Office printer selection is more complicated in 2023 than in the past. New features for both laser and inkjet printers have been made possible by technological developments in the printing sector. These features improve safety, conserve resources, and make printers more user-friendly, enabling increased productivity at work.
Prioritizing which features are essential and merely pleasant to have is the first step in deciding on new technology purchases. This helpful guide will assist you in selecting the ideal printer for your printing requirements in 2023, whether you’re buying your first printer or your business is growing and you need a new printer.
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Laser or inkjet
Inkjet printers, as its name suggests, produce pictures using sublimation ink from ink cartridges, whereas laser printers use electricity to adhere toner to a piece of paper. Choose a monochrome laser printer for your office if you need to quickly print plenty of black-and-white documents. An inkjet printer that uses pigment ink is an excellent option for producing high-quality photos in vivid colors and on various paper types. A color laser printer also functions well, although the color quality might not be as good.
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Speed
You might value a direct to film printer with high speeds if your company prints a lot every month. Consider how often your personnel print and the kinds of print tasks they perform when considering a printer’s speed.
Law offices are one example of a print-intensive industry that frequently prints substantial papers. Business operations may be hampered if, for example, a law office purchases a high-quality but slow printer and staff members are forced to wait for backlogs of huge print orders to finish.
However, if your staff only prints a few pages occasionally or your workplace is small, you might not place as much importance on printer speed.
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Image quality
When printing photos, take into account your needs. Are you a design company that needs to print in high quality to present work-in-progress to clients, or are you a writing company that only needs to print text? It would be unfortunate to need high-quality images and purchase a printer of a lower caliber.
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Size and portability
Another crucial factor to consider is the printer’s size and portability, especially if space is at a premium or the printer needs to be mobile. Although they might not have all the required features, inkjet printers are the most excellent choice for small and home offices because they are typically more compact and economical.
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Ease of use
Occasionally, we can become preoccupied with features and standards and exclude usability. A simple-to-use printer means fewer aggravation and problems. Production can be seamless if there is less guesswork involved with the printer and its settings if there are multiple users.
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Cost
While purchasing a printer from a large shop may be less expensive, the cost of their cartridges may be up to five times more than that of local vendors. You can bargain with big box stores and dealers to get better machine deals, but local dealers can keep cartridge costs significantly lower.