Printing Gradients (PostScript Printer required?)

Hi,

I currently use an old InkJet to print my Illustrations but I've started to sell some work and some of the print outs might not be up to par - when I print gradients they don't fade in from transparent, even the lightest tone suddently appears as a block, not a fade. I also have the same issue printing anything transparent - if I've imported a PNG file, the outline of the whole transparent background will print.

I've read this is an issue with non-postscript printers. The printer I have doesn't have postscript capabilities and doesn't offer emulation drivers either.

I'm looking for some advice if possible. Do I need a true postscript printer to achieve proper gradients and transparency or could I purchase a printer with emulation drivers (many HP printers seem to offer this). I'm not really looking for anything that is top of the range, just something that will ensure gradients are correct on my printouts.

Thanks 🙂