When choosing a business printer there are three main requirements that you will need to consider based on your specific business needs.

Volume

A key consideration when choosing a business printer is the print volume within the office. You should consider if you will be printing daily and if so how many printouts per day you will expect to carry out.

You also need to consider how that volume will be used. You may have only one or two people carrying out a large number of print jobs or you may have many people each carrying out one or two short print jobs. If the latter, it might make sense to purchase two smaller printers rather than one larger printer.

20-40 pages per minute(ppm) is an adequate print speed for most businesses. Rates higher than 40ppm are typically found in specialist machines that will be more expensive but if it meets your office demands, it is worth it.

Quality

If the majority of printing in your business is for internal memos then a standard monochrome printer will likely be more than satisfactory and also save on toner refills.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, graphic orientated businesses like design companies or architects firms will require bright, clear and accurate printouts. Colous laser printers have become a lot more affordable in recent years making them a reasonable option for even relatively small companies.

For businesses that require a lot of data charts and graphs to convey information to clients, colour is important when it comes to printouts. A higher end colour inkjet printer provides enough quality to make even the most complex data easy to understand.

Flexibility

Why just get a printer when you can have a printer, copier, scanner and photo booth in one? Depending on your requirements you could have a multifunction printer carrying out numerous tasks in the office.

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Most printer/scanner combos will offer direct photocopying capabilities but if your business will require large volume photocopying with collation capabilities then a printer with dedicated copying functionality and feed tray is the better option.

The type of paper a printer can accommodate should also be considered. Hi-gloss photo paper, for example, can make a big difference to the successful acceptance of a proposal.

Other printer features to consider

There are a number of specs and features that vary between printers that you should keep in mind when making your selection.

Processor

The speed of the processor determines how quickly the printer can receive and set up the print job.

Memory

The memory determines how many jobs or how large of a job a printer can queue up while it is printing other jobs. 64MB to 256MB is adequate for most business needs.

Connectivity

Wireless printers allow several computers to remotely connect to it allowing for versatility in the placement of the printer and preventing your office from becoming a spiders web of wires.

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