How to Choose the Best Inkjet Printer for Your Business

Inkjet printers are affordable and versatile, but choosing the best inkjet printer for your business can be tricky. Cost effectiveness depends on your needs, as do the features you'll want. Here’s what you should consider when shopping for the best inkjet printer for your business.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Computer

1. Think about your business needs. Inkjet printers are more affordable and versatile compared to laser printers. Keep in mind that you will be printing logos and graphics as well as special media.
2. Consider quality. For digital photo prints, get a photo printer. Photo printers use more than the standard four-color ink cartridges and employ dye sublimation to create photo quality prints. If you are just going to print off the occasional color diagram, a regular inkjet will suffice.
3. Get up to speed on speed. When you have hundreds or thousands of documents to print, speed matters. Most manufacturers list the print speed in the specs, but these are usually for printing at the lowest quality setting, or draft mode. Naturally, pictures take longer than text to print, so keep that in mind if you intend to print many pictures.
4. Consider connectivity. USB 2.0 is the best cable connection you can get, but if you have a Mac you might opt for FireWire. For a wireless connection, consider a printer with an Ethernet port or Bluetooth.
5. Decide if you’ll be using special media. Envelopes, banners, posters, DVDs, CDs, brochures and postcards—if you'll be printing on these, make sure the printer can handle it. Check the features or ask a sales clerk.
6. Think about future costs. Printers need maintenance—new cartridges, more paper and special ink and paper for photos—so be sure to consider the consumables you’ll inevitably need to purchase later. Some brands accept generic cartridges while some manufacturers force you to buy their expensive brand name cartridges.

Tips & Warnings

• USB 1.1 ports can handle USB 2.0 connections without a problem.
• Consider a multifunction printer. These combine an inkjet printer, a laser printer, a fax, a copier and other functions all in one affordable device.
• You can expect manufacturers to exaggerate their print speed specs. Halve the number they list for a realistic estimate.
• Photo paper and ink is expensive. Don’t waste it on text.
• Laser printers are unquestionably faster and better than inkjets for straight, black-and-white text.

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