Best Printer for Graphic Design: The Ultimate Guide


As a graphic designer, you'll need to print high-quality images to display to your clients. Getting the right printer can make or break your designer project. The last thing you want as a graphic designer is to have your designs being misrepresented in any way and that includes the medium it is printed on. You should take time to research the best printer for a small graphic design business.

Why your printer choice matters

Professional graphic designers need high-quality printers for submissions. Therefore, having a good printer is essential to printing copies of your work. If you choose the right printer, you can rest assured knowing you will have high-quality images to show your clients.

How to choose the best printer for graphic design

If you are in the market in search of a printer for your graphic design, here are factors you should put into consideration.

Type of printer

There are two choices of printers: laser and inkjet. The laser printers cost less and are faster, but the initial cost is high. The inkjets are unable to manage heavy output compared to laser printers. However, inkjet printers offer better color saturation. The difference between the two is the type of toner used. Laser printers use powder ink and inkjet printers use liquid ink. When you use an inkjet printer, you'll get crisper images. Laser printers are also able to handle larger volumes of pages per day. However, if you work in a team, the laser printer is what you need.

Speed

Speed is crucial, especially when you have a particular output per day or week. The speed is how fast the printer can produce documents per minute. A colored printer can produce about 10-12 pages per minute, while a black and white printer can produce prints 15 to 20 per minute. So, you should choose a printer with an ideal page per minute depending on your requirements. Make sure you choose a printer that will give you faster speeds while still retaining the resolution.

Print resolution

The print resolution is the level of detail in the printed image. The higher the resolution, the higher the detail. The best printer for graphic design work is one with a good Dot Per Inch (DPI). The DPI is the printer's ability to leave dots per square inch. You'll enjoy a better-printed image when your printer has more DPIs.

Printer size

The size of the printer depends on what you want to print. As a graphic designer, you'll be working on huge posters, flyers, and business cards. If you want to print something bigger than the standard 8.5-inch paper, you'll need an inkjet printer. You should, therefore, check the measurements of the printer before buying it.

Type of paper

Make sure you choose a printer with a range of papers. By doing that, you'll use inexpensive paper for tests. You can use heavy stock paper for your finished products. Keep in mind that the inexpensive printers won't accept heavier grade paper. Therefore, make sure the printer you buy can handle a wide variety of paper types.

Budget

How much you can spend on the printer will help you choose the printer for your graphic designs. If you have a tight budget, you should opt for the inkjet printer. Inkjet printers, however, use a lot of ink and require more maintenance. You'll end up spending much more than you would have with a laser printer.

Conclusion

Having high-quality images is important if you are a graphic designer. With the above factors, you'll be on your way to getting the best printer for your graphic design work. Going for the best all-in-one printer for graphic design will ensure you show off your best work.


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