| Whether you are responsible for a small | | | | |
| home-based business, or a large company with | | | | The Multifunctional, All-in-One device |
| many departments and workgroups, there are | | | | combines print, copier, scanner and fax |
| continuous choices to be made on the | | | | capability in a single machine. These systems |
| procurement of office equipment. Not least | | | | are surprisingly compact and affordable. |
| amongst these, is the selection of the | | | | Indeed some MFPs start at prices below |
| appropriate printer technology for your | | | | £200. However, in this category of |
| business needs? Here in outline are the | | | | printers, some hefty and powerful machines |
| various technologies and their appropriate | | | | are available for Print for Pay and major |
| environment. | | | | corporate use, with a vast array of bolt-on |
| | | | systems for folding, stapling and collating |
| Personal Ink-Jets | | | | documents. |
| | | | |
| Useful for one individual or a workgroup with | | | | Impact Printers |
| a minimal colour printing needs, a low-cost | | | | |
| personal ink-jet will be the best choice. | | | | Rarer these days, but it is still possible to |
| Personal inkjet printers offer a low initial | | | | buy dot-matrix and even daisywheel devices |
| cost, plus the flexibility to print on a | | | | for specialist impact applications, for |
| variety of media, such as promotional | | | | example for such as multiple-copy form |
| materials. | | | | printing. Such printers tend to be more |
| | | | expensive, robust and bulky than the ink-jets |
| Business Ink-Jets | | | | and laser printers in more common use. Impact |
| | | | printers by definition are also much noisier |
| In a bigger business environment, or one | | | | in use. |
| where colour output is a major requirement, | | | | |
| the workload is likely to be too great for a | | | | Other factors - Stand-alone or Networked? |
| personal inkjet printer. Thus a unit designed | | | | |
| specifically for business will fit the bill, | | | | If you plan to share the printer in a |
| offering a lower cost per page. Many business | | | | workgroup on your office network, then |
| inkjets employ ink-saving technology and | | | | network-ready functionality must be |
| modular cartridges, which avoid the need to | | | | specified. |
| change the colour when you change the black | | | | |
| and white cartridges, for example. | | | | Speed of Operation |
| | | | |
| Laser Printers | | | | Businesses with a heavy output, or with a |
| | | | plan to share the printer among several |
| Large companies demand more output of all | | | | users, a faster printer is important - and |
| kinds. Perhaps also the demand for colour | | | | one that will avoid forcing staff to wait for |
| output on standard-size paper may be | | | | printouts to get through the queue. Any |
| addressed with a laser printer | | | | shared printer is also likely to be networked |
| | | | so the network speed in the office is also a |
| Laser printers have invariably offered | | | | factor |
| monochrome output in the past, but more and | | | | |
| more colour-capable lasers are coming onto | | | | Cost Considerations |
| the market. For organisations with a heavy | | | | |
| black-only output though, they still offer | | | | In additional to the initial purchase cost, |
| the lowest cost of monochrome printing, as | | | | there is of course the cost of consumables |
| opposed to ink-jets which offer a lower cost | | | | such as ink cartridges and toner which also |
| for colour output. Even so, the picture is | | | | require budgeting. The twin costs of initial |
| changing, and there are some surprisingly | | | | purchase (or lease) plus consumables and |
| low-cost colour lasers available. | | | | maintenance are defined as the Total Cost of |
| | | | Ownership, and requires a careful projection |
| Large or Wide Format Printers | | | | of costs over the life-cycle of the |
| | | | equipment. |
| Design work or over-size documents for | | | | |
| displays require a special kind of printer - | | | | Support and Supplier Backup |
| a large format printer capable of printing on | | | | |
| very large paper (or other media) sheets. | | | | All printers come with a basic warranty or |
| Factors to consider here are quality of | | | | guarantee that entitles the purchaser u to |
| output, colour capability, speed, networking | | | | one year's 'return to base' servicing and |
| capability and additional functions such as | | | | repairs. It is wise and useful to arrange |
| scanning and copying. | | | | additional cover and a service plan to suit |
| | | | the capacity and work-expectations of the |
| Photo Printers | | | | printer. |
| | | | |
| A photo printer is essentially a personal | | | | Green Credentials |
| colour ink-jet with a higher capability for | | | | |
| printing on special photo paper. Naturally | | | | Protecting the environment is a crucial issue |
| useful in the home, such printers have their | | | | these days, and taking advice whilst looking |
| use in the business environment - for example | | | | for the most energy-efficient options makes |
| when there is a need to include quality | | | | sound business sense. Doing this should also |
| photos in presentation packs for marketing | | | | save money in terms of running costs at |
| purposes, or for use in training materials. | | | | least. Questions to ask are - What sort of |
| | | | power consumption and stand-by power-down |
| Business Colour or Full Colour? | | | | features does the printer have? Is it easy to |
| | | | print in double-sided (duplex) mode? Can |
| For businesses requiring mission-critical | | | | consumables such as laser drums and ink |
| exact colour reproduction (such as in the | | | | cartridges be recycled? Is the printer |
| preparation of colour proofs, for example), | | | | RoHS-compliant (The RoHS Directive and the UK |
| then it is important to differentiate between | | | | RoHS regulations came into force on 1 July |
| machine which offer "Black and Business | | | | 2006.)? And what steps does the supplier make |
| Colour" as opposed to the higher quality | | | | to contribute towards the costs of disposal |
| "Full Colour" specification. | | | | under the Waste Electrical and Electronic |
| | | | Equipment (WEEE) directive? |
| Multifunction Printers or MFPs | | | | |