Printers

The world is focused on recycling. One of the best places to start may be with your office laser printers and multifunction systems.

Here are three simple steps to cutting waste and saving money:

• Recycle Paper Put recycling bins next to your printers and copiers. Most municipalities have recycling services. You can also use recycled paper in your printers and copiers. Make sure to select a good quality of recycled paper that is rated for laser printers and copiers.
• Duplex Printing A great way to immediately cut paper usage is to set your printers and multifunction systems to default to duplex (two-sided) printing. This is especially helpful for long print jobs because duplex printing literally cuts your paper usage in half.

Technological advances have resulted in many different printers, but of course not all printers will print the same quality. There are many different types of printers on the market, and all of them have different functions and characteristics.

Some questions you may want to ask before buying a printer are:

· Are you a large or small company?

· What will this device be used for?

· What quality and performance features are you looking for?

· What is your budget?

An office printer is one of the most expensive pieces of office equipment to buy. Given the size of the office, it is important to be careful that you are getting the most for your money.

It is unwise to buy the cheapest model of printers available, because to buy a replacement and with maintenance costs, it may ultimately cost you more in the long run. One of the first decisions to make when purchasing a printer is whether you need one that is just for black and white documents or for color documents. This decision can ultimately affect the price. Color printers are typically higher in cost, but definitely worth it if you will be printing images. If the majority of printing in your office comes in the form of text documents and memos, a monochrome printer may be your best choice.

Printers and scanners are an absolute necessity in every organization, business, office, educational institution, and more. The numerous brands and features of printers and scanners can vary anywhere from the numerous accessories, to the simplicity of black and white, color or both depending on the intended job.

Printers are available for specific purposes such as printers for mobile receipts, mobile thermal labels, network thermal labels and more. While some scanners can also be used for specific scanning purposes of photos, business cards, documents, and checks. Although some machines can accomplish both jobs of the printer and scanner.

Printers

The print preview option works out to be a great advantage as it helps a person to see how everything would look like in final, hard copy. Another advantage of printers is allowing storage of all the information in files for future reference with an ease and peace of mind that nothing important will be lost.

Laser printers, print quickly while, inkjet printers are cheaper they are slower. Yet, both printers use ink cartridges and will need to be changed. A good sensible solution to dealing with constantly changing cartridges is to use reusable cartridges.

Scanners

Scanners are machines you can scan just about anything and view it in soft copy on your laptop or computer. Meaning important documents like proof of purchase receipts, photos, contracts, and articles from newspapers or magazines, can be scanned and shared over email with friends or colleagues.

If you’re in the market for a color laser printer for the first time, you are in for some surprises and a few shocks. Color laser printers have come a long way in function and reliability and are now offered by a large number of companies. Laser printers can be all-in-one machines and be as industrial-strong as any company would need them to be. They can also be more moderately priced for the smaller companies and even less expensive for home, business, or personal use.

When comparing color laser printers you need to consider many aspects in order to ensure the best purchase for your needs. Excellent refurbished printers are available at remarkable savings and many will include a warranty that will give peace of mind concerning the cost. Any color laser printer comparison needs to consider those as well. Some laser printers are capable of label making, shredding, gluing pages, collating, stapling and will easily serve the printing needs of one computer or an entire department. A color laser printer comparison needs to consider the ink the printer will use, because toner and cartridges can get very expensive.

With so many brands and types to choose from, finding the perfect printer for your needs can be daunting.  It’s important to assess your printing needs before buying.

First, decide whether you need an inkjet or laser printer. An inkjet printer can provide decent print quality in documents and photographs, but are not usually professional grade.  Generally, laser printers are faster and more precise than inkjets.  A laser printer is a better choice if you regularly print photographs, documents that contain graphics, or if you print in high volume.

Another point to consider is whether you need a printer that is multifunctional. Many printers are now all-in ones or Multifunction Printers. They scan, fax, copy and print documents. Multifunction Printers can either be inkjet or laser and the cost of the machine reflects the number and functions the machine provides.

Among many businesses it is typical for print costs to consume almost 3% of total revenue in a given year. For many organizations, printing costs are nearly equivalent to the amount spent on research and development each year!

Businesses need to begin looking at the high costs of uncontrolled print services. They need to address how to cut costs while continuing to grow, manage and create opportunity. Within many businesses, hardcopy costs remain uncontrolled and unchecked, regardless of industry.

New color multifunction systems allow businesses to create color documents quickly and cost-effectively.  These systems print, copy and scan in brilliant color, equipping you with the tools to create, duplicate, and store your creations.

Make sure you’re staying ahead of the curve by investing in a color-enabled MFP.  Enjoy the same function and added benefit of professional color for about the same investment as a black-and-white system. Compared to ink jet or laser printers, a color-enabled MFP allows you to print, copy, and scan in full color at faster speeds for a fraction of the cost. Digital copiers also produce high-resolution copies with more clarity and detail than analog copiers.

The most expensive liquid in the world may be the ink located in the cartridges used for ink jet printers.  Did you realize that it costs around $2,800.00 a gallon for this ink?  With expenses like this, it’s not surprising that many new computers now include a color ink jet printer for free—the computer company will probably make more of a profit on replacement cartridges than they did on the original computer.

So how does this affect you?

Ink jet printers may make sense for casual use at home but they can be a huge burden to office budgets. More and more businesses are realizing that a color multifunction system is a smart part of a cost reduction strategy. 

Digital cameras have become a necessity for businesses. They’re inexpensive, easy to use and create a message that cannot be expressed with words. Of course getting the pictures onto a marketing statement or proposal is another step that needs to be addressed. Businesses are now using color multifunction systems to print color digital photos at blazing speeds at a fraction of the cost of slow photo printers.

Personal Photo Printers vs. Color Multifunction Systems (MFPs)

· Personal photo printers are slower than MFPs taking multiple minutes to print a photo compared to an MFP’s speeds of up to 45 photos per minute.

· Most personal printers do not allow you to print on letter-sized paper, limiting you to a 4 X 6 size. MFPs conveniently let you print high-resolution photos on normal 8.5 X 11 size paper.

· Photo printer paper is expensive and cost per photo can be from 25 to 80 cents per page. MFPs can reduce that cost.