4 Best Practices to Buy the Best Photocopier

In today’s world, there are a myriad of choices and options when it comes to choosing an office photocopier. About the only wrong choice is to not have one. Office photocopiers have become an essential tool in the modern office. You can have simple black and white printers that can fit on an individual desk or a massive hog of an office photocopier that may almost need its own room. You can also select for functions like speed and volume and the versatility that a particular printer may offer.

You can also consider whether you have a need for all of the new technology that comes with office photocopiers like the ability to link up all your services including copying, scanning, emailing and faxing to your new office photocopier.

Here are some steps that you can follow to assist you in deciding on the right office photocopier for your office.

1. Learn about the market

When it comes to choosing the right office photocopier for your office there are many factors, you should consider including the purchase price and whether to buy the machine outright or lease it from the dealer or manufacturer. You also should consider the cost of operating and maintaining the office photocopier including not just paper but the sometimes very expensive printer toner and cartridges which can add significantly to the cost. Then there is the function and capacity of each individual brand and model of office photocopier and how you plan to use it in your office or department.

2. Do your homework

Any office photocopier supplier or dealer would be happy to provide you with a brochure on all their latest models of office photocopiers along with an explanation of their features and capacity. You can also research office photocopiers online and there are several online office photocopier guides that compare the various models and options and grade them on a number of characteristics that might be helpful to your initial search.

Once you narrow your search down to a few choices the dealers will also be pleased to offer you the use of a particular type of office photocopier on a term or trial basis, sometimes free of charge, so you can see if that machine is a good fit for your office.

3. Know your current and projected needs

While you are researching the market for office photocopiers, you should also be looking internally at what types of printing and photocopying you are currently doing in your office. Are you satisfied with the speed and quality of printing that is being done or do you and your staff want more from your office photocopier?

Then, looking forward what do you think your printing and photocopying needs will be in the future. That could be next month or next year. Will you be doing more black and white printing or do you have a future need for colour printing and processing? Many people come up with a list of features that they must have in their new office photocopier and then think about the types of things that would be nice to have. Your new office photocopier will likely have a combination of both.

4. Money talks

You do have to consider your budget when it comes to choosing an office photocopier. Buy or lease might be one question that you should deal with early on. Leasing an office photocopier lets you pay less upfront and then spread the cost of your new machine over a period of one to five years.

There are many office photocopier dealers in your market that would love a chance at your business. Find a couple of good ones and ask them for a quote to compare their initial costs as well as their projected maintenance costs. Once you have the model you want and the price you can live with, you are ready to choose the right office photocopier for your office.

Kelly Young is a writer born and raised in Toronto. Proud of her simple and cozy life, a perfect evening for Kelly would be to snuggle up in bed with her cat and a well-written historic memoir.