An A3 printer prints on sheets twice the size of A4, and almost always on A4 as well. Most A3 machines are full copiers that also scan and print from the network, though a few desktop A3 printers exist. You need A3 for plans and drawings, wide spreadsheets, posters and school charts, and for booklets made by folding A3 sheets in half. This page explains who needs A3, colour A3 machines, the finishing that goes with them, wide format printers for bigger drawings, and the space an A3 machine takes.
Who needs A3
Architects, engineers, attorneys and estate agents copy plans, title deeds and site maps. Accountants print wide spreadsheets that are unreadable on A4. Schools print charts, test papers on A3 folded to A4, and posters for the classroom. Churches and clubs print booklets. If you only print A3 a few times a month, a copy shop may be cheaper than owning an A3 machine.
A3 matters for scanning as well as printing. If you scan plans, title deeds or wide ledgers to email or to client folders, an A3 scanner glass and a document feeder that takes A3 originals save you from scanning in halves and joining the pieces.
Colour A3 and finishing
A colour A3 copier has four toners, cyan, magenta, yellow and black, and often a drum for each colour and a transfer belt. It costs more to buy and more per page than a mono machine. If you make booklets, ask for a finisher with a booklet maker that folds and staples A3 sheets down the middle. Heavier card for covers usually goes through the bypass tray, so check the heaviest paper the machine supports. Keep a stock of A3 copy paper as well as A4.
Wide format beyond A3
For drawings larger than A3, such as A1 and A0 plans, you need a wide format printer that feeds from a roll, often with a large scanner beside it. These are specialist machines with their own ink, paper and service, used mostly by architects, engineers and surveyors. Many offices with only a few big plans a month send them to a print bureau instead. If you do want one, ask whether it prints on plain paper, how big the ink tanks are and who services it near you.
The space an A3 machine takes
Floor standing A3 copiers are large and heavy, often on a cabinet or a paper deck, with trays that slide out in front and a finisher at the side. Measure the floor space with room for the trays and doors to open, and check doorways, stairs and lifts before delivery; see copier installation. If you want A3 without buying, ask about renting one.
A3 copiers often draw more power while warming up than a desktop printer, so give the machine its own plug point rather than sharing a multiplug with a kettle or heater, and fit a surge protector against the spikes after load-shedding.
What to put in your request
- What you print on A3 and how often
- Pages a month in black and in colour
- Booklets, stapling or hole punching
- The heaviest card you print on
- Floor space and access for delivery
A3 Printers and Copiers for offices, schools and home offices
- Home offices: a desktop A3 inkjet for the odd plan or poster printed at home
- Small businesses and shops: an A3 colour copier for price lists, menus and wide order sheets
- Corporate and head offices: A3 colour copiers for reports, wide spreadsheets and board packs
- Schools, colleges and universities: A3 copiers for test papers folded to A4, charts and classroom posters
- Medical practices, clinics and hospitals: rarely needed; A4 covers most forms, scans and referral letters
- Law firms, accountants and agents: A3 copies and scans of plans, title deeds and site maps
- Government and municipalities: A3 copiers for town planning, maps and tender documents
- Factories, mines and warehouses: A3 for drawings and layouts in the plant or mine office
- Churches, NGOs and community groups: A3 sheets folded into booklets for services and events
Frequently asked questions
Can an A3 printer print on A4?
Is there a small A3 printer for a desk?
Does an A3 page cost more than A4?
Do you sell A3 printers yourselves?
A3 Printers and Copiers by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg