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Last updated: 3 August 2021

A3 Printers: the Full Guide

What is the Best A3 Printer for Your Business

While an A3 printer may not be as common in offices as a multifunction A4 printer, it is an indispensable part of the printer ecosystem. There are departments and industries that need access to A3 prints. Whether you need to print a design, a diagram or a business plan, an A3 printer is the right office tool because of the A3 paper size.

The A3 paper size is twice that of the A4 paper size. This means that the user has access to twice the usual surface space. The bigger dimension mean that you don’t have to print on two separate sheets to convey an idea. At 29.7 x 42.0 cm (11.7 x 16.5 in) the A3 paper size is perfect for lab quality images, posters, presentations, and other illustrations.

Available in Mono and Colour format, an A3 printer can be based on either Inkjet or Laser technology. If your needs go beyond printing, an all-in-one printer will take care of all the scanning and faxing you may need on a day-to-day basis.

Generally, A3 printer prices vary as:

Low-Tier Cost (£)Mid-Tier Cost (£)High-Tier Cost (£)
£99 – £499£499 – £1,499up to £10,000

For a complete price breakdown see the table for popular multifunction A3 printers and popular single function A3 printers.

If you need specific information about the best A3 printers or photocopiers, just fill in the form at the top of the page and we’ll make sure to provide you with up to four, free, non-binding quotes to help you make a well-informed decision.

How Much Does an A3 Printer Cost?

An A3 printer can easily cost thousands of pounds.

Typically, A3 laser printers tend to be costlier than inkjet A3 printers, with the colour laser printers costing up to £10,000. The mono variant can go for up to £8,000.

Further, it is more common to find colour and mono variants for laser A3 printers than for inkjet A3 inkjet printers.

If you have additional needs such as scanning or faxing, be prepared to spend over the £1,500 mark as a good multi-function printer will cost a lot.

Cost of Popular Multifunction A3 Printers
ImageA3 Printer NameA3 Printer TypeCost (£)
Brother MFC-J5730DWBrother MFC-J5730DWA3 Colour Multifunction Inkjet Printer£180 – £220
Kyocera FS-6525MFPKyocera FS-6525MFPA3 Mono Multifunction Laser Printer£1,400 – £1,600
Lexmark X925deLexmark X925deA3 Colour Multifunction Laser Printer£1,500 – £2,000
Kyocera ECOSYS FS-C8520MFPKyocera ECOSYS FS-C8520MFPA3 Colour Multifunction Laser Printer£1,700 – £2,000
Samsung MultiXpress X3220NRSamsung MultiXpress X3220NRA3 Colour Multifunction Laser Printer£2,500 – £3,000
Samsung MultiXpress SLX3280NRSamsung MultiXpress SLX3280NRA3 Colour Multifunction Laser Printer£3,000 – £3,500

While it is possible to to find cheaper A3 printers, you would end up missing out on other parameters such as high print speed or LCD displays.

If scanning, copying or faxing is not a necessity, then a single function A3 printer would be more suitable. Moreover, single function A3 printers tend to be cheaper.

A problem with a multifunction printer is that a device failure will render all the other features useless. So, if you wish to spread out the workload, a single function printer along with a separate scanner and a fax machine is a good alternative.

Cost of Popular Single Function A3 Printers
ImageA3 Printer NameA3 Printer TypeCost (£)
Epson WorkForce WF-7210DTWEpson WorkForce WF-7210DTWA3 Colour Inkjet Printer£100 – £150
Brother MFC-J5930DWBrother MFC-J5930DWA3 Colour Inkjet Printer£200 – £250
OKI C813nOKI C813nA3 Colour Laser Printer£450 – £500
Lexmark C950deLexmark C950deA3 Colour Laser Printer£950 – £1,050
Xerox Phaser 7500DNXerox Phaser 7500DNA3 Colour Laser Printer£1,000 – £1,500
HP Laserjet Enterprise M750dnHP Laserjet Enterprise M750dnA3 Colour Laser Printer£1,700- £2,000

The costs can quickly add up if you want to purchase a couple of A3 printers, and this does not include maintenance or consumables.

If you cannot afford A3 printers, but need one for your business, then renting is a viable alternative.

Renting an A3 Printer

Renting or Leasing an office printer is a good option when you are unsure about your needs and requirements or do not have the cash to make an outright purchase.

Renting is also a more flexible option as you can usually cancel your contract by notifying your contractor one month in advance.

However, before you rent, you need to be mindful of the rental cost, the rental period and what all is included in the contract.

How Much Does Renting an A3 Printer Cost?

The price of renting A3 printers changes according to the features and the length of the lease period. In general, the price for mono and colour laser printers vary between £20 and £50 per month, with free copies included.

How Long Does the Rental Period Last?

A3 printers can be rented for as little as 3 days and up to a few years. Setting a hire period before renting the printer will help minimise the investment costs. It goes without saying that the price of A3 printer rentals decreases with longer-term leasing periods.

What Is Included in the Leasing Price?

The features included in the price of A3 printer rental depends on the supplier’s policies. Some providers may cover the costs of toner, maintenance, repairs, warranty and paper. Other providers may specify in the contract that these features come at an extra charge.

What Are the Benefits of Renting A3 Printers?

  • Low cost investment
  • Flexible monthly rental fees
  • Contract and duration flexibility
  • Possibility to upgrade the product
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What Size Is A3 in the UK? Dimensions and Types

An A3 paper size is 29.7 x 42.0 cm (11.7 x 16.5 in), as defined by ISO 216 standards. However, this is not the only size A3 paper is available in. There is an extended version that is use as well and is known as A3+ or A3 plus. The dimensions of A3 plus paper are 32.9 x 48.3 (13 x 19 in).

The extra space in the A3 plus paper can be used for jotting down comments or thoughts and can later be cropped off. It is also interesting to note that in some cases the A3 plus paper can be cheaper than the regular A3 paper.

An important characteristic to note when buying A3 paper is the weight of the paper. This is often expressed in GSM (grams per square meter). Heavier paper is often associated with better quality as it will tend to have better coatings.

Paper Weight and Usage
Paper Weight (gsm)Usage
70 – 100 gsmPrinting text heavy documents
120 – 150 gsmPrinting illustrations (charts)
150 – 200 gsmPrinting photographs
200+ gsmPrinting high quality images

The best printing results comes from a high quality printer that uses the highest quality of paper. Cheaper paper tends to be thinner, causes the colours to run, and results in the loss of quality after a short period of time. Low cost paper also has a high risk of causing paper jams and damage to internal printing mechanisms.

To get the most out of your printing results, only purchase bright paper that has high thickness (also known as caliper), a grade that matches the purpose of your printing projects (i.e., grades like writing, book, index, etc.) and paper that has high smoothness.

Suppliers will be able to support you in understanding which type of A3 paper is best suited for your printing needs, and what features work best for different A3 printers. An important consideration for designers that work with A3 printers to design graphics and edit images is the correct resolution to maintain a high quality result.

To achieve a dot per inch resolution of 300, it is important that the size of the digital image is 3508 x 4961. Printing at 72 DPI will require a resolution of 842 x 1191. Low digital resolution prints on A3 paper will result in pixelated images.

Choosing an A3 Printer

Deciding which printer would be best for your company requires you to outline the needs of the business. Apart from the number of documents that need to be printed on a monthly basis, the number of employees that need to access the printer and the additional features that will be used will dictate what printer you should buy.

A 3 Printers Infographic

Setting realistic expectations for your printing needs will result in a maximum return on your investment. Some key questions that you should consider include:

1. Are you exclusively printing text?

If you solely print text documents, such as spreadsheets, leaflets, or booklets in black and white, then a monochrome business printer would be ideal for your company.

2. Do you need to print large high quality photographs

A colour inkjet A3 printer that can print at high resolutions is what your business needs. Precision results require only the best printer and printer paper on the market.

3. Do you need to print design briefs that communicate ideas for a product prototype, new website, or printed publication?

An inkjet printer that can print on A3 paper will help you impress any audience.

4. Will you need to print on A3 sheets in both colour and monochrome with speed being a priority?

An A3 colour laser printer will help you meet critical deadlines and work more efficiently.

5. Do you need to share the printer amongst many employees and are you scanning, copying, faxing, and/or emailing large documents?

A wireless A3 multifunction printer is the perfect addition to your busy office environment, as everyone can access the printer without long wait times

Find the Best A3 Printer for Your Needs

If you need further assistance or need to know what large format printers are available for rent in your area, you can get in touch with us. Whether you are into photography, design or engineering related field, our suppliers have a range of A3 printers that will help you meet your printer related needs. Whether your business is most suited for an all-in-one printer or a specific functionality, Market Inspector can help you.

Click the button below to fill in a short form and receive up to four non-binding, free quotes from our suppliers. Keep in mind that an A3 printer from a trusted brand will be more reliable and have better output and speed.

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