Having the right printer for your business can make a substantial difference to your efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The wrong choice will put a strain on your operations and compromise on quality. Typically, large companies and commercial printing firms need the excellent functionality and advanced speed that a production printer offers. However, other fast-paced businesses also prefer the production printer for its high effectiveness – and it’s easy to see why.

In this article, we’ll explain how to choose the right production printer for your business.

What Is a Production Printer?

It’s important to differentiate between a production printer and other types of printers. The reason being, they’re much more expensive. As such, it’s important to determine whether a production printer is strictly necessary before making a purchasing decision.

In simple terms, a production printer is a high-speed, high-volume printer designed for professional or commercial printing applications.

Production printers are built for effectiveness. Their high volume, faster speeds, and higher resolutions lead to stellar quality. A production printer produces prints with sharp graphics, facilitates a fast workflow, and offers many additional options. For those reasons, they’re a game changer for larger companies and publishing houses. They allow you to use mixed media for your printouts such as cardstock and heavyweight paper. Most production printers go the extra mile with a range of top-notch options for finishing such as binding, stitching, and folding.

But how do production printers differ from other everyday office printers? Consider that an ordinary inkjet or laser printer will have a PPM (pages per minute) of somewhere between 3 to 20, whereas production printers can function at up to 130 PPM.

Production Printer Benefits

There are many concrete benefits when it comes to production printers. This makes them favorites of larger companies and printing firms. Consider these benefits and if they meet the needs of your business.

  • Speed – Production printers can print hundreds or even thousands of pages per hour, making them ideal for businesses that need to print large volumes of materials on a regular basis. They’re a great choice for firms working to tight deadlines as well. Nobody will have to wait to use the printer and big projects become less of a problem in terms of efficiency.
  • Quality – Production printers offer high-quality printing capabilities, producing sharp text and vibrant colors. They’re often able to print at a higher resolution than standard office printers. This makes them the perfect printers for marketing materials where color quality is a top priority.
  • Versatility – Production printers allow your business to create a wide range of marketing materials such as brochures, posters, and flyers. They can typically handle a wide variety of media types and sizes.
  • Cost-effectiveness – While production printers are often more expensive than traditional office printers, they can be more cost-effective in the long run due to their ability to handle high volumes of printing.
  • Customization – Production printers offer advanced customization options, such as variable data printing, which allows businesses to personalize printed materials for individual recipients. This can be particularly useful for direct mail campaigns or other marketing efforts that require targeted messaging.

How Much Do They Cost?

Entry-level production printers can start at around $10,000, while high-end models with advanced features and capabilities can cost upwards of $100,000 or more.

In addition to the initial purchase price, businesses may also need to factor in ongoing costs such as maintenance, supplies, and energy usage. These costs vary depending on the volume of printing and the specific requirements of the printer. That’s why it’s important to analyze how much a production printer will cost you both upfront and in the long-term.

Factoring in the cost is another essential aspect of choosing the right production printer for your business. They can be expensive, so many companies choose to lease a production printer rather than buy one. Next to the monthly machine cost, many rental machines also come with a monthly service contract. This is a better choice than paying for services per visit.

Overall, the cost of a production printer is a significant investment for businesses that require high-volume printing capabilities.

Should I Get One for My Business?

Before choosing a production printer for your business, there are certain questions you need to ask yourself to select the right production printer and the specifications that come with it.

What Kind of Documents and Graphics am I Printing?

A production printer is an excellent choice for any company that prints marketing material. While an obvious choice for publication houses, marketing firms, or media companies, other companies can benefit too. If you’re printing any type of high-quality brand material for your customers, such as brochures, booklets, smaller banners, or pamphlets, then a production printer could make the job much easier and more cost-effective.

How Fast Do I Need My Printing?

Efficiency is a crucial consideration for many businesses. If that sounds like you, consider a production printer for handling high-volume printing. While 100 brochures may not be a problem, 1,000 is a much larger project. A production printer can be a lifesaver if you’re working with operations and creating marketing material on a tight deadline.

What Is My Budget?

As previously established, production printers are much more expensive than everyday inkjet and laser printers. Compare the cost to the amount you paid for outsourced large-scale printing jobs to the price of leasing or buying a production printer. Make sure to consider the cost of consumables. You may be surprised that one option might be considerably cheaper than the other.

Making the Right Print Choice

Selecting the right production printer is no small decision for any business. That’s why handling the costs, specifications, and repairs with a customer-first approach is necessary. The right choice makes your business more efficient and productive while producing printed material of stellar standard. Wisconsin Document Imaging provides office equipment for local businesses in the Green Bay, Menomonee Falls, and Fox Cities areas. With expertly trained technicians, top technology solutions, and flexible financing options, you can contact us for solutions that will enhance your office technology and drive your business toward success.