A high-quality business printer can come with a pretty large price tag. You’ll likely spend at least hundreds, if not thousands on some models. Many small-business owners wonder if a printer is even worth the cost. How much will you actually be printing anyways? And if you do get a printer, can you get by with a simpler, lower-quality model? The fact of the matter is, getting a business printer for a business in Anchorage, AK, is an investment into your company, just like any other piece of equipment. Keep reading to learn why you should be making this particular investment, and getting a top-quality printer.
Nobody Is Completely Paperless
While it’s true that most modern offices use a lot less paper than they used to, you’d be hard-pressed to find any company that’s completely paperless. In reality, we all still rely on paper to some extent. You might have customers who still prefer physical documents over electronic ones, so you’ll have to accommodate those individuals to make sure they’re comfortable doing business with you. You should have a printer in your office to ensure that you can supply these individuals with the documents they need. Plus, odds are that you’ll find many other reasons that you still need to use a printer in your office, and it’s always better to have one on hand than to really need one and be left without.
Why You Should Go with Color
Okay, so you know you need a printer. But do you really need to invest in a color one? If you’re primarily printing documents, you might think that a cheaper black-and-white model will get the job done. And, in most cases, it might. But just like your need for a printer in the first place, it probably won’t be long before you realize that you could really benefit from having the option to print in color.
For example, let’s say that you want to print a brochure for an upcoming convention, where your company will have its own booth. An eye-catching brochure will need images, and images are much more appealing in color. From photos to graphics and charts, color can make a huge difference in any client-facing materials. You don’t want to be left with drab, monochromatic handouts when your competitors are passing out brochures in vibrant color.
Why You Need More Than a Printer
Now that we’ve established you need a printer, and that you want one that can print in color, let’s start talking about other features. Because the truth is that most businesses can’t get by with a printer alone. You need a multi-functional machine that can handle all tasks associated with your office documents. As an example, let’s go back to those customers that are more comfortable with physical documents. Sure, a printer will allow you to supply them with necessary paperwork in a physical format, but what about the documents that they return to you?
While you could keep physical files for these clients, this divides your filing system—particularly if all your other clients have electronic documents. Having a printer with a scanner allows you to digitize all physical papers you receive, while still being able to supply physical documents to those who want or need them.
Of course, a scanner isn’t the only additional function a business printer can provide. Typically, business machines will be able to print, copy, and scan, at the very least. You should find a machine that supplies these options, but some additional features may also be helpful, depending on the type of printing you’ll be doing. For example, some printers can hole punch the documents for you as they’re printed, or even staple packets together. Or, if you believe you’ll be scanning in large stacks of papers, you’ll want to find one that has an automatic document feeder. With this feature, you can set a stack of documents into the feeder, and the scanner will automatically scan the entire stack one page at a time. Without this, you’ll have to physically place each page on the scanner surface yourself, which can be very time consuming.
There are many different features and functions that can be added to business printers, and while you may not need them all for your company, it’s well worth the time to research your options so you can determine which will be the most beneficial to your business. If you feel a feature will save your workers significant time and effort, then it will likely be worth the cost to upgrade to a model that includes that feature.
Why You Should Consider Bulk-Ink Printers
One of the biggest expenses associated with owning a printer for your business is the cost of ink. Ink and toner cartridges can be quite pricey, and if you do any significant amount of printing, you’ll likely find yourself replacing those cartridges far more often than you would like to. The thing is, the cost of a cartridge goes far beyond the cost of the ink or toner itself. Many cartridges have their own printheads and electronics built into them that contribute to the high cost.
That’s why a lot of business printer manufacturers have started to move towards a newer model of printer called bulk-ink printers. These models have built-in storage tanks for ink or toner. So, rather than replacing individual cartridges, you simply refill the tanks from inexpensive bottles. The cost savings on printing can be quite dramatic with this type of printer. For example, a page printed in black and white will usually cost anywhere between 3 and 8 cents, depending on the type of printer you use. For a bulk-ink printer, you’ll be looking at costs closer to 0.3 cents—a mere tenth of the cost of the least expensive prints from a cartridge. For color pages, most laser printers will run about 12 to 15 cents per page, while bulk-ink printers can produce color prints for under 1 cent per page.
With cost savings like this, you should seriously consider making the investment into a bulk-ink printer, rather than automatically opting for a traditional printer with cartridges. Also, we’d like to note that HP has developed a similar printer that uses toner instead of ink, so if you prefer laser printing but would like a bulk option, that choice is available.
Quality Matters
In the end, it’s important to remember that even the documents you print can be a representation of your office. You want something that demonstrates quality and a high level of care as part of your business’s persona. So, contact us at Arctic Office Products, and let us help you find top-quality business printers in Anchorage, AK.
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