Choosing a printer for your office can be a very personal thing. We all have different needs and habits, so picking out the right machine is crucial. There are so many choices on the market, but if you know what you’re looking for, choosing one won’t be an issue.
Types of Printers to Choose from
Laser
Laser printers produce text and images using a laser beam. It embeds the toner ingredients on the paper by heating them up. Although most of them are monochrome, colour laser printers are also an option. This is the perfect efficient printer for offices that does its job at a fast pace and produces high-quality images.
This machine can be an expensive purchase in the beginning, but it’s an investment worth making. Its popularity is on the rise because it’s fast and perfect for high-volume printing. It’s also easy to use, which is great for beginners as well. Replacing the toner might be more difficult, but you won’t have any issues if you follow the instructions in the manual. And one of the biggest advantages is that you don’t have to worry about the toner drying out.
Inkjet
Inkjet types of printer for offices are very popular in offices. They’re also a very common item in home settings as well. They’re inexpensive and use liquid ink, which is also cheap and easy to replace. You can use them to make both colour and monochromatic prints. In general, they’re not suitable for high-volume printing but are a good balance between quality, price and speed.
Inkjet printers offer the most printing options on the market. You can print text and photos on regular and photo paper, labels on specialty stickers and much more. Some newer models give you the possibility for a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection so you can print pictures and text straight out of your phone or tablet.
All-In-One
The all-in-one office printer is a multifunctional device that brings several functions together. It’s often a combination of a printer, scanner and fax machine. You’ll send and receive documents, print files, make copies and save them on your computer or laptop. These machines come in two varieties: inkjet and laser. One thing that can be viewed as a disadvantage is their size. They’ll take up more space in your office. But this is due to their multi-functionality and the single design that replaces several machines.
Supertank
Supertank printers fall in the all-in-one or inkjet category. Instead of using cartridges, they have refillable tanks. They’re great if your office is eco-friendly and wants to have a positive impact on the planet because you don’t have to replace disposable cartridges. You simply refill the existing ones. This is a great solution for offices because it can handle high-volume printing.
They’re fantastic for a variety of reasons. Their nozzles are permanent rather than disposable, which increases their durability and reduces the need for ink replacement. This reduces the cost of having to buy a new nozzle each time you need one. Even though they can look like a big investment at first, they’re worth every dollar you pay.
Dye-Sublimation
Dye-sublimation are great if you need to print on other surfaces except paper. Plastic is an example. You can also find them under the name dye-sub printers. If your office needs to print out ID cards, this is the right machine to have. It can also print on mugs, shirts, banners or water bottles.
You will always get a superior print without sacrificing durability. The dye-sublimation technique integrates the ink into the material and doesn’t allow it to spread and deform the picture or the text. It also won’t fade or run. Every product you print will look professionally made and the print will last for a long, long time.
What to Consider When Buying?
Printer Consumables
When you’re looking for office printers, it’s important to consider the type of consumables you’ll be using. It also involves the maintenance and cost of the ones you pick. For an inkjet printer, you get three options. The first one is two cartridges where one is black and the other can be used for any other colour. The second option is a 4-cartridge system where you have black, magenta, cyan and yellow. The third option are inkwells that are refillable.
Laser printers give you two consumable options. One is the OEM toner cartridges that are a bit more expensive but will print high-quality images and text. The other is compatible toner cartridges that are more affordable and should be matched to your printer model.
Print Quality and Speed
The main things that impact the printer’s quality are the driver, the printhead design and the ink quality. The number one thing to look at is the printer’s DPI (dots per inch). More dots in one square inch means more quality in the print. Some machines have a 600X600 DPI and some can go up to 1200X1200 DPI.
If you plan to use the machine regularly, print speed is crucial. Inkjet and laser models have varying PPM (prints per minute) ranges. The PPM of laser machines ranges from 20 to 50 PPM. Depending on the model and features, some may go even higher. The PPM of inkjet printers ranges from 5 to 25.
Size
Office design printers, and printers in general, come in many different sizes. No matter how small or big your office is, there’s a solution on the market for it. If space is a problem, you might need to let go of some options like scanning for example. But if you have a large office with plenty of space, you can buy an all-in-one model and have everything in just one machine.
Paper Handling
If you’re working with a certain type of paper, make sure the machine can handle that specific type. This means checking the paper’s size and weight so you don’t have to constantly move and rearrange the papers inside.
