?

Answer 1

Decide what you need. There are a huge range of printers, just about any type for any requirement, but you do have to know exactly what you need.
Sometimes a Deskjet or Bubblejet is useful, but whilst they may be cheap, the cost of consumables will be high over a 1 - 2 year period. If you print a fair amount per week or per month, it is better to go for the Laser Printers that have dropped radically in price. They allow you to use a single toner cartridge for many pages. The consumable cost is low per page.
The next element is the type. My preference is the HPs, but many graphics people I assist use either Canon's or Epson's.
There are a great range of other devices, all of which are very ably reviewed places like zdnet.com and various magazine sites. Read the reviews and the rankings and see which matches your needs

Answer 2

Depends on a number of things.
What are you going to print?
How many copies do you need each time?
Do you need only black & white, or must you have colour?
Main types of printers are inkjet or laser.
Each of these works best with the proper type of paper.
You can get a lot of useful information on sites such as HP, or Samsung,or Viking Direct, or Misco, or Pixmania.
Regarding cost, remember to research the cost of consumables. Inkjet cartridges don't last very long, but laser toners can do a much larger run, although are rather expensive to replace.

Answer 3

Depends on what your need are. If you want a printer that can print doc,photo or cd/dvd labels get an Epson. Canon and HP are also good choices for printers.