When buying a new business printer, you need to consider all the five major types of printers and the functionalities of each of them. If you don’t do this, you may go for an option that offers you no value. The following are the most common business printers that you need to evaluate before giving a vendor your money. Making the right choice can truly be difficult as every merchant would love to do business with you.
1. Laser/LED
Laser and printers are basically the most popular types of printers in business offices. The popularity is, in part, attributed to their efficiency, reliability, and ability to produce high-quality text. These printers use a light source to project the right images onto a rotating drum that eventually transfers toner onto the paper. The capabilities of the printers’ hard-drives make them the best for networking. And since toner is relatively inexpensive compared with other printing modes, their ongoing costs are fair. However, you need to consider why you need a business printer and your budget before attempting to buy laser printers. They are expensive upfront and not the best for photo printing.
2. Inkjet
Inkjets are also used in business offices, but they are more commonly used in home offices. These business printers squirt liquid ink through a pinhead. Their photo qualities are high so you can consider them if want to produce fliers, documents, and brochures that contain graphics. Inkjet printers can also print on several types of media. They are inexpensive upfront, and some of them also have networking capabilities.
Inkjet printers with networking capabilities are not common mainly due to the high costs of replacing ink. They are also significantly slower.
3. Solid–ink Printers
Solid–ink printers work by melting blocks of colored wax onto paper. The printers can be compared to laser business printers in terms of the quality of their black and white prints, ongoing costs, and reliability. However, solid-ink printers produce high-quality color prints, are small, and more compact. But they are quite prone to smudging and are less common in the market. There are fewer models in the market from which you can choose whenever you need one.
4. Snapshot printers
The photo quality of these printers is much higher than with other business printers. They often don’t have business applications. This makes them more common for home use.
5. Dye–sublimation Printers
These types of printers work by using heat– transferred dye. They produce superior quality images. So they are reserved for businesses that must have excellent image quality such as graphic design firms. The cost per page of their printouts is the most expensive in the market.
To make a well-informed decision regarding what type of printer is right for your business, get to know the type of printer that you need. You can start by evaluating your requirements, your financial ability, and the functionalities that you need.