How To Buy Copiers / Printers / Scanners DC

The first step is to determine exactly what your needs are. What will you be using your printer/copier for? Is this a copier for your home or personal use? Or is it for a home business? Or will you use the copier at a large office? About how many pages per month will you print? Where will you put the copier? Do you have a limited amount of space and will need a smaller unit? Will you be copying documents or photos? If photographs are involved, you may need a higher scanning resolution to reach the quality you require. Will you need to print in color? Will the copier be connected to a computer or network and how? Or, are you simply looking for a stand alone unit? Once you have answered these questions, you are ready to determine which grade copier will best suit your needs.

PC grade copiers are typically small, desk-top sized units designed specifically with the single user at home in mind. PC grade copiers are usually simple to set up and use. Most have an instant-on feature, meaning you do not have to wait for the copier/printer to warm up before using it. The printer cartridges can almost always be replaced by the owner without any special tools or instruction, and they are the least expensive grade copier to purchase.

These copiers, however, are only designed to print up to 1,500 pages per month, and they are expensive to use (average seven cents per page printed). These copiers are also fairly slow, copying and printing only about five to ten pages per minute. A major setback about these copiers is that to repair, you will typically be required to mail it to the manufacturer.

Business grade copiers are the most common type of copier purchased. If space is an issue, it may be possible to find a business grade copier that will fit in the allotted space. These copiers typically can withstand up to 50,000 copies per month, and only cost an average of one to two cents per copy. Business grade machines can typically be outfitted with any features necessary, including common features such as sorting and stapling. These copiers can be counted on to last for about six or seven years of hard use, and are likely the best copier for the money. These copiers can often be serviced in-house, which means you spend less time without a copier. This grade copier is the most versatile, spanning the greatest range of size, price, and features.