Essential Information About An A3 Printer (Paul Connolly)
Nov 1, 2010
An a3 printer, as the name suggests, is a type of printer that can accommodate up to a3 paper size. This classification means that the paper measures 297 mm x 420 mm (11.69" x 16.54"). Choosing the right kind of printer for tasks involving media sizes like such is crucial. It's because not all models can work with dimensions as big as those.
In the US market, this paper size system is rarely used. The closest alternative you can have is what's called a tabloid or ledger size. This measures 279 mm x 432 mm (11" x 17"). An a3 paper is commonly used for projects involving, but not limited to, graphics or images. It's not unlikely for posters, charts, photographic prints, two-fold brochures and others to be using this media size.
There are many commercial printers available these days that can handle such paper size. Because it can print on a large media, it's obvious that the unit will be larger than most other counterparts. While it may fit on a desktop, placing it there may leave little or no space for other things. Setting it on a wheeling cart is more practical to be able to move it around in the workplace.
Another thing that you can expect is a steeper price tag. Other printers are limited in capabilities when it comes to media sizes accommodated. But doesn't mean you're limited to printing on a3 paper; it only means that it's the maximum media size that the unit can handle. Therefore you can feed letter, legal, executive and custom sizes.
This type of printer provides more flexibility than others. It's suitable for an office where producing large-format images or graphics is needed, such as an architecture or advertising firm. It comes in handy when large-sized charts and graphs are needed in a corporate presentation. A school can also benefit from such in coming up with visual aids needed for educating students more effectively.
In buying this kind of printer, there are some things you might want to consider. As mentioned earlier, it's generally priced steeper than most other models. It's therefore important that you get one that's suitable for your needs to make it worth the price.
It should clearly state there that it's compatible to work with a3-sized paper. If you're going to use it for printouts smaller than that, check out the minimum paper size it can handle. For most, the smallest media size accommodated is 3 inches x 5 inches. This is an important feature so you can also use the unit for other applications too.
Some units function just as a printer. But there are others which can also work as a copier, scanner and fax machine. You also have to consider whether it's capable of being hooked up to a network of computers. Of course the more features it carries, the more expensive it gets.
You also have to choose between an inkjet or laser type of a3 printer. If you need to produce colored printouts most of the time, an inkjet is more suitable. But if you need to work on a lot of text-based documents, a laser is advisable. Initially, it will cost you a huge sum of money for the purchase. But the toner of a laser printer is cheaper so you can enjoy lower cost per page.
About the AuthorI know of a site that is one of the UK's biggest suppliers of A3 printers, including one of their top sellers, a Canon A3 Printer and products from all of the leading brands, as well as the different models of A3 Printer Scanner, with nearly 60 million worth of stock available for next day delivery, including nearly 13 million worth of printer ink and laser toner cartridges..