There are a lot of things you need to know before putting your money on a printer. Especially if you are going to be musing your printer for large-scale production. You need to know if the printer you are investing in will give you value for your money by handling your huge amount of work.
The ability of your printer is determined by its different specs. Just like any other electronic device. A printer duty cycle is definitely one of the most important specs you should be looking out for.
A printer duty cycle determines the optimal use of your machine. As subtle as it may sound, you have to be wary of this feature to improve the lifespan of your printer.
So, to the million-dollar question on our page today, what is a printer duty cycle and why is it so important? Let’s dive right in and find out everything about this feature.
What is a Printer Duty Cycle? Why Does it Matter?
A duty cycle is a very important metric on any machine. It mirrors the workload a machine can handle at a given cycle of time.
A duty cycle is issued by a manufacturer for a given machine. It normally varies between daily or monthly duty cycles. The duty cycle of a machine is determined by a stress test that it is subjected to during its manufacture.
The stress test pushes the machine to its elastic limit to determine its maximum capacity performance. There are a lot of other things that come into play to determine the duty cycle of a machine. Some of them include running applications and the physical environment influence.
With that said, a printer duty cycle is a comparative specification for printers. It tells you the amount of work a given printer can handle at a specified period of time. This spec also hints at the durability and reliability of your printer.
The lower the printer’s duty cycle, the lesser the amount of work it has to handle. On the other hand, a printer that has a high duty cycle is ideal for large-scale printing.
Do I Need a Printer with a High Duty Cycle?
The capacity of a printer duty cycle depends a lot on what you intend to do with the machine in the first place. Some of the questions you ought to ask yourself before anything else is, how are you planning to use the printer? How big is your workload per month? What type of documents are you printing?
For example, if you are purchasing a printer for home purposes or a small-scale office, a low-duty cycle is ideal for you. If you print heavy-duty documents like stickers, you are going to have to invest in a printer with a high-duty cycle. Printers with low-duty cycles are normally cheaper than the ones with high-duty cycles.
Duty Cycle VS Monthly Volume
Let’s make one thing clear, the duty cycle number is not the only determinant of a printer’s capabilities. There is a lot more. The recommended monthly volume makes it nominal. You need to check the actual number of work a machine should produce per month to avoid any malfunction.
I will show you why. If a manufacturer indicates that a printer can handle up to 20,000 printers per month it doesn’t imply that it will maintain that performance through its lifespan. When a printer is exposed to a heavy workload throughout, its optimal condition tends to degenerate.
Let’s break it down a little bit further. Sticking to the monthly volume of your machine is more sustainable for your machine. Unlike the duty cycle, its volume is much less, and it sustains the lifespan of your printer.
Ink Costs VS Duty Cycle
If you are investing in a printer with a higher duty cycle, prepare your pockets for the costs that precede it. Its running cost is just as crazy, and you will have to cough out more money to keep it running. However, if you are looking for a printer option with a lower cost, go for a laser and ignore the inkjet.
But there are inkjet printers that are more affordable to buy and keep it running. A quick word of advice. Always try to understand everything about a printer before putting your money into it. That includes the cost of ink it will consume because printers’ ink does not come cheap.
Find out if your machine is compatible with the long-term ink supply plan. That would be more cost-effective. Most of these plans offer ink cartridges at discounted rates. If you can work around this, you are most likely to cut down on some unnecessary costs.
How to Estimate Your Monthly Workflow
You need not be bothered at all if your printer is just for domestic and personal purposes. This is because you are not like to even meet the monthly duty cycle. Occasional assignments, letters, and photo prints will not affect your machine in a big way.
It becomes a different thing if your printer is for office purposes. You will need to be attentive to how it is being used to avoid unnecessary costs and overusing the machine. Measure your printer’s performance per day and do not exceed its minimum capacity.
Here is how you should go about it. Keep note of how many times and printing papers you have to reload the machine per day. Check the progress to per week and month. For example, if you are loading 500 printing papers per day, keep it uniform or less throughout the week and month.
Points to Understand About Your Printer’s Duty Cycle
The printer’s duty cycle is not regulated by any authority. Manufacturers have been known to recommend high volumes. Here are some key points you have to keep note of.
- The testing process has no industry standards.
- A new printer will produce a high volume of prints throughout the first few months. However, they might degenerate as the machine gets old.
- This is not a measure of your printer’s lifespan and longevity.
- How long does the printer perform with the duty cycle?