A3 Printers: the Full Guide

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:

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.