How to Choose The Best Printer for Your Home Office

Not Sure Which Printer to Get for Your Home Office? These 7 Tips Will Help

Are you searching for the best printer for your home office or small office?

Selecting the perfect home printer – whether it is a home office multifunction laser printer or a 3-in-1 ink tank printer – can be tough given the sheer number of options on the market.

Here are some of the most important factors to consider when buying a printer for your small office or home office (SOHO) set-up.

  1. Types of print jobs for your home office
  2. Different types of printers
  3. Size/space constraints
  4. Print speed
  5. Print resolution
  6. Price
  7. Wireless connectivity

1. Types of printing jobs for your home office printer

Choosing the right multifunction printer for your home office depends on the type of documents you’ll be printing most of the time. Some businesses require only black-and-white printing while others need to print photographs, colourful pie charts and detailed business reports in colour.

Answering this question will help you decide between a laser printer or an inkjet printer. A laser printer is better for high-volume monochrome printing—these would include documents, letters, proposals and reports that do not require colour. An inkjet or colour laser printer, on the other hand, is more suited to printing out colourful charts, posters, brochures, reports, or illustrations.

To understand the key differences betweena laser printer or an inkjet printer, read this article.

2. Different types of printers

When you look at the market for home office printers, you can find both single-function printers and multifunction printers.

If you are looking for a versatile printer which has the capability to handle printing, scanning, copying and faxing, an all-in-one printer may be just right for you.

A highly-popular multifunction laser printer is the Brother MFC-L2770DW Laser Printer. A mid-sized printer well-suited for your home or small office use, it has convenient features such as wireless printing, mobile and cloud printing capabilities, and other time-saving functions.

If your print volume is expected to be high, automatic duplexing is a big plus. Duplexing refers to the printing of both sides of the page without requiring manual flipping. Not only does printing on both sides help your business to be more eco-friendly, it is also convenient and helps you save time and costs in the long run.

3. Size/space constraints

If you run a small office or home office, the efficient use of space would be at the forefront of your mind. You may also need to consider the number of users who would be sharing the printer, and where the printer should be placed.

For a small-sized printer that packs a punch, check out the Brother DCP-T420W Ink Tank Printer. This refillable ink tank printer handles a variety of print jobs speedily and efficiently, perfect for home or small office use.

4. Print speed

Another important consideration is print speed. If you regularly print a high volume of documents, or you’re constantly printing invoices, labels, or large documents, a faster print speed will be what you need.

Laser printers tend to stand out in this aspect as they generally have a faster print speed (of up to 30-40 pages per minute) and are better equipped to handle large printing needs.

5. Print resolution

If print quality is high on your priority list, you will need a printer that offers a higher dpi (dots-per-inch), which refers to the number of dots of ink the printer can apply to a square inch of paper. This basically indicates how much detail and clarity you can expect your prints to have.

If printing colour photos and charts is going to be a daily affair, your ideal printer could be a Brother MFC-J2330DW Inkjet Printer. Ideal for home/small offices, this multifunction colour printer comes with photo-quality printing capabilities with high-yield ink cartridges. It is a printer that packs a punch, offering versatility and cost-efficiency for small business owners that require colour prints.

6. Price

In determining the price that you are willing to pay for your printer, do also consider the printer’s running costs. Here, information such as cartridge page yield comes into play. Ink cartridges with higher page yields are considered more cost-efficient, as you get more pages printed on a single cartridge.

You may also want to check out the long-term running costs as these can add up over time. In particular, you should take note of the cost of key printer consumables such as ink cartridges, toner, paper, etc over a period of time.

Printing can be expensive but there are different ways to save on costs. For more tips on cost-savings, read this article!

7. Wireless connectivity

Most modern printers today allow seamless Wi-Fi printing without even the need to install a printer driver. As long as your phone and printer is connected to your office or home’s wireless network, you can print to it directly from a nearby location.

If you use an iOS device, Apple Airprint lets you print from your device to any wireless printer that shares the same wireless network. To ensure your printer is compatible with AirPrint, please get in touch with the Brother’s customer support team.

Android users can also rely on a range of wireless apps for direct printing from most printer vendors, such as Brother’s iPrint&Scan app. There are also printing apps, such as Mopria Print, that you can download and use.

For more details on how to print from anywhere, read this article.

Conclusion

Your choice of printer for your home/small office largely depends on your business’ specific printing needs, the type of features that matter to you, as well as the cost of the printer and its running costs.

Investing in a good quality printer could end up saving you money in the long run, so do consider the factors laid out above before taking the plunge!

How to Set Up Your Home Office Space

woman working at desk with laptop

Are you setting up your home office space and need help to determine what the most important home office essentials are?

Wish to choose the best all-in-one printer for scanning, copying and printing to supercharge your home office?

With so many things to consider, choosing the right office supplies for your work-from-home gig can be stressful. Whether you are looking to set up your home office from scratch or are looking for a few key pieces to get you started, we are here to help. 

In this article, we give you the lowdown on how you can set up your home office space to maximise your productivity and efficiency. It includes the most essential items you need for a home office, along with the best home office multifunction laser printer options available in the market. 

How to Set Up An Efficient Workspace from Home

An efficient home office should ideally be a separate space in your home that is away from your bedroom. It could be a small study space or a corner of your living room. 

Here are some essential Work-From-Home (WFH) items to invest in that can last you for the long haul.

brightly lit home office space

Ergonomic Desk

Do you spend hours at your desk facing a computer screen? If so, an ergonomically-designed desk might be your new best friend.

With numerous adjustable desk options in the market, you’re totally spoilt for choice.

Pro-tip: How do you know if your desk is at the correct height? Check that your forearms are parallel to the ground and your wrist is not bent when you type on the keyboard or use the mouse.

Comfortable Backrest or Chair

A comfortable work-chair is one of the most crucial elements of any office. A good work-chair that provides ample lumbar support can prevent backaches and neck-aches in the long run. 

So take your time to shop for a good one, and where possible, test the chair before making a purchase.

Wi-Fi Booster

You know that feeling when you have an important video call and your Wi-Fi decides to take time off?  

This anxiety-ridden scenario can be easily avoided with a Wi-Fi signal booster. Depending on how strong a connection you need and how far away your workspace is from your existing router, prices are usually affordable for a basic Wi-Fi booster with a limited range.

Label Printer

The last thing you want is for things to get messy and disorganized in your home office. Investing in a good label printer can help you keep your workspace neat and organized – with all your documents, files, and stationery in their rightful place.

Which Home Office Multifunction Printer to Choose?

Choosing the right all-in-one laser printer or multifunction inkjet printer for your home office really depends on your expected print volume and the type of documents you need to print. 

Some businesses require only black-and-white printing while others need to print graphs and detailed business reports in colour. Creative professionals like photographers, designers, and artists working from home may even need to print high quality photos and posters. 

Inkjet vs Laser Printer — Which Is Better for Your Home Office?

What is the difference between a laser printer and an inkjet printer? 

Let us compare laser and inkjet printers to see which may be best suited for your home office setup:

·  Laser printers offer fast print speed 

·  Laser printers result in sharp text quality

·  Laser printers are more suited for high volume printing

·  Inkjet printers often provide more vibrant colours 

·  Inkjet printers are usually affordable

·  Inkjet printers are usually compact

Now that you’ve learned the differences between laser and inkjet printers, your next step is to choose the best printer for your home office. (Alternatively, you can also choose to read up more on the differences between a laser printer and an inkjet printer.)

Best All-in-One Home Office Laser Printer

Brother multifunction laser printer DCP-L2550DW

A prime example of a highly-effective all-in-one laser printer is the Brother DCP-L2550DW Laser Printer. It is the ultimate mid-sized printer for your home or small office. Boasting a speedy 34 page-per-minute (ppm) print speed, you’ll be able to receive your documents in a jiffy. It also has automatic 2-sided printing that is eco-friendly <link to eco-friendly infographic> and helps you to save paper.

With scanning, copying and fax capabilities, you may expect a rather cumbersome footprint, but you’ll be surprised – this 4-in-1 is actually very compact and does not take up much more space than your regular printer.

With wireless capabilities, you can easily connect to the printer through your Wi-Fi network. You can also use apps like AirPrint, Mopria, as well as Brother iPrint&Scan.  

Another popular choice is the Brother DCP-L3551CDW Laser Printer – a cost-efficient and reliable printer that is perfect for small home offices. This fast monochrome and colour printer churns out stunning pages at a speed of up to 18ppm. It also features wireless connectivity and automatic duplex printing for eco-friendly and professional two-sided documents.

Best Home Office Multifunction Inkjet Printer

Inkjet printers also have their own set of advantages. They typically offer:

Vibrant colours for photo prints

·  Low upfront investment and running costs

·  Compact sizes

Brother multifunction inkjet printer DCP-T520W

A good example of a high-quality all-in-one inkjet printer is the Brother DCP-T520W Ink Tank Printer. Built for high-volume printing, the DCP-T520W is able to print, copy and scan, and can print up to 7,500 pages in black and 5,000 pages in colour, all at a low cost-per-print. What’s more, it supports various paper sizes and weights, so printing different print jobs is now a breeze.