Every office needs a copier and even with the way we do business rapidly changing, these versatile devices are here to stay. Copiers are a multifunctional solution that prints, scans, faxes, and makes copies of documents. This easy-to-use piece of equipment performs all four essential business tasks seamlessly, making it much more efficient for businesses to handle their workflows. 

How Copiers Benefit Your Business

Having a copier at your disposal instead of multiple devices to accomplish the same tasks benefits your business in a number of different ways. They include:

Using Less Space: Space is at a premium for most businesses, and there are better ways to make use of it than having multiple single-purpose devices in your office. As all-in-one devices, copiers are designed to include all the functions you need from office technology equipment. With all these functions available in one product, you eliminate the need for multiple devices.

One Central Location for All Your Needs: Having all of your functionality in one central location is also a benefit since you won’t need to move throughout your office to accomplish tasks. One-stop shopping saves time, which results in more productivity for busy employees. 

Lower Costs: It’s simple math—you’re going to save money with a single device. Consider how much it would cost to purchase an individual copier, fax machine, scanner, and printer. However, a copier offers you all of this functionality in one machine, so your business will save money without sacrificing features. 

Use Less Power: Electricity is a significant expense for a business. That is compounded when you are required to operate multiple devices to accommodate your workflows. One copier uses less energy than the multiple single-function devices required to offer the same functionality. 

Easy to Use: One of the biggest benefits of modern copiers is that they are easy to use. Some people think that because there are multiple functions that it’s going to be harder to use but this isn’t true. Modern devices are designed with user-friendliness in mind, intuitively designed to eliminate the need for extensive training by your employees. 

Less Maintenance: Unfortunately, every electronic device can run into technical issues and go down at some point in time. However, maintaining and repairing multiple devices is obviously more challenging and costly than one single machine.

Choosing the Right Copier for Your Unique Needs

With so many copiers available today to choose from, there are different factors you should keep in mind when trying to find the right one for your business. You need to think about your needs and what problems you want the device to solve. Ask your staff what they would expect to use the printer for and what features or functionality would make their jobs easier. 

You will have plenty of options when shopping, so here are some of the key considerations to keep in mind.

Color vs. Monochrome: Monochrome copiers typically cost less than color ones since they only need one ink cartridge, whereas color devices require multiple cartridges to handle your printing needs. However, color can have a bigger impact on your customers and branding, so you need to weigh the costs. If you don’t require color printing as part of doing business, then you should take advantage of the cost savings provided by a monochrome copier.

Laser vs. Inkjet: Inkjet printers are economical if you don’t have a high volume of printing or copier needs. It is also a good solution for a company that requires high-quality images and colored printing. A laser printer can offer the convenience of printing a lot of pages at fast speeds, so you aren’t wasting time waiting for your images to print or copy. Laser printers can be more expensive than inkjet ones but can save you money in the long run since you don’t need to purchase toner as often. Which type of copier is right for you will require you to weigh the pros and cons of each.

Toner vs. Ink: A laser printer uses powdered toner, and an inkjet printer uses liquid ink cartridges. When deciding which one is right for you, consider how much the ink or toner is going to cost over the lifespan of the copier. Learn how many pages you can expect to get out of each batch or cartridge and the replacement costs.

Production: What kind of workload will your copier be handling, and what level of quality do your deliverables need to be? If you require high-volume or high-quality printing you may need a production printer to provide you with the print speed and high resolution you need. 

Leasing vs. Buying: When acquiring a new copier, you will have the option of buying or leasing your device. There are advantages and disadvantages to each approach, such as depreciation, initial costs, maintenance, and tax incentives. Ask your office technology provider about the pros and cons of buying and leasing to help you make an informed decision.

Service Agreements: Service agreements are designed to prevent employees and office administrators from worrying about maintaining or repairing your device. When you are choosing a copier, be sure to evaluate the service agreement that comes with it, so you know how much you are responsible for maintaining on your own. Leasing a device typically results in the lessor being responsible for maintenance and repair during the duration of the lease.

Paper Capacity: What type of workload do you intend to put your copier through? Depending on how much printing you do, and the size of your print jobs, the paper capacity of a device is something that should be considered. If you’re going to be printing frequently or producing large runs having a device with a large paper capacity will mean fewer interruptions to refill the paper trays.

Paper Size: Do you only print on standard 8” x 11” sheets of paper or does your device need to be able to accommodate larger paper sizes? Be sure to check that any copier you consider can handle the sizes of paper it will need to print on.

Copiers Etcetera has been providing digital imaging solutions to businesses in the Pacific Northwest for over 30 years. If you are looking for the right copier to meet your unique needs, contact us today.