Every company needs a printer for its operation, regardless if you are a small, medium or large company, you will need a printer to perform with your day-to-day operations and administrative works. Even as the trend for most offices is moving towards digitalisation, printers are still a staple and bread-and-butter in a company, and it is important to choose the right printer for your company to increase productivity and efficiency with your workflow. It is important to invest in a printer that fits the needs of your business across a long horizon.
However, with so many printers available in the market, it may be a daunting process if you do not know how and where to start evaluating your options.
To buy or to lease?
As mentioned, a printer is a long term investment for your company. The good news for you is that there are multiple ways that you can make your investment. To start, you first have to choose if you wish to make a purchase or choose the leasing option.
Purchasing a printer
Purchase of a printer is usually associated with a long-term investment of 5 years or more. It usually comes at a high price point, but over a long run the initial investment can be amortised and become a cheaper option as compared to a leasing model. Partial cost can also be recovered via a sale of the printer to minimise the investment.
Companies can also enjoy more flexibility as owning the printer means that you are not obligated to any contract with a third party.
One major drawback to take note when deciding whether to purchase a printer is the hefty replacement cost involved when the machine breaks down.
Leasing a printer
The leasing option comes with various advantages, just like the purchase option above. If your business requires specific and intensive printing, it is would be wise to look at the leasing option. As technology improves, specialised printers will be constantly revamped with new features. If these specialised features are important to you, you may not want to commit purchasing a printer because that means that you will be stuck with the features you have for a foreseeable period of time.
The low upfront cost and subscription cost of the leasing model should appeal to start-ups and small businesses as it allows these companies to save on a purchase.
The drawbacks to a leasing printer to consider is the increased cost over a long run, and the lack of flexibility when locked into a contract.
Common Types of printers
Inkjet printers
Inkjet printers produce an image by dropping spots of inks onto a paper. Let’s talk about cost, one of the key purchase considerations. Inkjet printers are widely available and the more affordable option over laser printers. One main reason for their affordable price point has to do with its compact design. Inkjet printers produce high quality prints that are hard to distinguish from prints produced by laser printers. Inkjet printers require frequent replacement of inks if the frequency of printing is high. This factor, along with the price of replacement inks cartridges is something to take note.
Pros of inkjet printers
Inkjet printers are great for photos and image-heavy documents because they are able to blend the rich colours more smoothly than laser printers. They are great for printing design mock-ups of marketing collaterals such as brochures, leaflets and pamphlets. It is also a more environmentally friendly option versus laser printers as ink cartridges can be reused, reducing the waste produced.
Cons of inkjet printers
Inkjet ink are water-based and therefore more susceptible to water damage. Ink cartridges also require frequent cleaning, and are costly to replace. The inkjet printer’s printing speed is considerably slower as compared to laser printers, which makes it challenging for a inkjet printer to print large volume print jobs.
Laser printers
Laser printers produce images by scanning a laserbeam across photoreceptors. Laser printers are popular in many offices as they have the unique ability to produce high-quality prints at a large volume. Comparing price, laser printers along with their toners has a higher investment cost because of their quality of output which is why many companies choose the lease option when electing laser printers as the type of printer for the company’s usage.
Pros of laser printers
Laser printers are able to churn out large amount of prints in a speedy fashion without the need to replace ink cartridges as often as compared to the inkjet printers, generally making laser printers the more efficient of the two.
Cons of laser printers
The most noticeable difference between a laser printer and an inkjet printer from the onset is its size. Laser printers are usually a lot bigger than inkjet printers and it is not hard to fathom why when you recall their heavy-duty capacity and features. If you’re starting out with a small office space, you will want to consider the nature of laser printers and how to rearrange the workspace if you are keen to add one to your operations.
Verdict: Which printer should you choose?
In general, choose the one that best suits the needs of your company. If most of your company’s operations including administrative works are digitalised, then you might want to consider an inkjet printer to keep the associated operating cost low. Conversely, you should consider a laser printer if your company has a demand for high-volume and frequent prints.
We hope our article helped you in your decision making process.
With the basic printing needs sorted, you may want to get in touch with a professional printer if you have a specific need to produce a marketing collateral like brochures, leaflets, or even packaging for your products. Feel free to drop us an enquiry at printing@fuisland.com.sg if there’s something we can help you with, we’ll be glad to assist!
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