How to Choose the Right Copy Machine for Your Office

A new copier can be pretty expensive, especially for a small business. You are not sure what capabilities to look out for and how each will benefit your business. You want the most bang for your buck.

Here’s how to choose the right copy machine.

Design and Size

Copy machines differ in design and size. The kind of copy machine you settle for should match your budget, specific needs, and amount of space.

Modern office spaces limit one from buying a large and bulky machine. Due to this, the preferred copy machines are those that are wireless, lean, and narrow. However, if your office has enough space, the traditional kind of machines can be a fit for you.

The memory space also determines the size of the machine. The memory capacity also comes into perspective.

If you want the machine to store some documents, you can opt for digital copy machines. These have internal memory. The memory capacity varies between 256MB to 1.5GB depending on the size of the machine.  

If you are looking for a copy machine for occasional personal use, desktop designs are the best. The desktop design allows you to change locations. They are economical since you only need them one in a while.

You are also not keen on the quality of images since you are not printing for clients. The type of machine is also dependent on the kind of documents that you print. There are monochrome copiers and color copiers.

You ought to choose the type that suits the kind of documents that you print.

Production and Capacity Needs

This is the first thing you ought to consider when buying the best copy machine. Under these, consider three aspects; printing speed, warm-up time and paper capacity. Warm-up time is that time a copy takes after you turn it on to start printing.

Highly-efficient copy machines have no warm-up time. This saves if you need to print voluminous copies in a limited time frame. Paper capacity relates to how many papers the machine can hold.

The recommended capacity is 3000 papers. Anything close to this range will save on the time spent adding papers. This increases your productivity levels.

The printing speed must match productivity needs. The printing speed should determine how many papers you produce per minute.

Offices or business that have lots of work need copy machines with high printing speeds. At best, printing machines churn out 85 papers per minute. Experts recommend 27ppm and 38ppm for microbusiness and small businesses, respectively.

This is the standard rate for both monochrome and colored machines. However, a copy machine that has minimal to zero warm-up time will do 35-45 more copies.

Image Quality

Image quality differs between black and white and colored copy machines. The toner yield and the cartridge affect the image quality. High toner yield means you can copy hundreds of copies before changing the cartridge.

You don’t want to stop after every one hour to refill the toner. Be keen to check this specification while buying the copy machine. The cost and availability of the toner and cartridge should be convenient.

Their availability enables you to change them as soon as they get used up. Remember to find a vendor with high-quality toners for high-quality images as this copy machine guide recommends.

In consideration of these factors, note that the standard image quality is 1200*1200 dpi. Very few machines can provide higher quality than this. However, devices that print word documents generally have low image quality.

For high-quality papers for your clients, scout for machines with high-quality resolution. In addition, toner and cartridges should be accessible, and replacement costs affordable.

Bindery Tools and Functions

As much as you may want a copy machine that is cheaper, consider paying for these extra features. Binding and automated scanning features reduce movement in the office and improve efficiency. Most copy machines have traditional features.

The most common functions include duplex printing, hole punching, and stapling. The scanning function differentiates copy machines. Not all the devices have automated documented feeder and duplex scanning.

As well, if you need to scan piles of documents, ensure that you buy a copier machine with document feeders. Still, on the scanning function, the optical resolution should be high enough. This will produce quality images on the scanned documents.  

For advanced features, you might have to consider booklet and cover creation functions. These features enable you to bind your documents after printing or scanning.

The advanced machines offer negative and positive inversion and image repeat image mirror. Most importantly, you can apply watermarks on documents to secure them.

Network Capabilities

Modern businesses and offices need machines that can connect with other devices. Devices within or outside the premise. Consider a business where staff works outside the office.

These employees will need to access the services, and so internet connectivity is key. The basic network capability is the scan to email function. This enables you to scan documents to a corporate email.

From here, you can share the documents with many recipients. Print to the cloud is another capability you should watch out for. With this, printers are accessible through cloud computing.

Other network capabilities include the Remote Control Panel and Office 365. The former allows your remote staff to access the machine from their workplaces. Office 365 is a premium feature that works like Microsoft Office Suite.

It is a package that you incorporate to share, copy, and edit reports and presentations. If the budget is not so tight, you can as well enjoy copy machines with translation features.

This works best for global companies. This is because they need to translate documents into several other languages.

The Right Copy Machine

By and Large, the right copy machine is a combination of several characteristics. The different characteristics are suitable for office spaces and business.

First, identify the specific need for the machine and the kind of setting for the machine. Based on these, the above guidelines will help you choose the best copy machine.

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