Nowadays,
buying a printer is not an easy decision any more. In today's time,
printing technology is very advanced, and you may find varied types
of printing solutions available in the market. So how do you make a
viable investment while purchasing printers? Let's have a look on
some of the different factors which should be considered before
making any purchasing.
Factor
1: Hardware cost
Printers
have become very affordable these days. A 3 in 1 system, like CanonAll in one printer, can save money as it comes with printing,
photocopying and scanning functions. Such printing solutions are
perfect for home (or small) businesses that don't required to print
in bulk. These printers are efficient in handling the occasional
print reasonably. Such printers easily last for a couple of years or
so. If you are interested in heavy duty printing then it makes more
sense to choose laser printers. Though it is not possible to do
photocopying or scanning by using laser printers but these printers
do work more effectively. They are durable and do printing faster.
Also, quality is much better in comparison to an ink jet printer.
However, the only downside is that printer itself may cost 3 to 4
times more than an inkjet printer.
Factor
2: Ink cartridges and toners
This
is an important factor which you should considered. The ink that you
use in a printer is a cost. It means, the more you print, the more
you need to make payment. So, it is important to have complete
awareness of the printing yield of the ink cartridges. You should do
your research and then make a quick estimation. What would be the
cost of ink cartridge? How many sheets will be there in one cartridge
print? Then you should divide the cartridge price by the number of
sheets it can print in order to get the printing yield.
Similarly,
toners can also cost a lot more, but when you sit down and find out
the printing yield then you may find out that you have saved
considerable amount in the long term. Also, you will find out that
you don't need to constantly replace the ink. It means, even if you
are running a small office, a small laser printer may become more
viable alternative.
Factor
3: Software and other networking features
In
current scenario, businesses demand a lot from the printers. It is
possible to share printers on a network so that many people can
simultaneously use the machine at the same time. It is important to
check the number of people sharing the printer because if too many
print commands will be sent at the same time then you may face a jam.
Factor
4: Quality of printing reliability
Nothing
is more frustrating than purchasing a printer and then discovering it
to be malfunctioning after some months. It is always difficult to
replace a printer. Moreover, if the ink cartridges will continue
giving you problems then you would be needed to replace it. It is
useful to check consumer reviews before buyingprinters online.
