Guide to Buying a Laser Printer

Printing in black and white

If the bulk of your printing is black and white text and quality is a must, a monochrome laser printer is your best bet. Many lasers are designed with networking in mind, allowing a group of people in an office to print to a common laser printer.

I recommend: An excellent selection of laser printers is available at CDW.com.

Cost of ownership

Ongoing costs include replacing toner cartridges, maintenance (cleaning and replacing warn parts) and the cost of laser printer paper, which is more expensive than inkjet paper. Regular maintenance prolongs the life of the printer as well as maintaining the quality of the printed page. Compare the manufacturer’s service plan with that of local independent service companies.

I recommend: Consult HP’s Total Print Management strategy for guidelines for assessing your current printer environment and restructuring it for maximum efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Print Speed

Print speed is expressed in pages per minute (ppm) and the range in black and white printers goes from about 12 ppm up to around 45. It is advisable to buy a printer that prints at least 27 ppm. Note that manufacturer’s speed claims are usually based on small files and simple formats. Large files with graphic elements will often not print at the rate the manufacturer has specified.

I recommend: Search laser printers by page speed at OfficeDepot.com

Laser printer cartridges

The market for laser printer toner cartridges is highly competitive, allowing you to manage the ongoing expense of replacing toner cartridges.

I recommend: Check out All Laser Service for competitive prices on laser printer cartridges.

Color laser printers

Most companies find that they need quality color printing on a regular basis. But using a color laser printer is more expensive than a black & white laser printer. That’s why most companies use a monochrome laser printer for the bulk of their printing needs, reserving a separate color laser printer for marketing materials and other graphic files.

I recommend: Check out color printer suppliers on Business.com  You can also find color laser printers suitable for home offices and small businesses at SuperWarehouse.com.

Printer rental

If your business hosts events or has occasional special projects that require additional printers, renting is your best bet. This is especially true for off-site events because renting alleviates maintenance, transportation and supply costs.

I recommend: Consult Business.com's Printer Rentals resource page.

Large format printers

Banners, signs, maps, architectural plans and posters are all examples of work that must be printed on oversized paper. Large format printers are inkjets that produce photo-quality images on paper sizes of 11x17 and larger. Some use continuous rolls of paper. Note that large format printers sometimes require professional installation.

I recommend: Best Buy for Business features a generous selection of large format printers.

Used, refurbished and discontinued printers

Companies with limited budgets should consider buying a used, refurbished or discontinued printer from a reputable dealer. Often these products are new for all intents and purposes. Whenever a printer is sold and returned, it cannot be sold again as new and it shows up for sale as a used item. When a new model becomes available, manufacturers need to unload the remaining stock of the old model. Many manufacturers offer these products on their websites at deeply discounted prices and often with warranties.

I recommend: HP’s Business Outlet is an online store featuring discontinued, overstock and refurbished business products, including color and black & white laser printers, all of which come with a warranty.