What To Know Before You Buy A Printer

Buying a printer for your business shouldn’t be a hasty decision. There are many factors to consider when choosing a printer for your company, including connectivity, capacity, size and, overall, how functional it is. Printers have a multitude of different features, so you need to be sure that you buy what you need.

To help you get the facts, we’ve composed this guide to help you decide which printer you should buy.

How to choose a printer

When selecting a new printer, it’s important that you consider exactly what you need it for. Printers for home offices with one user will be entirely different than those needed for a large business. You may even have to choose a printer for a small business, which is somewhere in between.

Perhaps you print on different mediums, such as labels or transparencies, and you need to ensure that your new printer will be able to cope. There are many different features of a printer, so try to understand these before you make a purchase.

If you’re wondering how to choose a printer that will stand the test of time, consider these things before you buy:

Volume and speed capacity

If you work in a relatively big business, it’s likely that you will require an industrious, efficient printer with a large capacity, so you can save time when it comes to paper loading.

Before buying, determine how much printer paper you use each month, and then start scouting for printers with a capacity that suits your requirements.

Alternatively, there are small business printers available to cater for those with only a few members of staff.

HP LaserJet printers are arguably among the most reliable devices for busy offices due to their affordability, compact designs and connectivity features.

Connectivity features

Nowadays with employees printing from tablets or mobile phones, printers with good connectivity capabilities are crucial to the smooth running of your business.

If multiple users need to be able to access your printer, you should look at a network connected model which will allow you to print from multiple devices.

However, if on the contrary you don’t need wireless printer at all, a simple USB connection will be more cost-efficient – as well as saving the time spent setting it up.

Output requirements

When choosing a printer, establish what you’ll be using it for.

Do you need it for wild, vibrant prints? Or do you require black ink for basic work documents?

If it’s the latter, then perhaps a mono printer would be an ideal – and more affordable – solution for your company.

For a workplace which needs quality colour prints, you’d be better off investing in a colour laser model that can produce excellent results whilst accepting heavy media, for documents such as brochures.

Finishing units may be required for those who print a whole host of media, such as documents that need hole punching, folding or even stapling.

Media sizes

Did you know that an A3 print provides 141% more coverage than an A4 document?

For those who regularly require big prints, there are specific large format printers out there for you to feast your eyes on. If your business often requires prints in a larger size, you may need to factor this into your decision. Printers like the Xerox Versalink C7020Dn deliver great quality prints in an A3 size.

Users

Another crucial factor to consider is how many people will be using the printer on a daily basis.

If multiple people need access during the working day, it’s wise to invest in a model with a large capacity and a higher print speed, for improved productivity. Having a higher capacity will reduce the amount of time spent reloading paper; a quicker production level decreases the chances of your staff waiting around the printer for documents they require.

Connectivity features are handy too, as they allow multiple users to print from anywhere, whether via a desktop or any other electronic device. This is both more convenient for your staff members, and could also reduce the number of printers you need overall. If employees can print from anywhere, then you don’t need to have printers stationed on every floor if they aren’t needed.

Functionality

Multifunction printers are a business’ best friend. A space and cash saver, these crafty devices can combine up to four functions in one.

If you’re in the market for a printer, scanner, fax machine and copier, then consider an MFP. In many multi-function printers you will find all of these features, as well as multi-media handling and large capacities to save time paper-loading.

MFPs are very affordable considering their range of functions. However, if you don’t require some of them or are happy with your existing standalone devices, then a standard single-function printer model may be ideal for you.

Office capacity

In a small office, space can be hard to come by.

Before you buy a printer, measure out where you’d like to place it. From there, you’ll have a better idea of what type of printer you should look for, as you’ll be aware of what you can accommodate.

For more recommendations on the best printer for your business, call our knowledgeable team on 0800 840 1992.