Multifunctionals & Copiers
About Multifunctionals & Copiers
Photocopiers have seen massive improvement through the years. At first, they could only do one thing, i.e., copy and reproduce documents. But modern copiers are much more than just that. You can use them for printing documents and even faxing. That is why some people call them copiers.
Printers are not just luxury equipment in offices. They are, in fact, necessary even in small offices as every day you will have to deal with a lot of papers and documents. So rather than paying for every page that you print, it is better to have your own copying machine. Even home users might find it useful to have a printer so that they can save the inconvenience of going outside just to copy or print something. But before you start shopping for copiers, read this article to know more about them. This will help you make better choices when you buy one.
Different types of copiers and copiers
Copiers are available in a lot of different shapes and sizes. There are small ones that you can place on your computer table to huge ones that can churn out hundreds of pages in a minute. Moreover, there are huge differences in the features each of them pack. Some copiers will let you reproduce colour copies, while others are monochrome copiers. To know which one you need, it is vital to know what each type of copier does. Here is the list of different types of copiers based on what they can do. In this article, you will also find some really useful tips that you can use while shopping for copiers.
Monochrome copiers
This is the better option for situations where the colour of the document is not important. You only have to use one colour of ink in these printers, which make them easier to maintain. Most of the monochrome printers use black colour. This is because black is the standard colour for documents and also it is cheaper. Colour inks cost 2-4 times more than black ink. Therefore, monochrome printers are what you need when you want to take a lot of document copies at less cost. Another thing to look for in a copier is speed. Generally, monochrome printers are much faster than colour printers. Some of them can print up to 150 pages in under a minute.
Colour photocopy machine
In most regards, colour copiers are similar to monochrome copiers. The major difference is that these can print documents in colour. However, you can use them to print black and white documents as well. That makes these machines more versatile than a monochrome machine. However, colour photocopy machines cost a bit more than monochrome ones. They use four basic colours to do all the printing. By mixing these colours in different proportions, they can produce all the different colours. In all large photocopiers, you can replace these colours individually. So, if you happen to run out of any one colour, you don’t have to replace all of them.
Desktop copiers
Basically, desktop copiers are not very much different from large photocopy machines. But large machines are not practical, nor are they needed for personal use. Therefore, desktop copiers are more practical for personal use. But the smaller size of these machines come with a lot of tradeoffs. You cannot copy or print anything larger than A4 size sheets in this. Mechanisms that are required for handling A3 sheets are so large and heavy, and they can make a copying machine too inconvenient to sit on a desk.
Office copiers
In an office environment, there will be a large number of people who need to access the same machine. This means those copiers require more features to be useful. One notable feature of office photocopiers is that a lot of people can access the same machine using their computers. To enable this, they have special printer management software. Also, they will let you scan documents and send fax messages. When so many people are accessing the same machine, the printing speed can make or break the workflow. Therefore, office copiers can churn out copies at much higher speeds.
Tips on how to buy Copiers
Selecting a copier might not seem like a difficult task at first. It is challenging to find the right one among hundreds of different models out there. There are dozens of factors to consider to make sure that the machine you are buying is the ideal choice for you. In order to do that, first, you need to know what factors to consider while shopping for a copier. Here is a list of tips that you can follow while shopping for these machines.
- Look at the features – You should consider what and all features the machine has before buying it. Although these machines are called copiers, almost always, they are also capable of printing documents as well. However, some of them offer much more than that. Higher-end machines can send faxes, sort documents, staple them together, or make hole punches.
- Printing speed – If you are a home user or buying the multifunctional for a small office, the printing speed might not be as important. Because there won’t be many people using it at the same time, lower printing speeds will not be difficult. However, if it is going to be used as the only printer in a large office, you should always go for the machine that has fast printing speeds.
- High volume photocopiers – Some work environments and colleges have dedicated reprographic departments. They have to work continuously almost the entire day and print an incredible number of copies per minute. For such scenarios, you need high volume machines that can work reliably for an extended period of time and can print high-quality copies.
- Size of the machine – Depending on how much space you have for the machine; you need to choose a machine that will not take up a lot of space. For most home users, desktop printers are the ideal choice. Fortunately, there are modern desktop printers that come with features like scanning, printing and even faxing. However, you won’t be able to work with documents larger than A4 size on such machines.
Copiers can cost you anywhere from a few hundred AEDs to thousands of dirhams. So, make sure that you really need all the features in the machine that you are getting. For business, saving money is a priority while buying office hardware. And apart from the upfront cost of the machine, check how much it does cost for the ink as well. Also, don’t forget to check out other amazing products from the Computers category.
Question & Answer
Which copier brand is best?
Xerox was the company that invented the photocopying machine. In fact, they used to be the only company selling the product for several years. Even today, Xerox machines are among the best copiers out there. Other leading brands in the business of selling copying machines are those companies that traditionally made cameras. This is not surprising as photocopiers basically capture the image of the document and recreate it on another sheet of paper. Other leading brands that sell copiers are Canon, Konica Minolta, Ricoh, Sharp, and Samsung.
What is the difference between a multifunctional and a copier?
In the old sense of the word, the copier machine means that the machine can only copy and print documents. On the other hand, multifunctionals could. But, these days, most copiers can do other functions as well. So, it can be said that the word multifunctional is an old term for office copiers. They do not mean much in today’s world. That being said, some companies use the terms copiers and multifunctionals to differentiate between product categories. They use the word multifunctionals to refer to high-end copying machines with a lot of dedicated features.
Are laser printers better than inkjet printers?
It is not possible to say that one is better than the other in all scenarios. Both laser and inkjet printers have their own strengths and weaknesses. When you consider the upfront cost of both machines, inkjet printers are the cheaper option. However, they are costly to operate. Ink cartridges of laser printers are way cheaper than that of inkjet. But if you do not print much, you can go with inkjet printers for their lower upfront cost. If you print a lot, then it will cost you much more than what you save on the price of the printer in the long run.
If you are looking to buy photocopy machines online in the UAE, look no further as you are in the right place. You will find anything from digital photocopy machines to multifunction printers on Shops.ae. Use the product search engine to look for what you need. There are more than 500 shops and brands offering computer peripherals here on Shops.ae. These include brands like Samsung, Canon, Epson, IBM, SHARP, HP, Xerox, Konica Minolta, Kyocera, and Ricoh.