It wasn’t too long ago that consumers looking for a home office printer
At first glance the task can be daunting. Choosing the wrong home office printer won’t ruin a business, but it can leave the professional constantly asking him or herself, “How did I make this mistake?”
People who choose the wrong home office printer often do it for the right reason: the price was right. While price should play an important role in the printer selected, it should not be the sole factor, especially if it means failing to consider the best ink and toner, and multipurpose paper to go with that printer. Sometimes the printer is cheap, but the accessories and supplies are more expensive.
How will the printer be used?
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the factors that go into choosing the right printer for a home office. The first seems obvious, yet it is frequently overlooked. How will the printer be used?
If it is simply going to be for limited purposes like printing emails, short papers or receipts, a basic ink jet printer will suffice. Such printers can be found at close to $100, though they do tend to go through even the best ink and toner cartridges quickly.
The next step up is a laser printer which, when combined with the best ink and toner cartridges, produces professional looking documents at a relatively inexpensive price.
Most home office printer needs, however, require a little more versatility. One small office can need a scanner, printer, fax machine and copier, and all the papers and ink cartridges that go with them, or it can have one machine that does it all. Multipurpose printers
How frequently will the printer be used?
Once the primary function of the home office printer is determined, consider how frequently it will be used. Printers that will be used often are more convenient if they can hold large stacks of multipurpose paper, keeping them from having to be loaded for every print job.
Think about the amount of color that will be needed if the documents are to look their best. Ink and toner cartridges can be bought in bulk to save money, but printers that hold larger cartridges, including color cartridges, will be more convenient because they don’t have to be constantly replaced.
How will it be linked to the computer?
Finally, consider how the home office printer will be linked to the computer. Nowadays, not all printers have to be connected via a printer cable. While there’s nothing wrong with cables, printers that offer wireless network connections are nice because they allow multiple computers to be connected to the printer at once. Wireless users also gain convenience because they can print documents from places outside the home office.
Printer, multipurpose paper and ink cartridges combine to form the home office document center. Considering all the above factors before purchasing a home office printer will help ensure that the printer that’s purchased can fulfill the tasks that need to be performed.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maria_Nelson
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This is a good read. I think ink and toner supplies are the most important factor to consider before buying a new printer because they are the most expensive and ongoing expense.