How to Choose the Best Office Copier

A copier is an essential piece of equipment for most businesses. Nowadays, these machines typically come in a multifunction, all-in-one unit that includes a printer, copier, and scanner. But with so many options out there, it can be difficult to know which machine will best suit your company's needs. How can you sort through the choices to find the right one for your office? Keep reading to get a few tips on finding the best office printer-copier in Fairbanks, AK.

Speed of Production

You might think a slow copier won't make a huge difference in your office. After all, does it really matter if it takes 30 seconds to copy a page instead of 3? The answer is yes! While 30 seconds might not be a long time, that can add up quickly when someone needs to copy a 100-page document. In an office setting, it's not uncommon for employees to need to create large stacks of copies or to copy multi-page documents. Typically, you want to look for a machine that makes at least 35 copies in a minute. This will keep things moving quickly, so your employees aren't wasting time at the copier, and your print orders to the machine don't get backed up.

Automatic Document Feeder

An automatic document feeder (ADF) is a paper feed tray that allows the copier to pull the papers in and copy them one at a time. The biggest benefit of this feature is when you need to copy large stacks of papers. For example, if a client returns a long contract to you with their signatures, and they want a copy for their own records, you'll want to be able to copy the entire document quickly. This is somewhat related to the speed factor but is a separate feature that even fast copiers might not have if you don't ask for it.

Without an ADF, an employee would need to stand at the copier, placing one page at a time onto the copier's glass to copy it. This is extremely time-consuming. An ADF speeds up the process drastically and spares an employee from having to stand there and monitor it the entire time.

Quality and Resolution

We've all seen those copies that are extremely low quality. This can occur for many reasons: Perhaps the copier's glass wasn't clean. Maybe you're looking at a copy of a copy of a copy, with quality declining slightly with each replication. And maybe the copier itself just wasn't a very good one. A copier essentially captures an image of the document and reproduces it on a new sheet of paper, and just as cameras can have different levels of resolutions, so can copiers.

You want to ensure that the copier you select has a high resolution and can produce extremely high-quality copies. This ensures that all documents are clearly legible and that any materials you copy for distribution reflect your business's commitment to quality.

Machines to Consider

Now that we've touched on a few of the key elements you should be looking at when choosing a copier, let's look at a few popular machines that many business owners choose. While these are far from the only options available to your business, they can give you a good starting place for selecting the right machine:

1. Xerox WorkCentre 6515 – This machine is capable of connecting to other devices (including smartphones) through Ethernet, USB, or Wi-Fi connections, allowing it to print emails or email scans of documents directly from the copier. This can be a highly useful feature if you frequently scan and email documents to customers. It also easily copies double-sided documents with its' duplex copying and scanning feature. The option of a second paper tray allows you to store over 500 sheets of paper, so you don't have to reload reams as often. While it has a large touch screen display, the responsiveness isn't the best, and this machine is slightly sluggish to warm up. However, it creates high-resolution, accurate copies once it's fully awake.

2. HP LaserJet Pro 300 M375NW – This copier boasts a resolution of 600 x 600, which creates high-quality copies in both black-and-white and color. It's quieter than most other copiers, which makes it great for those offices where the machine is located close to people's workspaces. In addition to its copying capabilities, it can also print, scan, and fax directly from the machine. The machine can clean itself, which is a nifty feature, but it does do this on its own, unprompted; this process is noisier than other operations on the machine, and it can disrupt your use of it unexpectedly.

3. Brother MFC-L2740DW – If you don't do color printing and copying, then this monochrome printer can make a good choice for your office. Because it only uses one toner cartridge, the operating costs are quite low. It has an automatic document feeder that can hold up to 35 sheets, so scanning, faxing, and copying stacks of papers is easy. While it doesn't offer a lot of additional features, this can still be a functional machine for small businesses on a budget.

4. Pantum M7102DW – This is another monochrome option, and it provides great quality in prints and copies for its price range. It's compact and durable, making it ideal for small office spaces. You can send print jobs from mobile devices, and it offers automatic duplex printing. The paper capacity is low, so you'll have to reload the tray more often. However, it can be highly functional for a small office or as a supplementary printer for a single department and produce great copies.

If you're looking to buy a copier in Fairbanks, AK, we invite you to visit Arctic Office Products today. We carry a wide range of office machines, including all-in-one multifunction devices that can help make your office more efficient and productive. Call or stop by to learn more about our products today!