Which is more print-friendly?
Q. I'm looking to upgrade the printer in my office, but I am not sure which is better: a color laser printer or a multifunction printer? There are 15 employees in my company.
A. While both color laser and multifunction printers would make good additions to your company, let us first consider the typical needs of a 15-person company. Besides printing, the small-business working environment would usually require the functions of fax, scan and copy. Color printing capabilities are also usually required for internal or external business communications, such as presentations and marketing materials. Apart from these requirements, the top-most concern of a small business is the need to control costs, both in terms of the initial purchase price and the ongoing running costs.
The case for color laser printers
For SMBs, being able to produce their own marketing materials has proven to be an economical approach to print production, with potential multi-year savings as compared to outsourced print jobs.
For these requirements, a color laser printer would be ideal as it enables users to efficiently produce high-quality color documents. But although SMBs understand the benefits of color, most still perceive the running costs of color to be high due to the inability to control the type of color printing by their staff. HP has a tool that lets businesses manage who, when and how color is used. The color management tool can even limit access to specific users, applications and devices.
In addition, color laser printers are fast, ideal for workgroups of more than five people and usually have a higher duty cycle for high volume printing. All this makes color laser printers a compelling choice for SMBs looking for fast, high performance printers delivering great print quality that can enhance employee productivity and efficiency.
The case for multifunction printers
For many customers, multifunction printers also represent a key opportunity to reduce costs and improve productivity. By enabling users to print, copy, scan, fax and digitally send documents to e-mail addresses around the world, multifunction printers optimize work environments without sacrificing user access, convenience and productivity. For example:
- Reduce costs
- Increase productivity
- Improve workflow
Multifunction devices allow businesses to manage fewer consumables, reducing the total cost of ownership, storage requirements, and service interruptions.
A multifunction device can streamline communications with optional digital sending services and advanced document management solutions. HP's multifunction devices simplify support tasks with Internet-enabled firmware upgrades, e-mail alerts, and automated supplies ordering.
Users can simplify supplies management with multifunction devices that offer smart printing systems, toner level sensors, online supplies ordering, and no-shake cartridges. A multifunction device improves device management and uptime with a single management utility.
Our expert: Todd Birzer, Asia-Pacific Color Programs Manager, HP Imaging and Printing Group