Types:
Single function vs. Multifunction color printers
AIO
Multifunction products (MFP) also referred to as all-in-one (AIO) products may be the best choice for you if:
Saving time is important
- Your users spend a lot of time moving documents from one
device to another -- from free color
printer to fax machine for example.
- You could improve your office workflow or data storage systems by converting documents to electronic format for sending, sharing, archiving.
Saving money is important
- You want to reduce maintenance and IT costs associated with a large inventory of products.
- You want to avoid replacing small inkjet cartridges that end up being less cost effective.
Saving space is important
- You have color printers, scanners, fax machines, and copiers
that seem to be underutilized.
- You are losing valuable office space with multiple devices.
Free
Color Printer Features:
What type of free color printers
(ink, laser, or multifunction) and what features would best
suit your organization?
Print speed: You should be most concerned
about print speed if your free color
printers will be used regularly by multiple employees,
or if you often run large print jobs.
Print quality: If you are printing in-house marketing documents, graphics, images or other important documents, print quality should be a consideration.
Volume: If you need to support heavy levels
of printing, then this feature needs to be a consideration.
When you try to print too much on a lower-volume printer,
your maintenance costs may go up and you may spend more over
time than you would if you had purchased a color
printer designed to handle your printing volume requirements.
Paper handling: If you print a lot of usual-sized
documents, or if your documentation typically requires a lot
of assembly, then you want to be sure to find a color
printer with the paper handling capabilities that you
need.
Paper Types:
Following is an explanation of key paper features:
Weight:
Papers can be as light as newsprint or as heavy as cardboard. Usually, standard business papers range between 20 and 24-lbs. Greeting card and cover papers fall anywhere in the range of 60-79 lbs. HP offers a wide range of paper weights for your specific needs.
Thickness:
The thickness of a paper affects its handling characteristics and is most applicable to photo papers. Generally, thicker media is stiffer--which means it resists creases and tears. Thickness is most often expressed in "mil" (or .001 inch).
Brightness:
Brightness refers to the amount of light reflected from the surface of the paper. The more light, the higher the brightness value--which means you get crisper text and a better background for vivid images and color photos.
Opacity:
Opacity describes how well the paper blocks the passage of light through it. The more opaque a paper, the less it shows what has been printed on the other side. Opacity is particularly important when selecting paper for brochures, newsletters, calendars and other applications when you need to print on both sides.
Finish:
Finishes are becoming more and more sophisticated. There are a wide range of finishes, including matte, glossy and everything in between like semi-gloss, soft-gloss or satin-gloss. Choosing the right finish dictates how the printed piece looks. For example, many people opt for the mirror-like finish of high-gloss for color, and matte finish for black and white photographs.
Scoring:
A scored line makes it easier to fold greeting cards and brochures, for a more consistent and professional-looking product.
Smoothness:
Smoothness affects how text and images appear on the page. The smoother a paper's finish, the sharper an image will appear. Papers designed color printers and copier machines tend to be smoother to provide crisper text for fusing toner to a page while inkjet papers do not need the same smoothness for applying ink drops. Papers designed for photos are both smooth and bright so images sit high on the surface and reflect brilliant colors.
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