How To Pick the Right Printer for Your Business
If you’re in the market for a new printer, it’s difficult not to get overwhelmed by all of your choices. With so many features, model types, and brands available, how do you know you’re choosing the best device? While there’s no single correct choice for every business, here’s how you can narrow down your options and pick the right printer for your needs.
What To Consider When Choosing a Printer
There are hundreds of office printer options on the market, which means there’s a lot to think about when picking the right printer for your business. If you’re unsure which printer type to choose, consider the following factors:
- Print volume: How many pages do you plan to print each day? The answer to this question will help you determine whether you need a standard office copier or a heavy-duty device.
- Print quality: If your employees only print documents for personal use, you probably don’t need a state-of-the-art color printer with dozens of finishing options. However, if you regularly produce client-facing documents or professional marketing materials, you need a device that promises high-quality prints.
- Capabilities: Today’s printers don’t just print, scan, and copy—they also convert paper documents to editable PDFs, process jobs from mobile devices, and authenticate users’ identities before releasing prints. When picking the right printer, think about the features you need and those you can live without.
- Usage: Some small businesses can get away with a single black and white printer in their office. However, if you have several employees who regularly print large volumes, you may need a few devices scattered across your office to avoid bottlenecks.
- Space restrictions: Office printers can take up a substantial amount of space. If you have a small office, you should choose a space-saving option.
- Budget: Depending on the printer type you need, you may spend thousands of dollars over its lifetime. If you have limited funds, picking the right printer might mean choosing an affordable option or negotiating favorable leasing terms.
Once you have an idea of how you’ll use your printer, you can pick the right printer type or types that will work best for your business.
Business-Class Printers and Their Benefits
There are several categories of business-class printers available. These are the features and benefits of each:
Multifunction Printers (MFPs) and Copiers
Office copy machines are a popular option for many businesses because they combine several capabilities into one device. These all-in-one printers handle essential functions like scanning, copying, and faxing, and many come with advanced features like optical character recognition (OCR) and automatic document feeders.
In addition to their many capabilities, MFPs are an affordable and space-saving solution for small businesses. If your company has moderate printing needs, one MFP will likely be sufficient for your office. And despite their affordability, MFPs are powerful machines, so you won’t have to sacrifice speed when picking the right printer for your small business.
Production Printers
MFPs are the ideal printer option for businesses that don’t print a significant number of pages or high-quality prints. However, if your company plans to print flyers, brochures, contracts, and other professional documents each day, you need a production printer. These heavy-duty devices are faster and more versatile than other printer types, but they typically cost more.
Wide Format Printers
Certain business types, including graphic design agencies and architectural firms, regularly print documents that are too large for an MFP to handle. With a wide format printer, companies can keep their print jobs in-house while maintaining the quality they get from a third-party printing provider. Whether you need to print photos or technical documents, there’s a wide format printer on the market to meet your needs.
Desktop Printers
While desktop printers typically can’t match the quality or speed you get with an MFP, they’re a great option if you’re limited on space or need extra security. Because desktop printers are small enough to fit in individuals’ offices, you can give employees who print confidential documents their own machine.
If you already have an MFP but need more printing capacity for a few individuals, desktop printers are an inexpensive and effective addition to your space.
Are You Ready To Pick the Right Printer for Your Business?
Superior Office Solutions offers various printer types from the most reputable printing brands. Check out our equipment and leasing options to get the process started.
Save Money by Choosing the Right Printer From SOS
A new printer may not seem like a high-impact addition to your office, but picking the right printer can boost productivity. Plus, you can save money by minimizing ink costs, reducing wasted pages, and choosing sustainable options that optimize energy usage.
Do you need help picking the right printer for your tri-state business? SOS can help. We offer a range of printer options from the three most reputable brands in the industry, and our team can help you negotiate the best leasing terms for your business. Get in touch today to learn more about our equipment leasing options.