Linda I appreciate your feedback and I wanted to point out that the Signing Agency Owner that I am working with mentioned that he has never received any pushback from a customer regarding printing documents at their home. It all comes down to how it is presented to the customer in advance BEFORE you arrive at the front door. I do recognize that Best Practice is what you described above.
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I have this Brother printer that I bring with me in my car. I will print at a signers house if it’s a last minute signing or if a document needs to be updated at the closing and the signers have always been impressed that I have a printer I carry with me. If I got docs late but there is time I will stop at a coffee shop to print prior to arrival.
Depending, a 1000-1500 watt inverter would allow you to print to a lightweight (compact) laser printer in the vehicle.
I have a setup just for that purpose, although I’ve only had to use it once (and not as a notary/NSA).
It’s not a good idea for regular practice, but it may be handy in a pinch.
Depending upon how you have it set up (on a rolling case/cart), you can even bring it into a cafe/restaurant and print using building AC (throw a good tip).
But, if the lender/seller/etc. does not get the docs to the NSA timely, they deserve to pay a premium for mobile printing and/or have to deal with the delay of printing at one’s fixed base.
HWB.
I’ll probably purchase a 1500 inverter and figure out the logistics of printing in the car. Since you’ll have to use your car’s battery, do you plug a 12 foot extension cord into the inverter and plug your printer into the extension cord?
I have started to use office stores to print out in a pinch. It is more expensive. However, the time spent trying to get the printer out of the car with paper and setting up in a coffee shop or someone’s home is painful. I tried that a few times and I found that it was not worth the struggle and just started go to office stores, ups and fedex to print out when needed. In moments when the docs came to me late where It caused me to be late for the appointment , I have called for an increase in fee due to the extra cost of printing and have received it.
Also, I had been trying to figure out how to do a set up in my car, in doing so, an electrician friend of mine told me that an inverter and battery will only print out about 50 pages before I will need to switch batteries unless I have an electrical plug installed in my car for powering a laser printer. That option is very expensive. Or I will need a bank of car batteries kept in my trunk for using the printer. In the end I thought it was not worth the cost of keeping a printer in my car because I just don’t have a need often enough to warrant the cost. Even with the huge increase in signings lately.
I do think it is worth keeping a portable scanner in the car though. I use that often, especially if I can’t get back to my office to scan docs that require scanbacks between signings.
I agree with Dan. I use an all in one HP with dual trays in my Ford Explorer, but my sister, who drives a car and doesnt have spare room in the back seat, has the HP 404n. We also have an Epson scanner which is pure magic. I will carry that into people’s homes when I need to scan documents.
Brother printers take too much energy to run. Because the HPs are energy efficient, they only use 600 watts. What that means is that it runs at 1200 watts peak (while printing). That means if you purchase a sine wave inverter at 1500 (cannot be a regular inverter, which is cheaper), you will comfortably be able to run your printer in your car. The best inverters come with a remote although I just set my inverter under the passenger seat and turn it on manually as needed.
This setup earns me more money as I can take closings I previously couldnt because I can print on the go. I went to a radio installation shop and they installed it directly to the battery. You can then place your printer on your back seat or if there is room, on the floorboard of the backseat, like my sister does.
I dont recommend you print in peoples’ homes just because it is cumbersome and takes time. My goal is in and out in 30 minutes although, of course, it depends on each customer. Printing as you are driving down the street…makes money because it saves time.
Good luck to you!
Get a car radio installation place to insert the proper cable hooked up directly to the battery.
notaryme, thank you for your detailed response. I have scoped out a 1500 Watt Pure Sine Wave inverter and will test it out on my Brother Printer. Once I confirm that there are no issues, I will schedule an appointment with local Best Buy and have it installed. I bought extended cables with the inverter, so I’m hoping there won’t be any issues with the installation.
You can try that but you may have a problem. Brother printers pull much more than HP printers. So you need to check the specs for your printer on how much wattage it uses. So for instance, my HP Laserjet Pro MFPM426FDW uses 600 watts. However, peak power is 1200 watts. That is why I have no problem using the 1500 watt sine wave inverter. But the Brothers usually use 1000 or more to run them and their peak power is closer to 3000 watts!
Our favorite printer is Brother. But, we cannot use them in the car because of the wattage they pull. They just won’t work. Maybe that is why MMHOUGH was told by an electrician to use various batteries. However, if you use the correct inverter, the correct size and the correct battery, you don’t need all of that.
Also, don’t you have (google it) specific radio / burglar alarm systems installation shops in your town? They only install those types of items in vehicles and I find them knowledgeable regarding cables and they have them already available for the install. I wouldn’t take mine to Best Buy.
Lastly, when you go to install it in your car, pay special attention to where it will actually be installed. You want to have access to it, regardless of the weather. I originally installed mine in the very back of my SUV. Then, when it was raining, I’d have to jump out to turn it on (although some do come with remotes that you can install in your dash which means you can them place the inverter anywhere in the vehicle). My sister installed hers in her trunk because it was a bulkier model than mine. But she has an opening into her backseat so she could get back to it through that opening, if it was raining or whatever. You never just leave the inverter on. Only turn it on, then back off, whenever you will be using it. So, I paid an additional $80 to have them move the inverter from the back of my SUV to under the passenger seat. So, when I need to turn it on (i feel it is safer to leave the car running while using the inverter) I reach over and flip the switch on the inverter. Since I leave the printer in the on position, once the inverter comes on, so does the printer. With my laptop sitting in the front seat, and of course, my phone is turned on as a “Hotspot”, I am able to set the document to print and I can head to the next appointment while it is printing. When I get to a light, I grab the printed pkg off the printer and hit the “print” on the computer to print the borrower’s package. So, by the time I reach my appointment, the packages are ready.
That is why I am able to accept more appointments than I usually would have so I make more money! But, I never charge for this service. This is a built in service that allows me to accept additional closings, but the title company or signing service doesn’t care where or how you print, so it is not on them to pay you more.
Also, FYI, I have an all in one in my vehicle. However, I also have an Epson es-300w scanner which is so much faster than the scanner on the all in one. And, since it is small and compact, I can take it into nursing homes when I do power of attorney forms, and closings too…specially when I am closing with a small package since it is so fast. But I will also use this in my car instead of the big one. I just connect it to the same inverter and use the scanner in the passenger seat.
Pure bliss!
Good luck to you!
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I have Epson ES-300WR. Take it anywhere! It’s fast!
notaryme I have a Brother HLL2350DW for my mobile office needs. Here are the specs:
Power Source 110 to 120 V AC 50/60 Hz
Power Consumption:
Peak Approximately 1104 W
Printing *1 (HL-L2350DW) Approximately 460 W at 77 °F (25 °C)
Printing Quiet Mode *1 Approximately 255 W at 77 °F (25 °C)
Ready *1 Approximately 48 W at 77 °F (25 °C)
After further research, I am going to purchase a 2000 Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter. I’m looking at this model on Amazon. It appears that this printer will use about 460 watts during printing, but will peak to 1104 watts upon startup. I believe that this inverter will provide enough overhead to handle the power requirements for this printer.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H9SXV61/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
I will be using 1/0 AWG Gauge cables as this will reduce heat and voltage issues.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K4T4LR6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A2TN19FHI2Z5KL&psc=1
I also will ask the installer to install this 160amp In Line Circuit Breaker switch.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AKDHL6W/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2V03XUFHFCLT2&psc=1
I have also made some calls to local car radio installers and can probably get this done for about 90 dollars. Thanks for all of the advice as I am sure there are others who can get something out of this thread. I’ll update this post after everything has been installed and road tested.
I am impressed with everyone’s prowess when it comes to portable printers. Having been a full time NSA for 11 years, there are times when I wish I had that capability, but have instead opted to print from Office Depot/Office Max. Just an FYI -if you join EC Purchasing, as a notary, we receive a 75% discount for printing. The average closing docs cost me around $3 to $4 to print. I am well familiar with where these stores are in my area, and it has saved me in a pinch many, many times to just print from there. Check out www.ecpurchasing.com if you want to get the notary discount with them. It will also work on other select items purchased from OD/OM. Good luck!
I just purchased the HPM479dfw printer and it has a fax, scanner, email, copier (all in one) very quiet and prints out pages quickly. The printer also prints out legal size papers also. The purchase I ever made at Best Buy. Bought the printer about 3 months ago and it is wonderful. The prints are crystal clear and so is the color. It was on sale for 279.00 originally was 700 dollar printer.
Your cigarette holder is rated for 10 amps, 10 amps times 12 volts is 120 watts. Your 1500 watt inverter will draw 1500 (PEAK) divided by 12v = 125 AMPs.
Great idea to install some protection, a shorted inverter can start a fire so an outside switch/circuit breaker is a great idea. Unless your inverter’s switch is switching the 100+ amp input directly, you have no way of disconnecting it from the high power input should a short occur.
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Is EC purchasing only for California? Or can I use this for the state I am in? I am off and on about trying to set my car up for mobile printing. I have had a huge increase in business since June of 2019 and find myself needing to print on the road about 2 x a week. I have been visiting office store with my usb thumb drive but the cost is too much. I am not sure that I want to deal with the cost of professional installation of a sinewave though and trying to figure out if it is worth it for the long term.
If you are a NNA certified NSA, then you are violating the code of conduct by printing at a printing store.
Which means absolutely nothing - the NNA is not a governing body and their “Code of Conduct” is not law.
Is printing at a print store a good idea? No - first off it’s expensive, secondly if the printer has memory in it those docs are stored there, which is a breach of borrowers’ privacy. But as for the NNA statement…as I said - means nothing.
Perhaps to you it means nothing, most (I hope) understand that when we become NNA certified NSAs, that we will
abide by that code. Unfortunately our profession is riddled with those that do what ever is convenient for them while ignoring that others are trying to present themselves as professionals who adhere to a code of conduct and a set of rules. Hopefully those that hire you aren’t aware of the casual disregard for safeguarding PFI entrusted to you.
Where did you get the idea I have disregard for protection of PII?? I said it was not a good idea…and I have more concern for protection of borrowers’ privacy than you know.
I came into this job after a 25 year career as a paralegal - so protection of PII has been drilled into me for years. Many of us came from careers in the legal field and didn’t need a “Code of Conduct” to tell us how to treat borrowers or their info. We didn’t drink the Kool Aid…and don’t have to.
I’ll respect YOUR respect for them…please respect my opinions and feelings too - and don’t make erroneous judgments about people you don’t know.