Are A3 Printers Cheap?
If you are wondering whether A3 printers are cheaper than A4 printers with the same printing speed, resolution, and color quality, then the answer is “no”. They are definitely a lot more expensive than A4 printers are. However, if we are to remove the A4 printers from the equation, then we will have to explore other criteria to determine whether a certain A3 printer is cheap or not.
A3 Printers Before
Before, A3 printers were not as available commercially as they are today. Homes never had much use for them since most printing requirements at home came in Letter or Legal sizes. Most customers for A3 printers came from the industrial market. Because of this, manufacturers sold them at a higher price since they needed to sell them for a profit. They were sold at higher prices because the demand for such printers was low.
A3 Printers Now
The demand for printing in A3 sizes ramped up in the last decade. Whether it is for printing brochures, newsletters or posters, the use of A3 printers is commonplace in today’s society. This is primarily the reason why the prices of A3 printers are able to go as low as a few hundred dollars. This doesn’t mean though that all prices are in this range. There are still high end models, those especially made for publishing materials, which are expensive, ranging from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands.
Then again, the idea of cheap is relative to the product. In order to call a certain product cheap, there need to be other products that offer the same features at a higher cost. Aside from comparing them to other products, you should also see if the features or benefits they offer outweigh the cost.
Printing Features
When it comes to printers, price is often associated with its printing speed — the higher the speed it has, the more expensive it is. Printers with a minimum speed of 30ppm normally sells in the thousands range. Take for example the Phaser 7500 from Xerox. Its speed is 35ppm and its starting price is at $3000. In terms of resolution, it only has 1200 x 1200 dpi, which is typically a standard resolution for most printers today. The HP PhotoSmart Pro B8850, on the other hand, has four times the resolution but operates at 28ppm and it sells for a much lower price of $700. Aside from speed, the price of printers is also directly related to their printing quality, sometimes referred to as printing resolutions.
Different Brands
There are times when the brand has a lot more to do with the price than their features. Normally, top printer companies will have the convenience of setting them at higher prices and still manage to sell them because they have experience and brand recognition on their side. Because of their many years in the business, their credibility is secure. In order to get into the market, some printer companies are willing to offer the same quality products at lower costs, which make their printers cheaper.
So, to answer the question, “are A3 printers cheap?” The answer depends on the printer. If a printer has all the features that would normally make it an expensive printer, then it is safe to say that it is cheap — cheap for that kind of printer, that is.
