No one can deny that an office printer is essential to any productive workspace, with studies confirming their utility.

One study by Infotrends showed that 73% of decision-makers at companies with a workforce of under 500 print at least four times daily. That same study recognized that small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) print an average of 5,000 pages each month.

While printers are certainly an office staple, ensuring your employees have access to the right machine and technologies to assist them in their tasks is critical.

When printers are not suitable for the job — or they are under or overutilized — it can result in workflow bottlenecks that can directly impact your bottom line.

But first, you need to choose the suitable printers for your tasks.

Choosing the Right Business Printers

There are so many choices when choosing business printers for your workspace, which can be overwhelming if you don’t understand the basic features and utility of each printer type.

To help, we have compiled a quick reference guide to the most commonly used printer options.

Laser and Inkjet Printers

Laser printers create a print by melting toner powder onto paper. They provide faster print speeds and medium-quality colored images with sharp contrast black-and-white text. Laser printers are often considered the “workhorses” of the office, as they can print documents quickly, and toner needs to be replaced less often than ink cartridges.

Inkjet printers work by spraying ink droplets onto the paper to provide crisp, clear, near-photographic images that are perfect for marketing collateral. However, they are much slower than laser printers, and production volume is lower. Ink cartridges also need to be replaced more often, making them less desirable for the busy office environment.

Wide-format and Production Printers

Wide-format printers allow businesses to print oversized plans, blueprints, banners, and other marketing collateral in brilliant color on various media — from regular paper to vinyl, canvas, and even backlit display material.

For that reason, wide-format printers are perfect for the business that wants to keep control of print jobs in-house or is in an industry that typically relies on oversized prints such as blueprints, plans, or architectural renderings.

Production printers can handle high-quantity jobs easily, printing at rates around 60 pages per minute (PPM) and increasing from there up to 150 PPM. In addition, they can print in black-and-white or color and can even fold, staple, or bind materials for you.

This makes a production printer the right choice for pamphlets, booklets, flyers, and other high-volume projects, particularly for companies that want to manage their print jobs in-house

Multifunction Printers (MFPs)

Multifunction printers (MFPs) are an excellent idea for the smaller office, as they combine the features of a copier, printer, fax machine, and scanner in one small footprint. Today’s versions are feature-heavy and intuitive to keep productivity high and frustration at a minimum.

MFPs might be multifunctional, but they perform all their tasks well. Modern models prioritize security as well to keep sensitive data safer from theft or loss.

Look to James Imaging for a Wide Selection of Business Printers

At James Imaging, we take pride in providing a wide range of printers with the latest technologies on board.

From laser printers that can keep your workflow humming to wide-format models that offer robust print control, a wide range of print applications, and advanced color quality— we have the suitable model for your business.

Are you confused over the choices?

Our print professionals can help you decide what type of printer and model is the best choice for your application and your budget. In addition, we can assess your current print infrastructure and business goals to match your business with the perfect fit for your needs.

Whether you need a stand-alone printer or an entire fleet — we have the resources to put the right printer to work for you today.

Reach out to a professional at James Imaging Systems and find out which of our many choices will best fit your business objectives — and your budget.