The printing needs of your company may increase over time. You might need to print out larger volumes or require higher quality. In those cases, upgrading your current setup to a production printer might be the right choice.

However, getting a new professional-grade printing device isn’t as straightforward as shopping for home printers. You’ll need to understand what a production printer is and how your business could benefit from the device.

This article will explain everything you need to know about production printers and help you determine whether this printer type is right for your business.

What Is a Production Printer?

The first thing to mention about production printers is that they’re not the same as wide format printers. These two types often get confused although they serve quite different purposes.

While a wide format printer specializes in producing larger printouts, a production printer boasts higher volumes and advanced finishing options.

The speed is among the main advantages of this printer type but it’s not the only advantage of production devices. Production printers have high resolutions and can create detailed printouts in bulk. Even better, a production printer can print on different materials like mixed media, cardstock, and heavyweight paper.

When it comes to finishing options, production printers add features like binding, stitching, and folding to their repertoire.

This printer type is common in certain industries and business types. For instance, you’ll find production printers in companies that do commercial printing and businesses with well-developed marketing departments. Plus, organizations with particularly large requirements for printed materials may have a production printing machine even if their main industry doesn’t rely on printing.

The best way to illustrate the intended purpose of production printers is by naming some alternative titles for the devices: commercial printers or digital presses. Of course, these printers earn the title “commercial” due to their predominately commercial use. You’ll practically never see a production printer in private use.

These machines are called digital presses mainly because of their ability to handle massive printing volumes. Also, production printers are often used in publishing.

How a Production Printer Benefits Your Business

Production printers come with many advantages which more than justify the investment.

The first and most obvious advantage is the productivity boost. Production printers can handle a larger print volume and produce printouts faster than standard devices. This can be the main deciding factor for companies that require plenty of printed material but don’t want to spend additional time handling multiple machines to meet their daily needs.

Next, a production printer puts you completely in charge of what and when you print. With the possibility of creating quality copies on-demand and in-house, your business won’t be restricted in terms of technology or depend on additional services. Better yet, you’ll have the luxury of last-minute design tweaks and changes since everything will be ready for printing instantly.

Production printers are also renowned for their great printing quality. Combined with their ability to print in larger quantities, the high quality makes these printers ideal for marketing materials. As a result, other types of printed media will also be improved by more detailed images.

Finally, this printer type can be essential when it comes to ensuring regulatory compliance, which won’t be an issue with a quality in-house production printer. Plus, modern machines come equipped with advanced security options which means any information shared through the printer will stay safe from malicious outside forces.

To sum up the major benefits, production printers provide:

  • Greater efficiency
  • Additional functionality
  • Large-volume printing
  • High-quality prints
  • Production flexibility
  • Greater printing speed
  • Reduction in print-related expenses
  • Time saving

Choosing the Right Printer

If you’re considering getting a production printer for your business, you’ll need to look at several features to make an informed decision. In particular, there are three aspects worth your attention:

  1. Brand
  2. Paper size
  3. Budget considerations

Brand

Not all printers are made the same. Certain brands excel in terms of reliability and durability, and the difference shows quite markedly when it comes to production printers.

When choosing the right brand of printer, you won’t go wrong with trusted names like HP, Lexmark, Canon, and Ricoh. These brands produce professional-grade machines that are renowned for printing quality, especially for production printers. An established brand will also have specialized products with advanced features that expand the printing capabilities even further.

Paper Size

Two different production printers may be able to handle the same printing volume with comparable speed, but they might differ considerably in formats. In most cases, a production printer will be able to deliver A3+ printouts, which might be sufficient for many businesses.

However, if your company requires larger formats, you’ll need to look into particular models that support different paper sizes. For instance, the A3+ format is 329 millimeters wide and 483 millimeters high, but certain production machines can print on papers as large as 364 x 520 millimeters.

Budget Considerations

Production printers are huge, professional machines that come at a considerable cost. If you’re planning on getting a printer that will serve you reliably, it will need to be quality-made and come from an established brand. Both of which will contribute to the device’s price. There are other expenses to consider like peripheral devices and consumables.

Getting the best deal for a production printer will take some research and plenty of price comparisons. Still, it’s crucial not to sacrifice quality for a slightly lower price. You could get a good refurbished machine for less money. In that case, the technicians whoreconditioned the printer would have to be certified and trusted.

Get Ready for a Printing Boost

Having a production printer can address all the printing needs of your business at once. You can gain access to on-demand quality, quick printouts and larger volumes than ever. If you want help finding the right device for your company, KDI Office Technology is here to lend a hand.

Whenever you’re ready to set up a production printing system in your Philadelphia, eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Delaware business, contact KDI Office Technology and upgrade your printing capabilities to the highest level.