The Ultimate Guide to Choosing an Office Printer

Last Updated on August 14, 2023 by Christian Ralph

With thousands upon thousands of printers readily available, choosing a printer for the office can be a daunting task. Whilst it’s important to pick a printer which is capable of completing all the necessary document handling jobs in the office, you naturally don’t want to be paying for features you don’t require. So here we explore all the important features you should be looking for when choosing a printer for the office.

Laser or Inkjet

Perhaps the most divisive choice for those looking to invest in printers, it can be difficult to decide between laser and inkjet printers – with both technologies offering their own benefits.

Laser printers are noted for the high quality of their printed output, capable of producing vibrant colours and deep black tones.

Whilst inkjet printers are also capable of producing quality print outs, they are perhaps better regarded for their lower initial cost for the home user but higher overall running costs when used for high volumes of prints when compared to laser alternatives.

Colour or Monochrome

This is a relatively straightforward choice, if you only require black and white print outs then it could be more cost-effective to select a monochrome model. Without the requirement of implementing colour printing technology, mono printers are often less expensive than their full colour brethren.

And naturally, if you’re planning on using the printer to create full colour prints, a colour printer is the only way to go.

Monthly Duty Cycle

The monthly duty cycle is essentially the maximum number of prints you can expect the printer to complete in a month. For offices which require a large volume of prints, it’s vital that you select a machine with a large duty cycle.

However, monthly duty cycles are often representative of the printer working at maximum capacity in perfect conditions – so will not always be the exact number of copies produced by your machine every month.

Print Speed

All printers will advertise their print speed (sometimes different speeds for mono or colour prints), which reflect the number of pages which can be produced every minute. For offices looking to print huge documents and reports, a printer with a higher print speed is understandably more desirable.

Multifunction Requirements

Investing in a printer which also boasts copy, scan and fax functions can be a great money and space saver for the office. Generally costing less than the combined cost of individual machines for all these functions, a multifunction device can help you save some serious cash, whilst completing all the tasks to a high standard.

Eco-Friendly Credentials

Whether you’re looking to create an environmentally-friendly office environment, or tightly control print overheads – eco-friendly credentials are a huge help. From power-saving operation to auto-sleep modes; many modern printers are jam-packed with eco-friendly features.

Physical Footprint

As well as the environmental footprint, it is vitally important to consider the physical footprint of the machine. Check the dimensions of the printer to ensure that the machine does not dwarf the office or require more desk/floor space than is available.

Initial and Ongoing Costs

The initial price of the printer is not the only cost which needs to be considered when selecting a printer. It is also vital to attempt to anticipate the ongoing costs and overheads which will be incurred by the printer.

The most common ongoing cost will be the replacement ink or toner cartridges. Consider the cost of the relevant cartridges, measure against the yield (number of pages you can expect to print) when totally up the long term cost of a printer.

Additional Features

Offering extra value to the machine, many printers boast additional features which could really benefit the office. Some of the most common include:

Network – Printing via the office network
Wireless – Printing via a WiFi connection
Duplex – Automatic printing on both sides of the sheet
AirPrint and Google Could Print – The capacity to print documents remotely from the cloud

If this guide has helped you determine exactly what you need from a printer, visit the Printerland homepage and use the relevant fields. Alternatively, for more help, call our dedicated team on 0800 840 1992 today.