Enterprise Printing Solutions For Your Business

Has printing become an outdated function in the current hybrid home office set-up? The answer is no. As idyllic as a paperless society seems, it is both impractical and in some cases impossible. There is still a demand for printed hard copies of documents, that will not go away in the foreseeable future. In this article, we unpack enterprise printing solutions for your business. 

Covered In This Article

Choosing Enterprise Printing Solutions
Questions To Ask When Looking For Enterprise Printing Solutions
Enterprise Printing Solutions From Tarsus Distribution

Choosing Enterprise Printing Solutions

With thousands upon thousands of printers readily available, choosing a printer for the office can be a daunting task. Whilst it’s important to pick a printer that is capable of completing all the necessary document handling jobs in the office, you naturally don’t want to be paying for features you don’t require. So, here we explore all the important features you should be looking for when choosing a printer for the office.

Before you start shopping for an office printer, determine the print needs of your business. Consider the following questions:

• Do you produce a high volume of printed materials?
• Is your office printer part of a network?
• Do you have a significant need for colour copies?

A small office that has limited print needs (and occasional scanning or faxing needs) can get away with a multi-functional printer until the business begins to grow. These machines are inexpensive and can provide sufficient quality, but cannot handle a heavy print load.

For an office producing a high volume of printed materials on a daily basis, consider an “office” printer, which is typically a durable laser printer with fewer plastic parts than the cheaper multi-functional printer. While these machines cost more upfront, the toner cartridges they use last longer than the expensive printer cartridges the cheaper printers burn through quickly. If you have little or no use for colour, you can buy a good monochrome laser office printer that can print around one thousand pages with one cartridge.

When shopping for a laser printer, be sure to consider paper supply issues, since you do not want to be feeding paper into the printer too often. For a steady volume, you want a paper tray that handles 250 sheets or more, or perhaps two paper trays, one for letterhead and one for legal-sized paper. Also, consider the printer memory. More memory will allow you to run larger documents and graphics more easily.

Laser or Inkjet For Enterprise Printing Solutions

Perhaps the most divisive choice for those looking to invest in printers, it can be difficult to decide between laser and inkjet printers – with both technologies offering their own benefits.

Laser printers are noted for the high quality of their printed output, capable of producing vibrant colours and deep black tones.

Whilst inkjet printers are also capable of producing quality printouts, they are perhaps better regarded for their lower initial cost for the home user but higher overall running costs when used for high volumes of prints when compared to laser alternatives.

Colour or Monochrome For Enterprise Printing Solutions

This is a relatively straightforward choice, if you only require black and white printouts then it could be more cost-effective to select a monochrome model. Without the requirement of implementing colour printing technology, mono printers are often less expensive than their full-colour brethren.

And naturally, if you’re planning on using the printer to create full-colour prints, a colour printer is the only way to go.

Questions To Ask When Looking For Enterprise Printing Solutions

Investing in an office multi-function printer is always a big decision because, along with the initial cost, there are the monthly expenses related to maintenance and printing. It’s important to do your research ahead of the investment to make sure you are getting the best office multi-function printer for your printing needs. Here are a few questions to ask before buying enterprise printing solutions.

Does the device print in colour?

Even if your business requires only a minimal amount of colour copies or if you might have colour copy requirements in the future, then it is certainly worth checking out a colour printer. Outsourcing your colour copy requirements will inevitably result in much higher costs than doing in-house colour copies.

Can the printer connect to Wi-Fi?

The rise of digitisation means that you will need to – at some point – be able to connect to your printer remotely. This additional feature effectively means that you can use your device as a printer which saves on future equipment costs. Many multi-function printers also have a higher quality output than printers, which is another bonus. Multi-function printer suppliers should be able to provide you with apps you can download to enable wireless printing and interfacing with other devices.

What are the device features?

Besides the straightforward copy feature, many multi-function printers offer advanced options such as double-sided printing, assembling of printed copies, stapling, hole punching and folding. These optional extras do come with additional costs, however, depending on your industry needs, they could save on time and money in the long run.

What are the paper sizes? 

Once again, your industry needs will determine the multi-function printer's requirements for this. Standard multi-function printers will have limitations regarding the size of the original they can copy and output. If you have size requirements outside of the standard-issue – such as posters – make sure you ask about the size options.

What is the cost of replacement toner?

One of the biggest monthly costs related to multi-function printers is the toner, so it’s important to establish this price before purchasing. In some cases, the cost of the toner will exceed the cost of the printer, so make sure you are getting what you pay for in terms of toner as well.

Enterprise Printing Solutions From Tarsus Distribution

Tarsus Distribution has been supplying both consumer and enterprise print solutions for many years. Working closely with key partners, Tarsus Distribution identifies the print demands of each group as they evolve and supplies a range of high quality and cost-effective printers that best meet their needs. Due to the way the working environment has shifted, so too has the type of printing solution.

With the world shifting to a hybrid homework environment, the use of print technology has changed. Midrange printers are on the increase following the notion of better is best. More functionality and better quality trump the less expensive printers that could, in the past have sufficed for the remote worker.

Home printers are no longer for homework but for the office. Even with the direct shift to digital, printing will always be needed, it is just a question of how the printer is used.