3 Black and White Tips to Help You Choose the Right Printer

The office might be moving toward digital filing more and more every day, but that doesn't change the fact that you sometimes need to print something out for your own needs. Some offices need a printer for hard copies of documents in the event that their system can't be accessed. Overall, having a printer around can be very beneficial to your company, but do you know how to choose between the many different types of printers?

SMART Services can help you make the right decision when buying a printer. There are a variety of printers at different costs and specifications, and trying to find the perfect one can be a bit daunting. Thankfully, with SMART Services at your side, your decision will be simplified by considering these three tips:

Inkjets vs Lasers
Most people don't know what the difference between the two is. Ultimately, it is a question of quality versus quantity, as the two types of printers use completely different technologies. An Inkjet printer sprays ink onto the page using little nozzles inside the machine, which make microscopic marks on the paper. On anything other than special, coated photographic paper, the ink can bleed and blur around the edges of the text. Because of this, your normal text will not look as great as it could using a laser printer, but Inkjet printers are far better for professional color prints.

The laser printers are the complete opposite of an Inkjet printer. They use high heat to fuse powdered ink to the paper. Because of the nature of the technology, there is no bleeding effect and the prints are smudge-free. Laser prints do not need any drying time, but the sharp images that the laser enables limit the contrast of color gradient for images and photographs. While they are known for having less-than-perfect image quality, the speed is often more than enough to get companies to purchase them.

So, Which One is Right for Me?
As appealing as they both sound, your optimal printer will take advantage of what you need it to do the most. If you want to print out large documents quickly, but have no need for colored photos, consider a monochrome laser printer. SMART Services can help you find the right brand to suit your needs. If you deal with a wide variety of documents, such as presentations or brochures, it might be worth your while to invest in a colored inkjet printer, which will give you quality color printing that you're looking for.

Efficiency or Quality?
When buying a new printer, the biggest part of the decision comes down to whether you want speed and efficiency or quality. After you've made that decision, you can concentrate on other specifications, such as surface size and resolution. You generally want the highest resolution possible to guarantee quality prints. Surface size is mainly important for Inkjet printers which will be printing out photos and images.

The sheer number of different printers out there is wild, but you don't have to be alone when making your decision. Provide SMART Services with your business printing needs and specifications, so we can find the right printer for you. We'll even offer our own personal consultation about what we think you should get, and handle the setup and implementation. Give SMART Services a call at 586 258-0650 and we'll work with you to make sure that you get the technology you need for your business!