Although paperless offices have been gaining popularity at break-neck speed, the humble printer continues to be the star of many office set-ups. In fact, the majority of businesses in the USA are still very reliant on printing. While printers continue to become more technologically advanced with each passing year, the basic functions they are expected to perform do remain consistent. It may, however, become somewhat overwhelming when you're faced with a myriad of printer choices, each promising to be more efficient than the one before. In order to avoid buyer's remorse and make sure that your company benefits from your investment, there are a number of things to consider before buying a new printer for your business. 

Choose between inkjet and laser

One of the biggest decisions a business owner will have to make is whether to invest in an inkjet or laser printer. If a business regularly needs to make a large number of prints in a short period of time, a laser printer will more than likely be the best choice. Laser printers are also ideal if photo prints do not need to be of an exceptional quality. If a business frequently has to print high resolution images and other multi-colored documents, a top-of-the-range inkjet printer may be a better choice.

Price is an object

As far as price considerations go, laser toner cartridges do tend to be more expensive than inkjet cartridges, although they last longer. Ink cartridges, on the other hand, are cheaper (although full-color prints use a lot more ink than a laser-printed document does). Whatever printer you choose, make sure you only use manufacturer approved printer ink to guarantee high-quality prints every time. There are other price considerations, apart from cartridge replacements, that need to be considered too. These are generally weighed-up while looking at the various functionalities of the printers you are looking at.

Don't compromise on functionality 

The next thing to do when purchasing a printer for your business is to further determine what your organizational needs are. Determine exactly what you will be printing and what material you will be printing on. It is also of vital importance to gauge how much printing you will be doing. While the future is relatively uncertain at the best of times, it is always recommended to anticipate the business's prospective growth for at least the next six months. While large companies that do a lot of printing and copying will benefit most from separate printers and copiers, small businesses can profit from a multi-function machine that can serve as a printer, copier, and even a fax machine.

Although the humble printer may have been upstaged by some of the latest business technologies, we definitely have not seen the last of it. For a long as there are businesses around that believe in traditional media and documentation, printers will have a place at the heart of the company. 

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