Color Vs. Monochrome
Another user need that will drive your printer requirements is color printing. For most documents, monochrome is sufficient. But to make a lasting impression, you need color. About five or six years ago, color printing was too expensive and not widely available to all users. Recent advancements in printing technology has made color printing affordable and available. There are various color printing technologies including laser, thermal transfer and inkjet to choose from. And of course, each technology has its set of advantages and disadvantages.
Deciding upon a color printer often requires understanding which printing technology will best suit the needs of your users. Color laser printers offer a good combination of performance, color quality, ease of use and cost. Thermal transfer printers will offer more vibrant images at the expense of performance and ease of use. Inkjet printers offer a very affordable alternative to both laser and thermal transfer printers. Inkjet printers can be found for under $500, but lack high output quality, good performance and duty cycle. While some vendors claim that their inkjet output is photo-quality, when comparing a high-resolution thermal transfer output to that of an inkjet printer, there is no comparison.
For most shared network situations, color laser printers are often the best solution. But, before you make a final decision, you should do some field work by obtaining sample output from the various printers for direct comparison. Be sure to get samples on the media you use most often. If you print primarily on transparencies, plain paper samples will do you no good.
Other key features of a shared network printer include job offsetting, which offsets every other print job, so it is easier for users to differentiate their print jobs from those of another user. The type of paper supported is also important. For example, it's best to find a printer that has at least one paper tray with a straight paper path. This will allow thick media or labels to pass through the printer with a reduced risk of jamming. If you will be printing on heavy paper stock, be sure the maximum paper weight is also supported.
One of the most overlooked factors is the physical environment in which the printer will be installed. In some cases, it might be prudent to install a lower cost, impact printer rather than a laser printer in a hostile environment, such as a trucking depot, warehouse or any location bearing extreme temperatures, humidity or dirt. While laser printers are often the preferred device, impact printers are very good at printing high volumes of paper, cheaply and are relatively inexpensive to purchase and maintain. In addition, if you need to print onto multi-layer paper, an impact printer must be used.
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