Finding an Office Printer for Your Small Business in Tysons Corner

So you need a printer. Before you run off to your favorite office supply store and buy whichever printer is on sale, you can improve your printing performance and your bottom line if you think through your decision with a thorough understanding of your options. Printers are a significant part of your business’ communication strategy and many potential customers will see you through the lens of your printed materials. Your printer selection should be based on your current and near-term business needs. TeamLogic IT can help you develop the most cost effective printing solution for your small business.

What are your printer capability options?

Printers come in a wide range of capabilities. Potentially useful small business printer options include: inkjet printers, laser printers, and multifunction printers that include copying, scanning, and faxing capabilities all-in-one. There are 3, 6, or 8 different color cartridges; slow to very fast printing and dots-per-inch (resolution) that ranges from 300x300 up to 4800x4800. So the first questions you should answer are:

•    How will I use the printer?
•    What kind of documents will I be printing? (text only, graphics, images)
•    How much do I need to print? (occasional – less than 50 pages per day, frequent - hundreds of pages per day)
•    Who needs access to the printer? (one person versus workgroup)

Although TeamLogic IT is not necessarily recommending an HP printer for your small business without learning more about your needs and budget, the comparison table on their website provides a good representation of the trade-off and printer capabilities matrix you can use to help make your printer purchase decisions. Another excellent source of general information about printer options is Print Country which gives you background information on inkjet, laser, and multifunction printers and a discussion of the specifications you should consider in making your decision.

Cost

The cost of a printer is more than the purchase price. For example, although inkjet printers have a low initial cost, the manufacturers make up their profits primarily from the sale of replacement ink cartridges. The typical cost of ink cartridge replacement for inexpensive inkjet printers ranges between $20 to $50 and between $20 to $75 for high-end inkjet printers according to Print Country.

The best way to determine the overall printer cost to your business is to consider the cost-per-page of printing. Calculate the printing cost per page by dividing the ink cartridge price by the yield. Yield is the number of pages that can be printed with one particular inkjet cartridge or toner. Also note that depending on your printing requirements, printers that use single color cartridges may be more cost efficient than those with multi-color cartridges.

Finally, do not forget the connection cable to your computer. Today most printer manufacturers do not include cables in the cost of their printers. Printers connect to a single computer usually via a relatively inexpensive USB cable. Shared or networked computers use an Ethernet connection which requires cabling throughout your building. And then there is the potential of wireless printing devices using blue-tooth and Wi-Fi 802.11 networks.
Do I need a printer or a printing solution?

Given the huge number of options available and decisions to be made in selecting a printing solution, you may want help from a professional. The TeamLogic IT small business consultants can help you find the best brands and products to meet your business needs and your budget.