Table of Contents
Introduction
It is undeniable that a printer is a piece of essential equipment for a small running office. A printer is a basic necessity when it comes to finishing all office tasks on time. In a modern working environment, digital devices play a significant role in carrying out everyday tasks. Still, no device can replace an all-in-one printer at times. This is especially true for small offices with limited budgets to carry out their business. They are always on the lookout for equipment that can help them produce more work for less cost.
Scanning, printing, and copying are some of the most important everyday tasks that take place in an office. Buying a separate scanner, a printer, and a copier can turn out to be very costly for a small office. Small offices also do not have enough space to accommodate all three products simultaneously. Hence, to save them from this hassle, experts highly recommend an all-in-one printer.
Selecting an all-in-one printer can get quite overwhelming for small offices. All kinds of specifications, a variety of models, and a limited budget can make it hard for office owners to choose that one specific printer.
What Is a Recommended Printer Size for a Small Office?
When looking for the right size of a printer that meets the budget and available space, small offices must look at a few things before choosing the one that suits their criteria. The recommended size for printers for small offices is compact, and they should also be lightweight. There are many reasons for recommending this size. We list a few of them below.
- A printer’s size for a small office should be small, so it doesn’t take up a lot of space. Considering how small offices are usually too crowded due to files and other equipment, keep your printer small.
- A small printer works great for small offices as it becomes easy to move it from one place to another. Big printers take up lots of energy and workforce to move.
- Heavy printers are prone to damage and accidents, so printers for small offices should be compact and lightweight.
- Small, wireless printers are a treat to work with and are also budget-friendly.
The Best All in One Printer for Small Office
Now that we have looked into what size and features a printer must have for a small office, here are our top five picks for all-in-one printers that you can consider buying.
HP OfficeJet Pro 9015
This printer is one of the most highly recommended all-in-one printers that exist in the market. As per experts, this printer is excellent for photo printing. It also carries a great amount of color and black ink, saving money on cartridges and their refills.
This printer has a high-functioning scanner that deals well with both sensitive files and also documents that you need to scan quickly. It prints 22 pages per minute and is almost 38% smaller than its older version. Moreover, it has a 35-page document feeder in its scanner, making it quite effective for small offices.
Made with 10 percent recycled plastic, HP’s OfficeJet Pro 9015 gives a picture of sustainable equipment that every office must have.
Key Features
- Has a print speed of 22 pages per minute
- Print capacity is up to 25000 pages
- Comes with four print cartridges
- Up to 4800 x 1200 optimized print resolution
- Can create up to 99 copies
- Copier resolution is up to 600 dpi
- Scanning speed is up to 8 ipm
- High inbuilt security management
Pros
- Small so doesn’t take up much space
- A great combination of a copier, scanner, and printer
- Affordable for small offices
- Has good printing quality
- Comes with a one-year warranty
Cons
- A little heavier than most printers
- Doesn’t have a bypass tray
Verdict
If a small office is looking for a multifunction printer, this HP printer should undoubtedly be among their top choices. HP OfficeJet Pro 9015 has a number of positive features such as good capacity, high-quality functionality, adequate performance, and low maintenance.
This printer is excellent for a small office that requires a printer with a reasonable monthly output and doesn’t demand a lot of space. With no bypass tray, many offices might not consider it a top choice. However, if you can avoid this feature, HP OfficeJet Pro 9015 is definitely a printer that will help a business grow.
Canon Pixma TR8520
This printer is a perfect tool for a small office. Affordable price, compact design, and multi-functionality make it a great deal to take on for small office owners. It can print, copy, scan, and fax, and with the price point that it comes at, this printer is undoubtedly an excellent option for a business that aims to grow.
It comes with a property of duplex printing and has five ink cartridges. Additionally, it is highly compact compared to its previous model; it is almost 39% smaller than the printer model it replaces.
Irrespective of its small size, it has two paper trays and also a 20-sheet auto-document feeder. Now, most multifunction printers have basic functionality, but that does not apply to the Canon Pixma TR8520. Its touchscreen interface makes it rare and much more sophisticated than its some of its competitors.
Key Features
- You can use it for scanning, printing, copying, and faxing
- Comes with a touchscreen interface and Bluetooth connectivity
- Five cartridges to improve quality of output
- Equipped with an SD card input
- Has two paper trays and a document feeder on its top
Pros
- A compact machine that is perfect for a small space
- The touch screen is very user-friendly and ensures great functionality
- The fifth ink cartridge works great to add an extra pigmentation to enhance the quality of work
- Wireless capability allows you to easily connect your smartphone, tablet, etc.
Cons
- Can get slow with duplex printing
- Five cartridges can lead to a high replacement cost
- Isn’t equipped with a USB port
Verdict
This machine’s size and compact design make it a perfect product to utilize in a small office. Having the features of almost all the main devices needed in an office, the Canon Pixma TR8520 is a great tool to own, saving lots of money. The touchscreen also ensures superb functionality and a very user-friendly experience.
With the intention of producing good quality work, this printer is wonderful, but it might get expensive to maintain with all five cartridges. In addition to that, this printer isn’t efficient with duplex printing. So, in a small office that requires lots of printing, this printer might not sit well.
HP LaserJet Pro M227fdw
A perfect blend of quality, reliability, and speed, HP LaserJet Pro M227fdw is a must for small businesses. It has the ability to print, scan, copy, and fax but in mono, as it doesn’t accept color cartridges. So, small offices that can get away with color printing can easily get their hands on this one.
It has a tray capacity of around 260 sheets, and its printing speed is up to 30 papers per minute. This makes its print speed 15% faster than the printer it replaces. This printer has a design that makes it suitable for productivity. Five users can conveniently use it at a time.
It is a well-made printer without taking up too much space in an office. It might look taller than many similar ones but has a smaller footprint and compact design.
Key Features
- A four-in-one multifunction printer
- Has USB connectivity
- Offers wireless connectivity and printing
- Comes with a 35-sheet auto-document feeder
- Also has Ethernet connectivity
- 2.7-inch color touchscreen
Pros
- Produces excellent print quality
- Great printing speed
- Doesn’t make noise while printing
- The touchscreen makes it very user-friendly
- Great paper capacity
Cons
- Doesn’t accept color cartridges
- Bulky and heavier than many
- A basic design, not too modern
Verdict
This printer is great for users who are looking for a mono printer with a budget to take on all toner replacement costs that come with it. HP LaserJet Pro M227fdw produces excellent printed documents and has the ability to scan, copy, and fax.
A multifunction printer, HP LaserJet Pro M227fdw has great printing speed. Experts highly recommend it for businesses that have no time to waste. Its build can be a little overwhelming for small spaces, but its footprint is far smaller than many of its competitors.
Brother MFC-J5330DW
This printer looks similar to all the usual multifunction printers. However, if you look into its properties deeply, it’s a little ahead of them all. Brother MFC-J5330DW can also print on A3 paper. This printer’s build makes it suitable for small offices that have high work productivity on a daily basis.
This printer comes with a paper tray that has a capacity of 250 papers. It also offers duplex printing (two-sided), and you can use it as a fax machine as well. It has an auto-document feeder with a capacity of 50 pages. Moreover, with wireless connectivity, you can print from your mobile device or computer.
This printer is great for printing photos because of its great print resolution. Its scan resolution is just a little lower, but the output is very good. While this printer may feel a little bulky and take up some desk space, its ability to print on A3 paper outweighs this tiny design flaw.
Features
- A four-in-one multifunction printer that can scan, print, copy, and fax
- Excellent connectivity via wireless, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet
- Duplex printing
- Can print A5 booklets
- Equipped with four cartridges
Pros
- Can print on A3 paper
- Good quality mono printing
- Great printing speed
- Great for photo printing
Cons
- Takes up more desk space
- Scanning speed is a little slow
- Cost increases with the A3 printing feature
Verdict
The Brother MFC-J5330DW is great for small offices but might not be ideal for home use. The printing quality is excellent, but the printing speed might cause an issue for users even though it has a feature of double-sided printing.
Irrespective of all these cons, it is an affordable printer when it comes to A3 printing. With the A3 printing feature, the user can easily print an A5 booklet too. This feature makes this printer worth every penny spent on it.
HP OfficeJet 250
This is a small size printer with all-in-one usage. The print technology is inkjet with a very good print resolution. This printer can print, scan, and copy and is very easy and convenient to set up, a perfect device for a small office. It also has a feature that enables it to print from your mobile directly.
Although it is a little more expensive than many similar printer options, this printer goes well for an office. It has a 2.65-inch color touchscreen, making it a user-friendly product. You also have access to a 10-page automatic document feeder.
The best thing is that you can easily carry the HP OfficeJet 250 to a client’s office as it is very compact. It takes about 90 minutes to charge, and it is wireless.
Features
- Print speed is up to ten pages per minute
- Scan speed is up to four pages per minute
- Wireless with mobile printing capability
- Easy-to-use operating system
- Fits in your car and backpack for portable printing
Pros
- It can print, scan, and copy
- Sets up very conveniently
- It takes just 90 minutes to charge
- Can be easily carried to clients
- Can print directly from a mobile
Cons
- Cannot fax
- Expensive for small businesses or startups
- Printing and scanning quality is not too great
Verdict
HP OfficeJet 250 is a great printer for offices that do not need many prints and scans every day. It is easy to carry and doesn’t long to set up. The things it lacks are high performance when it comes to printer speed and print quality.
Suppose a business relies on printing and scanning large amounts of data daily. In that case, this printer is a complete no-no. It is also a bit on the expensive side, so a small office owner running on a limited budget will find it hard to buy this one.
What To Look for When Choosing an All-in-One Printer for Small Offices
The Size of the Printer
Small businesses are usually located in offices with little or no space to keep equipment. It is vital to know how much space an office has to accommodate a printer. Printers come in all sizes, but a small business must know if they have enough space to keep a printer safe from any accident or damage.
Office’s Requirements
A small office has to look at its basic needs before choosing a printer. There are a variety of printers available in the market. Some come with multifunctional properties such as copiers and scanners, while some are just basic. You have the option of inkjet or laser printers.
What one small business might need in a printer, the other business might not. It is important to figure out the exact use that a small business needs the printer for before choosing to buy one.
The Speed Requirement
Small offices usually don’t have many printing needs as the number of employees is less and so are their requirements. But if it is a small printing company, then all they need is a printer and that too with speed better than many. Before choosing a printer, it’s essential to decide the need for printing speed a business requires to run effectively. For a very high volume, you may even need a laser printer.
Printer’s Monthly Capacity
This measure is used to calculate the number of high-quality pages that a printer can print in a month. There are options available for high and low-capacity printers that small offices can buy according to their needs.
Color or Black and White
Laser printers are great for both the above options if you require large quantities. However, inkjet printers are more economical with both color and black and white prints if the volume is small. Inkjet printers are great for businesses that do not require heavy usage. Laser printers produce excellent results both in color and black and white.
Our Recommendation
We have listed the top five printers above that we think will work for any small office with printing, scanning, and copying needs, but one pick stands out.
HP OfficeJet Pro 9015 meets all requirements and needs of an all-in-one printer for a small office. It is compact, has a high printing and scanning performance, and is also affordable for many users. Any small office with a few employees will find it easy to use, and it also has low maintenance.
Final Words
A printer is an essential tool to own in a small office, and an all-in-one printer is a great product to have due to its flexibility. When choosing a printer, small offices must ensure that they buy what they need and are not just following other businesses. Keeping costs under budget is undoubtedly the way forward.
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