6 Signs That You Know it's Time to Buy a Wide-format Printer

Wide-format printers look awesome in offices, especially those with a high-tech modern flair and fancy flooring. There's something about the look of a wide-format printer that can make even the most mundane looking office seem more upscale. Have no doubt that your business will appear as if it's worth millions when you sit one of these within sight, perhaps on its own luxurious table, or, in a corner where it can stand on its own.

Spending money on a jumbo-sized printer, however, only makes sense if buying one accommodates your business model or daily business operations. In case you're still up in the air about buying one, or if you're vacillating about the purchasing option and thinking that you can just rely on your local copy shop for big prints instead, here's six signs that you should go ahead and get your office its own wide-format printer.

Spending Lots of Money at Copy Stores

If you find yourself, or your staff, making regular runs to the local copy store to drop off banner and signage jobs, or pick up posters and maps, chances are high that you could buy a wide-format printer and save money if you buy one of these over-sized printer for your office, especially if you buy a lower-end model in the $200 range. Be sure to choose a printer that you can justify spending the money on. Add up how much you spend printing over-sized prints such as banners or signage before you decide if you'll buy one or not. You may discover that you can justify a more expensive model.

Clients Ask For Big Prints

If you find yourself often asked for a large print, and realize that such requests are inconvenient because they require locating an available staff member to make a trip to your local copy shop, then considering whether you should buy your office its own over-sized printer is long overdue. Go ahead and tally up how much you spend on gas, as well as time staff members spend making trips to the copy shop. This total should help you better decide if it's time to buy your office its own wide-format printer.

Frequently Print Large Presentations

If you find that you're printing presentations more often, perhaps it's time to buy a wide-format printer. You can combine the prints you'd normally make on a standard-sized printer into one large sheet and simplify your presentations. For example, instead of presenting information on eight sheets, a wide-format printer will enable you to arrange all the presentation's information so that it fits on a single page that's compatible with the largest paper size of a new wide-format printer.

Want to Save Money on Proofs

If you find that you're staff members often pick up proofs for items such as posters, catalog spreads, or tradeshow marketing materials, there's a good chance you need to go ahead and take the leap and purchase your office high-end wide-format printer. High-quality wide-format printers will reduce your dependency on professional printer proofs so that you can save money on the typical costs that surround ordering and picking up over-sized proofs.

Your Business Demands One

If you've expanded the range of services your business offers, you may need to buy a wide-format printer. Businesses sectors that often rely printing over-sized items include engineering, architecture, graphic design and interior design. Educational facilities also benefit from in-house wide-format printers because they're useful for printing maps and student art. Companies such as party and wedding planners may discover it's more cost-effective to buy a wide-format printer as well.

It Suits Your Budget This Year

Because wide-format printers can cost anywhere between $200 for a low-end one, and more than $5,000 for an upper end model, be sure to weigh the pros and cons of investing in a wide-format printer. Your business may not need a high-end model, or it might. When in doubt, be sure to discuss your wide-format printer needs with a sales rep. Regardless of how much you decide to spend on a wide-format printer, you can save money in the long run by checking compatible ink and paper costs before you purchase any particular wide-format printer brand on the market.

Wide-format printers are considered one of the greatest innovations of our century. They make it possible to produce gigantic prints without a loss of quality, provided that the files you print on them are properly prepared. Offices of all kinds may find they need one at one point or another during the evolution of a business. When you're ready, get one, especially if any of these six signs suggest that you should.