| Purchasing a colour printer can often be a daunting experience. There are many factors to consider. One of the primary ones is choosing a printer that is going to give your business the lowest "total cost of ownership". We have assembled a list of critical criteria that you can consider while choosing the right colour printer for your business. |
1. Print resolution/quality |
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Print quality is affected by many factors including dots per inch (dpi), number of colours per dot, and dot growth or wicking. While both Color LaserJets and Inkjet printers both offer excellent colour quality, Inkjet printers normally have a slight edge in durability and printing text and graphics. Print media plays a critical role in the final print quality and should not be disregarded. Additionally using original HP inks ensures optimal print quality from your HP colour printer.
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2. Speed |
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Speed has always been seen as a limitation with colour printers. However, through innovation in technology, HP has broken through this barrier. HP Color LaserJets can now print at up to 22 pages per minute and HP Business Inkjets at up to 8 pages per minute, equal to the printing speed of traditional black and white printers.
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3. Total cost of printing |
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To determine which printing solution best addresses your cost concerns, you need to look at the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a printer. This includes operational costs incurred during the lifetime of the printer as well as the purchase price of the printer. Usage costs can often be a large portion of the total cost. Factors such as ink and toner supplies, paper, maintenance and other expenditures need to be considered. HP's modular ink system technology plays a vital role in reducing your total cost of printing by allowing you to only replace those inks that are close to depletion.
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4. Reliability |
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Printer reliability is primarily concerned with three components: device readiness, availability and the ability to consistently complete the print job request with acceptable output quality, without failure. Businesses need printers that have more uptime and less downtime, that is, higher reliability and less chance of failure. Issues such as proper printer placement, size and duty cycles are key.
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5. Connectivity |
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Printer connectivity is critical when your business needs to allow several individuals access to printers. HP offers many connectivity solutions the allow you to share your printers within your business environment at an affordable price. For example, HP's Jetdirect technology is designed to let businesses share HP colour printers without cables across 802.11b wireless networks.
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6. Media support |
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In terms of media support, inkjet printers and colour laser printers differ considerably. Key concerns are media size and weight. You need to carefully consider the types of documents that your business needs to print. Capabilities such as wide format and auto-duplexing, envelope printing and card stock printing have to be considered. LaserJet technology can often be limited in its usage of media, however inkjet printers can easily accommodate a wide range of media.
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7. Paper handling |
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The printing requirements of your business can make paper-handling capabilities of printers a key decision factor. If you need advanced finishing or output capabilities such as stapling and mailboxes then your best bet is to go with a department class HP Color LaserJet. Paper handling accessories such as input and output trays, duplexers, sorters and stackers can maximise unattended operation and reduce operational costs.
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8. Compatibility |
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The correct printer selection has to also consider compatibility with your business requirements. Some criteria include printer languages, connectivity, network protocols, operating systems and software applications. With the advent of host-based laser and business inkjet printers customers can choose the features they need with either technology.
To learn more about these criteria as well as to read more about how HP offers you colour print solutions based on your business needs please download the Essential Guide to Colour in the Office by clicking here.
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