Copiers have come a long way in the past decade or two. Of course, with higher quality often comes increased cost. Advanced technology has impacted the pricing and costs of copiers, from small, basic models to sophisticated color photocopiers. You'll pay a lot more for a digital or inkjet copier that collates, staples and makes two-sided copies and produces over fifty copies per minute than you will for a copier offering fewer features.

Depending on your business and how often you need to copy documents, you might need a large office copier capable of making dozens of copies per minute, or maybe your work calls for the use of color copiers. In addition, you will likely need to factor in the costs of maintenance for your copy machines. Whatever your circumstances, when gathering information about the pricing and costs of copiers, consider the following:

1. Decide whether you need a top-of-the-line copier with all the bells and whistles.

2. Select a simpler and less expensive copier if your business does not generate a large number of copies.

3. Add in costs of copier maintenance and supplies.

4. Keep pricing down by buying a used copy machine.

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Prepare to spend some money on high-end copiers for your high-volume business

If you're in a business that generates thousands of copies per day, a high-end copier that produces over 50 ppm (pages per minute) would work best for you. If you conduct more business through emails and faxing and find you don't need to make many copies throughout the day, then a smaller model is sufficient.

I recommend: Find a long list of high-end Xerox copiers, with monthly output capabilities ranging from 4,000 to 20,000 copies per month, priced in a range from just over $2,000 to several thousand dollars, at Copier Repair Land. Choose from a comprehensive list of high-volume Canon copiers, valued at up to $50,000, for in most cases less than $10,000 at Coast to Coast Copiers.

Avoid overspending on large copiers if smaller and simpler models will handle your needs

Bigger is not always better, or practical. If you find you send documents and other information vital to your business via email or fax and don't make a lot of trips to the copier during the course of your day, then a smaller, simpler copier will work for you. You'll fill your copying needs and save money in the long run.

I recommend: Get Kyocera Copystar small workforce copiers, from desktop to digital, and save from $100 up to $1,000 per copier at Piper Cobey Copier Service. Buy a Sharp small business copier printer from Copiers Warehouse, get nationwide installation and setup for under $200 and still pay less than half of what you would for the cheapest high-end copier.

Factor in repairs and supplies that add to the pricing and costs of copiers

Like any machine, copiers, especially workhorses that churn out hundreds or thousands of copies per day, will eventually start to wear down and need repairs. Copiers also require consistent replacement of certain parts, such as toner cartridges and developer, so it's a good idea to figure in the cost of copier supplies when buying a copier.

I recommend: Visit Copiersales.com to find parts ranging from fuses to rollers to toner bottles, for all models of top brand copiers by Ricoh, Canon and more manufacturers. Ken Nagele's Copy Tech Company can repair your copier, no matter the problem or job time frame, for a flat rate of just over $100.

Stay in or under budget by shopping for used copy machines

Although new copiers with all the top features are nice, perhaps your budget and your needs prevent you from indulging. If so, you might consider buying a used copier. A completely refurbished machine will cost you much less and, with proper maintenance, can last a long time, providing you with the quality and quantity of copies you need to keep your business documents flowing.

I recommend: Find used and refurbished multifunctioning and even digital imaging copiers from top names such as Ricoh, Canon, Toshiba and Konica for half and even some cases a third less than the manufacturer's suggested retail price at Copiers4Less. Get high-end copiers with 56 ppm capabilities from top copier manufacturers for hundreds of dollars less than new machines, and get free shipping, from CopiersRefurbished.com.

Tips & Tactics to Get Office Copiers Right

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Think about signing a service agreement offered by most copier manufacturers. In many cases, this can lower the price of the copier and give you plenty of useful services such as emergency repairs, coverage of part costs and regular maintenance visits.

Paperless office of the future? Ha! Truth is, we use paper more than ever, thanks to the proliferation of desktop computers at work. And generating documents almost guarantees a demand for stacks of fresh copies. The copy machine will be an office fixture for a while yet.

But buying a business photocopier can be confusing. Will you need color? How much volume? Printing, faxing, scanning? Do you need new copiers or will used copiers or refurbished copiers do? These are all important questions that will tip your price point up or down by hundreds of dollars. It will determine, too, how much maintenance your small office copy machines could require. Take the common-sense route toward making your office photocopier as productive yet cost-effective as possible.

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Watch out for truly home-office copiers

The office supply superstores are full of desktop printer/fax/copiers that seem to be a good deal. But they are, for the most part, designed for occasional, non-professional use. Prepare to buy a copy machine — and to spend several thousand dollars.

I recommend: A good initial exercise is to sort through comparison shopping sites photocopier listings. Check NexTag, Shopping.com and Epinions for a quick-and-dirty copy-machine budget check. Another site, BuyerZone, offers quotes from local copy machine dealers.

Brush up on leasing lingo for copiers

You will learn quickly that most businesses lease copy machines rather than buy, to protect themselves from upfront costs and changing technology.

I recommend: CopierGeeks takes copiers way too seriously.

Stand alone copiers or networked?

It's a rare small office that can afford to buy two big pieces of capital equipment when one will do. If you office computer system is networked, then a copy machine-printer combo that is part of your PC network is your best bet. You can print to the same machine that copies. A copier that doesn't print is called a stand-alone. Cheaper, but less useful.

I recommend: Xerox, HP, Lanier, Ricoh and Canon are among the better-known sellers of so-called heavy-duty multi-function (MFP) printers.

Consider bundling your costs on copy machines

The latest trend in small business is to capture some of the return big companies get by outsourcing tech. In the copier world, that means signing one deal for everything: hardware, installation, maintenance and supplies, like ink and toner for copy machines, then paying one flat monthly rate

I recommend: HP offers this kind of way to buy, calling it Smart Print services.

Check out the deals on used copiers and refurbished copiers

Dealers offer deep discounts and warranties on name-brand copy machines.

I recommend: See the dealer directories on Business.com for used copiers and refurbished copiers

Use copy machines lot at once, then a little for a month?

Copiers – real copiers – cost as much as new cars. If that's out of range, and your business tends to make batches of copies, like restaurant menus, brochures, flyers or stacks of sales presentations, consider buying a cheaper home office printer (practically free if you bundle with a new PC!) and instead use print shops for high-volume photocopier work.

I recommend: FedEx Kinko's and the UPS Store both offer this virtual copy-machine service, FedEx going so far as to allow you to print straight from your PC to their photocopier systems.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  A needs analysis is vital. You won't be able to intelligently buy copiers if you have no idea how much you use copiers now, nor might in the near future. Do you collate, staple, and print front-and-back?
• •  Technology changes fast, but there's no need to spend on features you absolutely will not use. For instance, if color copies don't figure into your business, buy black and white. Color ink is expensive, and color copiers can be more temperamental.
• •  Price ink cartridges before you sign off, as well as any maintenance contract fees. Those two items alone can turn your great deal on copy machines into a stinker.

Even in this day and age of computers and faxes, copiers are still an important part of your office equipment, and having the right copier supplies on hand will keep business flowing. Whether you're copying written documents, making color copies or even copying photos, you know how crucial it is to have sufficient copier supplies in stock to prevent any possible down time.

Supplies, ranging from toner cartridges to developer to copy paper, are a must-have for any office copier. Which specific supplies you need largely depends on whether you have a black and white or color copier and on the level of document imaging required. When it comes time to shop for copier supplies, here are a few things to consider:

1. Get brand-name toner cartridges and developer for either black and white or color copiers.

2. Select the right copier paper for the best document imaging possible.

3. Remember other supplies for copiers, such as drums and fuser lubes.

Action Steps
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Keep critical copier supplies like toner and developer close at hand

If you're running copies through your copy machines and notice them getting lighter and lighter, you're getting low on toner. If you don't have another toner cartridge to install, your copier will be down--and, potentially, so will your business--until you replace this crucial copier part.

I recommend: Get toner cartridges for copy machines made by top copier manufacturers such as Ricoh, Sharp, Canon and Xerox, at Super Warehouse. Purchase two or more toner cartridges from Toner-N-More and save several dollars per cartridge. Visit CompuToners to get Sharp developer that is capable of producing 250,000 copies.

Make quality copies with top of the line copier paper

Even well-maintained, smoothly running copiers can produce poor copies if they're fed the wrong paper. Always use high quality paper and be sure to use specialty paper when necessary, whether you need to make color copies or to copy photos. Choose from multipurpose, ink jet, card stock, photo and other types of copier paper to get the job done right.

I recommend: Buy multipurpose paper, letter or legal-sized and even three-hole punched, for less than half the list price, at Shoplet.com. Office Depot features a long list of copier paper products, including white paper in a range of sizes and with various brightness levels, and color paper. They also offer discounted prices for customers who purchase five or more reams.

Add other copier supplies to your list to keep your machines at peak performance

Though toner and developer are certainly crucial to your copier, and it's true you can't make copies without paper, there are other equally important parts for your copiers that you should keep on hand. The drum, for instance, attracts the toner, which is then transferred to the paper when you make copies. A fuser lube will keep those important documents running smoothly through your machine.

I recommend: Get tubes of Xerox fuser lube at low sale prices from Digital Foto Discount Club. Their copier supplies within just a day or two of ordering. Find Sharp copier supplies, including drums and heat rollers, and save about half off the normal price at NexImaging.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Get a metal or wood copier cabinet to store your copier, extra paper and other copier supplies.

Few businesses can survive without a reliable photocopier. However, because business needs vary widely, it is important to think about which copier features your business truly needs, and which would just be costly bells and whistles. The right copier is one that will help your business run more smoothly. A copier that lacks a feature you need, or one that has too many complicated functions can cause unnecessary headaches for your staff. A copier is an important purchase, and it is wise to compare many choices in your price range before you buy.

These key copier terms can help you choose a copier that has the features you need:

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DPI

DPI means dots per inch. It refers to the resolution of a copier. When shopping for a copier, keep in mind that the higher the DPI, the better the quality of the copies will be.

I recommend: Learn about DPI at the wiseGEEK website.

Footprint

A copier's footprint is simply the amount of space that the copier takes up. Footprint is an important, but easily overlooked, consideration when purchasing a copier for a small office.

I recommend: See footprint mentioned at University Printing Services from California State University.

First copy speed

The term first copy speed refers to the time it takes for a copier to scan and print the first page of a document. If your business needs are mostly quick, one-page copy jobs, take note of a machine's first copy speed. You will find first copy speed in the product specifications.

I recommend: Look for the first copy speed in the product specifications, such as those on the Avanta Office Machines and Savin websites.

CPM or PPM

CPM means 'copies per minute.' PPM means 'pages per minute.' Either term can be used to refer to the number of standard sized (8.5 x 11 inch) copies (pages) that can be produced in one minute. Black and white copies take the least amount of time, with one, two, three and four-color copies taking progressively longer.

I recommend: You will find CPM or PPM in the product specifications for copiers, such as those listed on the Xerox website.

Multifunctional device

If your office needs to scan, fax, print, email and copy documents, you may want to consider a multifunctional device. Another name for a copier that can perform multiple functions is an 'all in one.'

I recommend: Learn more about multifunctional devices at the officemagic.co.uk website.

Memory

Digital copiers need memory to store data, just as computers do. Copiers utilize memory when they scan documents or send a fax. The amount of memory that a copier needs depends on its functions.

I recommend: Learn more about digital copier memory at AllBusiness.com.