Is Your Printer an Ink-Consuming Monster? – How long have you had your printer? Maybe it came as a package deal with your computer or laptop. Look in many offices and you’ll find a less-expensive inkjet printer sitting beside even a powerhouse computer. What’s the issue with that? Read on to learn why it may be time to upgrade:

First, it’s only fair to let you know that most printers are sold below cost as a loss leader. After all, once you get that cheap or free printer, you’ll need to buy cartridges to keep it printing. To make sure they get your money, manufacturers often sell new printers with half-empty ink cartridges from the start!

Additionally, we’ve heard “you get what you paid for”, which is definitely true for low-cost printers; why? Manufacturers cut production quality and costs to keep the price down, so these budget printers are not built with longevity in mind. As a result, printer issues you encounter include:

• multiple sheets pulled from the paper tray at once;
• paper jams;
• slow printer response;
• drop off in print quality;
• ink smearing.

Frustrated customers soon discover the cost to fix the printer is more than a new one would cost. Cheap printers are basically disposable when they begin having problems.

Upgrading to an office-grade printer

The solution? High-performance commercial printers. Office-grade printers are designed as work horses. These robust printers are built to withstand heavy use with speed and reliably. Yes, they cost a little more, but they are also less prone to problems and more likely to be a long-term valuable investment to your home office.

You’ll have many printer profiles to choose from. You might select a printer based on its pages-per-minute printing speed. Or maybe you want a larger paper tray capacity and bigger ink cartridges. Depending on your needs, you might want a printer that allows for simultaneous operation. That would let one person print while another is able to scan or copy. Built-in Wi-Fi is useful so you’re not tripping over so many unsightly cords.

While you’re in the market for a new printer, know that we recommend laser printers over inkjet. Laser printers use a dry toner rather than wet ink. The toner cartridges are more expensive up front, but the cost per page is much, much cheaper than inkjets, plus, you actually get your money’s worth because the toner doesn’t dry up like ink. And you don’t have to worry about the printer heads getting blocked.

Lasers print faster, and you’ll have fewer problems, which means these printers are typically less expensive to operate long-term.
Inkjet printers typically have a minimum life span of three years, whereas you can expect a laser printer to last five years, although this will depend on frequency of use, of course.

When looking at laser printers, give serious thought to whether you need a color printer. How many times do you actually use color? Does it merit the added expense of that option? People who are printing photos at home only occasionally could probably get their images printed professionally for less overall cost.

Prioritize your printer

Even in our increasingly digital world, there are still times when we want to print. Whether it’s a family photo, school report, resume, or slide deck, you want to count on your printer for high quality and reliable performance. What and how much you print should factor into your decision.

There are many, many office-grade printers to choose from, and it can become overwhelming, and that’s where we can assist. We’d love to help you choose the correct printer and install it correctly for you from the start.

Find the printer for your budget that will last long term with help from our experts. Call (916) 469-5669 for local printer and computer repair and support in Sacramento, CA. Looking forward to working with you!