A selection of current printers models recommended for training professionals in now available in the definitive Business Buyer’s Guide to Printers from TrainingZone publisher Sift Media.
“Computer printers are a vital tool for trainers, but are a once-in-a-while purchase. Because the market moves so quickly it’s hard to keep up with which are the most dependable and cost-effective devices,” said John Stokdyk.
“We put forward a selection of recommended printers at the beginning of the year and got such a positive reaction that we went back and asked for more detail about the printers people were using. The results we got helped us to pinpoint the machines and manufacturers that have proved their worth in real life.”
TrainingZone members are among the pioneering users of colour printers, but this trend is spreading through other professional groups, such as the members of our sister site AccountingWEB.co.uk. Inkjet machines have some advantages when it comes to reproducing business graphics and photography, but feedback from the online survey showed that many inkjet models were marked down for speed, reliability and value for money. With the exception of Xerox’s highly rated Phaser series, laser print engines and multifunction devices are becoming the norm for business print.
Data was collected on more than 100 separate models. Focusing on the printers that gained the highest ratings for speed, quality, reliability and value for money, the tech team reviewed their availability and pricing as well as print and multifunction capabilities, paper handling, consumable costs and optional extras. This information was boiled down into four PDF documents shortlisting the best available printers in the following four categories:
- Desktop - No fuss, small-size printers for small office environments typically printing fewer than 20 A4 pages a day. Prices: £60-£300.
- Workgroup - Shared printers for small office networks, where users are happy to look after the printer themselves and print fewer than 100 pages a day. Prices: £100-£370.
- Networked - Expandable machines able to cope with the varied document needs of 15+ people and workloads in excess of 100 pages a day. Prices: £200-£2,400.
- Enterprise - Printer/copiers that can churn out several hundred pages a day, with automated paper-handling and finishing capabilities; often leased on a predictable “per click” cost per page. Retail prices: £400-£3,000.
Follow each link to find out which printers best match your document needs and budget.
Sponsors
The Business Buyer’s Guide to Printers series is published in association with Kyocera Mita and OKI.
