Printers, Scanning and Going Paperless
Printer purchasing is a classic example of a low upfront price concealing a high running cost, and the difference over a few years is substantial.
Cost per page
Calculate the cost of a cartridge or toner divided by its rated page yield. That figure, not the printer price, determines what printing costs you.
Inexpensive inkjets frequently have high cost per page and low-yield cartridges. Laser printers cost more initially and are considerably cheaper per page for text.
High-capacity ink tank printers, where ink is bought in bottles, have transformed the economics for businesses printing in colour and are worth considering.
Rated yields assume a standard coverage that most real documents exceed, so actual costs run higher than the calculation suggests.
Laser versus inkjet
Laser suits text-heavy printing, higher volumes, and intermittent use, since toner does not dry out.
Inkjet suits colour work and photographs, and suffers if left unused for long periods as heads clog.
For an office printing mostly documents, mono laser is usually the right answer, with a separate colour device if genuinely needed.
Managed print and leasing
Contracts covering the device, consumables and servicing for a per-page fee, common for larger machines.
Read the minimum volume commitment, since paying for pages you do not print is the usual complaint.
Read the contract length and exit terms, which on office equipment leases are frequently long and expensive to break.
For a small office, buying outright and purchasing consumables is generally simpler and cheaper.
Scanning and going paperless
A document scanner with a sheet feeder is transformative for anyone processing paper, and considerably faster than a flatbed.
Scan to searchable PDF where the software supports it, since text recognition makes archives usable rather than merely stored.
Establish a naming convention and folder structure before you start, since a thousand files named by scanner default are no more findable than a filing cabinet.
Security
Networked printers frequently store copies of documents on internal drives, which matters at disposal or lease return.
They are also a common weak point on business networks, since firmware is rarely updated and default credentials frequently remain.
Change default passwords, restrict access, and confirm what happens to stored data when the device leaves.
Confidential waste should be shredded rather than binned, and a cross-cut shredder is inexpensive.
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