They’re also much less expensive, making them attractive options to professionals on a budget. Many new printers work with smart networks, allowing for voice controls via Alexa or Google Assistant, wireless mobile printing, and scanning to cloud based storage services. They may also have integrated security features like password protection and employee ID verification to protect against misuse and unauthorized access to sensitive information. There are even models available with on-board memory so you can queue several jobs at once or delay printing until a specific date. Creative professionals also have a slew of choices for creating excellent quality prints; ink tank models allow for bigger print jobs, and some can be set up with rolls of media for printing posters and other large format prints. We’ve rounded up our top picks from brands like HP and Epson to help you decide which is the best printer for your office. The input tray holds up to 550 sheets of paper so you can spend more time working and less time refilling the printer. You can wirelessly print from your Android or iOS mobile device, laptop, or email, or you can connect to the printer via Ethernet or USB cable. The touchscreen interface makes it easy to navigate menus and set up document specifications for print or scanning jobs. And with a monthly duty cycle of 66,000 sheets, your office will be able to handle just about any project. The HP Envy Pro 6455 is an excellent entry-level all-in-one inkjet printer for budget-savvy professionals. It includes both a flatbed scanner and 35 page capacity auto document feeder, and with the HP Smart App, you can fax documents via your mobile devices. The input tray holds up to 100 sheets of paper, which is perfect for low-volume offices. You can connect mobile devices and computers via dual band Wi-Fi or Bluetooth for wireless printing with or without an internet connection. The on-board control panel features smart, contextual buttons that only light up when you need them, eliminating distracting LED lights and saving energy. It’s also compatible with Apple AirPrint and Google Cloud Print so you can print directly from your smartphone or cloud storage services. For offices that are trying to be more eco-friendly, the Xerox VersaLink C400 is Energy Star certified for efficient power usage. It uses dual band Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth 5.0 to connect to all of your wireless devices. You can use the HP Smart App to print from your mobile devices, order ink and paper, and even monitor ink levels and paper capacity so you’re never caught by surprise with empty cartridges or input trays. The compact design is perfect for smaller spaces, and the output tray doubles as a stylish cover to make your printer blend into the decor when not in use. There are also dedicated nozzles for both photo and matte black inks to preserve quality and streamline the printing process. Along with traditional and glossy paper, this printer can be equipped with rolls of media up to 1.5mm thick to create banners, posters, and other large prints. The color touchscreen can be customized with shortcuts and pre-set configurations for faster, easier operation and mass-printing media. You can connect to the printer via Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or USB 3.0 wired connection for printing from your computer, camera, or mobile devices. You can also print directly from your iOS mobile devices when you need to quickly edit and produce images for clients.
What to Look for When Buying an Office Printer
Input and Output Capacity
If your home or traditional office handles large documents or has many people who need to print a lot of things each day, you’ll want to look for a printer that has multiple input trays with higher capacities so it doesn’t run out of paper in the middle of a job. You’ll also want to make sure the output tray can hold a lot of paper to prevent things from falling on the floor and getting damaged or becoming disorganized.
Color vs B&W
Both forms of printing have their advantages and disadvantages. Color printing is best suited for businesses that handle digital art and photos as well as documents, while black-and-white is better for handling strictly text. The downside to color printing is that ink and paper are much more expensive than B&W. And the downside to B&W printing is that it usually has a much lower resolution, resulting in blurry images or text.
All-in-One vs Single Function
While shopping online or in-store, you may have noticed how popular all-in-one printers are. These are models that not only handle printing, but copying, scanning, and even faxing as well. These are best suited to small businesses and home offices that may not have enough space for dedicated equipment, or just want to streamline their workflow. The drawback is that these tend to be much more expensive than their single-function counterparts.
Which is better: inkjet or laser printing?
Both have their pros and cons. Inkjet printing is better suited for photo and art prints because of the better color saturation and resolution. Inkjet printers are also very affordable, with affordable supplies like ink and paper. Laser printing is most associated with traditional offices and strictly text documents. You can get some really crisp-looking documents in almost no time at all, though the printers themselves are often very expensive and bulky. Laser toner is also very expensive.
Are all-in-one printers worth the money?
That depends on what kind of volume your business does. If you regularly need to fax, scan, copy, and print documents and images, all-in-one models are most certainly a worthy investment. However, if you only occasionally need these services (like only a few times a year), it may be better to just get a single-function printer and use a business like FedEx or Staples for copies and scanning.
How can I prevent unauthorized printing?
With more and more office devices becoming “smart” and internet-enabled, security is more important than ever. Thankfully, many new printers come with a suite of security software that allows for employee ID or email authentication, setting up firewalls, password protection, and even encryption for your documents. You’ll still have to protect your company’s internet connections, but with these extra layers of security, you’ll be able to prevent anyone from stealing company info, the personal data of employees, or sending malicious documents to be printed from your office.
