People looking to purchase a new printer and ink supplies may find it easier to get good results if they match the machine they choose to their expected usage.

This is according to Steven Feldstein, Frank Martin and Bob Burnett from Brother, who told Gizmodo many common complaints people have about their device can be avoided with forward planning and selecting the most suitable product.

It was noted by the team that machines using ink cartridges may not be the best solution for some users – particularly those who print rarely and will only produce text documents.

"The print head has all these tiny nozzles that you have to keep moist or they'll clog, which will result in missing dots on the page," it was explained, which is why inkjets often go through a cleaning cycle every few days, using a small amount of ink to keep the device in good condition.

This accounts for why people who use their machine only on rare occasions may notice their ink supplies drain faster than they expect, which may make laser machines a better choice for these users.

As the toner used by these devices is a powder, it does not suffer from being left unattended for long periods of time, while text typically appears as "crisper, darker black" compared with ink.

It also has a greater lifespan when printed, which may make it a good choice for individuals who expect to keep documents for the long haul, the Brother team said.

However, it was recently stated by Matt Egan of PC Advisor that for those who wish to print photos, an inkjet is usually the better option due to the higher-quality results these can produce.

Other suggestions offered by the team from Brother for choosing a printer include considering the environment where it will be located – noting inkjet machines are not ideal for places where they will pick up large amounts of dust, such as workshops where wood is used. A laser device, on the other hand, should not be kept in places such as on a bookshelf, where it will be unable to draw in air to keep its engine cool.