Finding a Copier That Your Office Can Operate is a Challenge

For the majority of offices, using a printer shouldn't be rocket science. If your small business is in need of a basic printer and copier for routine tasks, it helps to explore low volume machines that will give you the most bang for your buck. An all-in-one machine is a type of multi-function copier that is designed as a desktop unit and combines the functionality of a printer, copier, scanner and fax machine. All-in-one printers are affordable and easy to use for small- and medium-size businesses.

What businesses can benefit from an easy to use printer?

In the wonderful world of printers and copiers, it all comes down to copy volume. The Department of General Services Print Procurement and Logistics recommends in “A Guide to Purchasing Copiers” to review the past 12 months of your copy history to tally a monthly copy volume average.

To put it in layman's terms, if your business makes less than 10,000 copies per month, you could benefit from a straightforward copier/printer without all the bells and whistles. Many low speed copiers are designed as desktop models for this very purpose to produce several hundred or thousand copies per month.

An easy to use copier may fall into the category of low to mid volume, from 20-35 ppm. This is compared to a higher volume copier for large business use at 40-45 ppm. Commercial volume copiers are also available at up to 100 ppm with an average monthly copy volume of 100,000 pages.

Businesses that can best utilize a low- to mid-volume copier include:

Libraries

HP Officejet Wireless 4630

For libraries, HP Officejet Wireless 4630 is a good choice. This machine comes with the latest cloud printing technology. You can connect to this printer wirelessly from the cloud and easily print documents from anywhere, anytime. The print speed is decent. It delivers 8.8 ppm for black and white, and 5.2 ppm for color, and prints at a high resolution of 4800x1200 dpi. The price is only $99.

Canon Pixma MX922

Another option is Canon Pixma MX922. It comes with good specifications to suit low-volume printing requirements. With 18 ppm, 13,000 monthly duty cycle and other basic features, libraries cannot ask for more. The price is $179.

Brother MFC J285DW

You can also try the Brother MFC J285DW printer. It comes with a high speed of 33 ppm in this range. The touch panel makes it easy to operate the machine. With the wireless ability, you can print documents from any mobile device as well as from the cloud. The price is $99.

Schools

For schools, a low-volume printer would do the job. However, they require color printing for records and teaching purposes.

HP Officejet Pro 8630

HP Officejet Pro 8630 is a good printer to do this job. With a print resolution of 4800x1200, this machine prints amazing images. The print speed for color is 16.5, which is pretty decent. With a monthly duty cycle of 30,000, you can easily print records and other documents. It is easy to use and comes at a decent price of $279.

Brother MFC – J4410DW

Brother MFC - J4410DW offers 6000x1200 dpi resolution to print quality images. The speed is 33 ppm and the monthly duty cycle is 13,000. The price is $179.

Epson WorkForce 3260

Epson WorkForce 3260 offers slightly better features than Brother MFC J4410DW at the same price.

Small Offices / Administrative Offices

HP Officejet Pro 8630

For small offices that have a print requirement of 2,000-10,000 copies per month, HP Officejet Pro 8630 is the best option. It prints at a speed of 19 ppm for black and white and 15 ppm for color copies. The monthly duty cycle is 30,000. Other printers in this range produce lesser copies per month. Still, this machine is offered at a decent price of $279. With a print resolution of 4800x2400 dpi, this machine delivers high quality images.

Epson WorkForce WF3260 / Brother MFC – J4410DW

Alternately, Epson WorkForce WF3260 and Brother MFC-J4410DW printers can be considered. Both these printers are priced around $179.

Home Offices / Online Businesses

Home offices would normally have a monthly requirement of 2,000 copies. A low-volume all-in-one printer such as Canon Pixma MX472 is a good choice.

Canon Pixma MX472

This machine is priced at $99 and comes with a print speed of 9.7 ppm for black, and 5.5 ppm for color. The print resolution at 4800x1200 is pretty decent. It comes with all the basic features and is easy to use.

Canon Pixma MX922

Canon Pixma MX922 is another machine that isgood for home offices. The print speed of this machine is 18 ppm for black,and 16 ppm for color. The monthly duty cycle is 13,000 and the price is $179.

Brother All-in-one Inkjet MFC-J450DW

You can also try the Brother All-in-one Inkjet MFC – J450DW. This machine comes with 12 ppm for black,and 10 ppm for color. However, the monthly duty cycle is only 2,500. The price is $99.

Easy to use printer and copier recommendations

Here are several brands to consider that have been highly rated by small business customers:

Brother: Manufactures small-scale all-in-one printers with network compatibility; multifunction devices can scan, copy and print through USB computer connection. For more information about Brother copiers, visit the following link:

HP: Manufacturers low-volume color all-in-one printers with wireless network compatibility; customer reviews confirm fast printing for a small business environment. For more information about HP copiers, visit the following link:

Panasonic: Manufactures small business multi-function printers with network compatibility; machines can print, copy, scan and fax both documents and photos. For more information about Panasonic copiers, visit the following link:

Canon: Manufactures mid-speed all-in-one laser printers; machines can print, copy, scan, and fax with faster print and copy speed for small office use. For more information about Canon copiers, visit the following link:

Epson: Manufactures specialty photo printers for small business use; ideal for odd low volume copy jobs to print high-quality photo images on DVDs, CDs, art paper, etc. For more information about Epson copiers, visit the following link: