You must know the difference between A3 vs. A4 printer if you’re planning to purchase one for your business or home.
Most people without printer knowledge struggle with choosing between A3 and A4 printers. This is because of the technical terms, which are quite confusing.
A3 and A4 refer to the different paper sizes the particular printers can handle. The article offers more details on the differences between,
A3 vs. A4 Printer
People spend more than $100 billion on home and office printers yearly. In the printing market, the most common sizes are A3 and A4 printers. Here is the breakdown of the two sizes.
Definitions
- What Is an A3 Printer?
The A3 printer can print a larger variety of paper sizes. It can handle up to 11.69 x 16.53-inch. The A3 MFP can comfortably handle A3, small A4 sizes, ledger, and legal.
It can also print on other small-size papers such as postcards and envelopes. It’s handling of different paper sizes makes it faster than the A4 printer. A3 printers also have a higher PPM (Page Per Minute) than A4 printers.
- What Is an A4 Printer?
The A4 printer can print on A4, legal letters, envelopes, and postcards. However, it cannot handle A3 sizes. In the USA, people commonly refer to it as a letter printer. But internationally, it is known as an A4 printer.
Device Size
The A3 printer is larger than its counterpart. Therefore you’ll save some money on toner, ink, and other consumables in the long run.
Note that its larger size allows it to handle more workload. This is one of the reasons why some business owners prefer the A3 printer. Lastly, it produces a bigger footprint than an A4 printer since its documents are larger.
Price
The A3 printer costs much more because of its size and versatility. Most business owners prefer A3 printers to A4 printers because of this. But if you’re on a tight budget, you should opt for the budget-friendly A4 printer.
Print Volume
It refers to the amount of work each printer can do. The A4 printers are usually small and thus hold fewer ink cartridges or toners.
For high-volume prints, you surely need a printer large toner bottle capacity. This makes the A3 printer your best choice. In the long run, it’s more expensive to use A4 than the A3 multifunction copier.
How To Choose The Right Printer Size for Your Business
Before you purchase a printer, you should ensure it meets all or most of your needs. Other than the paper size, it would be best to consider other factors.
Functions
Each printer type and model comes with specific functions. Therefore you need to identify the most crucial functions you need in your printer.
For example, you should determine if you need finishing capabilities like three-hole punching, folding and stapling, etc.
If you’re planning to create a 3-hole punched booklet or document, go for the A3 printer. Most A3 printers feature various finishing products and additional accessories.
For the A4 device, manufacturers find it tricky to add finishing options because of its small size. Plus, the A4 has limited accessory options like stapling.
Size
You must consider your office space size. It’ll help you to determine if you need the A3 or A4 printer for your business. The larger frame, the A3 printer, takes up more space than the A4.
Its frame can accommodate papers measuring up to 11×17-inch. Regardless the A3 printer has a solid construction and very durable parts.
Contrarily, the A4 device is small than A3 because it handles small paper sizes. Meaning it’ll take less space than A3.
The A4 printer can range from small desktop machines to standalone devices with several drawers. Therefore if your business space is small, you should consider this printer.
Price
Price is an important factor when it comes to any purchase. The price also dictates the types of features you get in a machine. In this case, you should first decide whether you need a printer for home or business use.
The A3 printer is the most ideal for business purposes. If you plan to buy the A3 printer, you must be ready to incur a higher cost. That’s because the machine comes with greater capabilities.
Additionally, it would be best to consider the cost of services and consumables. They greatly impact the product’s overall cost.
Note that the A4 machine is quite expensive to operate in the long run. Its supplies and services are usually quite costly.
With the A4 printer, you’ll have to regularly replace ink toner or cartridge since it has a low page yield. It makes the cost per page much higher on the A4 printer.
People Using The Printer
It would help if you considered whether you’d use the printer for personal or business use. If the printer is for business, many people will be using it. For example, it can serve an entire human resource department.
Therefore, identifying your intended use will guide you in choosing the right printer type. If you have a larger project or team, then the A3 is the ideal printer. The machine has a higher PPM that’ll serve the business better.
Print Speed
It’s the number of prints the device can offer in a minute. The A3 printer has a higher PPM than the A4 printer.
That’s why the A3 multifunctional printer is ideal for massive-scale printing. The A4 printer has a low PPM, which makes it ideal for people who print below 4000 pages monthly.
Usability
You should understand your needs. For example, determine whether you need versatility or the type of printing you want.
If your business needs pamphlets, booklets, engineering drawings, etc., then the A3 printer is the best.
You can, however, opt for the A4 printer if you need the envelope, regular printing, etc. Overall, the A3 printer will greatly optimize your experience because of its versatility.
What Are The Different Printing Paper Sizes?
First, you should note that your location determines the classification of paper sizes. In the USA, the papers have a unique naming technique.
Therefore each size has a unique name. For example, in the USA, the popular printing papers are legal and letter-sized.
Sizing is done using the empirical system, meaning the measurements are in inches. Here are the popular paper sizes in the USA.
- Half letter: 5.5 x 8.5 inches
- Letter: 8.5 x 11 inches
- Legal: 8.5 x 13 inches
- Ledger/ Tabloid: 11 x 17 inches
However, in other parts, the measurement of standard paper is done using the A-class system. The system is popular for the rest of the world and is from scales A0-A8. A0 is the largest, while A8 is the smallest paper size. Here are the different measurements.
- A3: 11.7 x 16.5 inches
- A4: 8.3 x 11.7 inches
- A5: 5.8 x 8.3 inches
- A6: 4.1 x 5.8 inches
The difference between A-paper and USA classification is slight. But the most popular paper sizes under A-classification are A3 and A4, which is the letter and ledger/tabloid sizes in the USA, respectively. Today the A3 and A4 are the most common paper sizes in most workspaces.
Therefore when you talk about printing papers, you’re most probably referring to A4 or letter. The A4 is the most common in everyday writing and printing.
Tabloid or A3 is a bit large, but you’ll also come across it in the everyday office uses. A3 or tabloid is for more extensive charts, flyers, posters, and presentations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can The A3 Printer Also Print A4 Papers?
Absolutely yes, the printer can handle the A4 papers. All you need to do is resize your document before printing. The good part is most modern A3 printers include integrated features that can scale documents.
Is It Possible To Change a Word Document From A4 To A3?
Yes, but first you should choose the word document. Navigate to the menu bar. You then click on format, the document, and then page setup. A drop-down list of paper sizes will appear; choose A4 and then Ok.
Does Word Have The A3 Document Size?
It’s an issue for Windows 10 (Office 365), but it’s easy to deal with. All you need to do is open “File” and then “Print.” You then change the printer to A3 and Fax and print to PDF.
What Are Printing Needs?
Printing needs do vary according to individuals. For example, they include the type of document you’re printing, spaces, do you need color, and much more. Having a great understanding of your needs will help you select the right printer.
What Is The Most Ideal Resolution for A3 printing?
Resolution is so important when it comes to both text and image printing. The best resolution for A3 printing (@300 PPI) is 11.6916.53 inches.
Can One Print An A3 PDF To Two A4?
Yes, but you must use Adobe Acrobat Reader when printing the document. Follow the normal printing procedure.
Conclusion
The article outlines the major differences between A3 vs. A4 printer. The key points in the article should guide you in purchasing the right printer for your needs.
However, the best way to pick a printer is by considering your anticipated work environment and page volume. There are several A3 and A4 printer brands and models, so you’ll surely get a bargain.