| Today's choice of computer printers is huge, and | | | | competitive overall Cost of Printing, when print |
| competition amongst retailers is fierce. Discounts | | | | volumes are below average. |
| of 60-70% from the manufacturers' | | | | High volume or low volume usage? |
| recommended retail price are not uncommon | | | | In the debate about the best route - laser or |
| amongst multifunctional printer devices, and it is | | | | inkjet - a major deciding factor is, without doubt, |
| rare not to find at least 25% discounts amongst | | | | the anticipated volume of use. Even considering |
| print-only devices. So, should we consider anything | | | | the above examples, discounting would have to |
| more than the purchase price? | | | | be far too heavy in order for any laser printer to |
| Without doubt, print speed, brand reputation, | | | | match the low overall cost of printing available |
| connectivity to existing equipment and print quality | | | | with, say, the HP Officejet Pro K550. Tests have |
| are all part of the mix. But budgeting for the total | | | | shown that overall cost of printing on this printer, |
| cost of the selected printer in terms of the | | | | in a high-volume environment, has been shown to |
| consumables used - this is the real challenge for | | | | be as low as two pence per page taking into |
| buyers. This is the area where the manufacturers | | | | account a purchase price that is well below |
| and distributors are battling for the income | | | | �100. |
| streams from consumables - inks, toner | | | | Conversely, users with low volume needs might |
| cartridges, print media, replacement parts and the | | | | aim to avoid replacing the more expensive laser |
| like. Here the discounts are less obvious, and for | | | | parts. Some might hope not even to need to |
| good reason. The onus is squarely on the buyer | | | | replenish the colour toners. |
| to consider these costs, and to ensure they are | | | | At the level of 250 pages per month, for |
| not buying into an expensive cost of ownership. | | | | example, a user will print 9,000 pages over three |
| So, rather than going with the brand and the | | | | years. Calculating at at black-only to colour page |
| technology they are used to, and looking for the | | | | ratio of 70%/30% (in favour of black-only), then |
| biggest purchase price discount, what do buyers | | | | only 2,700 of those pages will be colour. |
| have to gain by doing their research? The | | | | At this level, many laser printers will need a toner |
| answer, of course, is a great deal. | | | | change during the life - or the capital cost |
| Inkjet or Laser Printer? | | | | write-off period - of the printer. But it is not |
| First off, the mantra from IT departments is | | | | impossible to find a low-end entry-level laser |
| often fixed in stone, that laser printers should | | | | printer with a 2,000-page starter toner capacity |
| always be specified as the more "professional" | | | | so that for such users there is no need for a |
| choice for any organisation. But for small groups, | | | | colour toner change within three years. |
| inkjet provides a perfectly professional print | | | | Other factors affecting colour printer choice |
| quality, and would suit small networked teams, not | | | | Colour is desirable of course, when working with |
| least because of the quiet operation compared | | | | presentation materials. But a large proportion of |
| with some extremely noisy laser systems in | | | | printing can still usefully involve only monochrome |
| operation. | | | | output. How much colour is used will always be a |
| On the other hand, in terms of purchase price | | | | factor in costs. Discipline is needed to ensure |
| alone, the cost of entry-level colour laser has also | | | | correct printer settings for the task in hand. |
| made laser very attractive to corporations, so | | | | Discipline is also needed, of course, for test |
| that they can follow the advice of their IT | | | | printing, where draft settings are important to |
| departments, upgrade monochrome laser to | | | | ensure no unnecessary, cumulative wastage. |
| colour and then absorb the supplies and | | | | With the choice in technologies, and with the |
| consumables costs in their departmental | | | | choice in entry-level pricing inkjets, against high |
| stationery budgets. | | | | specification or workhorse lasers, and against the |
| But in another scenario, price discounting has also | | | | additional complexities of multifunctional printers, it |
| brought the colour laser printer within reach of the | | | | pays to think hard about the actual tasks to |
| home-office worker, or sole trader company, | | | | which a new printer is to address and the number |
| where the "mantra" factor tempts buyers away | | | | of users it is to serve. This is the starting point |
| from inkjet simply through the belief that laser | | | | for an understanding of the actual costs of |
| provides better print quality at faster print speeds. | | | | owning the printer over its lifetime in the |
| Here, it is quite possible that low page counts and | | | | workplace. |
| colour content would not justify the higher cost | | | | Jimi St. Pierre writes for several Office Equipment |
| of many laser printers currently available. | | | | suppliers and Travel Companies in the UK, including |
| On the other hand again, by looking amongst the | | | | wide format printer supplier Officemagic and |
| best discounted prices, colour laser printers in the | | | | Country Connect , the latter being a publisher of a |
| Canon range can be found at a very similar prices | | | | daily news feed to the UK travel industry via the |
| to Hewlett-Packard business inkjet machines, and | | | | Virgin Media Traveleye extranet. |
| as we shall see, can offer laser technology at a | | | | |