Print Media is NOT Dead

Many view printers as a relic of a bygone era, not nearly as useful as they used to be with the rise of screens. Why print something when you can just pull it up on your phone or your computer? Many are underestimating how prevalent and important printed paper still is. Printed paper has been proven to encourage longer attention spans in readers as well as stronger working memory as compared to screens. 29 lab studies found that readers learn more and hold on to information longer when reading from a printed piece of paper than from a screen.

The use of printers in business is also much more common and vital than it first might appear. 50% of businesses say they can't operate without a printer, with industries such as law, auto, healthcare, and finance printing upwards of hundreds of pages per day. For small businesses especially, print is anything but a relic. 8 in 10 small businesses around the world rely on printers to perform daily tasks and without them would quickly fall behind.

But when problems arise and printers fail, businesses are forced to fill the gaps with reactive purchases. Commonly, consumer grade printers are purchased instead of the business printers that these companies require for their needs. This causes even more problems when those printers are overworked and inevitably break once again. 

Most small business owners wish companies who sell printers better understood the challenges that they face. As a result, nearly 70% of small business owners find it difficult to source reliable office supplies and buying the incorrect printer can be a waste of precious time and money. Printer ink, at over $12,000 a gallon, is extremely expensive and wasting money on it can be a huge money sink if you're buying it for the printer you don't even need. Printers are also very uncommonly secured, leaving a massive hole in your company's network. As the rate of attacks on devices such as printers increases, this can become even more of an issue as time goes on.

Having the right printer can help streamline your business's workflow. Learn more about business printers below.

Image via Lexmark.