January 10, 2024
If you’ve already tried searching for “best office printer,” then you’ve probably experienced some disappointment.
If there were one single printer/copier that was ideal for every office, that would make things easier for everyone, and we’d love to tell you all about it! However, finding the right printer is a little bit like finding the right vehicle. It depends on what you’re going to use it for and what you’re hoping to get out of it. And just like with vehicles, sometimes the “cheapest” one will be less reliable and more expensive to operate.
It’s important to ask yourself a few questions before you buy equipment that may very well be with you for the next five to seven years.
Top Questions To Ask When Choosing an Office Copier or Printer
1. How Many Employees Need Access?
Determine how many employees in your office will need access to the printer on a daily basis. For example, some smaller businesses might not need a high-volume multifunction copier. On the other hand, a desktop printer might not be sufficient or cost-effective to meet the entire office’s printing needs. Don’t just plan for today’s needs; if you plan on adding more full-time staff over the next few years, factor that in.
We typically recommend that most workplaces have one printer for every 4.4 employees, but some departments have more specialized printing needs than others.
2. What Primary Functions Does Your Office Require?
Multifunction devices are a great addition to most offices because they combine print, copy, scan, fax, and finishing capabilities in one machine. A multifunction device can cut down on maintenance, energy, and supply costs compared to operating separate machines for all of these requirements. That’s the good news, but keep in mind that if your device stops working, you’ll potentially lose multiple capabilities at once. And multifunction devices can be more vulnerable to cybercriminals.
If your office frequently produces full-color marketing materials, you’ll obviously need a printer that’s up to the task. But between beautiful full-color images, speed, and price, you typically get to pick two. You’re unlikely to find a low-cost printer that produces glorious flyers and brochures at top speeds; you might be able to find one that will produce a great finished product, but it will take a little more time to complete a print job. That’s fine as long as you don’t start getting a printing bottleneck that impacts your productivity.
Black and white printers tend to be a lot faster, and if you don’t really need to print in color that often, they might save you quite a bit of money. Outsourcing the rare full-color job may save you more money, especially when you consider all of the components that determine print costs.
3. Do You Require Mobile Printing Capabilities?
The advancement of mobile technology has enabled employees to not only access documents on the go from their mobile devices but also send projects from their devices to their office printers.
If your employees require this kind of flexibility, you’ll need to select an office copier printer that is Wi-Fi enabled and supports cloud printing, like Google Chrome or Apple AirPrint.
4. Do You Want To Track Usage?
One way to cut down on print costs is to install print software that can monitor and track operations on a multifunction printer. Print management software can do some other wonderful things these days, including tracking supply levels and service histories across your print environment, and if that sounds like something you could benefit from, you’ll need a device that’s capable of interacting with this type of software.
What To Look for in an Office Copier or Printer
Printers look so innocent, don’t they? Unfortunately, just like every other smart device, they can also serve as easy entry points to hackers unless they’re properly secured. And unfortunately, most of them aren’t. According to a recent survey, 61% of respondents reported a print-related data breach. Yikes!
So, in addition to all the features that your workplace needs to maximize productivity and minimize costs, look for a device that has these advanced security features:
Never Want To Pick Another Printer? Okay!
Do you want to repeat this process in five to seven years? No? Then we’ve got a few better options for you…
Option 1: Save up to 30% on Print Costs With Managed Print
You can make us do the hard work for you while you save some time and money and reduce workplace frustration. Many managed print providers like Marco offer free print assessments, and it’s a no-risk way of getting to pick a print pro’s brain about how to optimize your print environment and where you may have hidden security risks. Our managed print services offering also includes print security services at no additional cost.
Option 2: Make Your Next Upgrade Easier, for Less
If you’d rather manage your print fleet yourself, you can still get the Marco bump. As a large national provider, we get volume discounts from top equipment manufacturers and pass on the savings to our clients. So feel free to talk to one of our print experts at a time that works for you, get their top recommendations, and upgrade your equipment at a price you’re unlikely to find elsewhere.
Option 3: Just Use Our Free Printer Picker
We’ve designed an interactive online quiz to help you find the best printer for your office. It should take less than two minutes to complete, and you can access it through the link below! 
