Shopping for an office photocopier this year? It’s never been an easy decision with multiple brands, technologies, and pricing configurations available. Use this article to help you better understand your office’s needs and the best office photocopier solution.

Commercial photocopiers can range in price from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars, so it’s tempting to make your budget one of the first considerations. Of course, pricing is a major concern, but there are various factors affecting costs, so we’ll talk about pricing later.

Let’s start with the basics. What are you looking for in an office photocopier? For example, do you want:

Monochrome or colour? The next generation of colour printers produce outstanding colour and at a much lower price point than you may expect. Extra high capacity ink cartridges, Replaceable Ink Pack System (RIP) ink packs, and Supertanks are among the various options that bring your ink costs down substantially. Both monochrome and colour versions of Epson business inkjet printers are available.

Single or multifunction? Some offices want a single function printer for printing basic documents or invoices whereas others are looking for an all-in-one office printer that prints, scans, copies, and faxes. Both have their advantages depending upon the use case.

What is your monthly volume? This is a major consideration as your print volume will affect the type of office photocopier you should buy. For example, if your office only prints or copies a few hundred pages a month, your photocopier needs will be different than if your office prints tens of thousands of pages each month. Not only will you want a heavier duty machine, you’ll want with plenty of paper capacity, a fast print speed, advanced security features, and large ink or toner capacity.

How many users will be sharing the office photocopier? This is similar to monthly print volume as you’ll need different features and likely want a higher print speed when you have more people involved. In general, we recommend Epson Supertank printers for 1 to 5 users, Epson WorkForce Pro printers for 1 - 10 users, Epson WorkForce HC for 5 to 15 users, and Epson Enterprise printers for more than 15 users.

Where will you place your office photocopier? Office photocopiers can be quite large, requiring some forethought as to where it will be placed. Likewise, some office photocopiers require 220-volt electrical outlets, which affect placement as well. Note that Epson business inkjet printers run on 110-volt outlets, giving you more options as well as significant energy savings.

Laser or inkjet technology? In the past, laser technology was the go-to choice for office photocopiers, but Epson business inkjet printers are changing that. Inkjet technology uses fewer moving parts than laser printers, which often means lower maintenance requirements and greater reliability. While lasers are perceived as having a speed edge, several Epson business inkjet printers have print speeds that rival laser printers — up to 100 pages per minute! Plus, they use dramatically less energy and have low per page costs, even for colour.

Environmental concerns? If your office is concerned about its environmental footprint, choosing an Epson business inkjet printer is a great choice thanks to its Energy Star qualification, low energy costs, efficient ink usage and cartridge-free printing options on some models, simple design with fewer parts to replace, and more.

And finally, cost. Energy, paper, and ink/toner costs are often overlooked when budgeting for an office photocopier, yet they are an important consideration that have an impact on your monthly costs. Epson business inkjet photocopiers use much less energy than comparable laser printers. They do not need to warmup or require special electrical. Automatic two-sided printing can slash your paper costs by nearly half, and these printers “make colour affordable” with cartridge-free printing, extra high capacity ink cartridges, and Replaceable Ink Pack System ink packs.

In addition, you may be able pay monthly rather than purchase a photocopier outright. Before you buy a new office printer in Ontario, Canada, talk to one of our business printer specialists to find out just how affordable an Epson business inkjet photocopier can be.