How to Choose the Right Office Printer for Your Business Size and Volume

The office printer is a key component for the business environment. Whether a business uses only a single printer or an entire fleet, owners and managers depend on printers to perform a variety of important tasks. When selecting a printer – or printers – for a business, there are a number of factors to consider.

No one wants a printer that produces streaky invoices, causes jammed paper trays, has high toner costs, and cannot keep up with the workflow. The first step in selecting a printer is to match it to your business size, typical monthly volume, and the way your team works.

Here are a few thoughts on choosing the right printer.

• Start by assessing what you print, not what the printer can do.

It is far more important to understand your real print workload than to worry initially about specific features such as how fast it scans, and whether the equipment staples and binds. That is not to say that “bells and whistles” aren’t important. But begin by determining:

1. How many pages do you print on average each month? What is your peak printing volume?
2. What kinds of documents do you want to print? For example, do your typical printing requirements include quarterly reports, invoices, packing slips, proposals, training materials, contracts and color marketing pieces?
3. Do you print primarily in black and white, or is consistent color part of your regular printing?
4. How many people will use this device or these devices, and from where? Do people access printers from the same office, or multiple rooms? Are there people working remotely who will also have access to printers?
5. Do you scan and copy as much as you print?

If you do not have the precise count on volume, reviewing a month or two worth of supply purchases should give you a good idea. Or you can look at your current device’s meter. Getting the number right is a big factor in selecting the correct class of printer.

• Pay attention to the difference between “monthly volume” and “recommended volume” on printer specifications

Manufacturers often list multiple volume numbers, so watch for these two terms which matter most.

1. Recommended monthly volume: this is the realistic range that the printer is designed to handle consistently.
2. Maximum duty cycle: This is the number reflecting the highest possible output, which is not what the machine should run every month.

“Recommended monthly volume” should be the factor that influences your choice. A printer can technically push out a high maximum duty cycle for short periods, but if you push it to the limits month after month, the machine will have increased wear and tear, and paper jams and downtime. In making your choice, select a printer where the recommended monthly volume exceeds typical output.

• Match printer type to business size: a practical guide

Not every office needs a big copier-style multifunction printer (MFP)—nor should every growing company rely on a little desktop laser. For many companies, the answer lies somewhere in between. Here are a few guidelines.

1. For a home office or solo professional (low volume), with typical output volume of 100-1000 pages per month, the best fit may be a desktop monochrome laser or compact multi-function printer (MFP). This is low cost, easy to operate, and has a small footprint. For light printing an inkjet may suffice, but for businesses, laser printing produces sharper text.
2. For a business with a small team (1-10 people), and an organization that produces between 1000-5000 pages per month, the best fit is a workgroup laser multifunction printer (MFP) with scanning capabilities and secure wireless printing options. These units have faster speeds, higher paper capacity, and good durability. For companies that do a lot of scanning (such as HR forms or financial documents), important options should include a strong automatic document feeder and fast scan speed.
3. For an office with between 10 and 25 employees and generating between 5000 and 15,000 pages per month, a good option may be a floor-standing MFP. It has better paper handling, multiple trays, and finishing options. Options to consider include cloud scanning, user authentication, and basic finishing (staple, hole punch).
4. For the business that does high-volume printing, with 25 or more people and more than 15.000 pages per month, an MFP or two is a good option. This system will avoid bottlenecks in the printing process. It is worth considering a Managed Print Services program to keep the toner, parts and maintenance predictable.

The goal is to align the device class with the company workload.

4) Do not ignore speed, but do not obsess over it either!

The printer’s speed is listed by pages per minute (ppm). Speed does matter, but getting the right printer to match your company’s volume matters even more. As rough guidelines, if you print occasional short jobs, a speed of 25-35 ppm may be sufficient. If you print long reports, packets, or frequent batch jobs, look for a printer with capability of 40-60 ppm. Pay attention to “first page out” time and warm up time if your office prints lots of short documents throughout the day.

5) Paper handling: the hidden difference between “fine” and “frustrating”

Consider these points:

• Total paper capacity: If you are refilling paper constantly, you need more trays or larger capacity.
• Multiple trays: This is particularly helpful if you switch between letter and legal, letterhead, labels, or specialty stock.
• Duplex (two-sided printing): Saves paper and makes documents look more professional.
• Finishing: Stapling or booklet features can be worth it if you regularly assemble multi-page packets.

If your business prints invoices and packing slips, check to be certain the printer supports the paper types you use and has a dependable feed path.

6) Color vs. black-and-white: decide based on purpose, not preference

It is important to have color when you need it. In evaluating your needs, consider what most of your printing consists of. If your printing is mostly internal documents, black-and-white is usually more cost-effective. But color can make the difference if you produce proposals with charts and visuals, client presentations, signage or training materials, or branded forms.

Some businesses utilize a two-device strategy, with a fast device for daily work, plus a smaller color device for occasional needs. Doing so can reduce costs per page while still giving you color when it counts.

7) Total cost of ownership: the number that matters

The cost of a printer or several printers is only part of the story. The number that matters is the cost of ownership, which includes the actual cost per page to generate documents. Factors contributing to this number include toner/ink and yield, the cost of drums, fusers and maintenance, service calls and downtime, and paper waste from jams and duplicate printing. Ask for the cost-per-page estimate for black and white and color. The less expensive printer may become an expensive one very quickly, with the replacement cost for toner, ink and other parts. When it comes to printers, look beyond the initial purchase price and consider the ongoing cost of producing documents.

In a future blog, we will look at other issues relating to printers, including security, and whether to buy or lease – and some of the latest developments with printers (including production print).

The wrong choice of printer can cause frustration and downtime. With that right printing system, though, jobs print quickly, supplies arrive on time, scanning works the first time, and your team is not wasting time troubleshooting.

We can help you with this important choice. With seven decades’ experience, our role is to help businesses find the right printing system to support their business needs. If you are considering upgrading your printer fleer in this new year and wondering where and how to start, then let’s have a conversation. Please give us a call at 888-357-4277 or visit https://pulsetechnology.com. We are here to help. Let’s talk!