Features To Look For In A New Colour Laser Printer

For many years now, laser printers have been the preferred choice for standard office use. While they do not quite offer the same clarity and high fidelity that inkjet printers do when reproducing images, for example, laser printers offer lower cost per page and are more durable over time, characteristics which make them better suited to high volume work.

Laser printers operate around a special metal drum. Lasers are used to magnetise areas of the drum in very precise patterns which correspond to the text or image you want to print. These magnetised spots then attract the toner, which is also magnetic. The toner is then pressed onto the sheet of paper by the drum, and sealed in place by a second, very hot drum.

Laser printers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes suitable for a wide range of deployments. Over the years, the technology has advanced significantly, meaning modern colour laser printers are more accurate, reliable and produce better quality prints than ever before.

If you are in the market for a new colour laser printer for your business, here are the key features to look out for.

RAM

We are used to dealing with measurements of RAM on our PCs and smartphones, which tells us the ‘working memory’ of devices and therefore gives an indication of its processing speed and capacity to handle multiple complex tasks. Most business printers nowadays have their own internal memory so they can store jobs in queues. The amount of RAM you need will depend a) on how much printing you do in your business and b) what it is you tend to print. If your print requirements are graphics or image-heavy, you will benefit from a higher RAM.

Wireless networking

Laser printers aimed at the business market have long come with ethernet connections so you can plug them into a network of computers and send jobs from multiple sources at once. With increased use of mobile devices in business, it is also a good idea to choose a printer that offers wireless connectivity, so staff can send jobs from tablets and smartphones if they wish.

Multiple device compatibility

Following on from wireless networking, it is also important to check that a new printer is compatible with all the different devices staff in your offices might want to print from. The real issue here is operating system compatibility. Traditionally, business printers have been built to work with Windows PCs as standard, with much less choice available if you use Macs or systems that run on Linux. However, that is changing, with printer manufacturers keen to make their products compatible with iOS and Android to extend their appeal as far as possible.

Touchscreen display

Having a display on your office printer is useful so staff can can do things like manage queues and alter settings without having to return to their desk. In the modern world of smartphones and tablets, it makes sense to choose printers with touchscreens, because people by and large find them intuitive and easy to use.

Interested in earning more about the latest colour laser printer technology? Give our friendly team of experts a call today.