Function

Evaluating your organizational needs and how a printer services those needs is the essential criteria in determining the right type of printer for your environment. The most important question to ask is "What do we need?". Since there are specialized printers for either text, images, or any variation thereof, you should be certain that you procure the right tool for your purposes.

For example, if your requirements call for high-quality color images on professional-grade glossy paper, it is recommended to use a dye-sublimation or thermal wax transfer color printer than a laser or impact printer.

Conversely, a laser or inkjet printers are well-suited for printing rough drafts or documents intended for internal distribution (such high-volume printers are usually called workgroup printers). Determining the needs of the everyday user allows administrators to determine the right printer for the job.

Other factors to consider are features such as duplexing — the ability of the printer to print on both sides of a piece of paper. Traditionally, printers could only print on one side of the page (called simplex printing). Most printer models today do not have this feature by default (or it may be able to simulate a manual duplexing method which forces the user to flip the paper themselves). Some models offer add-on hardware for duplexing; however such add-ons can drive one-time costs up considerably. However duplex printing may reduce costs over time by reducing the amount of paper used to print documents, thus reducing recurring consumables costs.

Another factor to consider is paper size. Most printers are capable of handling letter (8 1/2" x 11") and legal (8 1/2" x 14") sized paper. If certain departments (such as marketing or design) have specialized needs such as creating posters or banners, there are large-format printers which can handle tabloid (11" x 17") sizes or larger.

Additionally, high-end features such as network modules for workgroup and remote site printing should also be considered during evaluation. More information about networked printing can be found in the Section called Networked Versus Local Printers.

Cost

Cost is another factor to consider when evaluating printers. However, simply determining the one-time cost associated with the purchase of the printer itself is not enough of a determinant. There are other costs to consider, such as consumables, parts and maintenance, and printer add-ons.

Consumables is a general term for printing supplies. Ink and paper are the two most common printing consumables. Ink is the material that the printer projects onto the medium (the paper).

Ink is, itself, a generalized term, as not all printers function using standard, water-based inks. Laser printers use powder, while impact printers use ribbons. There are specialized printers that heat the ink before it is transferred onto paper, while others spray the ink in small drops onto the printing surface. Ink replacement costs vary widely and depend on whether the ink can be recharged (refilled) by hand or if it requires a full replacement of the ink cartridge (the ink housing).

There are also various types of paper or print medium to choose from. For most printing needs, a wood-pulp based paper medium is sufficient. However, there are variations of paper that are recommended (or required) for certain printers. For example, creating accurate prints of digital images require a special glossy paper suitable for high exposure to natural or artificial lighting as well as accuracy; such qualities are known as color fastness. For archival-quality documents that require durability and a professional level of legibility (such as contracts, résumés, and permanent records), a matted (or non-glossy) paper medium should be used. The stock (or thickness) of paper is also important, as some printers do not feed paper completely straight during the printing process, which can cause jams on plain paper printers. Some printers can also print on transparencies — a thin film that allows light from a projector to pass through it and display the resulting imprinted image on to a projected surface for presentations and lectures. Specialized papers such as those noted here can affect consumables costs, and should be taken in consideration when evaluating printing needs.