Are you setting up your home office space and need help to determine what the most important home office essentials are?
Wish to choose the best all-in-one printer for scanning, copying and printing to supercharge your home office?
With so many things to consider, choosing the right office supplies for your work-from-home gig can be stressful. Whether you are looking to set up your home office from scratch or are looking for a few key pieces to get you started, we are here to help.
In this article, we give you the lowdown on how you can set up your home office space to maximise your productivity and efficiency. It includes the most essential items you need for a home office, along with the best home office multifunction laser printer options available in the market.
How to Set Up An Efficient Workspace from Home
An efficient home office should ideally be a separate space in your home that is away from your bedroom. It could be a small study space or a corner of your living room.
Here are some essential Work-From-Home (WFH) items to invest in that can last you for the long haul.
Ergonomic Desk
Do you spend hours at your desk facing a computer screen? If so, an ergonomically-designed desk might be your new best friend.
With numerous adjustable desk options in the market, you’re totally spoilt for choice.
Pro-tip: How do you know if your desk is at the correct height? Check that your forearms are parallel to the ground and your wrist is not bent when you type on the keyboard or use the mouse.
Comfortable Backrest or Chair
A comfortable work-chair is one of the most crucial elements of any office. A good work-chair that provides ample lumbar support can prevent backaches and neck-aches in the long run.
So take your time to shop for a good one, and where possible, test the chair before making a purchase.
Wi-Fi Booster
You know that feeling when you have an important video call and your Wi-Fi decides to take time off?
This anxiety-ridden scenario can be easily avoided with a Wi-Fi signal booster. Depending on how strong a connection you need and how far away your workspace is from your existing router, prices are usually affordable for a basic Wi-Fi booster with a limited range.
Label Printer
The last thing you want is for things to get messy and disorganized in your home office. Investing in a good label printer can help you keep your workspace neat and organized – with all your documents, files, and stationery in their rightful place.
Which Home Office Multifunction Printer to Choose?
Choosing the right all-in-one laser printer or multifunction inkjet printer for your home office really depends on your expected print volume and the type of documents you need to print.
Some businesses require only black-and-white printing while others need to print graphs and detailed business reports in colour. Creative professionals like photographers, designers, and artists working from home may even need to print high quality photos and posters.
Inkjet vs Laser Printer — Which Is Better for Your Home Office?
What is the difference between a laser printer and an inkjet printer?
Let us compare laser and inkjet printers to see which may be best suited for your home office setup:
· Laser printers offer fast print speed
· Laser printers result in sharp text quality
· Laser printers are more suited for high volume printing
· Inkjet printers often provide more vibrant colours
· Inkjet printers are usually affordable
· Inkjet printers are usually compact
Now that you’ve learned the differences between laser and inkjet printers, your next step is to choose the best printer for your home office. (Alternatively, you can also choose to read up more on the differences between a laser printer and an inkjet printer.)
Best All-in-One Home Office Laser Printer
A prime example of a highly-effective all-in-one laser printer is the Brother DCP-L2550DW Laser Printer. It is the ultimate mid-sized printer for your home or small office. Boasting a speedy 34 page-per-minute (ppm) print speed, you’ll be able to receive your documents in a jiffy. It also has automatic 2-sided printing that is eco-friendly and helps you to save paper.
With scanning, copying and fax capabilities, you may expect a rather cumbersome footprint, but you’ll be surprised – this 4-in-1 is actually very compact and does not take up much more space than your regular printer.
With wireless capabilities, you can easily connect to the printer through your Wi-Fi network. You can also use apps like AirPrint, Mopria, as well as Brother iPrint&Scan. Another popular choice is the Brother DCP-L3551CDW Laser Printer – a cost-efficient and reliable printer that is perfect for small home offices. This fast monochrome and colour printer churns out stunning pages at a speed of up to 18ppm. It also features wireless connectivity and automatic duplex printing for eco-friendly and professional two-sided documents.
Best Home Office Multifunction Inkjet Printer
Inkjet printers also have their own set of advantages. They typically offer:
- Vibrant colours for photo prints
- Low upfront investment and running costs
- Compact sizes
A good example of a high-quality all-in-one inkjet printer is the Brother DCP-T520W Ink Tank Printer. Built for high-volume printing, the DCP-T520W is able to print, copy and scan, and can print up to 7,500 pages in black and 5,000 pages in colour, all at a low cost-per-print. What’s more, it supports various paper sizes and weights, so printing different print jobs is now a breeze.
