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Business Printers: The Complete Guide

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Business Printers: The Complete Guide

Discover the essential features that will help your business find the perfect printer and get the most out of it.

The printer can be an essential part of any business. From providing forms for customers to fill out to printing out notices and advertisements, there are many ways companies can use their printers to optimize workflows and enhance revenue. However, with all of the available options, finding the right printer can be a more complex task than it first seems.

This guide can help you choose the right business printer to meet your needs. We’ll explain crucial features no business should go without, how to pick the right printer for the job, and other ways you can use your business printer to save time and money.

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Essential Features for Business Printers

 

Versatility is crucial for small businesses. Money and space are both at a premium. Choosing a printer packed with as many features as possible will ensure it can handle all your document needs. And for many organizations, business printer all-in-ones are a perfect fit.

    What all-in-one printers can do

  • Print color and black and white documents.
  • Scan text documents and images.
  • Copy documents at rapid speeds.
  • Fax documents across phone or internet connections.

Other necessary business printer features

Ease of installation

You’re already busy providing the best possible service for your customers. The last thing you need to worry about is fiddling with printer settings. Look for plug-and-play configuration to help you get up and running in minutes. Also, one-touch print and scan functionality can help make your office more efficient.

 

Fast, high-quality prints

If your printer is too slow, it can quickly become a bottleneck for other aspects of your operation. Look for business color printers that offer print speeds of at least 20 one-sided pages per minute. The best printers in this class also offer rapid double-sided prints, though speeds can vary depending on the color requirements.

 

Network connectivity

Your printer should be accessible anywhere on your office network. Connectivity options such as ethernet ports and WiFi can help ensure maximum coverage throughout your business.

Discover more critical printer features in 5 Things to Look for in the Best Small Business Printer.

Did You Know? The RICOH C125 MF offers 4-in-1 multifunctionality, combining high-quality prints, scans, copies, and faxes in a space-conscious footprint.  

How to pick the right business printer

No two printers are built the same, and many specialize in a particular task. For example, a photo printer may produce highly detailed color prints, but doing so takes much longer than an all-purpose business laser printer.

Even so, there are several common qualities any good business printer should have that can benefit any business or industry, no matter its needs.

    Common qualities to look for

  • Fast printing speeds that don’t sacrifice quality.
  • Printing options, like color and black and white prints, and single or double-sided pages.
  • Easy maintenance and toner change to reduce downtime.
  • Printer size to ensure you have enough space available.

The right business printer for the right job

Front office

When processing high volumes of paperwork for customer onboarding, speed is paramount. Desk space in front office areas is also usually limited, so look for printers that offer high-speed prints in a small footprint.

Records department

Records can come in many forms, so a multipurpose printer is the best fit for printing and storing customer or employee records. These printers offer precise text reproduction and can handle a variety of document types.

Retail services

For customer-facing documentation, print quality needs to be top of mind. Bold and bright colors, combined with high-quality text and image reproduction, can go a long way to wow your retail clientele.

Read more about finding the right fit in How to Pick the Right Office Printer for Your Business.

Save money by printing your own business cards

Business printers aren’t just helpful for printing documents. With free templates and a quality printer, designing and printing your business cards is easier than ever. That way, you’ll never run out of ways to grow your contact list.

    Benefits of printing your own business cards

  • Reduce expenses.
  • Create your own design, or use one of many freely available templates.
  • No waiting on long printing or shipping times; just hit print for same-day turnaround.

How to print your own business cards

Choose the right printer and paper

To get started, you’ll want quality, thick cardstock to ensure your printed business cards are durable. Your printer should also be able to handle this cardstock without loss in text quality. Some cardstock even comes perforated, so your card sizes remain uniform.

Personalization

Going paperless lets customers choose their payment option in a way that’s already been set up for ease of use on both sides of the transaction. They may use credit cards, direct pay via bank, or even dedicated services such as PayPal, all via a familiar interface.

 

Print your cards

Check your print settings to ensure your template fits your paper stock and ink choices. Ensure your template repeats on a single page to get as many cards as possible from a single print.

Discover more card-creating tips by reading How to Save Time and Money Printing Business Cards Yourself.

Print flyers to advertise your business and boost awareness

Even with all of the high-tech ways to grab attention, sometimes nothing beats handing out a simple flyer. Whether you’re sending out internal memos, advertising upcoming events, or showing off your latest product, printing out quality flyers with your own supplies is easier than ever.

    Why you should print your own flyers

  • Low-cost advertising method.
  • Put your personal touch on the design.
  • Print hundreds of flyers within minutes.

Use cases for flyers

Share information

Flyers can be cheap and easy to reproduce, making them a great way to transmit information. Retail businesses can print out easy-to-use guides for popular products. Restaurants can provide take-out menus for customers.

Local advertising

If there’s an upcoming event or product launch on the way, handing out flyers is a great way to get the word out to your community. Plus, many local establishments, such as coffee shops or restaurants, have areas where local businesses can hang or stack flyers for customers to take.

Acknowledge your employees

Want to celebrate the employee of the month, but you’re looking for something with a bit more pomp and circumstance than an email? Print out custom-designed flyers and hang them in employee break rooms and other messaging areas to add some pizzazz.

Learn more ways to get the word out in 5 Flyer Printing Options for Growing Businesses.

Did You Know? With a 250-sheet capacity tray and durable design, the RICOH C125 MF printer is built for the long haul.  

Shop Printers Now

Ricoh Printers--built on a legacy of quality and dependability.

Shop Now

Our recommendation: RICOH Printer C125 MF

The RICOH C125 MF Color Multifunction Laser Printer is an ideal business printer for many use cases. It packs in four crucial functions — printing, scanning, copying, and faxing — all in a small footprint, making it an excellent fit for front-of-house or back-office work. And its large-capacity tray and print speeds of up to 26 color pages per minute ensure that your printer is ready to work whenever you are.

Note: Information and external links are provided for your convenience and for educational purposes only, and shall not be construed, or relied upon, as financial or legal advice. PFU America, Inc. makes no representations about the contents, features, or specifications on such third-party sites, software, and/or offerings (collectively “Third-Party Offerings”) and shall not be responsible for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of such Third-Party Offerings. Please consult with a licensed professional regarding your specific situation as regulations may be subject to change.