smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

Finding the right printer might not seem like the most exciting job, but there are a range of great models available depending on your business needs. Read our guide to find the most suitable one for you.

Gunning for laser

Epson AcuLaser M1200
Price: from £41

Opting for a laser printer over an inkjet model has the advantage of costing you less in printing costs. Usually laser printers are much more expensive but something like the Epson AcusLaser offers a cheap bottom-of-the-range solution if you want a relatively fast black and white printer.

Shaped like a loaf of bread, the Epson AcusLaser is perfect if you’re running a home-based business and don’t want your model to take up too much space. The print speeds are reasonably quick at 20 pages per minute (ppm) and the quality is fairly sharp.

But if you intend to do a lot of printing you may find the specs on this model quite basic, for example it only has a 150-sheet paper tray. And despite its 15,000 monthly printing capacity, costs for high-volume use are high compared with other models. However, for medium to light users this offers great value for money.

Splashing the colour

HP Colour LaserJet CP3520
Price: from £460

If you are interested in producing brochures and other marketing materials on-site, then a colour laser printer, such as the HP LaserJet CP3520, could be the answer.

This particular model has print speeds of up to 30 ppm in black and white and colour, with a double-sided print option to help you cut down on paper costs. Paper tray capacity for the cheaper models in the series starts at 350 sheets, with monthly page volumes from 1,500 to 5,000. However, you may find the speed much slower for larger document printing.

Mobile printing

HP Officejet H470 Mobile Printer Colour Ink-jet printer
Price: from £134

For road-warrior business types, the HP Officejet H470 Mobile Printer is ideal. HP claim that this is the world's fastest mobile printer, delivering speeds of up to 23 ppm for black and white and 16 ppm for colour.

At 3.25 inches high, 13.4 inches wide, and 6.45 inches deep it’s certainly compact; and weighing 4.5 pounds is portable enough to fit into a bag or a briefcase.

The feeder can only hold 50 sheets of paper, but if you are just using it for presentation handouts when you’re on the move, this shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

The all-in-one

Samsung SCX-6545N Mono Laser Multifunction with Fax
Price: from £1,850

Multifunctions are like the Mercedes Benz of printers, expensive but incredibly smooth-running. In addition they usually double-up as a photocopier, fax machine and scanner, combining all your office needs in one compact space.

If you want a really top-notch model expect to pay anything up to £8,000, but for a cheaper version something like the Samsung SCX-6545N provides good value for money.
This model can print up to 200,000 a month at a speed of 43ppm or 40 ppm for double-sided printouts and even comes with a seven inch LCS touch screen control. It also reduces power consumption automatically when not in use by switching to sleep mode after a set time of inactivity. Perfect for businesses in need of a fast, high-volume printer to run on minimum costs. 

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