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There used to be a major distinction between printers and copy machines, but today, most office-focused printers are digital and multifunctional. They can scan, copy, print, fax, download and email. Most can be owned or leased. Some advanced models can also store account codes, make duplex copies, full-bleed print, sort, staple, make three-hole punches and print transparencies. Still others also offer features that can cut costs and improve productivity. Those include wireless connectivity, image editing, security features such as biometric authentication, and energy savings.  The sheer variety of copiers on the market can make shopping a daunting task. This guide will help you choose a copy machine by outlining the different types of copiers available, describing the key features to consider and outlining the major players in the business copier industry. Types of printers The first question you should answer is whether you want a monochrome or color printer. Once...

Copying equipment for home or business use is indispensable when you need a dependable copier on a daily basis. Many entrepreneurs run their businesses from home, and day-to-day affairs hinge on access to functions an in-house copier provides. Before purchasing a used copier, consider some of these tips. Decide on Must-have Features If your business works frequently under tight deadlines, a copier such as a Canon iR has a document feeder to copy multiple originals at one time, duplex for making double-sided copies, reduction and enlargement features, and has several page sizes from which to choose. If you use only one size paper for all projects, for example A3, then only review those types of copiers. Consider whether you need to copy in grey scale for graphs, black and white for regular copying, or color copies for presentations. A photocopier is necessary for anyone who scans, prints, and copies photos. Decide on the minimum pages per minute required to work efficiently...

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN AN OFFICE COPY MACHINE At the end of the day, the technology of placing toner on paper can only go so far. But, that's not to say printers and copiers have reached a sort of technological ceiling. Instead, the focus has shifted toward uncovering how to manage and carry printable data into the appropriate areas. The future of office copy machines is all about protecting the data on the printed page, creating efficiency in the office and creating workflows to support that efficiency. Here's what the future of the office copy machine looks like ... FEATURES AND FUNCTIONALITIES FOR TODAY'S OFFICE COPY MACHINES PRINT SECURITY When it comes to print devices, a lot of the attention revolves around security. And I don't just mean security on the network and how the device communicates with the different endpoints. I'm talking about the security of the printed page. A lot of our customers are interested in layering software solutio...

For a lot of businesses, printers and copiers are essential, which makes replacing or upgrading your print devices necessary from time to time. If it's been a while since your print environment has had an upgrade, your current devices could be costing your business much more than the price of a new printer. So, take a look at the following reasons to help you determine if 2018 is your year for new copy machines. 1. YOUR PRINTERS ARE OLD Old, outdated printers can quickly drive up print costs. They typically require more maintenance and energy. Newer printers and copiers are more efficient in terms of energy use. Also, when print devices are around seven or eight years old, their manufacturers typically stop making replacement parts. This can make fixing an older printer an expensive pain. 2. YOUR COST-PER-PAGE IS TOO HIGH As print technology evolves, they become more efficient in their use of toner. Toner is a big expense, so the ability to use less toner when you pr...

7 STEPS TO CLEAN UP A COPIER TONER SPILL Maybe you were only swapping waste toner bottles or installing a new toner cartridge and shook it just a bit too hard. All you know is, you have a massive mess on your hands— and on your shirt, your shoes, the copier and the floor. As daunting as it may look, if you get after it right away — in the right way — it’ll be like nothing ever happened at all. But first, before you do anything, remember that heat is not your friend when in comes to toner, unless of course you are printing something. It’s heat that fuses toner to paper and it’s heat that will fuse toner to your skin, clothing or whatever. In other words, while you may think warm or hot water will do the trick, don’t do it. Always use cold water! Secondly, toner is made of extremely fine plastic particles and is therefore easily dispersed in the air and strongly affected by static electricity. For these reasons, never use a standard vacuum cleaner to clean it up. If yo...

One of the most serious cyber security threats an organisation faces could come from an unlikely source: the innocuous photocopier in the hallway. Every copy you make or fax you send is recorded and stored. So, if you work with sensitive information, be sure to read through these tips to safeguard yourself against data theft. For big office and network-linked machines: 1. The last thing people always do should be the first. Read the manual to see what security features are supplied by the manufacturers. 2. Have an expert configure the set-up with security in mind. Some copiers offer a facility for clearing the hard drive once the machine is switched off. 3. Do not leave the machine in an isolated room where anybody can gain access. 4. Have your cyber security or IT experts wipe the hard drive forensically once a week (a factory reset is not adequate). 5. Change passwords for network printing once a week. 6. When the machine is sold on or replaced...

6 Secrets to Selecting the Right Copier for Your Law Firm Never just buy a copier, take your time and select the right one for your business. Buying a copier for your law firm is easy. With a quick search of the Internet, you can unearth a variety of options – from eBay, manufacturers, and copier dealers. Get a purchase order or just hand over your credit card information and, voila, you’ve bought yourself a new copier. Getting the RIGHT copier to meet the complex needs of the legal industry is more complicated. More complicated, but definitely better for you in the long run. You want your multifunction copier to do more than one thing for you. You need to take the time to determine what you need, not make a snap selection based on what you think you need or, even worse, the “best price.” You need to be able to e-file for many court cases in Texas, which means using scanning functionality to digitize paper case files. You need to be able to print and copy files – an...

When your customer signed his/her last copier lease, did he/she happen to take the time to read that lease? How about the maintenance agreement? If they’re like most lessees, they probably skimmed over the verbiage on the lease and then signed the maintenance agreement without reading the terms and conditions (T&Cs). For those of us that are in the copier sales business, I thought I would write this to use with those prospects and clients that are not familiar with copier leases. In addition, this blog brings awareness that there are some vendors that have clauses in their leases that, well, let’s just say that they are not in the best interest of the client. As such, sales reps can view this as an educational checklist to help prevent headaches and heartaches for their customers. Not reading those T&Cs could lead to some problems in the future, because there are clauses in those agreements that will increase costs. Maintenance included with the lease: Some ...

ARE PRINT COSTS KILLING YOUR BOTTOM LINE? READ THIS A lot of businesses are unaware of how much they're spending on printing. Oftentimes, this comes down to taking a reactive stance on print needs, whether it's with supplies, maintenance or repair. When print costs are left unmanaged, it's difficult for businesses to get a clear picture of their true print costs, making budgeting for print needs a near impossible task. PRINT SUPPLY MANAGEMENT When your toner cartridge is running low, it's common sense to go ahead and order a new one. But, when no single person or department is in charge of ordering print supplies, you might not know that there are toner cartridges already ordered and stored within your building. Anyone who regularly orders toner knows just how expensive those cartridges can be, and ordering extras can add up quickly. WASTED EMPLOYEE TIME AND PRINT COSTS Beyond the costs of the cartridges themselves, the employee time spent searchi...

6 TIPS TO CONSIDER WHEN YOU'RE READY TO LEASE A COPIER A “copier” is certainly more than a copier these days. Today’s copier is a multi-function device (MFD) that does a lot more than just make copies. Printing, scanning and faxing to name a few. An MFD is truly an on-ramp to a business’ workflow, so not having the right technology in place can be more than just a frustration—it can affect your core business practices and your bottom line. I’ve been in the office technology business for over 23 years and in that time I’ve noticed some common denominators factoring into misplaced machines. Here are my tips to help guide you into your next copier lease MFD lease: 1. Printing Volume Know your volume including what type of material you run through the machine. MFD models are designed for specific usage levels. You don’t want to be running 5,000 pages to a machine spec’d for 50,000 pages/month as much as you don’t want to be running 20,000 on a machine spec’d for 5,000 p...

3 Reason To Rent Your Copier There are three common ways that companies acquire print devices like copiers and mfps. You can simply purchase what you need. This seems the simplest but for equipment worth more than about $2000 it is not the most common. Second, you can lease the device for a fixed term lease. This is the most common way that office print equipment is acquired. In our practice at least 85 percent of the equipment is placed on a lease for clients. The third way to acquire equipment is to rent it for a term or on a short term rental. In this case the equipment is provided by the vendor and you simply sign an agreement for a term of use. We have done rentals that are one day long for special events and have others that have run for several years based upon the client needs. Why would a rental be the right choice for you? You only need the print device for a fairly short duration. With a rental you get the device you need for only the time you need it. ...

How does a photocopier work? Dan A. Hays, a senior fellow at the Xerox Corporation's Wilson Center for Research and Technology, explains. The xerographic process, which was invented by Chester Carlson in 1938 and developed and commercialized by the Xerox Corporation, is widely used to produce high-quality text and graphic images on paper. Because Xerox marketed the first plain-paper copiers, photocopying machines made by other companies are sometimes referred to as "Xerox machines" by those who dont realize its a misuse of the companys trademark. In addition, the xerographic process is actually used to make both copies and prints. Carlson originally called the process electrophotography. Its based on two natural phenomena: that materials of opposite electrical charges attract and that some materials become better conductors of electricity when exposed to light. Carlson invented a six-step process to transfer an image from one surface to another using these ...

Copier Or Scanner: Which Should I Use? Using a copier to scan is great when used for the appropriate reasons – employees needing to scan small jobs to themselves or people in or outside of the office. Connectors are available that will allow you to choose network folders and have standardized naming conventions. However, there’s always a chance that a large document may use up the copier’s available memory and will cancel the scan job. This is frustrating if you have been scanning a large job for an hour or more and all is lost. I’m going to share a few thoughts on when you need to think about adding additional scanning capabilities – either dedicated scanners or smaller multifunction copiers – into your office. I’m also going to explain what different types of scanners are available. First though, a quick rundown of features scanners have that copiers often don’t. Scanners Process Paper Better Copiers are designed to do a bunch of things well. Scanners are designed to do o...