Printers & Scanners Buyer’s Guide
A printer and scanner can work wonders for your personal and professional projects. Things may not work well to your advantage without one. This guide will go over the key features of what you need to look for in printers and scanners.
We’ll also go over the considerations to mull over when making a purchase. With so many printers and scanners on the market, choosing one can be a challenge. However, this guide will make things much easier.
If you need a printer and scanner, keep reading and find the best one for you. Let’s dive right in and help you find the right printer and scanner.
What are the main features of a printer/scanner
Color/B&W
A printer and scanner will have the ability to produce documents in a physical or digital sense. However, they can either print black & white or in color. It’s important to consider what your pressing needs are when it comes to the color of your documents.
It may come down to preferences most of the time. However, you might be a business that relies on distributing flyers or advertisements. Color will make them eye catching and aesthetically pleasing compared to black and white.
Connectivity
Printers and scanners have long been used with wired connectivity. A simple cable connection between a computer and the device itself is commonplace. However, wireless technology has become more reliable.
To that end, you can use a printer if it’s on the same network as a wireless device such as your smartphone or tablet. If you are on the go and need something printed fast, you may need to rely on a wireless device to access the files you need without having to be at a desk.
Other abilities
Printers and scanners have other abilities such as faxing and copying documents among others. Again, it can also connect to wireless networks as well. You might find some of these additional features to your advantage if it fulfills a need.
Otherwise, having a printer or scanner will be enough to take care of everything you need. You can create digital copies of physical documents. Or you can create hard copies for your files.
What factors should you consider when looking for a printer/scanner?
Now that you know some of the main features of a printer/scanner, we’ll be taking a look at the following factors. What will you need to consider during the purchasing process? Let’s go over the list now:
Color or black/white?
This will depend on your critical needs. If you are simply printing more documents than graphics, a printer that’s black/white only can be the best possible option. Not only that, it’s the cost-effective option when you are simply just creating physical documents.
Otherwise, you can go with a color printer. Especially when you are handling more graphic-intensive projects. Keep in mind that the ink and toner costs will depend on choosing either printer type.
Ink and toner for black and white printers will cost less than those who use color printers. We’ll touch on this again when we talk more about affordability.
Size and weight
Printer/scanners come in different sizes and weights. So it’s important to consider one based on the space you have in your office. If you want something small and compact, it can be enough to fit a reasonable amount of space.
However, larger ones will take up more space and will be heavier. The size and weight may be more of a preference than something that can address a critical need more often than not.
Wireless connectivity or not
Most printer/scanners will have the ability to connect to wireless devices. This can be beneficial for you and your business. However, you can still find a printer/scanner that won’t have it.
But if you are operating wireless devices and need to access a file and print it quickly, you can find a printer with wireless connections to be quite helpful. Some of them will even be compatible with virtual assistants such as Alexa or Google.
Wireless connectivity can be a plus when you need to get something printed fast and can’t get to a computer.
Resolution
This will apply more to printing photos or even scanning them. Resolution will make things look clearer. Whether it’s an image or digitizing a physical document, you want everything to be clear and legible.
When you are sending digital documents to co-workers, clients, or applicable people, they want to make sure the files are clear and easy to read. A blurry document image can lead to mistakes and miscommunication.
The higher the resolution, the better. This consideration should be something you don’t want to skip over. Especially if you’re used to sending digital documents over to your team members or clients.
How much will it cost me?
Your budget is always something to keep in mind. So it would be a good idea to consider a printer/scanner that takes care of your most pressing needs. Once you are able to know what they are, find the printer that will take care of it.
Furthermore, make sure it fits your budget. You may want to consider something of better quality and performance. Yes, it could mean spending more.
But it’s way better than choosing the cheapest option and ending up sacrificing good quality and performance in the process.
Final Thoughts
If you are searching for the perfect printer/scanner, then use this guide to your advantage. At some point, you’ll eventually come across one that will address all your needs and more. With so many choices, you can be able to whittle them down with the help of this guide.
Your critical needs and your budget will be able to help. You want something that will last you a long time. And you want it to be reliable whenever you need it most.
Be sure to find a printer that will handle the tasks you plan on doing now and in the future.
