The Best Copiers, Printers, and Fax Machines

Since I work at a Copier and Fax Co., my knowledge on this subject is greatly enhanced. I get a lot of feedback from customers as well as our technicians here at work.  In my opinion, the best printers for home or small business has to be the HP.  They are always improving upon their machines, which is another reason why I appreciate their brand.

Also, their printers are user friendly and low maintenance.   Toners aren't too bad price wise.  And since I am on this subject, I will also give shout out to Brother for creating some pretty impressive printers, quality is great and so is the price.  One thing I have learned is the cheaper the printer, the more expensive the toners. Kinda crazy, huh?

As far as big businesses go, that need a big copier machine, I would suggest Xerox, or Ricoh copiers any day.  These machines are really awesome, in that they can do most anything from duplexing to sorting to stapling.  This is a big help when time is precious and you need a reliable copier to get the job done. Lanier copiers also have a good line and a good reputation for being dependable.  I would highly recommend these 3 brands of copiers for the busy workplace.

There are a few other copiers that I like, which includes, Canon Imagerunner Series,  Kyocera Series, along with the Konica-Minolta Bizhub series, and Toshiba line is reliable as well.  My personal favorites would be the Xerox, Ricoh and Konica-Minolta lines though, I think because I know the brands so well and have worked with them for the last 25-30 years.

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What's The Difference Between A Refurbished Copier And A Used Copier?

If you're going to buy a copy machine, you may have heard a lot of different terms thrown around, like new, used, re-manufactured, demo and refurbished.  Not knowing the difference between these terms can dramatically affect how much you pay for your copier.  Read on to learn the difference between a refurbished copier and a used copier.

New

You probably know this one already, but a new copier is brand new, and comes directly from an authorized channel, like a dealer or distributor.  The phrase "authorized channel" sounds pretty fancy, but all it really means is that the manufacturer's representative receives commission on the sale.  Just like a new car, new copiers lose a lot of value as soon as they "leave the lot."  Generally if you want a brand new copier, your best and most inexpensive option is through a copier leasing program rather than outright buying it.

Refurbished

Refurbished copy machines have been audited, cleaned, tested, and updated by a third party (not the manufacturer).  Most refurbished copiers have been used less than three to six months as rated by their respective manufacturer's recommended monthly usage tables, and come with a "same as brand new" warranty.  Best of all, these copiers are sold at discount levels up to 75% off MSRP.  If you choose this option, just make sure that the company you buy from is as a good reputation and an A-rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Remanufactured

Manufacturers sell refurbished copiers too, but they like to call them re-manufactured, which means the copy machine was refurbished by the manufacturer itself and not a third party. Re-manufacturing means that the manufacturer tested and updated the equipment.  As with the refurbished copiers, these copy machines are usually have less than three months of use, and have been acquired from off-lease contracts, sales demos, short term rentals and/or corporate downsizing.

Used

Used generally refers to a copy machine that is being sold without any repairs, updates, cleaning and limited testing.  When you see a copier sold as used, without a warranty, most likely you're getting it "as-is" and should be aware of the risk you are taking.  Some unscrupulous companies might sell copy machines as "used" that should actually be sold for parts.

For the best deal on a copy machine for your business or office, your best choice may be a re-manufactured or refurbished copier that comes with a warranty.  That way you are spending a lot less money while still benefiting from the protection of a warranty.

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Do Compatible Toners Work For Scanners, Printers, Fax Machines, and Copiers?

The topic of compatible toners is widely talked about and very important to office goers.  Lots of people find compatible toners a much more efficient way of running their office when it comes to meeting all of their printing, scanning, faxing and copying needs.

There are often rumors that the compatible toners are less desirable to use in the office because of the quality but this is not true.  They are tested and made to work and last just as long as original toners.

Before a compatible toner is even made, every part of the toner is tested, inspected and approved.  

They are then tested after they are built and again picked at random off the shelf to be tested as well. 

They are built to work just as well as the original.

The percentage of pigments in the compatible toners is the same and they hold the same quality within the carefully designed formula just as the original toner cartridges are made.

These toners are made from recycled parts that are still good to use.  They are also made from repaired parts to recycle and conserve resources.  This will help you to give back.  You can go green by helping to reduce the amount of waste coming from toner use in communication equipment.

Compatible toners work for all different types of machines.  One might think that they only work when used for a printer.  The truth is, a fax machine, copier and scanner all have the basic internal structure when it comes to toner use so you can use them for all of the machines.

Most fax, copy scanning and printing machines used in the office are all in one machines now. Multi-functional machines have grown to be the most popular office tool, so it has become more of a priority for compatible companies to make sure they are top quality to satisfy all business communication needs.

Top compatible toners are made to fit many different brands.  Whether they are made from original parts, refurbished or re-manufactured parts they have been tested and approved by professionals before they are allowed to go out on the market for sale.

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What Do You Need to Know Before You Buy a Used Copier Or Printer?

Are you considering purchasing a used copier printer all-in-one office equipment from a company out or going out of business? You need to think a minute about this. The company is going out of business for a reason and the majority of the time it's because of cash flow.

Do you think they would spend their last few dollars having their copier repaired or maintained? Buying a used copier printer from a company going out of business is like buying a used car from a dirt lot 100 miles from a city. It's buyer beware and check your pockets before you leave because the seller will be gone!

Last week we received 11 service calls from companies who purchased used copier printers multi-function office equipment from a business going out of business. This is how most of the copier repair calls start: "Hi, I need somebody to come out to clean a copier because we are getting lines." or "Hi. we are getting paper jams and we need it fixed right away." Then the person tells us they just purchased the used copier at a great price from a business that failed. Now the company is gone and they can not get a hold of them.

Do you think once you buy the used copier they will help you if a problem occurs? They sold you the used copier printer, closed the business and left town for the mountains.

The bottom line is that the average repair on the clients' copiers cost more than what they paid for the used copier.

How to prevent this problem:

1. Contact a company who specializes in the used copier printer. Do not ask you neighbor doctor, nephew lawyer or next door electrician. Get a certified technician to review it.

2. Have the copier repair tech check the following: last copier maintenance cycle, the amount of life left of the toner, developer and drum. Get an unbiased view from a technician who will give you a report before you spend a dime on the refurbished or used printer copier.

3. Better yet, get the used copier printer from actual copier printer dealer. You may pay a few dollars more but it will prevent exposing yourself to problems and hundreds of dollars in repair bills later. May companies will give you a quick over the phone estimates of costs to check the equipment before you buy it. It only costs you a phone call and could save you hundreds of dollars!

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How to Buy POS Receipt Printer?

There are many models of printers in the market to look for.  The most common are the dot matrix or also known as impact printers, thermal printers and multi-functional printers.  However, before you decide to buy a printer for your POS system, you must consider the software requirements, hardware compatibility, device drivers, and option of receipt cutting feature in the printer, cable interfaces, environmental restrictions and added benefits.

Some of the printers will work only with specific device drivers and software applications.  You wouldn't want to buy a printer that has limited use in your business.  Assuming that one of your receipt printer breaks down at one of the many POS systems you have, your printer must have the ability to fill in the place of the printer that broke down.  The printer must also be compatible with the Operating System that you are currently using.  It is a wise choice to opt for a printer that is compatible with multiple OS.

Even though most of the printers can work with Windows drivers, some printers will require OLE or OPOS drivers to print the receipts.  Ask you dealer about the compatibility issues that you might have with the printers and your POS.

You can replace your existing printer with a printer from any brand.  Most of them are manufactured in such a way to emulate most of the other brands.  However, asking your dealer about the options to replace the existing printer will be a good decision.

The receipt printer can connect to your POS system through a cable interface, which can be serial, parallel, USB or Ethernet connection.  All the printers will support at least the basic type of interface, i.e. the serial and parallel interface. In some of the printers, the USB interface is an option.  If you think a particular printer fits your requirements perfectly, but doesn't have an interface that you are for, ask the dealer about adding an additional interface.  They usually can do it but at an extra cost.

Another feature to look for in the printer is the option of receipt cutting.  There are two types of receipt cutting: partial and full.  If you do not want a receipt cutter option in your printer, go for a manual receipt cutting option.  If you run a huge business that has a streamline of customers at the checkouts, it is better to have an auto-receipt cutter option since it will save time.  However, for places like a small grocery store or any other business establishments that do not have a heavy inflow of customers, you can opt for the manual receipt-cutting printer.

The printers come with the option of single color printing and 2-color printing.  Printers with the option of two-color printing come with black and red color for printing purposes.  Usually the logo of your company is printed in red and the remaining details of the transaction in black.  You can use the red color to highlight any special deals, discounts and privileges received by the customer.

One thing you must bear in mind before purchasing the printer is the environment it will be used in.  Will you use the printer in the kitchen, POS, hospital, temperature controlled settings etc.  There are different printers that fit into the above categories.  If you end up buying a printer that doesn't suit the environment, your printer will not work properly.

Ask these questions before you buy a printer: Do you need a printer with 2-color? Do you need auto receipt cutting option? Do you need a printer that can handle the printing of receipts, labels and barcodes? What is the speed of the printer you expect to have? Do you want your printer to accommodate huge printing rolls?  Do you want a drop-in paper loading mechanism?  Do you want a printer that can print 2-ply and three-ply receipts?  Do you want to endorse checks and read MICR codes using your printer?

As you read the above questions, more questions will pop up.  Make sure that you address all the questions with the dealer before making the purchase.

How many types of printers are there?

Basically there are 3 types of printers: Impact, Thermal and Multifunctional.

1. Impact Printers: Impact printers are also known by the name of Dot-Matrix printers.  These printers are not only less expensive but also flexible.  They use pins and ribbons to print on the paper.  The printers can print two-ply receipts, one for the customer and the other for the vendor.  These printers are resistant to heat and make an ideal choice for use in the kitchen.  The printer can print two colors - black and red.  However, you must purchase the required ribbons to print the above said colors.

Where can Impact printers be used?

Kitchens, POS checkouts, manufacturing units that have too much heat, places that require 2-ply receipts printed in 2 colors.

2. Thermal Printers: Thermal receipt printers as the name suggests, use heat to print the image on the paper.  They do not use ribbons and pins to print the images.  You require special receipt paper to use with your Thermal printer.  The paper has a special heat sensitive coating that is activated on coming in contact with the printer head.  The printer does not require you to replace ribbons and are cost less to own and maintain.  You can upload the logo directly to the firmware to increase the speed of printing. These printers must not be used at places like the kitchen or any other environment that is prone to heat.

3. Multifunctional printers: These printers are used to carry out multiple functions apart from printing receipts. The multifunctional printers are used to endorse checks, read MICR codes, and print slips.  These printers are more expensive than the previously mentioned ones due to their versatility.  These printers can be used at checkouts to print receipts or in concurrence with POS set-ups.

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Printer Usage

Some printers are good for general printing, while others are better at specialized tasks or combine several functions into one machine.

o Photo: If you take lots of pictures, consider getting a photo printer.  Photo printers can be in the form of photo inkjets -- which can print both photos and text; snapshot photo printers -- for outputting small 4x6-inch prints; or professional photo printers -- for large, tabloid-size photos and often including network connections to enable printer sharing.  Most consumer and professional photo printers use inkjet technology, while most snapshot photo printers that print 4x6-inch prints rely on dye-sublimation technology.  Regardless of the type or technology that is used, the most important thing to look for in a photo printer is photo realistic quality.  Everything else is secondary.

o General Purpose: As the name implies, general purpose printers can be used for printing almost anything, including text and photos.  Choose a general printer with a laser format if you print more text than photos; and choose an inkjet format if you print more photos than text.

o Multi-function: Multi-function printers (MFPs) combine in one device several functions such as printing, scanning, faxing, and copying. MFPs cost less than buying separate stand-alone devices and cut down on the hassle of setting up individual machines.  If you are strapped for budget or space, consider these all-in-one devices.  Take note, however, that a malfunction with one component takes down the whole device, and individual components may not be upgradeable.  MFPs are available with either laser printers to emphasize speedy text printing and the occasional graphics output; or they are available with inkjet printers for vibrant photo printing.

Environment and Applications

When deciding on a printer, think about where and how you plan to use it.  The home user will have different printing needs from that of the office worker, photographer, or traveler.

o General/Basic home use: Versatile, affordable printers are the best choices here, and inkjets usually satisfy the printing needs of most home users looking to output photos from their digital camera or for other light printing needs.  Ink cartridges can be expensive, so look for inkjets with separate cartridges for each color.  This way, you need not throw out entire cartridges -- simply because one color has been used up ahead of the others -- but replace only the ones that run out.

o Home office: An MFP may be a great device to have in your home office, especially if it comes with an automatic document feeder that can process multi page documents unattended.  Extra onboard memory increases efficiency and allows for processing of larger graphics and documents with ease.  If scanning and photocopying are important to you, get an MFP with a higher resolution.

o Photography: Photo printers are the obvious choice if printing photos is your main thing.  Choose either the smaller, snapshot photo printer that produces 4x6-inch prints; or choose larger-sized, professional photo printers that are capable of delivering tabloid-size 11x17-inch prints -- even up to full-bleed 13x19-inch prints that include a border to allow room for registration marks.

o Text printing: If printing large amounts of text is what you'll be doing most, monochrome standard laser printers are your best bet -- as they can turn out page after page of crisp text fairly rapidly.  These printers are ideal for printing black-and-white text and simple graphics, so you may need to get a separate inkjet or photo printer in order to print color photos - unless you wish to invest in the more expensive color lasers that can print both black-and-white and color documents.

o Small network: A workgroup laser printer can be what you need if your home office or small office is built around a network.  Workgroup lasers pack faster print speeds and have more memory to handle multiple print jobs.  They also offer more advanced handling capabilities such as larger trays, and may offer duplex (double-sided) printing, sorting, and stapling.  More expensive than standard laser printers, the majority of workgroup lasers are monochrome -- designed for printing text and simple graphics.

o Traveler: For the businessperson on the go and looking to print, portable printers provide the solution with their compact size (small enough to fit into a briefcase), light weight (less than 5 lbs.), and handy power (operates on batteries or with a car charger).  Newer models can print wirelessly -- making it a non-issue if you forget your USB cable at home.  Some portables offer great extras such as a sheet feeder for automatic page feeding, are able to handle transparencies and envelopes, and even support an optional scanner cartridge that replaces the ink cartridge and turns the printer into a scanner. Portable printers are more expensive and print more slowly than standard printers, but convenience is what you're paying for.

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Printer Buying Guide

Printers are essential peripherals, performing a critical role as they render electronic information into tangible records or material output.  You're simply not using your computer to its fullest potential if you are unable to print reports, presentations, letters, photos, or whatever it is you need to output. Choosing a printer can be confusing, in today's competitive, ever-changing landscape.  This buying guide rounds out some of the more important criteria to consider before you make that all-important purchase decision.

Printing Technologies

This is the biggest decision to make before anything else.  Your choice should be based on how you work and the kind of output you will be expecting from the printer.

Dye-sublimation: Dye-sub printers can print continuous tones and a superior range of colors that laser printers are unable to, making them ideal for more demanding graphic applications or color printing. Dye-sub prints are also less prone to fading and distortion over time than dye-based ink prints.  In addition, many consumer-based dye-sublimation printers can print directly from digital cameras and also accept memory cards.  They are, however, more limited in the range and size of printing media that can be used -- usually letter-size paper or smaller.

 Laser: Laser printers are the perfect choice if you need to print large amounts of text documents. They print faster than inkjets and have a lower cost of operation over the long-term -- even though they may cost more to buy initially.  There are trade-offs, however.  Monochrome laser printers produce crisp black-and-white text but cannot be used for color printing.  Color lasers deliver excellent text and graphics but are much more expensive and can be costly to maintain.

Paper Handling

Paper is obviously an important issue in printing. Here are some important tips on paper handling for printers:

o When buying a printer, make sure that it's equipped to accommodate all the paper sizes and types that you'll be using.  If you need to print on heavy stock, for instance, make sure the printer can handle the heaviest paper you use.  For this purpose, a printer's paper path can give an indication of how it handles paper: Inkjets generally use straight-through paper paths, while lasers use S-shaped or U-shaped paths.  Generally speaking, the straighter the path, the thicker the media that can be used. However, the curved paths typical of laser printers also makes it possible to have more flexible configurations for input and output trays.

o Using the correct type of paper will also make a difference to your printing. Inkjets can print on a variety of matte or glossy photo paper, but make sure you choose the right kind of paper for your printer to obtain optimal print results.  For example, matte papers are suitable for both pigment and dye-based inks, while luster finishes are generally more suitable for dye-based inks.

o In terms of size, most inkjets and lasers can handle printing of letter and legal sizes.  If you need to print larger prints, however, consider a printer that can handle sizes like 11 by 17 inches.  You may also consider getting a printer with multiple paper drawers if you'll be switching between different paper sizes on a regular basis.  For a laser printer, multiple output trays, duplexing (double-sided printing), collating, and automatic stapling can be additional useful features.

o If you plan to use third-party paper, make sure it works well with your printer.  Before you buy a large quantity of third-party paper, try a few samples by printing the same photos on both the printer manufacturer's paper and the third-party paper, and then compare the results.

Printer Specs and Key Features

Printers feature various specifications, so navigating the spec sheet intelligently requires familiarity with what each specification entails according to the printing technology involved or for the type of usage planned for the printer.

o Resolution: For laser printers, 300 dpi is adequate if all you need is to print black-and-white text, but choose at least 1200 dpi for photo realistic grayscale or color printing.  For inkjets, choose one featuring 1200-dpi or higher resolution with a droplet size of 4 picoliters or smaller for sharp, clean output.  With photo printers, resolution varies according to technology: Output at 300 dpi by photo printers using dye-sublimation technology is comparable to photo printers using inkjet technology outputting at 1200 dpi or higher.

o Speed: Speed ratings vary greatly, and the print speeds cited by manufacturers usually refer to printing in draft mode or at the lowest resolution.  For laser printers, a more accurate way of measuring actual print speed is to time just how long it takes from the minute you hit "Print" -- to the time that it takes the printer to warm up, spool the job into the print queue, and for the printed output to finally come out.  For inkjets, print speed is not one of its stronger suits; so don't be overly concerned with this spec.

o Memory: Extra memory will come in handy for laser printers to enable them to handle large graphics and documents more easily.  Check the maximum upgrade-able memory allowed for your printer, if it features a hard drive with similarly upgrade-able memory, and if the printer can use generic memory or needs the manufacturer's brand.  In the case of inkjets, memory is built-in and not upgrade-able, but this is not an issue inasmuch as processing occurs on the side of the computer -- so there's no need for large amounts of installed RAM to begin with on inkjets.

o Connectivity: Most printers today no longer support the older parallel connection but feature instead USB 1.1 or Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0 or 3.0) -- either of which should work fine with USB computers.  For printers to be used on a network, it will need to have an Ethernet port to enable printer sharing.  For more flexible printing options, you may want to look for printers with infrared input/output ports that allow wireless printing from notebooks or other devices with infrared ports.  And if high-speed or long-distance printing is what you need, consider printers with a FireWire port.

Consumables and cost per page

The purchase price of the printer is just the beginning of its overall cost because over time, the hidden cost of ink or toner, paper, and parts will add up.  These "hidden costs" are the consumables; dividing the total cost of consumables by the number of pages that can be produced from the consumables gives you the cost per page.  Laser printers offer the lowest cost per page, using relatively inexpensive toner and normal-weight, uncoated paper.  

On the other hand, cost per page for inkjets can be four or five times as much, depending on how much ink you use and the cost of the paper -- normally more expensive, coated, glossy paper for higher-quality color output.  The tank configuration for inkjets should also be taken into consideration.  Inkjets with a single cartridge for the colored inks will incur higher replacement costs because the cartridge must be replaced as soon as one color runs out -- even if the cartridge still contains plenty of ink for the other colors.  To save costs, get an inkjet with separate cartridges for black and each individual color.

Print Quality

All the specs and fancy features in your printer won't mean a thing if you don't have good, solid print quality -- whether of text or photos -- to back it up.

o Text: Text should be smooth and crisp. At the smallest font sizes, the individual letters should be clearly readable, and they should not bleed into one another. Medium-size fonts should have no fuzzy edges, and the largest fonts -- especially bold ones -- should be filled with solid black, not a muddy brown or bluish tone. You should also be able to see well-formed and well-rounded counters (the openings) in letterforms; if you don't, it's usually a sign of the printer laying down too much ink. (Remember, however, that inkjet printers will display some wicking on plain, 20-lb. paper, as the ink bleeds along the paper fibers.)

o Graphics: For color printing, look for gradients -- or areas where a color goes from dark to light.  Color should transition smoothly, and you should not see any color banding, where distinct bands progress from dark to light.  On a test page, you will likely see a gradient bar that goes from black to white through a series of progressively darker gray shades; the transition from shade to shade should be smooth without a noticeable line. Also, look for a nice balance of colors in color-graphic printing -- something that's not overly saturated nor flat and washed out.

o Photo: A good photo print should like the original photo. Colors should be accurate and balanced, vivid but not oversaturated.  Good detail should be present in all areas, with no jagged lines or pixels or any other visual artifacts.  Good contrast should exist between shadow and highlight areas -- not muddy or flat and without color.  You may not always be able to tell the difference from one great print to another, but almost everyone can recognize a bad print when they see one. Trust what you see.

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Printers - A Practical Buyers Guide

Buying a printer can be a complicated business, there are more shapes, sizes and types of printers available to the home and small business user than ever before. Printers have also become specialized for their intended purpose.

It is no longer a case of "a printer is a printer".  Printers are now designed to be good in a particular area rather than a "Jack-of-all trades", which will do everything.

An often overlooked issue, is the very serious consideration of cost of ownership, which is all about of how much it will cost to keep your printer running (see below).  So making that decision on which printer to go for, can be a seriously arduous task, especially if you are keen to buy a printer that is not only affordable to buy, but also cheap to run.

So here is the information that you need to know and consider, that no one tells you about!  We have not expanded on which printer is the best at any given time, because models constantly change and you can find that information in any current glossary PC magazine off the shelf.  Instead, here you will find the good, bad and ugly bits from the different types of printers available so you can make an informed decision yourself.

Laser Printers

Laser printers work in a similar way to photocopiers, except they use a laser instead of a bright light to scan with.  They work by creating an electrostatic image of the page onto a charged photo-receptor, which in turn attracts toner in the shape of an electrostatic charge.  Toner is the material used to make the image (as ink is in an inkjet printer) and is a very fine powder, so laser printers use toner cartridges instead of ink cartridges.

Laser Printers have traditionally been the best printing solution for heavy office users as they produce a very high quality black text finish and offer relatively low running costs.  However, laser printers have advanced a great deal recently and their prices have steadily dropped, as a result there are now compact laser printers, multi-function and color laser printers all at very affordable prices.  Laser printers make sense if you need to do a lot of high quality black or color prints, not photos.  The great thing about a color laser printer is that they can print a very good quality color image on standard copier paper, so you do not need to use expensive photo paper for large jobs.  Do check the prices of the consumables before you buy the printer as these can be very expensive for color laser printers.

Laser printers are the best solution for people who are printing in large volumes, that is, in 100's of pages at a time or 1000's of pages per month.  Color lasers also take quite a while to warm up, so are not ideal for printing single pages.

Solid Ink Printers

Solid ink printers use solid wax ink sticks in a "phase-change" process, they work by liquefying wax ink sticks into reservoirs and then squirting the ink onto a transfer drum from where it is cold-fused onto the paper in a single pass.  Solid ink printers are marketed almost exclusively by Tektronix / Xerox and are aimed at larger businesses and high volume color printing.

Solid ink printers used to be cheaper to purchase than similarly specified color lasers and fairly economical to run owing to a low component usage, today it is not necessarily any cheaper than a color laser printer.  Output quality is good but generally not as good as the best color lasers for text and graphics or the best inkjets for photographs.  Print speeds are not as fast as most color lasers.

Dye-Sublimation Printers

Dye-Sublimation printers use heat and solid color dyes to produce lab-quality photographic images. Dye-Sub printers contain a roll of transparent film made up of page-sized panels of color, with cyan, magenta, yellow, and black dye embedded in the film. Print head heating elements vaporize the inks, which adhere to a specially coated paper, as the ink cools it re-solidifies on the paper. Color intensity is controlled by precise variations in temperature.

Dye-sublimation printers lay down color in continuous tones one color at a time instead of dots of ink like an inkjet, because the color is absorbed into the paper rather than sitting on the surface, the output is more photo-realistic, more durable and less vulnerable to fading than other ink technologies.

The downside of Dye-Sub printers is that they are generally more expensive to buy and run, usually limited to photo sized prints only and can only print onto one type of specialized paper as well as being quite slow to print.

Dye-Sublimation printers are best for those who want to link up their digital camera to a purpose built printer and print out the finest quality photos at home without fuss.

Dot Matrix Printers

Dot matrix printers are relatively old fashioned technology today with poor quality print, slow and very noisy output.  This type of printer is no longer used unless you wish to create invoices using the continuous paper with holes on both sides.  The good thing is that they are very cheap to run!

Cost of Ownership

Many printers today are very cheap to buy, but people are sometimes shocked to discover the cost of replacing the consumables (ink or laser cartridges, imaging drums, fuser, oils, specialized papers etc). The cost of replacing the ink can sometimes cost more than the printer itself!  This is one of the most commonly overlooked factors when printers are reviewed and yet one of the most important things to consider before handing over your hard earned cash.  Tests run in 2003 by Which? magazine famously compared the cost of HP's ink with vintage 1985 Dom Perignon.

A Sheffield City Council report aimed at helping schools decide on the best-value printers to buy, calculated total cost of ownership over the lifetime of a printer (not sure how long that is!).  Adding up all the running costs, ink or toner, paper, maintenance and even electricity, SCC worked out that a color inkjet costs approx 38 cents per page to run compared to a color laser which costs approx 7 cents per page. Sheffield City Council advised its schools that if they printed more than three color pages a day (assuming a 40-week academic year) they should buy a laser.

These figures cannot be taken hard and fast due to the many variables involved, but it is generally accepted that the cost per print of a laser printer is cheaper than that of an inkjet, which is in turn cheaper than that of a sub-dye printer.  However, you would have to do a fair amount of color printing to take advantage of the economy cost offered by a laser printer.

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Tips to Set Up a Laser Printer For Your Home Computer

If you have a laser printer for either your home office or home use, there are some ways you have to consider for setting up your printer properly.  If you do not know anything on how to set it up for your home computer, you can follow these practical guides.

Step one: assemble your printer

For assembling your printer, you need to open the box and then find the guide for the quick set up.  Take it out of the box and get all the important parts.  For safety, place it down on a flat surface then assemble the paper tray and install the toners and drums.

Step two: install the drivers

Before connecting it to your computer, it will be better for you to install the driver first; unless the direction says otherwise.  You can do it by following the instruction which is displayed on the screen of your computer.  It is available on the CD, so you have to insert the CD into your computer and follow the instructions it tells you.

Step three: connect your printer to the computer

After you have already finished your installation, you need to click "start" then "setting."  Then, navigate your cursor to the "Printers and Faxes."  Thereafter, choose "Add Printer" then "Select Local Printer Attached to this Computer."  Then, click "Automatically Detect and Install."  If you cannot find the drivers, choose "Have Disk" then browse it to the CD drive.

Step four: get connected

After you have done all the steps above, you can connect your printer to the computer by using a USB, Bluetooth, parallel cables, or Wi-Fi.  Also, you have to make sure that all of the plugs are connected properly to the right spot.  If you use Bluetooth for connecting the printer to the computer, you have to open up the Bluetooth manager for detecting it.  Instead, you can also use "Add Printer Wizard" and click "Detect a Printer on the Network."

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What Risks Are You Taking With Low Grade Cheap Toner in Your Printer?

An office printer, whether a small individual type or a larger networked version is used in most businesses these days and an essential piece of equipment that is used daily.  The costs of printers vary depending upon size and the number of features.  After this initial cost; the main running costs for an office printer, is electricity and the cost of replacing the toner.  

This needs to be replaced regularly to make sure there is no reduction in the quality of copies thus wasting paper and ink.

There is a lot of controversy at the moment regarding non-branded cartridges that claim to be 'compatible' with branded printers.  It is understandable in the current climate that many businesses, especially smaller ones, would be tempted by these offers, as they are cheaper than branded versions. However, often they are not what they claim to be and can give very poor printing results as well as potentially damage to your machine; resulting in additional costs for repairs, paper as well as lost time.

I would not risk this.  Especially regarding business machines where printouts are needed for deadlines to be met and work to progress.  There are many great brands that provide good quality printer inks that achieve excellent results every time, they are machine compatible and they are a great value for the money.  Plus you will always have the peace of mind that the ink that you use is made for your machine.

The variety of quality toner manufacturers is extensive.  The main companies are BT, Brother, Canon, Dell, Digital, Epson, Fujitsu, Genicom, HP, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Lexmark, Konica, Minolta, Kyocera, MITA, Muratec, OKI, Olivetti, Olympia, Panasonic, Phillips, Ricoh, Sagem, Samsung, Sharp, Smith Corona, Star, Tally, Tectronix, Toshiba, Xerox,

I recommend that you always purchase quality ink, produce quality results, and appear professional to clients, or other companies.  Making the right impression counts.  Brochures or other printed materials are used for marketing, tendering, making quotes, planning out work.  A brochure or marketing leaflet can easily be the first impression a potential client receives of the company and contribute to decisions about whether or not you get the deal, or the contract or the sale.

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What Printer and Toner Would Be Best For A Home Office?

When holding the responsibility of running an office out of your home, you have to think about which options will be best for you. Are you on a budget? Have you recently expanded? Are you thinking about upgrading? Which brands are best? These are all great questions to ask when trying to build your business.

Home offices that lean toward documents, charts and graphs might do better with a printer such as Brother, HP, Toshiba or Dell because they have the sharpest lines and the darkest blacks. They also are small enough to fit into tight spots without disrupting the flow of your home. Dell for example is one of the quieter printers of the bunch. It allows you to get all of your office needs met while having all of your home needs uninterrupted as well.

A HP printer will give you the speed that you need for mass production printing without creating a giant printing station. You can get high speeds up to 35 pages per minute out of those little guys and still hold the same great quality. You can print things like flyers, brochures and labels with the little powerful machine and still have it last durably for years to come.

Using printers such as Cannon or Lexmark are more popular brands for those that do photo printing out of the house. If you are looking to run a mini photography studio out of your house then you can get some quality looking photos from machines like these ones. The small attractive designs allow you to keep the good looks of your home without cheating-out on quality.

For all of these different printers, compatible toner works just as well as the original. Toner can be expensive and adds up quickly depending on how much you print. The compatible toners can give you the same amazing quality for up to a third of the price and in turn will allow you to expand because of your lowered budget.

There are other benefits to compatible toners too such as saving on the environment. Just by using compatible toners alone you can help your surroundings greatly. You won't have to worry about racking up the problems with landfills, water pollution, atmosphere problems or animal extinction as much because you'll be recycling and saving in a way while saving yourself money.

Using any compatible toner paired up with their consecutive brand will benefit you and others greatly.

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How to Save Money on Printer Toners and Cartridges

The top printer brands can produce brilliant print standards, but you really need to be on the lookout for savings.  These things can cost big money, particularly for small business printing operations and those who must have top quality, like professional studios and graphic design businesses.  Home users can also find themselves replacing their printer cartridges too often.  Savings are easier to make than you might think.

These brands are the big names in ink and toners:

·        
·         Samsung
·         Brother
·         Epson
·         Lexmark
·         Panasonic
·         Sharp
·         Xerox
·         Konica
·         NEC
·         Toshiba
·         Rico
·         Dell
·         Hewlett Packard

      ·     Canon

Defining costs- The real measure of savings

Retail is really not an appropriate method of purchasing ink cartridges and laser toner for businesses. You're paying the full mark up price, which over time equates to a cost of anything up to 70% above discount prices.

All it's doing is costing you money.  You really need an industry supplier, with a full package on delivery, money back guarantees, and a strong emphasis on customer satisfaction.

Bulk buying makes sense, all the time

Buying bulk printer ink can save a lot of money in a hurry.  If you're working in advertising, marketing, or doing your own basic business print jobs, you can spend a fortune, even if you're only doing black and white fliers and letter drops.

Look at it this way: Every hundred or so of these prints costs you a cartridge.  If you do a few thousand, they cost you hundreds of dollars per run, and the net value has to make up for the cost, just to break even.  With bulk buying, you save hundreds before you even start printing.

Outlay savings

"Outlay" is a word which represents expense, money out of the business, and it also represents a cost against profits.  It's a problem for businesses trying to do high quality print jobs.  For graphic designers, heavy outlay on inks is nothing less than a professional curse.  Advanced prints involve quite a bit of trial and error, and lots of ink.  Your beautiful name brand printer can do the jobs, but can your wallet take the stress?

These are problems well worth avoiding.  It's a basic business principle: "Cut outlays".  The quickest way to do this is with discount purchasing.  70% savings is obviously a good deal, and more importantly, it's money which stays in your business.

Product life savings

The average printer has a product life of about 5 years.  You can save hard cash over that 5 years with a bulk purchase, or even just buying on discount when you need inks.  You save money per cartridge over that entire period.

Say you use a 4 cartridge pack every month or so.  Call it 10 packs per year.  How much would you save? Enough to buy a new printer.  To get the best deals on name brands, always buy discount.

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Computer Printers

Printers are machines that attach to computers as peripheral and help in producing a hard copy of any data that is stored in the computer.  On being given a command any document will get printed by a printer attached to that computer.  The printer uses a special ink, filled in cartridges and prints the data on different sizes on desired size of paper.

While many printers are individually connected to a specific computer, many others are connected to a network and are shared by a number of computer users simultaneously.  Such arrangements are very common in workplaces.  Many modern day computer printers also include non-printing features like fax and scan.  They are called multifunction or all-in-one depending on the feature availability in them.

The evolution of printers has seen various types of printers and printing technologies.  These became famous peripherals of the computers with the advent of dot matrix printers.  In such printers the machine relies on pixels or dots to print the document.  These were used quite excessively until the next generation of printers came.

The modern age laser printers can print at a much faster pace and can give output in hundreds.  These are generally toner based printers and are available in both colour and monochrome varieties.  Though some recent research has indicated that laser printers emit some harmful ultra fine particles, yet they still remain the most widely used and most popular printers in the corporate sectors.

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Sharp Printer Products And Supplies

Choosing a name brand product, such as Sharp, for your printer and supplies can have many beneficial outcomes.  Similar to purchasing other electronics you will find yourself asured with a name brand buy rather than an off brand item temptingly offering a discounted price.  You get what you pay for with electronics and when shopping for Sharp printers and supplies you can expect the best.  Options include many sleek styles with simple to complex features to match the needs resulting in the purchase.  Sift through the variety of models and toners and find the best buy for not just your purpose, but your wallet too.

A good way to begin your search is by deciding on how quick you need your products to be.  Let's first unveil all of the printers Sharp offers that will print anywhere from under 20 to over 40-60 pages per minute.  The lower end, 20 ppm average, products will still give a quick speed and other positive features.  Products can hold large quantities of paper and send your documents to any user connected to the printer.  Easy read display screens allow for you to view documents and use the zoom button when needed.  Mid-range products, 30 ppm average, will give you even more freedom.  They hold more paper for faster print jobs and will sort or reverse documents as requested.  Some models will come with build-in keyboards for easy data input.  The upper range, 40-60 ppm average, can not just print quickly, but they can put the final touches on your product.  Stacking and stapling are often boring, timely tasks so Sharp printers are made to help you with these undesirable jobs.

For those people or companies that need maximum production there are products that will finish from 65 to 90 pages per minute. You can expect all of their high volume products to have all the power that the lesser speed models above withhold and much more.  For the best Sharp printer, you can hold over 8,000 sheets inside at a time while shooting out over 80-90 pages per minute.  You better hope you clicked on the right document to print!  With large quantities shuffling out, they offer you multiple finishing options to include in your prints to ensure your approval.

Complete your printer setup with the supplies it needs.  Inks and toners can most likely be found just an aisle or two past the place where you found your printer.  OEM companies produce brand new toner and ink for all Sharp products.  However, supplies can become very expensive for everyday users.  An alternative to consider is buying in bulk, a simple saver that compatible toner and ink companies offer people.  While toner and ink remain high quality, the production with the use of recyclables allows for an inexpensive sale.  Individually you find Sharp specific compatible products or in large sums as listed above.  Thinking ahead and buying your supplies in bulk can cut the individual cost down by a third.  By setting your new Sharp printer up with the right supplies you will never regret any part of the purchase.

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The Brother Copier - Is It The Right Choice

When searching for a copier it doesn't matter if you are working in the corporate world or at home, you need a reliable copier that will do the job. While there are many different types of copiers that can economize good caliber print work, the Brother Copier is reasoned to be one of the best low end copiers  on the market today.

Since the very inception of the company's history the Brother Group has offered high quality products for its customers.  They have also been recognized as one of the leaders in customer support.  Now this is important, because when you have an issue with your copier you want it to be handled with professionalism and speed.  Now if you want to select a desirable copier for your company you need to have a clear idea of what type of tasks you will need from this copier.  Today, copiers have a wide variety of functionality along with a variety of prices.

This info will be imperative and can help you select the Brother Copier that will give you the highest economic value in your work.  Now, I will tell you pay special close attention to the multi functional copiers.  You know the ones, they have the capability of faxing, printing and copying.  Although, they have improved a lot, they have more moving parts that are trying to function together.  Common sense will tell you, more chances of some small failures.  Something you don't want to experience when you are trying to get that copy project done that has the deadline of an hour.

While there are quite a a number of copiers, all of these copiers can be divided up into two distinct groups.  One group is the color copier group.  The other group delivers black and white only copies.   Believe me there is a significant price difference in these two groups.   To see which Brother Copier that you may need you should travel to one of their store fronts or you can visit an office supply store or a computer store.  All with have variation in selection and price.

From these places you can select the type of Brother Copier that you can afford and one that will also provide first-class caliber work.  Remember, test the product to see what the outcome is going to look like.  I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised as to the amount of people who just buy the product without testing it first.  For any one who is not too sure of the type of copier that will be appropriate for their tasks, they can ask for help in choosing these copiers.  The shop personnel should be able to give you a little verbal description of the functions of each Brother Copier.  However, if they are good at their job (which we sometimes expect), then they will be able to answer your questions.

Now you can also find selective information for these Brother copiers from various links on the internet. Here as you look through the many World Wide Web sites you will now be able to find performance evaluations.  Although, not all companies are delivering this information, many are trying.  You will also be able to find out what past customers have to say about the many different makes of Brother Copiers.

When you have finished with your information search you can go to the store that you feel will give you a good deal on the various Brother Copier products and choose one of these copiers.  This also gives you an opportunity to get any last minute questions answered.

Before you you pull out your credit card to pay for the copier you should find out what the go back policy is regarding the Brother Copier.  This data will help you if you find any problems or defects in the product that you have just purchased.  So, do your diligence and research the various Brother copiers. With this information you will be armed to make the right decision.

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Guidelines For Choosing a Printer

Buying a printer is a complex decision and because of all the options available in the market it is difficult to decide on the best one.  Nowadays printers have become essential for office use as well as domestic use.  A good printer at a workplace helps the progress of the work and increases speed of the work accomplished at offices everyday.  There is no point of using the computer to create documents and reports if one is not able to produce the end result in a printed form.

This review will help you out with the confusing task of buying a printer.  The different types of printers available in the market are toner-based printers, liquid injet printers, solid ink printers, dye-sublimation printers, thermal printers and UV printers.  The best way to differentiate the quality printers from the others is to compare their different features.  The print speed and the print quality of the printer matters a lot when it comes to buying a printer.  

The speed is determined according to the prints that the printer can produce per minute.  In the latest printers there is the option for users to transfer the media and images for printing directly from USB devices, memory cards and flash drives.

When buying a printer one must keep in mind what the printer will be used for.  Nowadays printers are available suiting different kinds of work loads.  Some are designed for domestic use, and others for small business work and large complex business work.  

Once you are able to determine the function of the printer you will have a better idea of what printers fall under for your requirements.  When you are buying a printer you should surf around the market and visit a number of places before you make your final decision.  This will give you a rough idea as to what the market price of the printer is, and than you can buy the one that fits your budget.

Keep in mind that the price of the replaceable ink cartridges is also affordable as sometimes the cost of the ink cartridges is more expensive than the actual printer and users face a lot of problems in the future when the cartridges need to be changed.  You can also find, refurbished models that come with a warranty but aren't as good as new.  You can check them thoroughly before buying them and this can be a very good deal.  This kind of deal saves a lot of money and you still receive perfect results from these printers.  Take your time when you are buying a printer and I am sure my tips will help you tremendously in buying a printer.

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Tips on Obtaining the Best Deal on Office Equipment

Buying office equipments can be very tricky.  While you want to acquire machines that will give you the best services for your business, buying them without the proper knowledge and insight can be more costly.  It can cost you thousands of dollars per machine.  

Operation cost, wide of the mark outputs, and unnecessary maintenance schedules can wreak havoc to your business' resources and can even make your reputation flawed.  And so, choosing the right office equipment and the right deal, whether you are small to medium-size or huge businesses, is essential if you want to save money, value resources, and maintain a good reputation with your customers.

Here are some feasible tips to help you get through the challenges:

1. Know what you need

Not knowing what you need is as bad as not having enough information about the products you want to buy.  Today's technology has provided state-of-the-art products and equipment's built to provide businesses the reliability and efficiency that their customers need.  If you don't know specifically the type of functions you need, you could end up buying the wrong product.

For example, you can evaluate the kind of output you need.  If your business is into marketing or advertising, you may find that getting the best printer with remarkable color rendition can be an asset.  If you want to save money and energy, it is best to attach the machine into a network where people can easily access instead of acquiring dedicated office equipment's such as printer and scanners.

Office equipment nowadays are equipped with multi-functional devices built for the modern office environment.  All you have to do is to find the right function and model to help you create outputs needed by your customers.

2. Do your homework

Try to find suppliers or vendors that will give you the best deal.  However, keep in mind that low prices are not always a bunch of good deals and may not always guarantee reliable services.

When choosing the right supplier, always try to give the greatest attention to details such as flexible options, reasonable prices, availability of discounts for bulk purchases, good warranty, and guaranteed maintenance and repair services.  The last two factors are very important, since even the best products can also wear out in due time.  Hence, getting the best warranty and repair services can put your business' bottom line in the best level.

3. Ask for recommendations or references

Getting the highest quality of service always come with the best testimonials and recommendations from trusted colleagues, friends, or relatives.  Nothing works better than first-hand experience.

In today's highly commercialized world, businesses know how important word-of-the-mouth marketing is.  In fact, it is considered to be the latest trend in marketing and more and more people are getting the best results through this type of promotion.  That's because most people will most likely buy products from suppliers or vendors whose services have already been tested and proven.  And so, referrals or recommendations from other people will help you find the best product and the best deal.

Boiled down, saving money and getting the most out of your office equipment are not entirely dependent on prices and quality alone.  You have to rely on the services and efficiency that their suppliers and vendors provide.  After all, in a built environment like offices, you may need all the services you can get to guarantee satisfaction.  It is useless to buy good products, if people responsible for their quality and efficiency will not stand behind their products.  And so, buying office equipment should never be an either-or thing.  Acquiring the most comprehensive knowledge in choosing the right equipment will always guarantee your business' success.

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