Printers come in different shapes and sizes. They even print in different sizes. The most common printers can print on Legal, Letter, and A4 printer paper. Those are pretty much the common printing needs of most people. Almost everything can be printed on those pages. That’s the keyword there, “almost”. However, there are special cases when it would be better to use an A3 printer instead of a standard printer. These printers may be large, but there are also advantages to having them. In this article, we will discuss the reasons why you should and should not buy an A3 printer.
First of all, A3 printers are not only capable of printing on A3 size. It is also capable of printing on A4 printer paper as well as other papers such as Letter and Legal. This allows you more versatility in terms of media selection. If you need your output to be larger, then choose A3. If you want them smaller, then choose A4 or Letter. In a way, you also have faster turnarounds because, in one sweep, you can print an A3 size, which is equivalent to two A4 sizes.
Aside from having multiple selections of media, you are open to more options into what you can print. If by having a standard printer you can only print documents and other letter-size documents, by having an A3 printer, you can print other documents such as memos brochures, newsletters, and other things that need to be on large media. This is why most A3 printers are usually bought for office use. Offices have more need for printing on different sizes compared to home printing. At homes, the printing involved may only be for reports and homework.
Those are all for buying an A3 printer. However, having an A3 printer is not all good. Like owning any other machine, there are always downsides. The first major disadvantage of these machines is their size. Most A3 printers are bigger and heavier so they are not that easy to handle. If you’ve chosen a spot for them in your house, it is better not to move it anymore. Because most of them are bigger than normal printers, sometimes you can’t just place them in your work area. In most cases, you have to allocate another desk or space for your printer.
Aside from its size, another major disadvantage of these printers is their power consumption. Due to their size and larger components, they would require larger amounts of energy in order to do the same job. If you seldom use the printer, then it won’t really make that much of a difference in your electric bill. However, if you’re a frequent user of printers, you can expect to see some changes in your bill.
Other advantages and disadvantages may be added to this list depending on the kind of A3 printer you’re considering. If you’re considering an A3 laser printer, it may have additional advantages such as cheaper printing costs. It also has additional disadvantages as well, such as elevated room temperatures.
