If you are purchasing the copier for the first time, one of the questions you will likely have is regarding the cost.
Sadly there is no precise answer to this question.
It depends on your requirement, specification, size, as well as configuration of the copier.
This article is aimed to help you understand the different types of photocopiers and the cost involved in purchasing them.
Also Read: Understanding Office Equipment In Accounting
Most Common Types of Photocopy Machines
Here are some of the most commonly used types of photocopy machines:
Monochrome or Black-and-White Photocopiers
Some people opt for black-and-white photocopiers because they are typically less expensive than colour copiers. However, do keep in mind that they are not as fast or as accurate compared to colour copiers. They are often used for printing text documents and for making high-quality copies of paper drawings.
Colour Photocopiers
If you want something more than the basic monochrome photocopier, colour photocopiers are considered an ideal choice.
Colour photocopiers have four drums and four colour reservoirs to produce any desired colour combination. The primary colours filled inside toner reservoirs are yellow, cyan, magenta, and black. This is commonly referred to as the CMYK spectrum.
Analogue Photocopiers
This is an old form of photocopier that uses light, mirrors, and lenses to reflect the image of the document onto the photoreceptor.
At present, analogue copies were being replaced by digital ones mainly because of mechanical failures and the unavailability of parts for replacement.
Desktop Photocopiers
As the name suggests, these photocopiers fit on a desktop. They can often produce copies with A4 size as any other higher size requires more mechanization, which would ultimately increase the size of the copier.
A3 Photocopiers
Items such as spreadsheets, posters, and various advertising materials are printed using an A3 photocopier.
This will usually be larger than the compact desktop photocopier.
Network Photocopiers
This is an excellent option if you are looking for a copier to integrate with various devices such as in offices, schools, etc.
All the computers connected to a network can access this photocopier, allowing all the users to scan or print according to their requirements.
Administrator privileges are also given to a supervisor who wishes to monitor all the printing activities.
Heavy-Duty Photocopiers
Heavy-duty photocopiers are commonly used in big offices or businesses where more copies will be printed in a day. These photocopiers offer much more functionality with higher quality and output.
What to Consider Before Getting a Photocopier?
Following are some essential things to consider before getting a photocopier for your office use:
Total Employees/Users
This is the foremost thing to consider when you are planning to buy a photocopier for your office. Evaluate how many employees have printing requirements.
If the predicted number is high, it is advisable to go for a high-speed heavy-duty photocopier.
Copy Speed
This translates to the speed at which your photocopier produces prints and copies. It is usually expressed as the number of pages/minute (PPM).
A typical mid-volume photocopier for business will have a print/copy speed of 24-45 pages/minute.
Copy Volume
This feature represents the number of pages the photocopier is designed to process for a month.
Photocopiers are generally grouped into small, medium, and high volumes based on varying requirements.
While purchasing a photocopier, evaluate the total need in terms of monthly copies and the number of devices you plan to use.
Wireless Connectivity
Purchasing a photocopier with wireless printing capabilities can help to make your print job faster and easier.
You can place the bulky photocopier wherever convenient without worrying about the length of connection cables.
Reliability
While purchasing a photocopier, it is vital to consider its reliability. Running for a replacement will be the last thing you’d want after having purchased the machine.
Certain models are notoriously unreliable; make sure that you avoid purchasing those at any cost.
What you can do is to check some of the crucial reviews online to ensure that the one you are purchasing comes with good reviews from users.
Scanning Capabilities
Copiers these days come with rich scanning features.
Advancement in technology has enabled automatic scanning and touch screen integration within most photocopiers.
You can scan and send the images directly to your devices or business applications such as Sage, Goldmine, etc.
Ensure that you choose the scanning features that are ideal for your business processes and requirements.
Integration of Existing Infrastructure (Connectivity)
One of the essential things to consider while purchasing a copier is that it should have seamless integration with the rest of your document production equipment.
This will help ensure minimal disruption on workers’ productivity and less impact on the ongoing projects.
Even a slight change in the user interface can affect worker productivity since a new user interface often requires workers’ training.
Functionality
When you are buying a copier, functionality is another essential thing to consider. Depending on your office requirement, you can either choose a multifunction copier or a single-function copier.
There are plenty of reasons to choose a multifunction machine. Combining copying, printing, scanning, and faxing into one device can make a lot of sense, especially when buying a photocopier.
This will also help free your office space for several other devices and give more room for work. The integrated scanner can make it easier to save your essential paperwork and other receipts.
After-Sales Support
When choosing a photocopier, it is better to understand the options available for after-sales support.
Carefully evaluate the things such as, at what cost are they providing the service? Or is it free? Whether servicing is provided through a third party or the same company.
Once the purchase has been made, the photocopier forms an indispensable part of your digital document workflow. It is, therefore, vital to consider what to do in case of a breakdown.
Modern multifunctional printers have a large number of mechanical parts, and at some point, they are certain to suffer from mechanical failure.
Choosing an excellent copier rental suppliers helps ensure that you have reliable after-sales support in place included within your full-service agreement. A good service agreement helps cover all labour charges and parts required to service the machine.
Security
Security is an essential factor to consider while purchasing a copier for any organization. Several companies have to deal with innumerable documents that are strictly private and confidential.
Photocopiers should have inbuilt security features to ensure that the scanned documents or the copies made won’t get into the wrong hands. Modern-day copiers are equipped with identity verification systems to ensure that only the authenticated user can access the data stored inside.
Memory
Memory plays a crucial role in the performance of a copier. Low memory can result in slower output. Often you might have noted the message while copying, which says” insufficient memory.”
Types of Costs Involved in Getting a Copier
The cost of purchasing a copier can be broadly classified into two. These are:
- Upfront cost
- Ongoing cost
Upfront Cost
These are usually determined by the type of copier you have decided to go with. If you are under a tighter budget, it will be a good idea to list all your requirements to pick the best-suited one for your business.
There are plenty of options available in the market for various functions such as printing, scanning, faxing, etc.
There is no point in purchasing a copier that can’t provide the necessary functions required for your business.
Photocopiers can scan documents and send emails directly to shared folders. Some of the features that you can consider including are:
- Letter Folding: Ability to fold letters, pamphlets and other documents automatically helps you save time on manual labour and results turn out more consistent. You can even choose to create Z-fold (multifold) or C-fold.
- Booklet Making: Help to create small booklets with hole-punch or folding finishing.
- Faxing: Directly send fax messages to the designated address.
- Hole Punch: Available on single or triple, depending on what is required by the user.
- Large Capacity Paper Tray: Increase the capacity of the standard tray by allowing more paper to load.
- Fiery Controller: Used for the highest level of colour matching for print media and manage print jobs.
- Card Readers: An essential security feature that allows only specified employees to access scanned or pre-saved content.
- Follow-Me-Printing: Ability to create prints from any desktop, laptop, smartphone, or any other device linked to the network.
Ongoing Cost (Copier Maintenance Agreement)
A copier service agreement protects you from unnecessary costs that are associated with copier machine downtime.
Ongoing cost also includes the cost of periodic maintenance and the cost of spare parts. Most service agreements come with a minimum usage of 1,000 copies/month.
Learn the 3 copier rental traps to avoid when leasing a copier and to protect yourself from dishonest vendors.
How Much Does an Office Copier Cost (Lease Rates & Buying Price According to Usage)
Copiers come in various shapes and sizes depending on the requirement. You need to choose the one that works best for you, based on your business type and requirement.
In today’s market, there are different models provided by several manufacturers to choose from.
Here are some options to consider according to your usage.
Normal/Medium Usage
This type of copier is typically used when there are low requirements for printing. These are used for simple monochrome printing and small quantity colour printing.
Heavy Usage
These are multifunction printers used by businesses for more extensive printing requirements. Because of their advanced capabilities, they can handle massive printing volumes.
These are compatible with any devices connected to the network, such as smartphones, tablets, desktops, etc. They have all the capabilities of business-level printers with advanced colour printing capabilities.
Estimated Cost of Copier In Malaysia
| Types / Usage | Black & White | Colour |
|---|---|---|
| Brand New / Medium Usage | Rent: RM 200++ Buy: RM 8,000++ | Rent: RM 250++ Buy: RM 11,000++ |
| Recond / Medium Usage | Rent: RM 68++ Buy: RM 3,000++ | Rent: RM 88++ Buy: RM 4,000++ |
| Brand New / Heavy Usage | Rent: RM 350++ Buy: RM 15,000++ | Rent: RM 480++ Buy: RM 20,000++ |
| Recond / Heavy Usage | Rent: RM 100++ Buy: RM 5,000++ | Rent: RM 150++ Buy: RM 6,000++ |
Copier Service Contract
A copier service contract (copier maintenance agreement) can be subscribed along with the leasing or purchase of your copier.
As mentioned, this is an ongoing cost for maintenance, spare parts and replenishment of consumables like toners, etc.
A copier maintenance agreement is usually charged based on meter reading as below:-
- Black & White: RM 0.03/piece
- Colour A4: RM 0.40/piece
- Colour A3: RM 0.80/piece
Read More: Is It Cheaper To Lease Or Buy A Copier
Bottom Line
In the modern-day world, copiers are an indispensable part of a business. In this article, we have presented several different types of photocopier and their uses to help you choose the best one for your business.
Ensure that you go through the features and understand your own requirements before making shelling out the money.
If you are looking for a photocopier for your copying and scanning needs, The Copier Guy offers competitive photocopier rental packages for businesses in KL & Selangor.
Contact us now to learn more about our packages. Happy printing!
