Business dictates you must buy a large format printer. This is not a simple purchase. It is a hard decision made more complex by the fact that these printers are a business investment for a long run.
The principal considerations in the selection process include whether you will go for a color printer or a mono one, speed and performance, costs and quality of image. Other than these four important factors, you should also consider ease of use, product options, environmental concerns, floor space and security.
Color or mono
This depends on the customer demand. To determine which kind of printer you will buy, find out the maximum number of print jobs you will do in a one of these two categories. If you regularly print posters, presentations and technical documents, buy a color large format printer. However, if you do not frequently print in color, but is associated with an industry which prefers their work to be done at speed, do go for a mono or a black and white one.
Another factor to consider is the robustness of print. In case your prints are exposed to the outside weather, there is a need to make these prints waterproof. Mono printers do a much better job in such cases. If you buy a color printer, you should also consider buying color toner and pigment ink.
Costs
Do understand that a large format printer is an investment. Although it is granted that the price plays an important part in the decision, it should not be the most important of all. Smart buying means purchasing a printer whose supplies are already compatible with your older model or with the economically priced consumables in the market. Installing new software may cost you precious money. Running expenses are also important. Hidden costs are a menace to the profitability of any print company. You should not have to print the same thing a number of times to get the optimal quality of print.
Speed and performance
You should not spend lots of money on an expensive printer if middle priced ones satisfy your requirements. Consider the processing time. The printer processes the files prior to printing them. To know whether a printer can print your kind of job, check the internal memory. Run bigger files prior to shelling out the money. Warm-up time is also important.
Quality of image and ease of use
Dotted and fine lines must be clearly printed. Information must not be lost. If this happens, then the consequences can be catastrophic- an example being leaving out a dotted line in an electrical wiring diagram. The printer must be easy to use so that productive work can be done.
