When considering a reliable business printer, there are a few important factors to consider. By taking these factors into consideration, you can ensure you have the features required for increased productivity and ensure your printer has a long life.
1. Inkjet or laser printer
The first consideration is the choice of the printer type itself. Both inkjet printers and laser printers have different specifications suited to different environments. Laser printers are the most popular choice for business environments due to their efficient features and design. If you decide to go with a laser printer, the next choice is whether to go with a black and white laser printer (monochrome) or a colour laser printer.
Almost all modern inkjet printers contain both black and color ink, so there is rarely this choice if you choose an inkjet printer. For laser printers, a black and white laser printer is sufficient if you only print texts, packing slips or other documents for internal use. You can take advantage of the convenience of only having to replace one toner cartridge in this case. However, if you need to print in color or print external documents, it’s recommended to choose a colour laser printer or an inkjet printer.
Laser printers are generally suitable for printing larger numbers of pages, and for more frequent printing, making them the obvious choice for a busy office. The larger paper trays ensure you can load more paper up and therefore, carry out more frequent print jobs without having to reload the paper. Laser toners typically print a larger number of pages than ink cartridges before having to replace them, which also saves time.
2. Print speed
The print speed of inkjet printers is usually between 10 and 33 pages per minute, whereas with laser printers this number usually varies from 20 to 40 pages per minute. That’s why monochrome laser printers are typically favored in business settings over inkjet printers where speed and efficiency are key. Laser printers, especially monochrome models, achieve the fastest print speeds. However, with both inkjet and laser printers there are differences in the printing speed between individual models. That’s why it’s important to compare the print speed with the printer specifications before making a decision.
3. Printing A4 or A3 sized documents
Most printers print A4 paper size (and smaller), but there are also many models available that allow you to print up to A3 size. The choice of an A4 or A3 printer lies in the type of documents you intend to print. For example, you may need an A3 printer if you intend to print posters, drawings, plans or diagrams. If you opt for an A3 model, it is also useful to choose a printer with multiple paper trays. This way, there is always A4 and A3 paper ready for a print job.
4. Advanced time-saving printer features
There are many useful features geared toward productivity. One such feature is automatic two-sided printing for duplex printing. The advantage of double-sided printing is that the paper tray only needs to be refilled half as often as you would have needed to. This is helpful for time-saving and increases productivity.
Another way that you can save time is by choosing a printer with an ADF (Automatic Document Feeder). This will save you from having to manually insert the pages into the printer. It will feed an entire document at once and the printer will scan each page without you having to spend time manually doing so. This frees up more time for employees.
5. Ink or toner that saves you money
Before making the final selection, it is smart to look at the printing costs you are going to incur with the type of printer model you have chosen. It is important to not only look at the purchase price of the printer. In the long run, you will save more by choosing a printer with a lower print cost per page. This is determined by the cost of the toner or ink cartridge and the number of pages you can print with. This cost varies considerably between printer models so it’s wise to check them out in advance. You can also take advantage of compatible brands like 123ink. i.e. that offer printer toner at lower prices than the original printer brands and often have higher capacity cartridges.
When considering factors for choosing a business printer, it’s worth exploring options for high-quality printing services like plexiglass printing services to meet your business needs.
By checking out these features in advance, you will ensure you get the best printer for high volume, productive printing in your business. With lower ink or toner costs, you will continue to save for many years after buying the printer, especially as your department or company grows and prints more.
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