Portable business printers are becoming essential for many lines of work. Whether your employees travel or work out of their service vehicles, a portable printer is a must-have to help make them successful.

Portable printers come in many shapes, sizes and are compatible with many different technologies to make for easy travel. Portable printers pricing and costs can depend on several things. When pricing out your portable printers, do the following:

1. Consider portable business printers that can print receipts, and other small business needs from the car.

2. Look at portable printers for sale that print in color.

3. Check out portable business printers that have Bluetooth so that all of your employees' wireless devices are compatible.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Purchase portable business printers for your employees who work from their service vehicles

Meet your employees needs while they are on the road with a portable business printer. Choose a printer that can travel with them by car and can be mounted to their dashboard. Handheld printers are great ways to instantly print receipts.

I recommend: OpticsPlanet offers a large range of portable printers to meet your employee needs from the road. Prices range from $25 to $530. Check out Super Warehouse. It offers a huge selection of portable printers, including hand held receipt printers that are great for your service employees. Prices range from $50 to $1700.

Buy portable laptop printers that print color to meet all of your employee travel needs

A portable laptop printer can be even more valuable to your traveling employees when they can print in color on the normal 8.5 by 11 size page. For your employees who need access to business plans, presentations and proposals, a portable color printer is a great option for them to travel with.

I recommend: Cannon U.S.A. offers several options for inkjet color printers that provide exceptional prints for people on the go. Prices range from $50 to $850. BlueDogInk offers several styles of HP portable color printers to give your employees the convenience of desktop printing from anywhere. Prices range from $230 to $335 each.

Select a Bluetooth portable printer so that it is compatible with other wireless devices

Provide portable printers that have a Bluetooth option to allow your employees to be print compatible with any wireless device. With a Bluetooth portable printer, they can print from their laptop, camera phone, Blackberry and many other portable devices

I recommend: NexTag features a portable printer that is light and provides great quality prints. It includes Bluetooth making it easy to connect and print from any wireless device. It is priced around $500. Look at B&H Foto and Electronics. It offers a Cannon portable printer that has a Bluetooth option allowing your employees the ability to print documents from any wireless device. The price for this printer is around $200.

Portable business printers are lightweight, rugged printers that can connect to laptops and portable devices. They're available in various technologies to meet specific business needs.

Whether your company employs traveling professionals who need a printer to create presentations and documents, or you manage service professionals who operate out of their vehicles, a portable business printer can help your company operate more efficiently.

Portable printers use thermal transfer or ink jet cartridges to create images. Thermal printers are generally lighter and smaller than ink jets. But ink jets generally produce better quality documents. Here are some things to consider when choosing a thermal or ink jet business mobile printer:

1. Decide whether you need quality color printing from your portable business printer.

2. Look for a portable printer that connects to your PDA or other portable devices and supports your operating system.

3. Compare the cost of different brands and types of printers, including supplies.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Check out ink jet portable laptop printers

Today's portable ink jet printers can print photos and graphics in quality equal to stationary models. They offer Bluetooth and wireless connectivity and can connect to various laptops and portable devices.

I recommend: The Canon Pixma series has an optional Bluetooth adapter and prints up to 20 pages per minute in black and 14 in color. The Hewlett Packard H470 series features Bluetooth and wireless connectivity.

Find thermal portable printers for sale

A thermal printer may not be the best choice if you need to print high-quality color documents on the go. However, they are generally lighter and more portable than ink jet printers and you don't have to worry about the mess of leaking ink jet cartridges.

I recommend: The Brother MPrint series printers weigh less than 11 ounces. They offer 300 dpi (dots per square inch) printing on paper, labels and carbon sheets and can print up to 100 pages on a single charge. They work on notebooks, smartphones, Pocket PCs and Palm and BlackBerry devices. Interfaces include USB, infrared and Bluetooth. A solution for printing receipts and other small items is the PP55 from Infinite Peripherals Inc., which supports most hand held devices. Slide your device into the cradle and print to the thermal paper roll.

Look into vehicle-mounted business mobile printers

A printer that can be mounted to a car's dashboard is a great option for companies that need to print receipts, reports and other documents at customer sites.

I recommend: The PocketJet from Pentax Imaging Company prints at 200 dpi. It measures 10.04" and weighs a little more than a pound. Optional and third-party kits and power adapters allow you to mount the PocketJet in a vehicle or workspace. The VMP 1000/2000 Series from O'Neil Product Development Inc. are vehicle mounted impact printers that connect to serial ports or wireless connections. Full size receipts and documents can be printed on the spot.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When deciding between thermal and ink jet portable business printers, remember to factor in the cost of supplies. Ink jet printers require black and color ink cartridges. Printing can be done to regular paper, but specialty paper produces better results. With a thermal printer, you will need to buy thermal paper.

A portable business printer, usually operated off a battery, makes a great addition to a mobile office. With this kind of printer, you can print e-mails from your laptop or print photos from a digital camera. The type of printer that you want to buy will depend on your needs.

The size and type of documents that you can print will depend on the type of printer you get, which is why you may want to get portable printer advice and ratings before you start your search. As you look for information on printers, consider the following items:

1. Look for unbiased reviews specific to a portable laptop printer.

2. Utilize advice from magazines and other publications dedicated to mobile technology.

3. Read blogs to find out the latest advice on buying portable printers.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Take advantage of other people's research on portable printers

Unbiased reviews provide the best advice, because the author doesn't receive payment of any kind from portable printer manufacturers. User reviews afford you the opportunity to get advice from individuals who have purchased the product.

I recommend: Consumer Search provides reviews on popular portable printers for sale. It includes an estimated price range for the products reviewed. LAPTOP magazine provides reviews on a monthly basis and covers all topics related to mobile technology, including portable laptop printers. The reviews include a rating for each product.

Find magazine, publications, and online sources dedicated to portable business printers and gadgets

Technology magazines not only stay current on the latest products coming to the market, but the editors and writers often have the experience to recommend and rate the products. When you look for sources on portable printers, keep in mind that many sources cater to mobile technology or gadgets.

I recommend: PCMag offers advice on how to buy portable printers. It covers one product at a time, so you'll need to browse several articles to get the best advice. Smart Computing provides advice on who should consider buying a portable printer. It covers the benefits and features, including portability, price, and performance.

Look for blogs that discuss portable printers and report on experiences with products

Blogs can be a great place to get user reviews and advice on portable printers. In some cases, you'll want to read a few consecutive posts in order to find all the advice relevant to a portable printer. The comment section on some blogs can also clarify, confirm, or disagree with the advice, so check for relevant comments.

I recommend: The New York Times hosts Gadgetwise, a blog on mobile technology. The blog provides advice and ratings on portable printers like the Wasabi PZ310. The Gadgeteer is another blog dedicated to mobile technology and gadgets. Read advice on the HP Mini portable printer and other portable devices in its posts.

Portable printers are ideal for anyone who runs a business on the go. They are small, easy to carry, and they can print a variety of documents with ease and efficiency. If you choose to have one or more portable printers for your business, it is essential to learn the basic terms that are associated with these compact gadgets. A solid understanding of the key related terms will ensure that you buy the best printers for your company’s needs.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

PPM

The term PPM stands for pages per minute. The best portable printers are capable of turning out at least ten pages per minute. However, the fastest portable printing machines can print upwards of twenty pages per minute or more.

I recommend: For additional information about the term PPM and other popular printing lingo, check out WebMediaBrands.

PictBridge-compatible

PictBridge is an important type of technology that is essential for anyone using a portable photo printer. Portable photo printers operate on the go, and they come in handy for many different types of businesses. Whether you need to take photos for an inspection, or photography is your business, a portable photo printer is sure to come in handy for you. A PictBridge-compatible printer will allow you to print anything with ease.

I recommend: Learn more about PictBridge-compatible at Digicamhelp.com.

Internal memory

Internal memory allows a portable printer to store documents that are sent to it for printing. It can also store pictures and art.

I recommend: Educate yourself about portable printer internal memory at PC Magazine.

Thermal paper roll

A thermal paper roll is often used in conjunction with thermal transfer printers. It has a chemical in the paper that causes it to change colors when exposed to heat. Thermal paper rolls are used to print receipts, event tickets and other similar items. A thermal paper roll is a popular choice for on-the-spot receipt printing.

I recommend: TechTarget offers information and facts about thermal printing and thermal paper rolls.

Power adapter

A power adapter is essential for anyone who wants to use a portable printer on the go. The adapter allows the printer to obtain power from a vehicle and print while in the car.

I recommend: For more information about portable printer power adapters, visit SterlingTek.com.

Wireless USB interface

A wireless USB interface allows a portable printer to connect to a computer or another electronic device without the use of wires. It is an essential tool for portable printers and other electronic devices.

I recommend: Learn more about Wireless USB interfaces and how they work at Ziff Davis Enterprise.