Purchasing the correct photocopier for your office will help you to produce printed documents fast and efficiently, saving you time and money.
There are many different types of commercial photocopiers, and choosing one is best for you and your workplace will depend on a variety of criteria.
Before making a decision, you should ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you require colour or black-and-white documents?
- How many documents will you print every day/week/month?
- How quickly do you need documents printed?
- How large is your staff, and does everyone require copier access?
- Do you require other functions like printing, faxing, or scanning?
Continue reading this page if you want to learn more about the various alternatives available. If you want to start comparing prices from leading UK suppliers right now, simply fill out the form at the top of this page.
Replacing an existing copier
If you’re looking for a replacement for an existing office copier, you should consider the following:
- Does your present machine contain all of the functionality you require?
- Can it handle the volume of copying you do now?
- Does it copy quickly enough?
- Is it going to cost you an arm and a leg?
- How should a new photocopier be different from your current one?
When approaching vendors, answering these questions can help you cut down your possibilities. If you can say something like, ‘I currently have X but I’m searching for something that can manage bigger quantities’ or ‘I presently have Y but I’m looking for something a little simpler,’ a supplier will be able to immediately recommend a couple of suitable models.
Buying a first copier
When you’ve never had one before, determining what kind of machine you need can be tough, but consider the following:
- How many copies will you produce each month? This can be a tough amount to estimate, so consider how many people work in your workplace, how many copies everyone will make per day, combine these numbers together, and then multiply by the typical number of days in your working month (normally about 21).
- What size paper are you going to copy on? A4 is the standard size, but larger papers may need to be copied. (Keep in mind that A3 is twice the size of A4, A5 is half the size of A4, and so on.)
- Do you require colour copies? Consider this carefully because colour copying is substantially more expensive than black and white.
- Would you like the photocopier to also function as a scanner and printer? This is standard on almost all modern digital copiers, but consider whether the copier will be connected to a single computer or a network.
Features of Photocopiers
For organisations, modern photocopiers provide a wide range of functionality. To help you get more done at work, determine the functionalities you require in order to maximise the performance of your photocopier. The best aspect is that many jobs that were previously only available in the most expensive models are now available in compact models as well.
Aside from multi-function printers that can print, scan, fax, and photocopy, other functionality options may include:
- Stapling
- Collating
- Punching a hole
- Binding
- Document feeding automation
- Duplex (two-sided) printing and scanning
- Display through touch screen
- Image modification for page numbers, watermarks, and resizing
- Accounts for users
- In addition to the usual LAN network, wireless, Bluetooth, and USB connectivity are available.
- Protective features (e.g. passwords, PINs, data encryption, etc)
- Power-saving mode
- Multimedia compatibility (e.g. card, different sizes and stocks of paper)
- Increased paper storage
- In-built HDD storage for more convenient document storage and management
This is by no means an entire list, but as you can see, there is a vast range of additional functionalities that your workplace can benefit from. As previously said, many of these functions are available on both larger and smaller corporate photocopiers; but, as a general rule, the larger the copier, the more capability it has.
Photocopier Size
The issue with photocopiers in many companies is finding one that is the proper size for the space provided. It either takes up far too much space or is insufficiently huge to handle the office’s task. It is easy to forget that you must account for not just height and width, but also depth – the graphic below explains this.
One thing to keep in mind while shopping for photocopiers, especially larger versions, is that larger models can hold more paper, allowing you to go longer without having to replenish or resupply.
Aside from massive production machines, many modern photocopiers have been shrunk in size to be more compact, manoeuvrable, and useful. This allows your company to perform the same activities as larger, older computers without taking up a lot of space. This is especially critical in any office where space is limited.
