What to consider when purchasing a printer
- What is the expected volume for the printer? - A good rule of thumb is higher volume printers tend to be more efficient in cost per page. The differences can be quite surprising as a sub 200 dollar printer can easily outrun the cost of a more efficient printer over the course of a couple years.
- Does the printer need to print color? - Keep in mind that printing in color is much more costly than black. "Inexpensive" ink-jet printers can cost upwards of a dollar per page when printing photographs.
- Does the printer need to be networked? - HP charges a premium for the security and interoperatability CAS needs for its network printers. If you need a network printer that is not listed, contact us before purchasing it so we can ensure it works.
- Don't forget the cable! - Most personal printers do not include the necessary USB cable to connect them. Any "A to B" USB cable between 3-12 feet should work. For network printers CAS can provide 14' network cables, but if you need a length longer than that you will have to purchase it from an office supply store or with your printer.
Printer Recommendations
Personal Printers
Network Laserjet Printers
- HP LaserJet 42xx/43xx
- HP LaserJet P3005
- HP LaserJet 3xxx AiO
- HP Color LaserJet 4700
- HP Color LaserJet 3000
- HP Color LaserJet 3800
- HP Color LaserJet CP2025
- HP Color LaserJet CM1015 MFP
- Decide which Printer you would like to buy. If you are purchasing a significant number of printers this would be a good time to involve TJ Miller so I can help evaluate your needs.
- Engage your department's purchasing agent (e.g., Administrative Assistant or grant account holder) to:
- Choose a vendor: If desired you can use the vendors linked above as they have a DIR contract with the State of Texas. If you would like to obtain additional quotes here are some ways you can find for other vendors:
- DIR Store: Choose "Printers" for the Product Type and "Hewlett Packard" for the Brand Name.
- Centralized Master Bidder's List: Type "204" for the Class Code and "77" for the Item code to find laser printer vendors. This site is handy for finding HUB vendors.
- Comptroller Tax Status: Checking the comptroller tax status before attempting to purchase from a company can save you time in the long run.
- Purchase the Printer with either a Purchase Order or Purchase Card.
Please direct questions regarding recommended printers to TJ Miller.
| Minimum Requirements for Network Printers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Physical Security | Locked doors or security cable | Measures should be implemented to deter the theft of the printer by either: anchoring the device via a security cable or placing it in an area that is locked when unoccupied. If there is a question if your printer choice has a security cable slot feel free to contact me and I will find out for you. |
| Network Security Features | Access Control List | Required for securing a printer to prevent unwanted access. |
| Network interface | TCP/IP and 10/100 Ethernet | An Ethernet print server allows CAS Computer Support Services to administrate and setup the printer to work with university workstations independent of the operating system being used (Windows, Mac, Linux). The Ethernet interface must be compatible with Windows Point and Print, which is the industry standard. |
| Printer Language | PostScript | Most network printers will have this by default, but some will have it as an add-on option (Lanier multi-function devices for example). Without this compatibility machines will not be able to send PostScript print jobs to the device. This is especially problematic for native print jobs in Mac OS X. |
Last updated on 10:41 AM 10/17/2007 by TJ Miller
