All business owners dream of having a streamlined, productive office space. Unfortunately, this is not the reality for most businesses. There is so much time lost to the over-practiced art of struggling, specifically with technology.
This is down to the simple fact that most offices do not have the equipment needed to complete the daily tasks or it is aged. If this sounds like your workplace, and you’re thinking about upgrading your office printer, then read on for five helpful tips to help you choose your next one.
- Purpose
Firstly, consider what purpose your printer will need to serve. Do you need to print in bulk? Does the printer need to have other functions like scanning and copying? These are just two of the things that you need to ask yourself to narrow down your options. There are hundreds of different printers on the market – you need to find the one that’s right for your home office.
- Speed
If you are going to be printing in bulk often, you need to buy a laser printer. Laser printers can print far more efficiently than inkjet printers and the printer toner they need is more affordable now than it ever has been in the past. Thanks to modern technology, laser printers work at almost lightning speeds, and they can print in color and black and white.
- Cost
Cost is still a factor when replacing your printer but printers are cheaper now than they were previously. Producing high-quality prints at fast speeds costs you more initially, but these costs will be amortized over time because your employees will not be wasting time waiting for endless print jobs to finish printing. Be prepared to spend around 500 dollars on a decent laser printer, which may seem like a lot at first but they are generally cheaper to run in the long term.
- Convenience
Instead of buying separate pieces of office equipment like printers, scanners, and copiers, you should consider the convenience afforded to you when you buy a multi-function unit. These units can have downsides, like not multi-tasking smoothly, but they are more convenient than having individual machines. This will save your employees time because they no longer have to walk to different machines to complete tasks.
- Size
When choosing a new printer for your workplace, remember that size matters. Before you go out and buy a printer or multi-function unit, you need to measure the space it will need to fit in. Most compact printers aren’t a problem in this department but the larger multi-function units are a fair bit bigger. As technology changes and improves over time, manufacturers can get more from a smaller machine than ever before. Generally speaking, the bigger machines do work faster but the smaller ones are learning to keep up and they will probably suffice – unless you have intensely high printing needs. Most of the smaller multi-function units can fit comfortably on the end of a large desk.
