Three Simple Recycling Strategies for Your Office
The world is focused on recycling. One of the best places to start may be with your office laser printers and multifunction systems.
Here are three simple steps to cutting waste and saving money:
- Recycle Paper Put recycling bins next to your printers and copiers. Most municipalities have recycling services. You can also use recycled paper in your printers and copiers. Make sure to select a good quality of recycled paper that is rated for laser printers and copiers.
- Duplex Printing A great way to immediately cut paper usage is to set your printers and multifunction systems to default to duplex (two-sided) printing. This is especially helpful for long print jobs because duplex printing literally cuts your paper usage in half.
Why NOT Color?
Color helps you communicate more effectively with your customers, and it also helps you communicate more effectively internally.
Color Improves Customer Communication
Did you know that color invoices get paid faster, reducing collection time? Color marketing materials and proposals command attention. Color newsletters and publications keep your clients informed of your new offerings.
Color Improves Internal Communication
Did you know that training materials are more effective in color? Spreadsheets and financial reports are more understandable in color – and color even helps to reduce errors when working with reports. Key memos and internal flyers capture attention in color.
What to Look For When Purchasing a Printer
Technological advances have resulted in many different printers, but of course not all printers will print the same quality. There are many different types of printers on the market, and all of them have different functions and characteristics. 
Some questions you may want to ask before buying a printer are:
· Are you a large or small company?
· What will this device be used for?
· What quality and performance features are you looking for?
· What is your budget?
Helpful Tips For Office Printers
An office printer is one of the most expensive pieces of office equipment to buy. Given the size of the office, it is important to be careful that you are getting the most for your money.
It is unwise to buy the cheapest model of printers available, because to buy a replacement and with maintenance costs, it may ultimately cost you more in the long run. One of the first decisions to make when purchasing a printer is whether you need one that is just for black and white documents or for color documents. This decision can ultimately affect the price. Color printers are typically higher in cost, but definitely worth it if you will be printing images. If the majority of printing in your office comes in the form of text documents and memos, a monochrome printer may be your best choice.
Quality and Cost Savings: It Pays to Buy Remanufactured!
In trying economic times, smart companies are taking a hard look at the costs of producing hard copies. Dollar-savvy purchasers are turning to the cost-efficient and environmentally friendly alternative of compatible and remanufactured cartridges.
Eckelkamp Retirement Planning, a small business offering independent financial advising services, is one company that saves time and money by ordering remanufactured cartridges. “We’ve been using remanufactured cartridges for years, and have
had a great experience with them,” said Susan Snyder, operations manager for Eckelkamp.
“We deal with mutual funds, stocks, bonds, annuities, etc. We offer financial planning, 401K rollovers, investment planning and
tax reduction strategies,” so it is important that the printouts look good so that clients will trust us with their money, she said. “We prepare important financial portfolio reviews and put together financial statements for customers on a regular basis. We print those from our office printer, and they have to look good.
Color Printing: Just What You Need
Color printing has been around for years, but until recently, it was not that widely used in everyday office environments.
According to industry observers at CAP Ventures, this may be because color printers have traditionally been perceived as too
expensive and complex to be of much value for everyday usage.1 However, now that color devices are becoming more affordable and functional, that’s changing. Even so, it’s still entirely possible to spend too much on color—by failing to carefully match needs to capabilities. As Don Jones points out in The Definitive Guide to Office Color Printing, many organizations don’t understand the range of options available to them for using color; as a result, they “often implement overly expensive solutions for everyday use.”2 This planner is designed to help you align printing requirements with devices in order to get just what you need in color printing—no more, and no less.
Think about it: Consider the ways in which you want to use color printing for everyday office document.
Act on it: Determine the criteria to apply to be sure that the devices you buy are appropriate for your needs.
Work with it: Evaluate how well the devices you are considering match your selection criteria.
Buying a Printer or Scanner
Printers and scanners are an absolute necessity in every organization, business, office, educational institution, and more. The numerous brands and features of printers and scanners can vary anywhere from the numerous accessories, to the 
simplicity of black and white, color or both depending on the intended job.
Printers are available for specific purposes such as printers for mobile receipts, mobile thermal labels, network thermal labels and more. While some scanners can also be used for specific scanning purposes of photos, business cards, documents, and checks. Although some machines can accomplish both jobs of the printer and scanner.
Printers
The print preview option works out to be a great advantage as it helps a person to see how everything would look like in final, hard copy. Another advantage of printers is allowing storage of all the information in files for future reference with an ease and peace of mind that nothing important will be lost.
Laser printers, print quickly while, inkjet printers are cheaper they are slower. Yet, both printers use ink cartridges and will need to be changed. A good sensible solution to dealing with constantly changing cartridges is to use reusable cartridges.
Scanners
Scanners are machines you can scan just about anything and view it in soft copy on your laptop or computer. Meaning important documents like proof of purchase receipts, photos, contracts, and articles from newspapers or magazines, can be scanned and shared over email with friends or colleagues.
Comparing Printers Before You Buy
If you’re in the market for a color laser printer for the first time, you are in for some surprises and a few shocks. Color laser printers have come a long way in function and reliability and are now offered by a large number of companies. Laser printers can be all-in-one machines and be as industrial-strong as any company would need them to be. They can also be more moderately priced for the smaller companies and even less expensive for home, business, or personal use.
When comparing color laser printers you need to consider many aspects in order to ensure the best purchase for your needs. Excellent refurbished printers are available at remarkable savings and many will include a warranty that will give peace of mind concerning the cost. Any color laser printer comparison needs to consider those as well. Some laser printers are capable of label making, shredding, gluing pages, collating, stapling and will easily serve the printing needs of one computer or an entire department. A color laser printer comparison needs to consider the ink the printer will use, because toner and cartridges can get very expensive.
HP Color Planning Guide: Evaluating Color Printers Is Easier Than You Think.
Color printing in the office is no longer limited to a specialized department or niche marketing firms or large-scale enterprises with considerable financial resources. Today, color printing is an essential tool in everyday business, a necessity for competing in a fast-paced and dynamic marketplace. In fact, the question in most offices — large and small — is not “whether” to incorporate color printers into their operations, but rather “when and how.”
As you consider expanding the color printing capabilities in your own office, important questions will arise that affect not only your purchasing decision, but also your strategies for effective use of color printing throughout the organization. This guide provides answers to common questions about color printing that will make you a better and more-informed user of color printing. Each section of this guide provides a different perspective for evaluating printers. You may not need to read the entire document before choosing a printer. Any one of the sections may provide the answers you need. If you find you need more information, simply move to another perspective (section). Each section begins by posing a question:
A Buyer’s Guide to Printers
With so many brands and types to choose from, finding the perfect printer for your needs can be daunting. It’s important to assess your printing needs before buying.
First, decide whether you need an inkjet or laser printer. An inkjet printer can provide decent print quality in documents
and photographs, but are not usually professional grade. Generally, laser printers are faster and more precise than inkjets. A laser printer is a better choice if you regularly print photographs, documents that contain graphics, or if you print in high volume.
Another point to consider is whether you need a printer that is multifunctional. Many printers are now all-in ones or Multifunction Printers. They scan, fax, copy and print documents. Multifunction Printers can either be inkjet or laser and the cost of the machine reflects the number and functions the machine provides.
