As the digital world and technology continue to expand, many people believe that copiers and printers are now dispensable pieces of equipment. What these people fail to see is that there are still plenty of times when businesses need physical copies of documents. Meetings, presentations, contracts, and legal paperwork exemplify the necessity to print or make copies.
When evaluating copiers in 2020, make sure they have these key functions:
Multi-function copiers or an all-in-one copiers have the ability to copy, print, fax, and scan documents.
Multi-function copiers are a great choice for your business if you’re looking to save space and financial resources. You won’t need to buy multiple devices and have separate copiers, fax machines, printers and scanners which will free up space in your office. You’ll also save money on supplies like paper and ink as you'll only be purchasing for a single machine.
Many multi-function copiers also have the additional advantage of only needing a single technician to resolve problems. A source of frustration for many companies is needing different technicians to fix different devices. Opting for one device means you’ll only ever need to call out one technician equipped to deal with the issues as opposed to calling out multiple specialists.
Most modern copiers will have a sorting feature that sorts copies into their original order so you don’t need to fumble around trying to get your presentation in order. Many copiers will also staple your documents together automatically which saves time and frustration.
A good way to save paper and reduce your budget is with auto-duplexing. This is a two-sided printing feature which automatically reloads a printed paper into the machine, turning it over, and printing the second side of the document on the back of the page. Not only is this more efficient, but it also results in more professional-looking documents.
If you have piles of documents to copy, an automatic feeding mechanism can be a life-saver. Feeding documents means instead of having to load up each document individually, you can just load up one pile of up to 50 sheets and the copier will run through them automatically.
If you need to produce documents of different sizes, it’s important that your printer and copier have the capacity to enlarge and reduce the size of documents. Outside of the standard 8.5" x 11" document size, many new copiers are equipped to handle papers sizes like 11" x1 7" or 17" x 20".
In this day and age, it’s important for your copier equipment to be up to date and be digital to ensure your business remains efficient. While old analog models of printers and copiers are still used in some offices, digital copier equipment will help you optimize your office’s processes and improve your business’s overall efficiency.
Digital copy equipment with an internet connection has the massive advantage that it can be linked to your office’s network, allowing you to request a document be printed directly from your computer as opposed to having to manually connect to the machine. Linking your printing and copy equipment to your office network also means you can store your documents electronically and rely less on space-consuming paper storage.
One step above having internet connectivity, some copier equipment now comes with the in-built feature of a downloadable app. While WiFi allows you to make a direct print request from your computer, copier apps take this one step further and allow you to make a print request from any other device with internet connectivity.
Downloading copier apps will mean you can make print requests from plenty of other devices including your mobile phone and tablets. Tapping into cloud functions, other copier apps allow you to connect your preferred cloud storage providers like Google Drive, Dropbox and Evernote directly from your multifunction copier making it much easier to scan and print directly to and from your WiFi connected devices.
While having WiFi-connected copiers and printers is an important aspect of copier equipment in 2020, devices connected to the internet have an added element of security risk. Copier apps can help mitigate this risk by adding an extra layer of security.
If you know that your business handles sensitive information or could be at risk of a data breach, it’s always advisable to make sure your business’s security is a top priority. Using reputable printer apps will help keep the documents that you are printing secure. Some apps will ensure that users swipe a smartcard or enter a security pin before printing, copying, or accessing documents which is helpful when a businesses is looking to reduce their security risk.
The copier functions that are most useful for your business depend on your individual needs and priorities. Before making a long-term investment in copy and printer equipment, take some time to research its features and think about what is most important to your business. Remember that while more comprehensive copier equipment is more expensive, you’ll usually find that its extensive set of features will pay for itself in the long term by lowering maintenance costs, reducing waste, and improving efficiency. Not sure where to start? Coordinated offers a wide array of copiers and printers that are designed for business use.