If you’ve been in the copier business for more than a few years, you’ve likely noticed something interesting happening: A4 devices are no longer the “budget option” or the afterthought in your product lineup. Dealers across the industry are reporting that A4 devices now represent a much larger share of their sales mix compared to just a few years ago.
For copier dealers who’ve built their success on A3 solutions, this trend opens new opportunities. Understanding when to confidently recommend A4 versus A3 helps you close more deals, improve margins, and position yourself as a trusted advisor who right-sizes solutions rather than upselling. Both A3 and A4 have their place in modern office environments. The key is knowing which one fits which customer.
Understanding the Fundamental Differences
The most obvious difference is paper handling capability. A3 multifunction printers handle paper sizes up to 11″ x 17″ (tabloid or ledger size), while A4 devices are limited to letter and legal-size paper, typically 8.5″ x 11″ and 8.5″ x 14″.
This capability difference drives the physical footprint. A3 devices typically require approximately three feet by three feet of floor space and are usually floor-standing units. A4 printers need roughly two feet by two feet and can often sit comfortably on a desktop or credenza.
Here’s where things get interesting for your bottom line: A4 multifunction printers typically cost about half of what comparable A3 units run. This substantial price gap can be the deciding factor in many deals, especially with cost-conscious buyers.
But the lower acquisition cost doesn’t mean lower quality or fewer features anymore. Today’s A4 devices offer the same advanced feature set as A3 machines, including sophisticated apps, cloud integration, automated workflows, mobile printing capabilities, and enterprise-grade security features. This feature parity fundamentally changes how you should approach A4 sales. You’re not asking customers to sacrifice functionality; you’re asking them to evaluate whether they truly need the larger paper size capability.
Why A4 Devices Are Gaining Ground
Several converging factors explain why A4 devices are capturing a larger share of dealer sales. Let’s start with the most compelling data point: less than three percent of business printing is done on 11″ x 17″ paper. The vast majority of customers paying a premium for A3 capability are using it for fewer than one out of every thirty prints.
The shift toward hybrid work has fundamentally changed printing needs. When entire departments worked in a single location, a high-capacity A3 device serving thirty employees made sense. Now, with distributed teams, many businesses need multiple smaller devices rather than one departmental workhorse. Remote workers need their own devices for home offices, and those devices need to be affordable, compact, and easy to set up.
Modern offices are also dealing with space constraints. As companies reconsider their real estate footprint and embrace more flexible workspace designs, every square foot matters. A device that requires three feet by three feet of dedicated floor space is a harder sell than one that can sit on existing furniture.
Here’s why you should care about the A4 growth trend: A4 devices are more profitable for dealers. Industry experts report that A4 machines require approximately one-third less service than A3 devices. Fewer parts, simpler repairs, and less frequent service calls translate directly to higher margins. A4 devices are also easier and faster to install, reducing deployment costs.
The 5 Critical Qualifying Questions
Here are the five questions that should be a part of every copier sales conversation.
Question 1: “How much printing are you doing on 11″ x 17″ paper?”
This is the most important question your team can ask. If the customer’s answer is “rarely,” “never,” or “I’m not sure,” you’ve just identified a strong A4 candidate. Many customers assume they need A3 capability because they’ve always had it, not because they actively use it.
Question 2: “What’s your monthly print volume?”
For organizations printing fewer than 5,000 pages per month, an A4 device is usually sufficient. Between 5,000 and 15,000 pages monthly, you’re in the evaluation zone where other factors like document complexity, number of users, and finishing requirements will determine the best fit. Above 15,000 pages per month, especially if combined with large-format needs, A3 devices start to make more sense.
Question 3: “How many users will share this device?”
Small teams of one to ten users often work well with A4 devices. For medium workgroups of ten to thirty users, evaluate the volume and document types carefully. You might recommend a hybrid approach: an A3 device for the department that needs it, with A4 devices distributed throughout general office areas.
Question 4: “What’s your available space?”
Don’t just think about the device footprint; consider the space needed for paper tray extensions when drawers are open and the clearance users need to access the device comfortably. In modern space-conscious environments, a compact A4 device that can sit on existing furniture is often more appealing than a floor-standing unit requiring dedicated space.
Question 5: “What’s driving this purchase: replacement or new need?”
This question helps you understand whether the customer is evaluating their actual current needs or simply replacing what they had before. The “we’ve always had an A3” mentality is one of the biggest obstacles to right-sizing device fleets. If it’s a replacement, dig deeper about how their printing needs have changed.
Positioning Strategies for Each Solution
When to Confidently Sell A3
The ideal A3 customer prints consistently high volumes, typically exceeding 15,000 pages monthly. They regularly produce tabloid-size output, architectural drawings, engineering plans, marketing materials, or large spreadsheets. Industries like architecture, engineering, construction, marketing agencies, and design firms are natural A3 fits.
A3 devices shine when document complexity requires advanced finishing options. Legal firms, real estate offices, and other contract-heavy industries with large document scanning needs benefit from A3’s superior scanning capabilities, including single-pass duplex scanning.
When presenting A3 solutions, emphasize durability and versatility. Frame it as the device that’s built for high-volume performance that handles all your paper size needs in one machine.
When to Confidently Sell A4
The ideal A4 customer prints primarily or exclusively on standard letter and legal-size paper with a monthly volume typically under 15,000 pages. A4 devices are perfect for space-constrained offices and budget-conscious buyers who need professional features without the A3 premium.
Organizations with hybrid or distributed workforces are excellent A4 candidates. When you have multiple small workgroups needing their own printing capability, you can often deploy two or three A4 devices for the cost of a single A3 unit.
When presenting A4 solutions, lead with value: “You get half the cost with all the features you need: same advanced capabilities as A3, just optimized for standard paper sizes.” Highlight the one-third reduction in service requirements, which means less downtime and lower total cost of ownership.
Overcoming Common Objections
“We’ve always had an A3”
Your response should gently challenge their assumption: “That makes sense, A3 devices have been the standard for years. Can I ask, when you look at your print jobs over the past month, how many were printed on 11″ x 17″ paper?” Offer to review their current device’s usage data. Once they realize how rarely they use that capability, the decision becomes much easier.
“What if we occasionally need larger prints?”
Present the hybrid approach: an A4 device for daily operations combined with a partnership with a local print shop for occasional large-format work. Run the actual numbers. If they need large-format prints three times per month at $50 per job, that’s $1,800 per year versus the additional thousands of dollars for A3 capability.
“A4 seems less professional”
Combat this with the feature parity message. Walk them through the specific features their business needs and demonstrate that the A4 device has all of them. Frame it as: “The most sophisticated companies are moving toward strategic device placement. You’re not downsizing; you’re right-sizing for efficiency.”
The Hybrid Approach
Some organizations genuinely need both A3 and A4 devices. Consider a professional services firm where the marketing department regularly produces tabloid-size presentations, but accounting, HR, and administrative teams primarily print standard documents. The smart solution: place an A3 multifunction printer near marketing, then deploy A4 devices strategically throughout the rest of the office.
Mixed environments make sense for organizations with diverse departmental needs and growing businesses planning for future expansion. The hybrid recommendation positions you as a strategic partner designing a customized approach that serves their organization’s complete needs.
Empowering Your Sales Team
Lead every conversation with qualifying questions, not assumptions. Don’t walk into a meeting assuming the customer needs an A3 device just because that’s what they’ve had in the past or because A3 has a higher price tag.
Make sure your team understands that recommending A4 when appropriate isn’t about offering a cheaper or inferior solution. A4 devices deliver the same advanced features; they’re simply optimized for the paper sizes that constitute the overwhelming majority of business printing.
From a dealer profitability standpoint, the A4 growth trend is good news. These devices require one-third less service, which means higher margins. Both A3 and A4 devices have their place in the market, and skilled sales professionals know which to recommend based on thorough discovery and honest needs analysis.
Schedule a training session to review these positioning strategies with your sales team. Update your qualification process and start tracking your A4 versus A3 close rates and customer satisfaction scores by device type. When you match the right device to the right customer, everyone wins.
Ready to Close More A4 Deals?
Equip your sales team with the exact questions that convert A3 prospects into A4 customers. Download our free eBook, Discover the Secrets to Selling A4 vs. A3 Devices, and get the TOP 10 hard-hitting questions that uncover A3 pain points, create urgency, and help you win more deals.
Whether you’re onboarding new reps or sharpening the skills of seasoned pros, this resource will help you replace competitor A3 units and advance your A4 sales cycles faster.
About ISI
Impression Solutions Inc. is a value-add, full-service distributor of printing and imaging solutions. ISI offers their dealers, resellers and their end users unparalleled service and support as an OEM full line authorized distributor of Kyocera monochrome and color printers, MFPs, Wide Format Printers, printer accessories, printer supplies and customized printing solutions.
Recent launches include Virtual Inventory Services and IS Docs, a turnkey Document Management program for Imaging Dealers to grow their monthly recurring revenues (MRR).
ISI maintains a full inventory of over 2,200 SKUs of printer products ready for same-day shipment from their 35,000 square feet of warehousing space in 5 distribution centers from coast to coast.
