The Top 5 Features to Look for in a Copier or Printer

If you are looking into getting a new printer or a new copier for your office, where do you start? There are 3 places where most companies start their search. 

• The Current Supplier
• Word of Mouth
• Online Research

If you have made it to this page, it would appear you are going through the online research part of the process. There are a lot of resources on our site, but we wanted to break down some of the best advice for companies looking to get a copier today.

We have been selling and educating people about copiers, copier leases and the copier industry for over 10 years.

In this article we are going to cover 5 features you should look for in a copier or printer. This article is geared for business clients, and not home users. We will cover print speed, color, paper handling, costs, and support.

#1 –  Print Speed:

The first thing you will want to consider is print speed. Now, faster is not always better when it comes to speed. You want to be in the right band for the amount of printing you do per month. Here is a general guideline that could be helpful (it is possible you have special circumstances that will make this different for you):

• 0 – 2000 pages a month (20 to 30 pages per minute)
• 2001-5000 pages a month (30 to 45 pages per minute)
• 5001-10000 pages a month (45 to 55 pages per minute)
• 10,000+ – (55+ pages per minute)

#2 – Color or Black and White:

Next, you will need to think about if you need to print and copy in color or just black and white. All of the scanners now will scan in color, but the printing need for color needs to be considered. Most of our clients get a color copier to have the ability to print in color in case it is needed.

#3 – Paper Handling:

This one is about how many, and what kind of paper input trays you need. For example, if you run 90% of your jobs on letter-sized paper and 10% on 11 x 17, do you want to have just 1 tray which will require you to switch out paper every time you need the other paper? 

Our general guidance is to have as many trays, at a minimum, as the types of paper you use consistently and often. Remember, for one-off jobs, there is a bypass tray, but you don’t want to have to constantly load and unload stacks of paper to print what you need to print.

#4 – Costs:

This is a consideration most customers naturally have. They want to be sure they are getting the best price. Our suggestion here is to make sure when you compare offers, that you look not only at the device costs, but also make sure you also include the expected supplies and service cost in your total. 

Having your expected monthly average and a cost per print will help you know how much your supplies and service are, and then there is the lease or purchase price of the copier too. The goal is to get to what is called a TCO or Total Cost of Ownership in your comparing of costs.

#5 – Maintenance and Support:

How the copier will be taken care of is a big consideration. Is the service Next Business Day (NBD) or is it open, meaning they can come whenever they can? Are there local technicians who can take care of the copier or do you have to send it back in and have a copier shipped to you? 

What happens if you need toners on the shelf? Is that extra? What is the yearly uplift for your service plan? These are all considerations that need to be weighed.

Call Copier Lease Center:

Here at Copier Lease Center, we can help you find the perfect business copier by going through these kinds of details with you and helping you pick a copier that will be fast enough, have the right features and technology, be good value and have support nationwide with local and qualified technicians.