Portable Printers

Print on the go with portable business printers

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.

 

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.
Try: 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.
Try: 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.
Try: 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.

 

• 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.

Copyright © 2011 Business.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

---