Laser printers dominate the business landscape. They are durable, fast, and high capacity in terms of paper and consumables. Many models have sophisticated networking and paper-handling features. As a group, inkjet printers are just no match for laser printers for most business needs.
That said, it might be time for dealers to re-evaluate whether to sell inkjet printers. In the past couple of years, OEMs have been introducing inkjet models with features and capabilities that are better suited for a business environment. Laser printers are still better in most of the benchmarks that are important to business, but these newer models might be the right choice for some business applications.
Examples of those applications include employees who need their own printer, printers that are dedicated to specific lower-volume tasks, or small workgroups that occasionally need a printer.
Better Print Volume
OEMs are offering more practical, cost-effective ways to buy ink. Most inkjet printers weren’t designed for the volume of printing done in a typical business. No one wants to be replacing costly ink cartridges every week. Continuous ink supply systems (CISS) have been available in the US for the consumer market for a few years, led by Epson and its Ecotank line.
Epson claims its Ecotank Workforce WF-R4640 model can print up to 20,000 black or 20,000 color pages before needing a refill. Unlike other Ecotank models, the WF-R4640 uses ink packs rather than bottles. Having to refill ink reservoirs by bottle has scared off some buyers worried about making a mess. The ink pack eliminates that concern.
Improved Paper Handling Features
Another knock on inkjet printers is low paper capacity. The WF-R4650’s paper tray can hold 500 sheets. Most high-end inkjet printers now offer duplex printing, multiple input trays, and the ability to accept different types and sizes of paper. Lack of these features, along with lower paper capacities, has been a big complaint of inkjet users, especially those using them in small business or home office environments.
Higher Prices
There’s not much margin in selling a $99 inkjet printer. The Epson WF-R4640 retails for $1,200. Each color ink pack sells for about $170, black packs sell for about $260. That’s still not a lot of margin, especially considering the likely print volumes. If an inkjet printer is a better fit for part of client’s needs, making that client happy might make it worthwhile.
Networking
The high-end inkjet printers are fully networkable with USB 2.0, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet capabilities. Most are mobile-ready, too, supporting common protocols such as Apple AirPrint and Google Cloud Print.
Good Construction
When the first CISS printers came out, consumers complained about their build quality. They seemed flimsier than what they were used to seeing in cartridge-based printers, yet they were more expensive. Clearly, the OEMs wanted to get more money for the printers because they knew they would sacrifice some consumables revenue, so they did what they could to cut manufacturing costs.
Business-class CISS systems tend to be more robust to support the greater demands put on them. Users with moderate printing needs are mostly reporting trouble-free operation. When they do report trouble, it’s usually because they are trying to use the printer for something that it wasn’t designed to do, such as printing on too-heavy stock paper.
You won’t get rich selling inkjet printers. However, you should consider adding them to your mix to better address niche applications for your customers.
