Photocopiers

Almost all modern photocopiers are digital, combining a scanner and laser printer. This versatile set up can come in almost any size with a number of additional features to suit your needs. The most important aspect of choosing a photocopier is therefore working out what you need a copier to do and matching a machine to those requirements.

There is a huge range of photocopiers and MFPs on the market with prices ranging from around £100 through to £17,000 and more, though for most small to medium sized businesses mid-priced machines are the most favoured. Apart from ensuring that the machine will perform the basic functions you require, there are several important features to consider when buying one; these include:

• Speed – for many businesses this is the most important feature, generally specified in terms of pages per minute (ppm) for monochrome and colour printing. Typically mid-range machines will provide speeds of between 25 and 50 ppm for A4 paper. Some machines have much faster monochrome speeds than full colour speeds, and these are more appropriate to businesses that mainly use black and white documents with just an occasional requirement for colour.


• Print quality – print quality or resolution can be an important issue. If your documents are for internal use or for such items as simple flyers and user manuals, then the lower print quality range could be perfectly adequate; many machines offer print resolutions of 600 or 1200 dpi which is fine for such applications. However if you are printing high quality brochures and other marketing material, then you might need higher resolutions such as 2,400 dpi or higher.


• Technology - photocopiers offer two alternative print technologies; ink-jet and laser. Laser machines dominate the high performance end of the market and are generally the optimum choice for large volume requirements where the price per page is an important consideration. Ink-jet machines dominate the low end of the market where low volume colour documents are required; the inks used in ink-jet printers are more expensive than the toners used in laser printers. However in the middle there can be considerable overlap between the relative performance of ink-jet and laser machines, so you might need to consider the options carefully.


• Usability – given the multitude of tasks of which a modern MFP is capable, an important concern is how easy such machines are to use. Most if not all manufacturers have taken steps to make their products as user-friendly as possible allowing them to be controlled over a network or from a touch sensitive screen. If using your chosen machine is likely to prove a challenge for your staff, then check whether the manufacturer provides on-site training or at least a help-desk your staff can contact should they encounter problems.


• Network capability – many modern offices incorporate a data and information infrastructure where data is passed through many different types of device including desktop computers, mobile devices, servers, faxes and MFPs. For such an environment it is essential that your photocopier or MFP can be easily integrated into this infrastructure, and many of them have this capability and include extensive network capabilities. Some MFPs are designed to function as the hub of an office network, and are worth considering if you are setting up a new data network or remodelling an existing one.


• Paper Capacity – if you process large volumes of documents, then it is important to ensure that your photocopier has an adequate paper capacity. If you need to refill its paper tray regularly it will have a large negative impact on your workflow, decrease productivity, and create frustration amongst your workforce. You should consider not just your current needs, but your future needs too; you are more likely to need larger volumes in the future than you do today.


• Multiple paper trays – Some photocopiers incorporate multiple paper trays that can be used to hold different kinds and weights of paper. This feature is particularly useful for businesses that produce booklets and reports using different kinds of paper. For instance you might wish to print covers and inserts using heavy paper or card, standard paper for text, and special paper for full colour photographs. With such machines you can specify which pages are to be printed on what kind of paper.


• Finishing tools – many photocopiers can be accessorised with a range of finishing tools that include automatic document folders (useful for flyers), staplers, and hole-punches. These can make a huge contribution to your workflow, so if you have that requirement now or you think that you might do so in the future, then it is something you should consider.


• Security – today the way in which we handle personal information is subject to a range of legislative controls such as the data protection and freedom of information acts. These apply to all forms of documents including digital and paper. Some high end photocopiers and MFPs offer enhanced security and data management functions. For instance they may include the ability to send data to specific secure user files and allow specific permissions to be set for individual members of your staff.


• Price – photocopiers and MFPs range in price from around £100 to over £17,000, so clearly you need to match your requirements with a price-point that is within your budget. However it isn’t just the capital cost you need to consider; if you have high volume requirements the price per page is also an important consideration.


• Purchase or lease – as an alternative to investing capital in a photocopier you could choose to lease one instead or purchase one through a hire purchase deal.

Deciding which features you can and can’t live without helps to reduce the number of potential photocopiers to a manageable set of options.

If you’ve no idea what your budget should be, our photocopier prices guide can help you work out what kind of machine is affordable for you.

Alternatively, visit our top 5 office photocopiers page to compare the best options today.