What printer is best for your small business?

Even in an age when most of our business communication is conducted through emails, the printed document still plays a very prominent role in the modern office. From producing letters and contracts to send to clients and customers to printing handouts for company meetings, the printer is an essential part of the day-to-day working life and a piece of equipment that millions of people all over the world rely on. When buying a new printer for business, or replacing an old one, it’s important to take the time to find the right type for your office.



One of the key decisions you will have to make is whether to choose a monochrome (black and white) or a colour printer. One the one hand, colour printers offer more flexibility and an opportunity to give your business a little more flair in its printed documents. On the other, monochrome printers are usually significantly cheaper to run because they use only one kind of ink rather than the separate yellow, blue and red inks that colour printers require.

Monochrome printers are also often capable of printing pages more quickly than their colour counterparts due to the streamlined printing process. A business that prints in large volumes and rarely in colour would be best served by the cost-effectiveness of a monochrome printer while one that prints less but needs the flexibility colour offers should opt for a colour printer.



You will also need to decide whether you would prefer a laser printer or an inkjet printer. In the past, this would largely be determined by budget, with laser devices usually costing significantly more, but in recent years the price differences between the two at the lower end of the market have largely disappeared.



Inkjet printers are generally more expensive to run on a cost-per-page basis but their ink cartridges are much cheaper to replace, meaning that they are well suited to occasional and light users. They are also the cheapest way to print in colour. Laser printers are more economical and their toner cartridges last for several thousand pages but they are much more expensive to replace when they run out.



Once you have decided what kind of printer is best for your business, you should consider whether or not you need a multifunction device. Multifunction printers combine additional features such as scanning, copying, photo printing and even document sending for much less than what buying separate standalone units would cost. In fact, multifunction devices sometimes cost only a little more than regular printers making them a great way to expand the capabilities of your office without worrying about running over budget.



Isla Campbell writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.