If you're thinking about changing your office up and would like to purchase a new inkjet printer, you've come to the right place! Inkjet printers are classic devices, known for their longevity and quality printing history, making them perfect for any office.
At Printerland, we're experts in the field - our experience as the number one independent reseller of printers in the UK speaks for itself!
We have a huge range of inkjet printer models available for sale, with Epson and HP being our core brands. However, we're not just limited to those two printer companies, stocking models from across the entirety of the inkjet printer market.
All of our printers are available to purchase immediately from our website, as well as all the consumables and accessories you could ever want.
If you're unsure of which device is best for your inkjet printing needs, get in touch and we'll be happy to help!
What Are Inkjet Printers?
Inkjet printers are one of the 2 main printing technologies on the market at the moment, remaining extremely popular over a number of years.
As the name suggests, inkjet printers use ink cartridges to project ink onto pieces of paper as part of the overall printing process. Inkjet printing is well known for its clear, crisp print quality, making these models truly stand out.
As the name suggests, inkjet printers work by using ink to print onto paper, as opposed to laser printers, which use toner. Minuscule droplets of ink are created when the ink is forced through the nozzles of the ink cartridges, which are arranged precisely to print the image or text onto paper.
The vast majority of inkjet printer models use four different colours within their ink cartridges to create a print, which are cyan, magenta, yellow and black - otherwise known as CMYK.
These four colours are used simultaneously to create a full colour palette, mixed together to print whatever image or text you need. The ink cartridges are housed in something known as a print head.
Drivers are used to convert the digital file sent to the printer into a copy that can be printed onto paper. When this happens, this information is sent to the print head, producing tiny dots of ink. These small drops of ink are then moved across the paper by the print head to print the image onto the paper.
This process is repeated every time a new page is required, with the paper usually emerging into the paper output tray.
Some inkjet printers are capable of automatic double-sided printing, in which both sides of the paper are used. This is a more sustainable method, allowing you to save money on paper in the process.
When using automatic double-sided printing, a duplex unit is used which contains several motors and rollers to flip the paper round to the opposite side, so printing can resume. This is just one example of the ways in which the capabilities of inkjet printers have improved over the years.
The History of Inkjet Printers
The inkjet printer market is huge, rising from small beginnings back in 1967 - the year in which inkjet printing was first invented. Since then, inkjet technologies have improved rapidly, with these handy devices now found in many homes and offices nationwide.
Colour inkjet printing soon emerged, with one of the first models being HP's PaintJet, first introduced in 1987.
The PaintJet had a fantastic print quality and speed for its time, although it was hampered by its ink cartridges needing to be primed and wiped before use.
Since then, new features have emerged to improve the functions available. Devices with automatic double-sided printing and all-in-one printers that can fax, copy, scan and print are now popular, particularly within offices. The features of multifunction inkjet printers make them perfect for the office, helping to increase productivity along the way.
How Does Inkjet Printing Compare to Laser Printing?
Another printing device that has become popular over the years is the laser printer. Laser printing is slightly newer than inkjet printing, but it has become more and more popular over time as the technology becomes ever more accessible.
Laser printers were first invented in 1969 by Gary Starkweather, an employee of Xerox - one of the major laser printer manufacturers across the world. Laser technology increased rapidly, with IBM producing the first commercial laser printer in 1976.
The first device created for office use was the Xerox Star 8010. However, laser printing didn't really start to take off until the 2000s - since then these devices have become increasingly common around the world, and are a staple feature for most businesses.
Laser printer models work very differently to their inkjet alternatives, using toner instead of ink cartridges. A heated wire is used to positively charge a drum inside the printer - a laser is then used to pass over the drum, reversing the charge. The negatively charged areas of the drum are used to create the image or text you want to print.
A toner roller is then passed over the drum, making the toner particles stick to the negatively charged areas. The toner is passed onto a piece of paper placed under the drum, printing the image/text onto the paper.
At Printerland, we also have a huge range of laser printers available for purchase, so if you decide that a laser model might be a better option, why not take a look at our range?
What Are the Different Types of Inkjet Printers on the Market at the Moment?
There are now many different types of inkjet printers available to you. With so many models and brands available, it can be hard to know where to turn, with each one having its own capabilities and features.
As well as our range of standard printers, we also have a variety of other types available. Whether you want a printer for office or home use, there should be something for everyone’s needs!
Multifunction Inkjet Printers
Otherwise known as all-in-one printers, multifunction inkjet printers have become the main form of the device purchased most users.
All-in-one printers allow you to complete multiple projects on one device, with most multifunction printers giving you the freedom to scan, copy, fax and print.
Multifunction printers allow you to decrease printing costs and increase productivity within the workplace. One device can be used to carry out a whole host of different functions, explaining their popularity within the inkjet printer market.
Mobile Printers
Most of our printers now come with mobile and wireless capabilities, allowing you to print directly from your mobile device. Features such as AirPrint and Mopria Alliance are two of the more popular technologies available, and most printer companies now produce their own printing apps to make things even easier.
Mobile printing allows you to seamlessly and effortlessly send print jobs to your printer from your phone, meaning there is no need to queue up at the printer to wait for your work to print.
Near Field Communication (NFC) technology is available on some of our devices, which allows you to walk up and tap your printer with your device to initiate your print job securely. Due to modern technological advances, mobile printers are now one of the most common forms of printer on the inkjet printer market.
The Most Popular Inkjet Brands
There are many different inkjet printer brands active in the market at the moment, with the most popular being Epson and HP, although Canon and Brother also make their own inkjet models.
We've created this handy guide to advise you of the most popular inkjet brands on the market at the moment, giving you all the information you need to make the right decision.
Epson
Epson is one of the biggest and most renowned brands on the market. Epson is a Japanese printer company originally founded in 1942 as Daiwa Kogyo Ltd. Since then, they've gone from strength to strength, also expanding into the camera industry, among others.
Epson's printers are known for producing high-quality prints and have a fantastic output resolution.
New to their inkjet printer line-up is the Epson Ecotank range, which makes use of high-capacity ink tank technology that’s also very cost-effective. Instead of adding inkjet cartridges to your printer, ink is added directly to the tank inside the printer, which is much cheaper and much more sustainable than using standard inkjet cartridges.
HP
HP (Hewlett-Packard) is another big name in the printing world, particularly when referring to inkjet printers. HP devices are fantastic for the office, having fantastic capabilities that are suitable for any work environment.
HP is an American printer company founded in 1939 in a one-car garage, greatly increasing its stature in the world of technology since then! HP's inkjet cartridges tend to be fairly inexpensive, with their printers also being competitively priced, making them perfect if you're on a budget.
HP printers deliver excellent quality prints across the board, creating natural pictures and sharp prints that will be the envy of any onlooker.
The Benefits of Inkjet Printing
When choosing to purchase a new printer, there are several things you need to take into account before making your decision. These factors include:
- The warranty the printer comes with
- Print speed and print quality
- The cost of the printer, as well as the consumables needed to use it
- Which consumables (paper/ink) you'll need to buy
- The cost to run the printer
- How sustainable the printer is
There are many advantages to using an inkjet printer over other printing devices, whether you need your printer for an office or for use at home. We've collated this handy list to allow you to make an informed decision about whether an inkjet printer is right for you.
And if you need any more advice, we're only a phone call away!
Fantastic Print Quality
One of the main benefits of owning an inkjet printer is the print quality. Inkjet printers can have a better colour definition than their laser equivalents, making them perfect for use in industries focused on producing graphic heavy documents. For example, graphic designers or photographers would benefit from using an inkjet printer over a laser printer.
If you're interested in photo printing, an inkjet photo printer would be ideal, producing photo-realistic images with a fantastic quality. They can print both colour and monochrome prints with a crisp finish, making them perfect for any industry that focuses on photo printing.
Inkjets have become popular with professional photo printers for this very reason, as they're able to print more natural looking images, when compared to laser models.
Print resolution is measured by something known as Dots Per Inch (DPI). The greater the DPI, the higher the resolution is. Inkjet printers typically have high DPIs, making them perfect for those needing a higher print resolution.
Cheaper Up-Front Cost
Inkjet printers also often have a cheaper up-front cost than purchasing a laser printer, making them perfect if you're on a budget or looking for a printer for your home office.
Because of the cheaper cost of buying an inkjet model, they've become ideal for use in home offices and small businesses, excelling in environments where the print output is typically lower.
Working from home has become ever more popular since the Coronavirus pandemic, leading to more and more people needing printers for home use, increasing the inkjet printer market greatly.
The price of consumables has also reduced in recent years - replacing an ink cartridge or paper has never been easier, especially if you choose to use larger XL cartridges.
These cartridges contain a greater amount of ink for a cheaper price per page, making them perfect if you think you might need to change your ink cartridges often. Multi-packs can also be purchased, usually including cyan, magenta and yellow ink.
Smaller Carbon Footprint
Another boon that inkjet printers can give your office is that they generally have a smaller carbon footprint than laser printers. Sustainability is becoming a major deciding factor in the business world, due to the impending climate crisis.
Inkjet models generally require less energy to run and have a quicker warm-up time, which makes them extremely cost-effective in the long run.
Most of our printers are now Energy Star certified. Energy Star certification is given to devices that are particularly helpful for the environment - printers that are given this certification use less power, and have smaller start-up times, naturally being more sustainable to use.
Epson is one inkjet brand that has a range of Energy Star certified printers, giving you peace of mind that you're helping the environment along the way. For more energy-saving tips, head to our dedicated blog post on the subject.
Increased Productivity and Efficiency
Inkjet printers can be incredibly efficient if used correctly, allowing you to increase productivity within your workforce along the way. These devices require hardly any warm-up time than laser models, so your workers can get their printing completed as soon as possible.
Print speeds tend to be a little slower than when using a laser model, making inkjet printers more suitable for small businesses and home offices.
By allowing your workers to use an all-in-one printer, they can get all their jobs done on one machine. Most of our printers now include mobile and wireless technologies, so print jobs can be sent to the printer from anywhere in the office, instead of having to queue up at the printer itself.
What Consumables Should You Use With Your Inkjet Printer?
One of the best things about using an inkjet printer is that they're very versatile models, allowing you to use most forms of paper, whatever paper printing needs you have. Different weights are available as well as matte and gloss finishes, so you should be able to find something suitable for your needs.
It's recommended that you only use OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) ink cartridges in your printer when buying replacement ink cartridges.
OEM cartridges are much more reliable and will undoubtedly give you a better print quality - you also know they'll work with your device, as they're specifically designed for use with your printer.
At Printerland we only sell OEM cartridges, check out our huge range of replacement ink cartridges to see which cartridges are compatible with your printer.
Are You Interested in Buying an Inkjet Printer?
If you're looking to invest in a new printer for your office, an inkjet device could be perfect for you. Inkjets are versatile printer models, used in both professional and domestic settings to give high-quality results.
Exceptional print quality and an affordable price point are what really sets our inkjet printer models apart from the crowd, delivering fantastic printing services for any business.
At Printerland, we're the UK's number one printer reseller, with over 12,000 products to choose from. We've been in the printer game for a long time, serving many happy customers over the years, as our five-star TrustPilot score shows.
If you're interested in buying a new printer, all of our inkjet printer models can be purchased directly from our website. However, we understand that it's a decision not to be taken lightly, so if you need any more advice, our friendly team is on hand and ready to help!
Contact Printerland today and we'll help you find the printer of your dreams!
