Selecting a Wide Format Printer in New Jersey
Twenty-Five years of helping clients select their next wide format printer has been a great experience for me. Those experiences has helped me to be a trusted advisor for many Architects, Engineers, Surveyors and Contractors in New Jersey.
Searching the Web
Recently the wife and I decided that it was time for a new refrigerator. With the current conditions of the Corona Virus we took to the web to do our research. After spending the better part of three hours my head was spinning with costs, delivery, sizing and features. It was not an enjoyable process to figure out what refrigerator would meet our needs.
I understand that many buyers will do their homework on the web first in order to help them with their buying decision. However the process of researching which wide format printer can also be a daunting task. Reviews for wide format printers are few and far between because not many dealers or manufacturers post them.
With businesses getting ready to re-open in New Jersey I thought it would be a good time to post these tips.
5 Tips
- Dealer or Manufacturer: You want to make sure that the dealer or the manufacturer is committed to service and support of wide format printers. The reason for that is there are many dealers and manufacturers that can sell a wide format printer. But there are very few that have the ability to service and support the printer once it’s installed. Ask for references and contact those references
- Color or Black: Do you need to print/copy in color or black? Almost all wide format printers come with the ability to scan/print and copy. However printing in color will have a higher cost for supplies and could have a higher acquisition cost.
- Understanding Your Volume: How many drawings will you print or copy each month? If you’re currently outsourcing prints to a copy or repro shop take some time to review those invoices. Each invoice should tell you how many square feet was invoiced for that job. Another way to figure out volume is to estimate how many prints you will need per month. A 24×36 drawing equals 6 square feet. One hundred drawings a month will equal 600 square feet.
- Inkjet, Geljet or Toner Print Technology: This is a tough one and most of the time it comes down to how many prints or copies do you need per month. Inkjets will have cleaning and print head issues, toner based products are more expensive to acquire. Geljet technology could me the best of both worlds. You can read more about print technologies Inkjet Wide Format vs GelJet Wide Format Printers and Ricoh MP W6700 vs Any Inkjet Plotter.
- Call a Sales Rep: Because there are a many talented sales reps that understand the wide format processes for printing and scanning. In most cases a short on-line, in person or tele-chat meeting can result in some recommendations as to what wide format printer is best for you. Ask the sales rep how long have that rep been selling wide format printers. Another great question to ask is how long the dealership has been supporting wide format printers. Aldo ask how many wide format printers are they supporting in the field. More experience means more knowledge and better support.
Summary
Acquiring the right wide format printer with the right service provider will give you many years of reliable operations and support. Not taking the time to do your homework can result in buyer remorse. If it I was the buyer I would hone in on experience of the rep, references, local, and placements.
-=Greetings from Sandy Hook, New Jersey=-