9 Tips on Choosing a Printer for Your Home Office

Did you know that a lot of people are working from home since the pandemic began? If you need a new printer for your home office, we can help.

In this guide, we’ll go over some tips on choosing a printer. You’ll need to consider a few factors about printers before you pick one.

Want to learn more? Keep reading.

1. How Much Will You Need to Print?

Before you start looking through printers, you’ll need to determine how much you plan to print. Will you need to print hundreds of copies or a few? Will you need to print colored documents?

Inkjet printers will use cartridges of ink that get applied wet to the paper and will dry fast. Laser printers will use toner, a kind of ink dust that will bond to paper quickly.

Color inkjet printers tend to be a popular option and dominate the market. These printers will print pie charts, glossy photos, essays, documents, and more.

2. Laser Printers

A laser printer is a good option for an office setting. Most of the printing you will do in your office tends to be monochrome.

Get a monochrome laser printer for an affordable price. These printers will provide a good printing speed and offer a lower cost per page than colored inkjets.

But would you prefer the flexibility that a color inkjet printer offers? A color laser printer’s another option. These tend to have a higher cost compared to a color inkjet.

Laser printers last a long time. The cartridges could last up to 20,000 pages before you need to replace them. An inkjet cartridge will last up to 2000 pages. If you don’t print a lot, consider the latter.

 

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3. What About a Multifunction Printer?

Multifunction printers will fax and scan, and print items. You can get it in the laser or inkjet variety, and they get labeled as “all-in-one” or a multifunction printer.

A multifunction unit is cheaper compared to buying a separate scanner. All-in-ones tend to be a good option if you need these things.

You’ll have an easier time scanning documents on your computer. Some will also offer faxing options.

4. What About a USB Connection?

USB connections tend to be common on printers. The USB-A standard is one of the more common options. You can connect to an external hard drive or other devices.

You can use the printer’s menu screen and print files off these devices.

5. What About Ethernet?

Some printers have Ethernet ports for wired connections. An Ethernet connection isn’t necessary for a home printer.

Yet, it’s more useful in some office printer setups. Meanwhile, if you want to find out how can you make your home office stand out, click the given link.

6. What About WiFi?

Most home printers will connect to the WiFi network. You can provide the seller with your WiFi information during the setup.

Download the software on your phone, computer, and other devices. This way, you can send printing jobs to the printer without cables.

This is a convenient option for home projects. WiFi connections let you complete remote printing in an office

 

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7. What About WiFi Direct?

WiFi direct is a connection not related to your network. Yet, it creates a signal between the printer and the device.

Apple’s AirPrint is a kind of WiFi direct connection. Other platforms will support similar technologies. It’s quick and an excellent option for printing needs.

Learn more about how to connect printer to mac.

8. Cloud Printing

A lot of printers will feature the cloud printing option. You can access photos stored on sites like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Facebook.

If your printer isn’t connected to the internet, you won’t access these services. You also won’t be able to print remotely from a tablet or smartphone.

Some printers will have slots for SD cards. You can navigate using the printer’s menu and pick files to print. This is helpful for photographers who use SD cards.

9. What About Ink Costs?

If you need to complete big print jobs often, you should consider the cost of printing ink. Ink costs can get measured for each page. Yet, efficiency will depend on the printer model and its design.

A powerful printer might only cost 4 cents per page. You could get direct cost-per-print information. You could also divide the price of toner cartridges compared to the cartridge page yield.

10. Pick Up the Right Supplies

No matter if you choose an inkjet or laser printer, there are a few things you should pick up for your office.

Try to stock up on ink cartridges if you choose an inkjet printer. Suppose you pick a laser printer, stock up on toner cartridges. This way, you won’t end up running out of ink and needing to wait for a replacement.

You’ll also want to look at stocking up on printer paper. You should have a good amount of extra paper in your office. This way, you won’t run out of paper.

Learn about parts or accessories you can pick up for your printer. Some printers will use a larger paper tray. You also might need to schedule maintenance work to get done on your printer.

Have Fun Choosing a Printer for Your Home Office Today

We hope this guide on home printers was helpful. Before choosing a printer, you’ll need to determine what your printing needs are. Will you need to print a lot at home, or only a few copies here and there?

Are you looking for more helpful technology tips? Check out our resources on the blog.