A3 laser printers are capable of printing onto larger paper than a standard printer. While most printers max out at letter sized paper, A3 printers can accommodate sizes of up to 420 by 297 cm (or 16.5 by 11.7 inches). This makes them valuable devices suitable for a variety of specialized uses.

Office printers that use the A3 size are often used for physical presentations. Large paper can be better for displaying spreadsheets and other documents to a board room full of people. Many presenters make a small copy of a certain document to hand out, but use a large copy printed by an A3 printer for an easy visual reference. Many multifunction printers in offices are capable of printing in A3 sizes, even if they’re typically used with standard letter paper.

Artists can use A3 laser printers for high-quality, large printouts of artwork, and they’re specifically valuable when creating large pieces. Many universities and school art programs use A3 printer for rasterbation projects. These laser printers are often very expensive, and print in exceptionally high quality. Most A3 printers designed for artists and photographers are colour laser printers, and ink for these pritners can be very expensive compared to more common ink cartridges.

A3 printers can also be useful for home computer users, as they’re good for planning home improvement projects or printing out posters and large photograph portraits. As A3 printers are often somewhat expensive and large, they’re sometimes considered unrealistic for a typical home computer owner. However, they’re far less expensive than they were in the late 1990s, and are becoming popular.

Ultimately, A3 printers will probably never achieve the widespread, mainstream acceptance of letter sized laser printers, but they’re an important alternative. Businesses, artists, and even home users can get fantastic prints from A3 laser printers.