A printer is one of those office items you might buy once, and then never think about buying again. They all do the same thing, so why would you need to upgrade?
Well, with age, printers can significantly deteriorate in their efficiency. They become loud and slow, often experiencing paper jams and ink streaks, or can become temperamental and unpredictable.
Like all technology markets, the pace of development seems to be getting faster and faster. While we used to be recommended a printer upgrade every 5-7 years, the speed of improvements means we ought to upgrade our printer every 3-5 years.
What you need to look at when deciding whether it’s time for you to upgrade is the quality of your printer, it’s functionality, and it’s cost efficiency.
Quality
The technology available today compared to 10 years ago is incredible. Not only has the speed of printing significantly increased, the quality of the printed product has also improved ten-fold.
Printing photo-like images is easily done, meaning that all photo-printing can be done yourself rather than having to go to a printing shop. It also means that if you have invested in a high quality camera, that quality is not compromised when it comes to printing your images.
Functionality
While previously you may have needed to find the space for separate printers, copiers, scanners and faxing machines, most printers available now will incorporate everything into one multifunctional device, saving you time, space and money.
Additionally, security features have also become available, such as a scheduled data deletion. You can also have the addition of a PIN or key card requirement to print confidential files. This of course ensures that they’re not intercepted (to read more about keeping your printing secure, read our blog on cybersecurity).
Not only that, printers have the capability to print using different colour gamut (the range of colours available in a printer). While most printers have traditionally used CYMK inks, which offer combinations of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (black), other colour channels are delivering colours such as white ink, allowing users to experiment with multilayers and transparencies of their documents.
Cost
Another thing to consider when thinking about upgrading your printer is assessing the expense. While newer printers are of course a significant upfront payment, they may in fact be more cost efficient to run. Newer printers often use cheaper ink, making the cost per page less than what you may be used to. There is also the option to lease a printer, which spreads the cost to a more manageable monthly rate.
Furthermore, if your current printer is no longer covered by warranty, purchasing a new printer may be cheaper (and far less frustrating) than getting the old one serviced. Often the parts for older printer are no longer manufactured, which makes repairing them difficult and expensive.
If you consider the above, having a multifunctional, high quality printer may save you money in the long run if it condenses all your digital needs to just one device, and produces them to a high quality in-house rather than you having to pay to go elsewhere.
Overall, the choice as to whether to upgrade your printer comes down to personal circumstance. There are multiple factors to consider, but the main points to assess are the quality of your printer, it’s functionality, and the cost to run. If you’re still unsure and would like some advice, don’t hesitate to get in contact with us today.