There are plenty of printers out there, and we’re sure you’ve seen all sorts, shapes and sizes. But for most people, when it comes to buying their own printer the sheer breadth of choice can be overwhelming.
If you’re just now setting out to buy a printer for your home office, but don’t know where to start. Don’t worry! We’re going to help you figure it out. It’s all just a matter of finding the one that best suits your needs.
Read on below to get our breakdown of the three main things you should be considering when it comes to buying your very own printer.
Printer functionality
The easiest way to narrow the numbers quickly is to determine what your printer is going to be used for. If your printer is intended for only light use, and perhaps only for printing and reviewing word documents. You’re in luck! The market for home printers that balance affordability and performance is packed out with great options.
But if you’re looking for a a printing solution that can handle a broader range of tasks, then you’d be well served to look at purchasing a multi-function printer. These are printers that incorporate a broader range of functions and are often capable of specialised tasks such as printing of photographs and more.
Total cost of ownership
We spoke about functionality first. That’s because what you need your printer to do is going to be the first thing to consider. But it is also an important step to consider the costs involved in owning and operating a printer. What we’re talking about is the total cost of ownership, not just the up front investment.
The up-front cost of the unit is only part of the story, and the cost of operation is often inverse to the scale and capabilities of the printing solution. This means that ‘cheaper’ printing solutions are often comparatively expensive to operate. The difference here may not be a factor to those printing less than fifty pages per month, but once you pass that tipping point, the total cost of ownership skyrockets.
More involved solutions tend to bring down the cost per page. And for those printing over a ream a month, the difference quickly becomes significant. To balance the total cost of ownership against a budget without a great deal of wiggle room, you may want to consider a refurbished printer.
Laser or inkjet?
The last big question is whether you want to go with a laser printer or an inkjet printer. For the uninitiated, the difference here is that inkjet printers actually use ink, whereas laser printers make use of something called toner. Toner is a powder that is melted onto the page to produce a printed image and it differs from traditional ink in some important ways.
The benefit of toner is that it doesn’t dry out. For those looking to make only irregular use of their printer, this might be the way to go. But ink still tends to be the better performer when it comes to printing bright and vibrant photos and colour documents, however that comes at a cost, as inkjet printers are extremely expensive to print a page compared to toner.
Look to Advanced Print Scan Solutions
We hope you’ve enjoyed having a read of our guide to finding the perfect home printer for you. At Advanced Print Scan Solutions, we take our printing solutions and services seriously, and we’re always keen to help out a potential customer in search of the ideal printer, whether it be for the home or office. If you have any questions or queries, don’t hesitate to get in touch today by calling 1300 226 995 or fill out a contact form today!
