Consumer Printers Vs Business Printers

If you are planning to purchase a new printer for your business, you will be presented with a multitude of options. One decision that you will need to make is whether to invest in a small consumer printer – sometimes also referred to as a desktop or personal printer, or a larger business printer – sometimes referred to as an enterprise printer. Here are some considerations to bear in mind when trying to make your choice.

Printing Quantity

Consumer printers typically see far less use than business printers. Take a realistic look at how much you print now – and how much you expect to print in the future. If your business grows, so will your print needs.

Internal Memory

How many people will be using the printer? Consumer printers cannot always store multiple print queues. Business printers have the memory and ability to shoulder the burden of numerous print jobs being sent their way.

Printing Speeds

Every printer has a PPM (pages-per-minute) rating that tells you how many printed pages you can expect from your printer. Business printers are much quicker than consumer printers, and should be considered if your print jobs are large.

Options, options, options

Most consumer printers are just that – a printer. Today’s business printers are often referred to as multifunction printers (MFPs), because they can serve multiple purposes – printing, copying, faxing and finishing (folding, stapling, trimming, etc.)

Total Cost of Ownership

Consumer printers can incur unexpected expenses – expired supplies, rapid obsolescence, and potential downtime – that far exceed the initial investment. Managed print programs can help business printers predict and control costs in the long run.

Return to the Tech Trends Newsletter