Drivers behind A4 growth
1. Office Footprints Are Shrinking
Office floor area shrinks under hybrid work schemes: A4 MFPs require 41% less surface area than equivalent A3 models and have become 5% smaller over the past five years. The compact chassis fits tight cubicles but also satellite sites without losing print, scan, copy or fax functions.
2. Tighter Budgets
An A4 purchase price is lower than an A3 price; service rates and toner yield also show this tendency; schools, businesses, and hospitals are experiencing greater financial strain. When low-volume work is transferred to A4, a site's total cost of ownership usually drops by 30% to 50%.
Importantly, many A4 devices now contain features that were previously only available on A3 machines, like:
- 40+ ppm print speeds
- Cloud workflows, secure print release, and duplexing
- Basic finishing skills, such as stapling
By employing a purposeful A4-first print approach, organisations can maintain performance while significantly reducing expenses.
Importantly, many A4 devices now contain features that were only available with A3:
- Print speeds of 40+ ppm
- Duplexing, cloud workflows, and secure print release
- Basic finishing capabilities, like stapling
3. Sustainability Is a Priority
A4 supports sustainability goals through:
- Lower power consumption
- Fewer raw materials are used in production
- Reduced shipping emissions and packaging waste
These reductions have a major impact on carbon footprint reduction and ESG compliance in large fleets.
Why the Modern Fleet Is Still Anchored by A3
A3 is still essential even though A4 tackles a lot of new issues. For good reason, Superior Office Services L.L.C. still sells and maintains a sizable number of A3 devices in various industries.
A3 is still preferred for:
- settings with high print volumes (50,000+ pages/month)
- departments that require large-format output (booklets, engineering drawings, 11x17 spreadsheets)
- Advanced finishing (punching holes, folding, and creating booklets)
- Multiple users are served via centralised print hubs.
Legal, architectural, and enterprise-level operations are examples of verticals that merely need the power, endurance, and finishing that A3 Multifunction systems are designed to offer.
Manufacturers Are Meeting Both Requirements
The increase in A4 is not coincidental. The A4 lineups of OEMs have grown dramatically:
- Between 2019 and 2024, dealer sales of A4 vehicles increased by 26%.
- A3 portfolios experienced a 16% decline during that period.
However, well-known brands support both markets:
- Lexmark, Brother, and Kyocera have strong compact portfolios that lean towards A4.
- Printers are necessary for people. For this reason, a variety of A3 and A4 printers are available from Canon, HP, and Ricoh.
- A3 printers, which are ideal for large offices that need to print frequently, are still produced by Kyocera and Konica Minolta.
Customers demand the finest for themselves when it comes to printers. Unlike everyone else, they do not desire printers. For this reason, some businesses, like Canon, HP, and Ricoh, concentrate on A3 printers, while others provide a combination of A3 and A4 printers.
So, what mix works best for your business
When you're looking at your printing setup again, it's not about choosing one type of printer over another. You need to figure out:
- Where do you need A3 printers to get the job done?
- Where can A4 printers help save money without compromising quality?
- How do you keep things running smoothly and avoid having to call for repairs all the time?
- Are you meeting your goals for security, compliance, and sustainability?
And perhaps the most important compliment: Don't compare.
A4 is not a new version of A3 but an add-on to it. At Superior Office Services L.L.C., we deliver the best of both worlds to provide you with the most reliable, cost-effective print environments:
- A3 for pass completion, set piece and centralisation
- A4 for portability, dispersed printing, and appropriate sizing efficacy
When your fleet accurately represents the requirements of each segment of your teams—end users as well as facilities management, IT, and finance—it’s best for everyone involved.
A Call to Action
Are you ready to change your print environment's size? Whether you're upgrading to smarter A4 devices, evaluating existing A3 locations, or doing both, Superior Office Services L.L.C. helps you create the most strategic and cost-effective fleet possible.
