Understanding the benefits and drawbacks of the many printer types may seem overwhelming when the time comes to buy a printer for your company. When making your choice, you should, however, take the time to analyse more than just a device’s initial purchase price. Comparing a printer’s total size, speed, functionality, and ongoing maintenance expenses will help you select the one that best suits your company’s needs.
Laser Printers
Because they use laser technology to transmit your printed images to paper, laser printers acquire their name. The fastest option for printing, a laser printer often costs more up front, but its total cost of ownership is typically lower than an inkjet printer’s. For instance, while though a laser toner cartridge’s initial cost may seem high, the cartridge frequently yields hundreds of pages, potentially lowering the number of replacements required each year. As a result, the best option for black and white printing is frequently a laser printer. There are colour laser models available, but they don’t produce excellent, high-resolution prints.
Inkjet Printers
Since liquid ink is used to create the printed images, inkjet printers earn their name. As a result, inkjet printers frequently offer the greatest option for printing high-resolution photos. Unfortunately, when exposed to liquid or humid circumstances, inkjet-printed images and documents may bleed or smear. Despite having a lower initial cost than a laser printer, inkjet printers typically have greater recurring costs for replacement cartridges. Because the ink cartridges are tiny, they frequently need to be replaced. Over the course of a year, this expense may increase. As a result, publishing big volumes of black-and-white documents on an inkjet printer isn’t the best option.
All-in-One Printers
A common all-in-one printer can print, copy, scan, and fax all from the same machine. This space-saving design, which is offered in laser and inkjet versions, can help individuals with limited office space. A multipurpose printer can also save your company money by eliminating the need to buy additional equipment. Unfortunately, if there is a printing issue with the device, you might not be able to use all of its features, leaving you without a copier or fax machine. You should also think about whether the laser or inkjet model of an all-in-one printer is suitable for your requirements.
Other Considerations
You should think about your networking options if you wish to share the printer with multiple computers on your network. Directly connecting a printer to a computer allows you to share that printer with other users. However, the printer is no longer accessible when you turn off the computer. You may also directly connect a printer to a switch or hub on your company network thanks to the many printers that now have built-in network jacks. These printers are frequently more expensive, but you can share the printer with any computer on your network without requiring a particular computer connection thanks to this direct connection type.
