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Questions to Ask When Buying a Copier or Printer
What kind of budget do I have?
Although everyone would love to have the latest and greatest technology on the market, cost will come into play for most businesses. Some businesses are able to save money by considering pre-owned systems instead of brand new models. Also, it would be beneficial for you to consider the tax advantages of leasing. Leasing equipment is a great way to conserve operating capital, budget out-going costs and free-up more cash for business growth. Leasing can also keep your office systems current with technology and more productive by upgrading at the end of the term.
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How many Copies compared to Prints do I make a month?
Make sure the copier and/or work group printer you choose can handle your office work load. Many times a company will be too conservative in their choice of copying and/or printer needs. If you currently have a copier, in most cases, it has a copy counter on it some where, as do some printers. This will help you to determine how many copies compared to prints your company produces a month. Comparing how many copies you make to prints will give you an indication that maybe you could acquire a smaller volume copier and acquire a larger volume printer or possibly the reverse.
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Do I need color prints?
All copiers and printers can produce a black and white print, but not all can produce one in color. The cost of producing a laser color print has become more affordable for the smaller business. If your business relies on brochures, advertisements and presentations then you can easily justify the expense of a new color copier or color printer. The cost for high quality prints has come down for some laser systems to less than $0.05 per page.
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How fast does my copier or printer have to be?
It is important to note that a copier or printer's price is directly related to its run rate of copies per minute (CPM) or prints per minute (PPM). Copier or printer speeds range from 10 to 100 cpm/ppm depending on the system. You may consider purchasing a mid-size digital copier connected and a mid-size digital printer connected instead of one large copier. This will give you a back- up system if one should require service.
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How much space do I have for my new systems?
The area where your new copying or printing system is placed is very important. Most of the new digital systems have smaller foot prints than their analog predecessors, but none-the-less it requires extra space. Your systems have to be able to breathe to remain at their correct operating temperature as well as have enough room for a technician or key operator to perform maintenance. It is also important that digital systems have a dedicated electrical outlet, proper amps/voltage and surge protection.
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Do I need finishing capabilities on my copier and/or printer?
If you make multiple copies or prints that require them to be sorted, folded, or stapled such as booklets or reports, you may want to invest into a copier or printer that has a finisher option.
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Could I use a copier or simply use a scanner, pc and printer?
This depends on how much walk-up copying you are doing. If you print to your small desktop printer first and then make copies, maybe you should print all of your prints on a higher volume printer. The scanner could be used for many jobs in the office such as: pictures, letters, brochures, archiving ...etc.
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Do I need to make double-sided copies or prints?
This is the age old question and is totally based on your need to make booklets, double sided large reports or just to cut down on the cost of paper usage. File cabinets can become full very fast and duplexing can slow this process down.
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How much is it going to cost me per print?
Most low cost copiers or printers, such as a ink jet or cartridge laser, will surprise you with how much the supply cost per copy or print is. So take a hard look at what it will cost you in the long run and remember that the low cost system may not be such a bargain after all. Divide the cost of the supplies by their published yields and that will give you a cost per printed page. If the manufacturers supply item does not have a published yield then they may have something to hide.
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