Small offices are the easiest environment to get wrong, because the machines marketed at them are often built for home use. A printer rated for 800 pages a month will not survive an office printing 2,000.
Start with monthly volume
Count what you actually print in a typical month, then choose a machine whose recommended monthly volume comfortably exceeds it. Ignore the “maximum duty cycle” figure on the box — that number is a stress rating, not a working target.
Look at cost per page, not print speed
Nobody in a small office is waiting on pages per minute. What matters is what each page costs once toner, drum and maintenance are included. Ask for that figure before you buy; a reputable supplier will give it to you.
Decide whether you need colour
If colour output is occasional — the odd proposal or presentation — a mono laser plus an outsourced colour job is usually cheaper than running a colour device all year.
Check the connectivity properly
- Wired Ethernet for reliability on shared machines.
- WiFi and mobile printing if people work from laptops and phones.
- Scan-to-email or scan-to-folder, which saves enormous amounts of time.
Do not forget servicing
A cheap printer with no local service support is a false economy. Confirm that whoever sells it to you can also repair it, and that parts are available in the UAE.
We are happy to make a recommendation based on your actual numbers — tell us your monthly volume and we will suggest two or three suitable options.