There was a time when only certain types of businesses used A3 printers. Large scale industrial prints and large photography was what they was commonly used for and for the average business not within those fields, an A3 printer was an expensive luxury therefore impractical. Over time they have considerably come down in price.
But now, Brother, Canon, HP and Epson have all designed models that are much more affordable to smaller businesses and even individuals. The price range for A3 printers now ranges from less than $50 to over $8000. That’s quite a difference, and in most cases, you will get what you pay for.
Of course, a lot will have to do with your needs. If you only need an A3 printer with decent quality and speed, then there’s no need to spend a lot of money. Often though if you need A3 printing then you need A3 size scanning also, so A3 printer scanners are the way for you to go in that case maybe.
While there are those that will be looking for the cheapest A3 printers and some who will be looking for the most expensive A3 printers, we will instead focus on the most popular A3 printers.
Epson Stylus Photo Printer 1400
First to take a bow is the Epson Stylus Photo 1400. This is one of the best A3 printers in the market, and has been especially well received by those looking for high quality photo prints.
With a print speed of 15 pages per minute for both black and color with photo print speeds for 4″ x 6″ photopaper in 46 seconds, 8″ x 10″ borderless photo as quickly as 1 minute and 51 seconds and 11″ x 14″ in 2 minutes and 53 seconds.
Resolution can reach as high as 5760 x 1440 dots per inch. It holds up to 150 sheets.
More importantly, it uses Claria Photographic Inks. This is what leads to high quality photos that don’t smudge or fade.
The Epson 1400 is durable, easy to set-up and use and it’s also a good option if you’re looking for CD and DVD-label printing. This printer’s dimensions are 24.2″ x 12.4″ x 8.8″ and it weighs 25.4 lbs. and has Auto Photo correction.
On Amazon they are for sale at about $290 and ships for free.
Epson Dot-Matrix Printer LQ 2180
If you’re looking for a high speed A3 printer, one of your best options will be the Epson Black and White Dot-Matrix Printer LQ 2180. Made for high speed and high volume capability this old and now discontinued model is a gem. Although only a black print document printer this proved to be popular for its high speed and durability. The print speed is 480 cps (High Speed Draft 10cpi). It weighs around 13 kg with dimensions of 639 (W) x 402 (D) x 268 (H) mm.
The black ribbon life will last for 8 million characters and was a made for simple tasking. This is a great fast durable printer. Although the printer is no more on general sale, the Black Ribbon is still available for around $47 when you go past the 8 million characters in its life.
When it comes to the paper paths, there are bottom and rear options. In addition to that, there is an optional motorized cut-sheet feeder. This will help you speed up paper handling and clear up the paper path as best as possible.
However as they are now a discontinued line finding one is slightly more challenging. It may be wise to enquire at the computer store what they have replaced it with but they are still available if you look.
But to have this actual model, you can consider refurbished or used on such as Amazon where there are used LQ 2180 printers available at about $360 plus shipping.
So it seems you can still own one after all if you search hard enough.
HP Photosmart B8550 Color Inkjet Photo Printer
Another discontinued but popular model is the HP Photosmart B8550 Color Inkjet Photo Printer. If you’re looking for something on a budget in the line of A3 printers then this is a good choice. If you want simplicity, this is extremely easy to use. It can reach resolutions as high as 1200 x 1200 dpi, and can hold up to 125 sheets.
It has five ink tanks which lets you replace only the colors you need and uses a USB interface, and can handle graphics on sizes up to 13 x 19 inches. Up to 32 ppm for black-and-white draft-quality letters; 95 seconds for 13 x 19-inch color photos.
With dimensions of 26.5 inches x 19.2 inches x 11 inches and weighing in at 16.8 lbs., with lab quality photos and laser quality text, this is a great printer for the money.
It is still available at Amazon at about $155.
There are other outlets still selling this printer even if HP has discontinued it. Best value of all from the 3 choices.
Of course, these have been replaced no doubt with new versions but these are good solid reliable A3 printers, and there is an excellent chance that one of them fits your needs.
Watch this post in video format
loading...
About James Wikkee