To choose an office printer, estimate how many pages a month you print and whether you need colour, then pick a laser (or business inkjet) whose recommended monthly volume comfortably covers that number and whose cost per page is low at your volume. Add automatic duplex, an automatic document feeder if you scan or copy stacks, and network connectivity. For scanning, decide between a multifunction printer that also scans and a dedicated document scanner built for volume.
Start with monthly volume
Volume drives everything else. Estimate the pages printed per month across the people who will share the device. Printer specifications list two numbers: a maximum monthly duty cycle, which is the mechanical limit and not a target, and a recommended monthly volume, which is where the machine runs happily for years. Choose a printer whose recommended volume sits above your estimate with room to grow. A small personal printer asked to do a department's work will wear out and burn through small cartridges.
Laser or inkjet, mono or colour
Laser printers use toner, print quickly, produce sharp text, and are unaffected by sitting idle for weeks, which makes them the default for offices. Business inkjets offer lower colour running costs in some lines and use less power, but ink can dry out in machines that print rarely. Mono (black only) lasers are the least expensive to buy and run and cover most invoices, letters and internal documents. Colour is worth having when you print client-facing material regularly; if colour is occasional, a mono workhorse plus a small colour device, or a print shop for the rare brochure, is usually cheaper than running colour on every page.
| Type | Strengths | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Mono laser | Fast, low cost per page, sharp text | Most offices for documents and invoices |
| Colour laser | Durable colour, no drying out | Regular client-facing colour output |
| Business inkjet | Lower colour cost, less energy, quiet | Steady daily use with frequent colour |
| Multifunction (any type) | Print, scan, copy, sometimes fax in one | Small offices that need scanning too |
Cost per page and consumables
The purchase price is often the smaller part of what a printer costs. Work out cost per page by dividing the price of a cartridge by its rated yield in pages, and do it for the high-capacity cartridge the manufacturer offers, since that is what you should buy. Machines that accept high-yield toner or use large ink tanks cost more to buy and much less to run. Check whether the drum, fuser or maintenance kit is a separate consumable. Then compare printers on total cost over three years at your volume, not on the ticket price. Check that consumables are readily available in Canada; a printer whose cartridges are hard to source here becomes a nuisance.
Duplex, ADF and paper handling
Automatic duplex (two-sided printing) halves paper use and should be standard on any office printer. For scanning and copying, an automatic document feeder (ADF) lets you drop a stack of pages and walk away; a duplex ADF, which scans both sides in one pass, is worth the small premium for anyone who scans invoices, contracts or forms. Look at paper capacity too: a 250-sheet tray suits a small team, while busier offices want 500 sheets or a second tray. If you print envelopes, labels or heavier stock, check the bypass tray and supported media weights.
Connectivity, security and scanning destinations
Wired Ethernet is more reliable than Wi-Fi for a shared printer; use Wi-Fi only where a cable is impossible. Look for scan-to-email, scan-to-network-folder and scan-to-cloud, and a touchscreen staff can operate without a manual. Business printers should support user authentication and secure release of print jobs at the device; a printer is a computer on your network and should receive firmware updates like any other. Plug a laser printer into a surge-protected outlet rather than the battery side of a UPS, since its heater draws large surges.
Dedicated document scanners
A multifunction printer scans adequately for occasional use. When someone spends part of every day digitising paper (accounts payable, HR, legal, medical records), a dedicated desktop document scanner is faster, handles mixed page sizes and receipts better, and comes with software that straightens, crops, recognises text and files documents automatically. Look at the rated pages per minute, the ADF capacity and the daily duty cycle. Compact single-sheet scanners suit reception desks; flatbed units are for books, ID cards and fragile originals.
Quick checklist
- Estimate monthly pages; choose a printer whose recommended monthly volume covers it with headroom.
- Mono laser for most document printing; colour only if you use it regularly.
- Compare cost per page using high-yield cartridges; include drums and maintenance kits.
- Automatic duplex, an ADF (duplex if you scan stacks), and enough paper capacity.
- Wired Ethernet, scan-to-email and folder, user authentication and firmware updates.
- Dedicated document scanner for anyone who digitises paper daily.
See the range in printers and scanners, and for several devices or a supplies agreement, ask NetraHub for a quote.
Common questions
Is a laser or inkjet printer better for a small office?
For most offices, a laser. Toner does not dry out, text is sharp, printing is fast, and cost per page for mono documents is low. Business inkjets are a reasonable choice for offices that print in colour every day and want lower energy use, provided the machine is used regularly. If the printer will sit idle for weeks at a time, choose a laser.
How do I calculate a printer's cost per page?
Divide the price of a cartridge by the number of pages it is rated to print, and use the high-yield cartridge if one is offered. Add the per-page share of any separate drum, fuser or maintenance kit. Do this for both mono and colour if the printer prints colour. Then multiply by your monthly volume to compare machines on running cost, not purchase price.
What is the difference between duty cycle and recommended monthly volume?
The maximum monthly duty cycle is the most pages the printer can mechanically handle in a month, and it is not a target. The recommended monthly volume is the range at which the manufacturer expects the printer to run reliably for its service life. Choose a printer whose recommended volume comfortably covers your actual monthly pages, and ignore the duty cycle when sizing.
Do I need a separate scanner if I have a multifunction printer?
Not for occasional scanning. A multifunction printer with an ADF handles the odd contract or receipt well. A dedicated document scanner earns its place when someone scans stacks of paper daily; it is faster, feeds mixed sizes more reliably, and its software files and recognises documents automatically. Many offices run both: the multifunction for the team, a desktop scanner for accounts.
Should the office printer connect by Wi-Fi or Ethernet?
Ethernet, wherever a cable can reach. A wired connection is more reliable for a shared device, is not affected by Wi-Fi congestion, and makes it easier to give the printer a fixed address so it does not disappear from people's computers. Use Wi-Fi only when a cable is not practical, and even then check the printer supports the same network band your office uses.