Your Guide to Printers - March 2012

As with everything, it's a good idea to have a rough idea of you're after in a printer before you start browsing. We've got some great printers - suitable or low-usage home office environments all the way up to mission-critical business printing of thousands of pages a day. Here are some of most popular printer models.

Home office printers
These are the printers that are normally quite cheap to buy, but cost relatively more to run (ink is how the printer companies make their money). If you only want to print a few pages a week, consider an inkjet multifunction printer or a budget laser. We recommend you have a look at the Epson Artisan 730 which is an inkjet multifunction (A4 print, A4 scan and A4 copy) or the Brother MFC-5890CN which is also an inkjet multifunction but allows for A3 printing when connected to a computer (still just A4 scan and copy though).

Small to medium sized businesses
This is where running costs start to be a bit more important. It shouldn't matter if you spend a few hundred dollars extra upfront if you can make that back in running costs in a short timeframe! The latest Epson business printers are a great example of this - the Epson B510dn has excellent running costs that rival colour laser printers that cost twice as much! The Epson Workforce Pro 4590 is a similar low-running-cost printer that also packs scan, copy and fax functionality.

A3+ Graphics Professionals
Photo-quality printing at poster size is where the Epson R3000 shines. This professional grade inkjet printer delivers prints up to a whopping A3+ size! It also prints on CDs and DVDs and comes with WiFi so you can print wirelessly throughout your design studio.

Business printers that mean business
If you're doing serious printing volumes you need a printer that's up to the task. Have a look at the business-grade Fuji Xerox ColorQube 8570 (the entry-level solid ink printer) and the OKI MC860 (an office multifunction that can replace your photocopier) - both printers are designed for busy workplaces and can handle usage that would leave other printers returning to the repair shop!