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- Selecting and purchasing an industrial printer is a huge investment that can help your business flow more smoothly and efficiently. If the necessary research is not done prior to choosing your printer, what was meant to be a time-saving, cost-effective machine can quickly become a money pit – in more ways than one.
- 1 Consider your printer’s environment
- 2 Assess your needs
- 3 Determine the printing quantity you need
- 4 Budget!
- 5 Keep it simple!
- About the author: Independent Ink is a national leading manufacturer of custom and specialty inks including jet printing inks, make-up inks and marking inks. We are proud to distribute a wide range of industrial printers and continually introduce progressive inks for all your industrial printing needs.
Selecting and purchasing an industrial printer is a huge investment that can help your business flow more smoothly and efficiently. If the necessary research is not done prior to choosing your printer, what was meant to be a time-saving, cost-effective machine can quickly become a money pit – in more ways than one.
By considering five simple, yet essential factors, you can choose the correct industrial printer and save time, money and energy.
1 Consider your printer’s environment
In doing so, consider two factors: air quality and stress. Air quality can be assessed by determining if your printer will frequently come into contact with dirt, debris, humidity or extreme temperature changes. Stress is defined as the amount of abuse or rigors that the printer will undertake. For example, if a printer has a high chance of a forklift hitting it or if its operators will be working with it in a fast-paced, demanding environment, then the stress level for a printer will be high. Light industrial printers are ideal for clean, low-abuse settings, where as a high-performance printer is better suited for the rigors of poor air quality and high stress.
2 Assess your needs
Various types of industrial printers exist, such as continuous inkjet printers, drop on demand and high resolution printers, and they are designed to serve specific purposes. Whether you need a printer that will print wide widths, standard labels or on specialty materials, there is an industrial printer that will fit your needs.
3 Determine the printing quantity you need
The best way to determine this factor is to assess the amount of materials you need to print within one business day. Some times this time span includes 24/7 printing; other business days are simply 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. with low-medium printing. Certain printers are designed to effectively turn out large amounts of print jobs, while others are more efficient when printing less frequently.
4 Budget!
As with most things in life, quality comes at a price. Thankfully, there are a wide range of quality industrial printers available to consumers. Don’t be afraid to shop around and compare prices. You might also consider researching industrial printer distributors that can offer you steep discounts on quality printers.
5 Keep it simple!
When choosing an industrial printer, always remember to keep things simple – both in terms of technicality and the end-user. You want a printer that has user-friendly features and simple qualities that make it convenient and effective. Don’t be misguided by overly complicated machines that tack on a high price for features that will cost you time and energy.
Keeping these tips in mind will serve you well as you make your industrial printing decision. By saving time, money and energy, you’ll be well on your way to quality printing – minus the headaches.