Inkjet Printer: Color, Wireless, All-in-One, Portable

Rundown: How to Buy the Best Office Inkjet Printer

Is an inkjet office printer a good fit for business?

Unless your print volume exceeds 500 pages per day, an inkjet printer in the office does the job. Its advantages include lower cost at the time of purchase, cheap ink cartridges in comparison with laser toner cartridges, and greater versatility in materials they print onto.

Color images and photo prints, especially if vivid and detailed, tend to look best printed on an inkjet. Artists used early inkjets to make fine art reproductions in the mid-‘80s. Modern versions are much more compact, but operate on the same prepress proofing principles of thermal inkjet: a small amount of ink is heated and dropped onto paper from a moving print head. Epson printers are unique in that they use a crystal instead of heat to direct the ink droplets.

If you need to print lots of black and white copy paper documents, a monochrome laser printer will lower the cost of printing.

What are all-in-one printers?

They are all-in-one (AIO) peripherals—they fax, copy, scan, and print. Great value for a small business that needs to save on equipment costs and space. Most top inkjet printers have AIO capabilities (also called 3 in 1) by some manufacturers. Business-focused all-in-one printer models have authentication features built in to enforce privacy policy for regulatory compliance.

Compact all-in-one printers are convenient for mobile workspaces. They connect over a wireless connection and users may order print jobs for files in cloud storage.

Why are inkjet printers so cheap?

OEMs make little or no margin on the printer sale. Profits come from selling printer ink cartridges. That’s why there are HP ink cartridges, which are different than Brother, Epson, Canon, and the rest. To make sure to buy ink cartridges for your printer correctly, refer to the ink cartridge finder.

What is the best way to calculate cost per page for your printer?

You should know cost per page when shopping for an office inkjet printer for business. True cost of printing is best measured by CPP. Check the ink cartridge your printer uses, and look for the page yield – find it on the product page or on the box. Page yield tells you how many pages a cartridge prints before it needs replacing. Divide the page yield by the cost of the cartridge to find cost per page. Add this to the price of the printer for a better look at printer value.

Where can you buy ink printers for professional CAD drawings, MAPs, and architectural plans?

NeweggBusiness sells large format printers; find them by shopping in the inkjet category. We carry a selection of HP Designjet and Canon imagePRO that have enhanced drivers for CAD software.

Can you use laserjet paper with an inkjet printer?

It is best to print on paper designated for inkjets. Standard office paper used for photocopiers and laser printers is designed to wick away moisture so the ink will run and smear. A weighted paper type absorbs the ink properly; paper with weight between 21-27 lbs should work with either an inkjet or a laser printer.

Are ink cartridge refill services and third party ink OK to use?

According to Consumer Reports, 37% of inkjet owners admit to using third party ink or aftermarket cartridges. About a third of those people say the quality isn’t up to par. Some manufacturers—Lexmark is one—warns that using third party ink will void a warranty on the printer. If you buy a printer for under $100, and print quality isn’t a factor, it is probably worth the gamble—while third party cartridges are still legal, that is.

Where can you get cheap genuine brand inkjet cartridges?

Saving money on printer ink at NeweggBusiness is easy. Buy HP ink cartridges through HP Instant Ink monthly subscription service and save up to 50%-- know how much you print and remain consistent. You will find printer ink discounts at NeweggBusiness nearly year-round. Looking for a consistently good deal? Check pricing on Canon Pixma MG series ink cartridges.

What’s the best inkjet printer under $200?

Historically, HP inkjet printers top sales charts most quarters. Epson, for the first time ever, took the number one spot in summer of 2017, according to IDC research. Epson gained marketshare on the strength of a new line of inkjets without cartridges, popular among business customers. The Epson Workforce and Epson L series have their new Ink Tank technology on board, and claims a 90 percent cost per page reduction over leading printers.

Printer reviews and data indicate Newegg business customers favor HP OfficeJet Pro printers most often. The long-standing office standard inkjet document printer has Ethernet connectivity, relatively good speed (35 ppm), quick to setup and deploy. As the runner-up the Brother Business Smart line has user reviews and specifications that match the HP offering.

Remember, a good printer is efficient, not cheap. When shopping for the best inkjet office printer, keep the cost per page top of mind when making your decision.

By NeweggBusiness Staff

Inkjet Printers

Featured Brands