What Does Your Workplace Need?

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So, you have now been introduced to the myriad of amazing features that are now available in photocopying machines, but before you research and review the market, it’s very important to establish what exactly your business or workplace requires in your photocopier.

Not all features are essential, and factors such has expected average monthly print requirements, machine size restraints, paper size and budget constraints must of course be taken into consideration in determining which copier is right for you.

 

• Paper Supply and Capacity
• Copier Speed
• Budget
• Office Space

 

Paper supply and capacity

There are many different paper supply options available in different copiers depending on your business needs. Within a photocopier, each paper tray, cassette, pedestal, or paper feed unit is considered a separate paper source. The number of sources a copier has is important if you want to be able to copy onto different paper types (such as plain or cardboard A4, coloured paper letterheads, A3, or transparencies) without having to reload the machine.

It is also important to consider how many consecutive prints your workplace would expect to require. Usually, paper sources hold a minimum of 50 to 100 sheets, but if you expect to be printing more copies than this at a time, the largest-capacity units and faster machines available tend to have at least one large capacity A4 bin, that takes upwards of 1000 to 5000 sheets

Typically, office copiers include at least one fixed-size and a few adjustable-size paper trays. Most make double-sided copies as standard and almost all have a bypass tray, which is a special tray that provides a straight paper path for heavy paper and labels. These are important features to look for.

 

Office Space

It may seem a little obvious, but it's actually quite important to take into consideration how much space you have available in your workplace for a photocopier. Desktop photocopiers are of course at the smallest end of the photocopier scale, but beware that these copiers are usually only able to complete a smaller number of jobs and usually have a reasonably low copy and print speed. These machines are of course for offices which intend to use a copier on a smaller scale.

Conversely, larger scale copiers also come in a large range of not only sizes but shapes. Bypass and additional trays need to be taken into consideration when calculating how much space a copier will take up overall. Ensure that there will be room for all trays and sections of the copier to be opened in the case of repair, toner changing and paper replenishment (for example). Some industrial sized printers are very large and will require alot of space, however there is certainly a medium-sized range for offices with limited space that still require a decent print and copy speed.

Copier Speed

When trying to decide which copier will be best for you workplace, it is both important and very useful to collate an idea of the estimated monthly volume of copies you intend to make. When collating the expected volume, remember to factor in if there are or will be peaks in you photocopier usage. If the usage is not even it is worth considering purchasing a faster machine to ensure you meet demand during the more unpredictable and busy times.

If you are upgrading your copier, information relating to current use can be obtained from your current copier or invoices from your supplier.

Here is a table outlining our recommended speed range depending on your calculated monthly volume, along with comments and tips in reference printing with each speed range.

 

Copier Range	Average Monthly Volume (copies/month)	Recommended Speed Range (prints per min)	Comments
Low	less than 8,000	up to 20 ppm	You need to be careful as very low speed copiers and multifunction devices are only suitable as desktop machines producing around a few hundred copies per month.
Mid	8,000 - 10,000	20 - 25 ppm	Most photocopiers within this range are now available with advanced options such as document feeders, sorters, finishers etc.
Mid	10,000 - 20,000	25 - 35 ppm	If speed is a priority, then keep watch on the more economically priced 40 ppm machines
Mid	20,000 - 30,000	35 - 45 ppm	It should be noted that some vendors promote a 50 -60 ppm machine for this range, but this isn’t particularly necessary.
Mid	30,000 - 40,000	;45 - 49 ppm	This is heading into upper mid-volume territory. Consider a 50-60 ppm copier if speed is a priority
High	30,000 - 40,000	50 - 60 ppm	If you are on a tight budget or speed is not a priority, then you could consider a 45 - 49 ppm copier
High	40,000 - 75,000	50 - 90 ppm	The 50-60 ppm recommended above can actually go higher than 40,000 copies/month, but speed would be the determining factor in this choice.
High	75,000 - 100,000	75 - 100 ppm	This is in the high volume usage range. You will really need to obtain competitive quotes to get the best buy for your money. Analyse all of the features and your needs carefully!!!

 

Budget.

Of course, the type of photocopier that is best for your workplace must not only withhold the features you need but be within your budget options and maintain a price-effective ‘total cost of ownership’.

 

Total cost of ownership.

If you are planning to buy a new photocopier it is worthwhile doing a few simple calculations on the machine over the planned life cycle and to translate this to an effective net cost per copy. This is not always an exact science as in some circumstances the cost per copy can be more but the improved efficiency in the office may mean cost saving overall.

 

To calculate the total cost of ownership:

The ‘total cost of ownership’ of a copier is simply its capital cost plus the total copy charge minus other savings factors.

Capital cost = either the purchase price of the copier or the lease charges over the period. The option to lease or to buy outright depends on the company situation.

Copy charge =  service charge is sometimes also known as "pay per click". Most times this covers maintenance of the machine and also repairs if something were to go wrong. It may cover toner but would not cover other consumables such as staples and of course paper. The "pay per click" charge will vary depending upon the machine and volume.

As an example a copier bought outright for $2,500 with a pay per click service charge of 50c per copy and an average monthly volume of 20,000 would give a total cost of ownership of $8500 over the 5 year period. Leasing the same machine would cost circa $9100.

 

Toner recharging.

The cost of toner recharging also factors into the total cost of ownership and needs to be taken into consideration.  Most modern machines have come a long way in this field and it is now something that needs to be done less often and is easier to do, however some machines require more expensive toner fillers than others, and you should enquire about this with your dealer.