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What to Look For in a New Office Printer

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Your business is as unique as the market and clients you serve. When it comes to office equipment, you need a printer individualized for your exact needs. There are many printers on the market, so determining which one is the right fit for your office can be difficult. We’re here to help you clear through the clutter.

It’s important to understand the role your printer needs to play and the frequency at which your business will use it. Businesses that print thousands of documents per month may value a machine with high printing speed and durability. A printer with high image quality and four ink wells may be more important for companies printing more colorful documents and images. 

Consider these factors before purchasing your next office printer.

Functionality

Most businesses opt for multifunction printers, or systems that can print, copy, scan and fax. Why? Small and medium-sized businesses need a printing solution that reflects themselves: efficient, versatile and reliable.

Budget

Size, imaging, speed and additional features affecting the price of a printer. When determining your budget for a new printer, it’s important to understand that the upfront costs could be compounded by the price of replacing ink. It’s common for inexpensive printers to have costly ink replacement fees. The reason: manufacturers make their money that way.

Leasing printers has become a popular option for businesses. Monthly leasing costs are easier to factor into a budget than the one-time cost of purchasing a multifunction printer. Leasing also allows companies to update their equipment as printer technology advances.

Quality

Your office printer will likely use an inkjet or laser printer. Inkjet printers use ink and are best for low-volume printing, while laser printers use toner and are suited for high-volume printing. Whichever you use, you want professional print quality. Both are measured in dots per inch — or DPI. Laser printers usually have between 600 to 1,200 DPI, while inkjet printer resolutions usually begin at 1,200 DPI.

It’s also worth checking if you can use third-party ink cartridges for your printer and if refilling cartridges is an option. Be aware that using unapproved ink cartridges might void your warranty.

Speed

If your office frequently prints reports or documents with multiple pages, you’ll want to pay attention to the printing speed on your new machine, measured in pages per minute — or PPM. Though printers will have slight variance in PPM for images and text, the measurement will allow you to determine what best fits your business’ needs.

Wireless Access

Most offices have on-the-go employees who want to print from laptops or cellphones. Printers with wireless or Bluetooth access provide more functionality. The feature also allows the machine to access a document management system. Users can use the printer to access electronically stored files without having to send the files through a computer.

 To learn more about print and technology solutions that best fit your organization’s needs, contact us here.

Out of Toner? What to Keep in Mind for Your Next Purchase

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The light is blinking. Your documents aren’t printing. The screen on your machine reads “Replace Toner Cartridge.” Every office has encountered a time where toner inconveniently runs out. If you’re still mulling over Managed Print Services (where we handle toner replenishment for you), make sure you don’t overpay for toner—your highest ongoing print-related cost. Read on for important information to keep in mind when making your next toner purchase.

OEM Cartridges
OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. An OEM cartridge is produced by the original company that made the printer and its accessories.
Advantages: Quality is assured, and in many cases, guaranteed.
Disadvantages: OEM cartridges are the most expensive; you’re paying for the brand’s name, experience, quality, and the peace of mind that comes with it.

Compatible Cartridges
Compatible cartridges are produced by a third party, not the original manufacturer.
Advantages: Expect similar quality and yield to OEM cartridges, but at a better price. Third-party cartridges have been tested and approved by the manufacturer.
Disadvantages: Some third parties have lower standards than others, so be sure to go with a reputable producer.

Remanufactured Cartridges
A remanufactured cartridge was originally Compatible or OEM, but has since been refilled or had components reused.
Advantages: Reusing parts makes for far cheaper cartridges and less waste.
Disadvantages: These cartridges may have lower yield and inferior performance compared to their OEM and Compatible cousins. Defective remanufactured cartridges can damage your printer and may invalidate your warranty.

Capacity Considerations
In general, high-capacity cartridges are your best bet. You pay a little more initially, but these cartridges typically produce twice the print volume at a lower per-page cost. This will save you time changing out cartridges and you can feel good about making the eco-friendly choice by using fewer raw materials.

By thinking smart and planning ahead you can be sure to get the best value and the best results from your next toner purchase. Call Infomax today to order your next toner cartridge.

Easy Ways to Practice Green Printing in the Office

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Environmental responsibility is essential in today’s office. Not sure how to start doing your part, beyond recycling paper? Read on for some easy strategies to increase your company’s commitment to sustainability by focusing on greening your business’ printing practices.

● Print on both sides — Two-sided (also called duplex) printing is one of the fastest and easiest ways to green your printing practices. By choosing this setting, your printed documents will use as much as 50 percent less paper.

● Use fast or draft mode — Fast mode speeds up printing time and dramatically reduces the amount of toner used per page. Only print in normal or high-resolution if it’s absolutely necessary—like for formal presentations and proposals.

● Print in monochrome — Black and white printing uses less toner than color printing. Even “black” text can use color toner, unless you specifically designate grayscale or monochrome printing.

● Program eco-friendly defaults — The best way to ensure green printing practices from your staff is to make it automatic. Set all printers in your fleet to default to environmentally-friendly settings to ensure the biggest impact.

● Avoid printing pictures — Unless an image is essential for understanding the content, stick to text only when printing.

● Use print-friendly formats — If you must print a webpage, look for the printer icon—typically at the top of the page—to print without wasteful images, sidebars, and menus. For PowerPoint presentations, print in handout format, with three or six slides per page.

● Share print resources — A networked device makes it possible for multiple users to share one machine. You’ll save energy by slashing the number of machines in use, and you’ll have less unused, wasted time for each device.

● Consolidate to a multifunction printer (MFP) — A single MFP can handle the duties of a printer, copier, scanner, and fax machine. Switching to an MFP will use less power, take up less space, and save money.

● Use EnergyStar-certified machines — Look for the blue star that indicates a device is as energy-efficient as possible. These models will usually include advanced sleep modes to save power when not in use, upping your sustainability efforts even when you’re off the clock.

● Recycle printer cartridges — Used cartridges can be refilled as many as a dozen times, conserving raw materials and preventing waste.

Contact Infomax Office Systems today for help putting green printing practices in place for your company!