The basics of photocopying are simple. You load a document, push copy and out of the photocopier comes multiple copies. But there’s so much more a photocopier can do for your business, which is why you shouldn’t just grab the first well-priced model you find.
If you take the time to research and select the right photocopier, you could find yourself saving time, money and headaches in the future.
So, with that in mind, here are the top things you should be looking at when searching for a new photocopier.
- Duty cycle
This refers to the robustness of your photocopier. It tells you how many copies your machine can create in a month. Manufactures determine the duty cycle by stress testing their machines and pushing them to their limits.
Duty cycle is expressed in copy/print capacity per month in pages. A duty cycle of 50,000 means the absolute maximum number of pages the copier can produce is 50,000.
Currently, there’s no industry standard for determining duty cycle. That being said, duty cycle can still give you a general idea of the quality of a photocopier, as well as help you compare products from a single manufacturer, as they’ll likely use the same criteria when testing their own devices.
- Print volume
While duty cycle lets you know how the photocopier performs under stress, it doesn’t necessarily mean you should be printing that many pages a month. Otherwise, your photocopier will get overworked and could require more service than you had planned for.
That’s why, when purchasing or leasing a photocopier, you should always provide your supplier with your expected print volume so that they can recommend a product that will meet your requirements. That way you can better ensure uninterrupted performance.
- Pages per minute (PPM)
PPM is the number of pages the copier can produce a minute, aka its speed. If you have a high copying volume each month or need to quickly produce duplicates of large documents, you will want a faster copier. Speeds for copying range from 20 PPM to 150 PPM.
- Paper size
The most common paper sizes for photocopies are 8.5” x 11” (letter) and 8.5” x 14” (legal). That being said, you can help reduce costs and improve in-house capabilities by opting for a machine that can produce larger print sizes.
So, before purchasing a new photocopier, consider what you’re creating in house and what is being sent out to print and copy. You may discover that you could benefit from a copier with more paper size options.
- Print resolution
Resolution refers to the quality of the print job. The higher your resolution, the sharper your images and texts will be. If you print out a lot of charts and graphics, a higher resolution is critical for ensuring you’re happy with your copier.
- Input capacity
This refers to the number of sheets of paper you can load into your printer at a time. If you copy or print a large number of documents, you will want a copier with a high capacity to avoid having to refill it constantly.
- Payment terms
To purchase or to lease? That’s the biggest question companies have when looking at a new photocopier.
There are several considerations when making the decision to buy or to lease, the most important of which is budget. Leasing a copier has lower upfront costs and can be effective when your office equipment budget is made up of smaller amounts over a long period of time.
That being said, leasing can be more expensive in the long run, which means that buying outright could be the better financial decision.
The decision you make will ultimately depend on how much money you have available and your specific need, which is why it’s important to speak with someone who can really explain your options.
If you would like to speak with a local Ontario-based professional about your photocopier needs, and whether you should buy or lease, contact our team today.
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