If you buy a printer the way most people do — by googling ‘best office printer’ and picking the one on sale — there’s a good chance you’ll overspend by 30% and still hate the thing in eighteen months. Here’s how to get it right.
Step 1 — Count your actual pages.
The biggest mistake in printer buying is sizing by gut-feel. Before you look at a single device, pull the last six months of printer counters or supplier invoices and work out your monthly page volume, split between mono and colour.
Under 500 pages/month: a small desktop MFP is fine. 500–3 000 pages: you want a workgroup A4 MFP. 3 000–10 000: step up to an A3 MFP. 10 000+: you’re into production territory — think Ricoh IM or Pro series.
Step 2 — Decide MFP vs single-function.
Most businesses default to a multifunction printer (MFP) because scan-to-email, copy and print in one box is usually cheaper than three separate devices.
Step 3 — Do the cost-per-page maths.
The sticker price is a trap. Cost-per-page (CPP) is what actually matters — and it varies wildly by model.
- Mono laser MFP: 8–15 cents/page
- Colour laser MFP: 40–80 cents/page
- Production colour: as low as 6–12 cents/page at scale
Ask every supplier to quote CPP in writing. If they dodge the question, walk away.
Step 4 — Match features to workflow.
- Duplex (two-sided) printing — non-negotiable in 2026
- Scan-to-email and scan-to-folder
- Secure print release (stops forgotten-on-the-tray leaks)
- Mobile and cloud print (Google, Microsoft, AirPrint)
- Stapling, hole-punch, booklet-making (for legal and education)
- OCR for searchable PDFs
Step 5 — Rent, lease or buy?
Covered in detail in our lease-vs-buy guide. Short version: rent for predictable monthly costs, lease-to-own for residual value, buy outright only for low volumes.
Step 6 — Choose the supplier, not just the printer.
You’ll live with your printer supplier longer than most employees. Ask about SLA response times, local parts stock, usage reports, and whether they can combine printers with CCTV, PABX and IT on one invoice.