Choosing a printer for a small office

An office printer has to be quick, shared by everyone, and cheap per page. For most small offices, that means a laser printer.

Laser or ink for an office?

• Laser is the usual choice: fast, the toner doesn't dry out over a holiday, and documents cost little per page.
• Ink tank (EcoTank) suits offices that print a lot of colour, such as flyers and photos, and want the lowest cost per colour page.
• Cartridge inkjets are rarely worth it in an office: the cartridges run out fast.

Features an office needs

• Duplex: prints on both sides by itself, saving paper.
• Network or Wi-Fi: everyone prints from their own PC or phone, with no PC that has to stay on.
• Multifunction (MFP): print, scan and copy in one; an automatic document feeder (ADF) scans many pages at once.
• Scan to email or to a folder: saves walking to a PC with a USB stick.
• Fax: still needed in some offices; models with "f" in the name have it.
• Mono or colour: if most of what you print is black and white, a mono laser keeps costs down; choose colour laser only if you need it often.

The cost that counts: toner

Look at how many pages a toner prints, not only its price. Larger offices save with high-yield toners, and for many HP and Samsung printers our compatible toners cost less than originals.

Which printer for an office of 5 people?

A mono laser multifunction with duplex and network, such as an HP LaserJet Pro MFP, covers printing, scanning and copying for most offices that size.

Do I need a UPS for the office?

A UPS keeps the PCs, router and server on through short power cuts, so work isn't lost. Printers usually don't need one.

Can you supply the printer and the toner together?

Yes, with a VAT invoice, and we keep toner for the printers we sell. Ask us for a quote.