Best Printing Machines for Small Businesses: A Practical Guide from Someone Who’s Been There

Best Printing Machines for Small Businesses, The problem that I faced when I began my small graphic design studio eight years ago was that the correct printing machine was overwhelming. I spent money on the equipment that could not meet my requirements, and I had some lessons to be learned in a costly manner. Now, since I have assisted dozens of fellow small business owners in making the same decision, I would like to tell you what works in the world around.

The importance of the choice of your printing machine is more than you expected.

The printing machine you adopt can either ruin or perfect your working efficiency. I have witnessed companies bleeding money in investments in the wrong printer where others saved thousands of dollars every year by making the right match of equipment with its usage.

The small businesses are usually categorized as businesses that require occasional office document printing services, businesses that print their own marketing material and those that provide printing services as a service. The different categories require different answers and making such a mistake at the beginning is a headache that grows with time.

Inkjet Printers: This Multitasker.

Inkjet technology reigns supreme in the case of small businesses that need to produce photos of the finest quality or any other marketing material that is vivid in color. Epson EcoTank ET-15000 is my recommended device to a majority of small business owners and this is the reason why.

I fitted one to a real estate company last spring. They were incurring about $200 a month on ink cartridges of property flyers and brochures. The ink refillability of the EcoTank made it less than thirty dollars each month. Initial expenditure was recovered after four months.

Canon PIXMA G7020 has the same tank savings and high quality of documents. It does not skip a beat when it comes to contracts, glossy promotional materials and so on. There is also good connectivity via the wireless system, and this is important when there are numerous members of your team who require it.

Laser Printers: Faster and More Efficient.

Laser printers take over when it is necessary to have a lot of volume in documents as compared to color lights. The Brother HL-L2350DW will be on desks of innumerable small offices because it is reliable, quick, and the toner will last forever as opposed to the ink cartridges.

One of the law firms that I consulted changed to this model of Brother that uses ink jet but as soon as they did, they realized the difference. Their output of documents accelerated by three times in the times of volume and the cost-per-page was significantly reduced. In text-intensive companies, in particular, law offices, accounting firms, insurance agencies, laser printing just makes more sense.

In the case of color laser printing, the HP Color LaserJet Pro M255dw is a great combination of power and price. It is not going to be as good as photo-printers with images, but in the case of charts, presentations and simple market materials, it can be used in a professional way in a short period of time.

All-in-One Machines: Unify Your Office Requirements.

Budget and space are some of the reasons that force many small entrepreneurs to move towards multifunction printers. HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e has both printing, scanning, copying and faxing in a small footprint that really performs on all fronts.

I tend to be a cynic in all-in-one products, jack of all trades, master of none? Nevertheless, the contemporary multifunction printers have become better. The quality of scanning competes with a separate storage device, and the printing performance is as fast as a dedicated printer.

The Brother MFC-J6945DW is worth a special mention as it is essential when a company requires 11×17 printing. Architectural firms, engineering consultants and marketing agencies tend to have the need of large size documents, and this machine works with those without any use of any costly special equipment.

Large-format and Niche printing services.

There are businesses that require more than the normal printing. When you need to print banners, posters, or signage, Canon imagePROGraF PRO-1000 opens up creativity and allows keeping the running costs down to manageable levels.

The company friend has ownership of a small event planning company where he invested in Epson SureColor P700 to print custom signage. Things that would be outsourced in the past can be done in-house within hours.

Expenses behind the Sticker Price.

Nothing is advertised loudly here which printer makers would not like you to know: the price of buying the machine is possibly 20% of what you will spend in total printing costs in the lifetime of the machine. The rest goes to waste in terms of ink, toner, paper and maintenance.

Estimate the monthly volume of printing and then be truthful before purchasing anything. Get the price-per-page of your shortlisted models. A printer that is more expensive by 200 dollars would save $1000 in supplies per year.

Connection and Integration Characteristics.

Small businesses today require printers, which are compatible with the existing technology. Find models that are compatible with Apple AirPrint and Google cloud print in the models. Connection via a wireless should not be an after thought.

Cloud integration is more and more useful. The possibility of direct printing of Google Drive, Dropbox, or other cloud storage is time-saving and eases processes. These features are available in most of the printers available in the market today that are presently business oriented; however, check before making a purchase.

Making Your Final Decision

I have a framework that I have built up over years of suggesting printing equipment. Respond to the following questions in a candid manner:

How many prints do you make every month? Less than 500 pages is best with inkjet; above it is better with laser. Are you a regular or an occasional user of color? Does the quality of print used on images and graphics count to your company? What’s your available space?

Final Thoughts

Your ideal printing machine is out there, you only require being clear about what you need and not what you want in your business. Begin with the sincere volume evaluation, include the total ownership cost and over buying what you will hardly utilize.

Whichever way you go, you will find that printing technology is only getting better with prices being competitive. The machine that does your job now may require replacement in a three to five-year time as your business expands and there is nothing wrong with that.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most economical printer to a small business working at home?
With the lowest running costs in the field of printing less than 1,000 pages per month, the Epson EcoTank series will significantly lower the supply costs due to the costs of the refillable ink tanks being considerably lower.

Is it worth purchasing an inkjet or a laser printer to use in my office?
Select laser with high volume black and white papers and inkjet with lower volumes and need color and print photos.

What is the average life of the printer of small business?
A good quality business printer will generally have an average of 3-5 years of life when used frequently but with proper care, it may last much longer.

Should one purchase all-in-one printers?
Yes, to the majority of small business. Most multifunction printers today are capable of executing any task and are also space and cost effective as opposed to the individual devices.

What are the hidden costs that I shall take into consideration in purchasing a printer?
Add the cost of ink or toner, paper, maintenance kits and possible repair costs- these will generally cost more than the printer itself during the lifetime of the printer.

Is wireless printing business reliable?
The printers available at present are business-oriented and are therefore stable regarding the wireless connection, but the wired Ethernet connection is the most reliable when dealing with high volume settings.