Printers - The Unsung Hero of The Office

Did you know that 40% of small businesses believe that without the use of a printer they would be rendered inoperable? That is an astounding figure, and though the remaining 60% could survive, the lack of a printer would undoubtedly hinder their business’ performance. This is why finding the perfect printer for your business a crucial, though sometimes forgotten, task. What follows is five important things to consider before purchasing a business printer.

Given that high-quality printers can cost a pretty penny, you want to buy a printer that will allow your office to work just as efficiently in two or three years as it does now. Growth and change is a natural part of any new business, and increase in printing needs will inevitably appear as a result of that. Additionally, it’s important to consider how many employees will be using each printer. If you purchase too few printers, the printer will be overworked and slowly break down and malfunction over time. However, buying too many printers will leave many unused, becoming a bad investment. Current and potential company size are both important factors to be aware of before buying printers.

Two important factors to consider before choosing a printer are your average print volume and expected spikes in printer use. Average volume is the number of pages your printer would print in a normal day. You want a printer that will not only meet that number, but exceed it to account for variations in daily printing. Expected spikes refers to the times of year when printing volume will be higher than usual due to big projects or other factors. Printers with higher print volume are ideal for handling these surges without performance issues. 

There are several economic factors to consider beyond the price of the printer itself. Cost of printer parts, ink/toner, maintenance fees, and monthly utility costs like energy usage are all important considerations that need to be made. These costs can vary greatly depending on the size or type of printer you purchase.

Print quality requirements are not always easy to determine because you need to find a printer of reasonable quality that can also put up with the significant needs of an average office. It’s important to consider your print quality expectations and ask yourself if you need professional/print-shop quality. If that’s the case, you might consider outsourcing your printing to another company (though this only makes sense financially if your large print jobs are rare).

Printers become more and more like computers with each new model. It’s just as important to protect your printer’s hard drive as your PC’s. Be aware that printers with internet connections are vulnerable to hacking and should be protected like any other sensitive material.

At ASAP IT Technology, owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, we can help you find all the unique parts for the aerospace, civil aviation, and defense industries. We’re always available and ready to help you find all the IT hardware parts and equipment you need, 24/7-365. For a quick and competitive quote, email us at sales@asap-ittechnology.com or call us at 1-714-705-4780.