Types of printers
Setting up your office means choosing the right equipment for your needs. This includes choosing the right printer. You are faced with different types of printers with different features. As a result, this can be very overwhelming. Let's take a look at these types of printers and help you choose the right one.
Laser printers
Xerox was the first to develop laser printers way back in the 1960s. The idea was using a laser to draw images onto a copier drum. Now, laser printers are still widely used especially in large offices. This is mainly because of its high speed performance compared to other types.
Laser printers generate crisp, clear and repeated images on various materials ranging from paper and cardboard to plastic and metal printing plates. A paper laser printer operates similarly to a copier in that light magnetizes specific areas on a drum.
Resolution
Laser printer imaging paper can have various resolutions ranging from 300 laser dots per inch (dpi) to up to 1200 dpi. The laser produces smaller and smaller dots for corresponding increases in the number of dots per inch. Laser printer imaging paper rarely has resolutions exceeding 1200 dpi. This is because the physical properties of the toner cannot be reduced to smaller particles.
More advantages of laser printers include high print speed and paper capacity. Moreover, you have the option of expandable paper trays, finishers, and more.
However, laser printers require short warm-up times. They also have larger footprints. Consequently, they require high voltage usage. This leads to small carbon emissions.
LED Printers
LED printers are quite similar to laser printers. However, they use a light emitting diode rather than a laser to create images. These printers also have fewer moving parts. As a result, they are more efficient and reliable than laser printers.
These LED printer are cheaper to manufacture than laser printers. Moreover, they often include free warranty extensions.
Business Inkjet Printers
Inkjet printers used in corporate setting are popular for their reliability and robust nature. These printers use inkjet technology on a large scale to meet the needs of a busy office. Most of these offices rely on tons of volume of printed output.
These printers are capable of producing highly-detailed and photorealistic finishes. Moreover, they have limited warm-up time. Also, these printers have smaller footprints compared to other types of printers.
However, these business inkjet printers have higher cost-per-page than laser printers. In some models, you have wet finishes. As a result, these printers can be less reliable compared to other types.
Solid Ink Printers
Solid ink printers are quite unique. This type uses a rare form of ink technology. This is to save space and money on packaging. Basically, the printers melt solid ink sticks during the printing process. As a result, you will have more vibrant tones on the prints.
These printers are environment-friendly. This is mainly because of the non-toxic vegetable oils used. Moreover, the consumables on these printers require less storage. They also have a compact design.
However, the drawback is on their warm-up and cool-down time. This results to a lot of waiting time. Moreover, prints from these printers cannot be laminated.
Home Office Inkjet
This type is a staple in home offices. The technology of inkjet printing goes way back in the 1950s. Now this same technology is still widely popular. This is because of its numerous advantages and minimal drawbacks.
Inkjet printers can produce photorealistic prints. They don't require warm-up times. Moreover, these can easily fit in any office space. Its small footprint is designed for small businesses and home offices.
However, inkjet printers have high running cost per page. The prints are also relatively slow. In some cases, these printers produce erroneous empty cartridge warnings. Moreover, inkjet printers can clog from time to time. They also have wet prints in some models.
Low Cost Inkjet Printers
This type is an impressive derivation from the office inkjet technology. It combines the high-quality printing features of inkjet technology with lower cost-per page functions. They are well suited to professional and domestic users that are on a budget.
These printers feature quick warm-up time. Consequently, these are capable of producing fine, smooth, and photorealistic finishes.
The only noticeable disadvantage are the potential wet prints.
Multifunction Printers
They are also called all-in-one printers. This type is capable of printing, copying, scanning, and faxing. Therefore it simplifies the completion of multiple tasks within an office environment. Imagine all of these capabilities in one robust machine.
These multifunction printers are more cost efficient. You don't have to purchase multiple devices to support different tasks. These are also more power efficient and can basically save you tons of money.
The only disadvantage is when you put these printers in a larger workgroup setting. This means that you have to restrict usage time.
All-in-One Inkjets
Now, these printers are a marvel. They combine inkjet technology with the impressive features of a multifunction printer. As a result, all-in-one inkjet printers can provide full service and high quality to busy offices.
As mentioned, inkjet printers produce high quality finishes. They are more cost efficient and compact. Moreover, these printers have awesome power saving features.
The noticeable disadvantages are the potential wet prints and high running costs.
Dot Matrix Printers
Dot matrix printers are old. It is fairly impressive that they are still available on the market today.
Images and texts are drawn out in tiny dots when a print head strikes an ink-soaked cloth against the paper. That's basically how it works.
In a sense these printers are low maintenance. They have low initial unit costs and low running costs. Moreover, they can perform in hot and dirty conditions. The disadvantages include low resolution output and larger footprint. Also, these printers are quite noisy.
A3 Printers
These are well-suited for businesses with larger scale prints. They often have options to produce larger print sizes and have numerous input trays. These printers both have laser and inkjet technology.
Consequently, these printers support larger print sizes and a wider range of options. They allow you to bring outsource print-runs back to your office in-house. The disadvantages include higher initial cost and much larger footprint.
3D Printers
The dawn of the new century saw the development of three-dimensional printers (3D). This technology is in constant development over the years but the results are quite impressive. Soon we will be able to see these 3D printers in home offices. In fact, there are 3D printer models that are quite affordable and available for domestic users.
These printers produce 3D objects and items using high quality resin. The advantages include its ability to produce 3D prints and the capacity for more customization. Imagine the possibilities of what these printers can produce for your office.
However, 3D printers come with high initial cost. Moreover, resin is quite expensive.