Compare These Top Vendors for Copiers by Brand

Walk into any office supply store, and you’ll see how inexpensive copiers have become—for just $100 or so on the low end, you can pick up a basic black and white copier. Not every small business can get by with the basics. If you need a workhorse that can handle large copy jobs on a regular basis, you may have to spring for a heavy-duty model, and that can take a bite out of your budget. High-end black and white copiers that can churn out tens of thousands of pages each month and are souped up with features, such as duplex printing, auto document feed, account codes, sorting and collating, can cost well over $10,000.

Why go for black and white, when color copiers are so abundant? You’ll save about 20-30 percent on the price, and you’ll avoid the ongoing costs of those expensive color toner cartridges.

Before you begin shopping for a black and white copier, consider:

1. The number of copies you’ll need on a daily basis.
2. What extra features you need.
3. Service and maintenance support.

Black and white copier capacity

Making fewer than 700 copies per month? Go with a light-duty copier designed for personal use or for small offices. Making thousands of copies per month? Consider a business model.

Black and white copier speed

Most dealers advertise speed in terms of copies per minute (cpm). For a home office or small office, a copier with up to 20 cpm will probably suffice. But if your business requires fast output, look for a copier that can handle more than 30 cpm.

Consider a multifunction copier

Most new copiers come with built-in options for printing, scanning and faxing that turn copiers into all-in-one machines. Although most all-in-ones come with color copying and printing capabilities, you can choose to copy solely in black and white.
multifunctional machines at Business.com.

Buy a refurbished or used black and white copier

Since high capacity copiers can cost upwards of $10,000, a way to cut costs is to invest in a pre-owned or refurbished copier.
refurbished copy machines at Business.com.

Cheap copiers

Another way to get a deal on a copier is to bargain hunt for dealers that offer closeouts or Internet stores with low overhead.

Think about renting or leasing

If you have a large project that requires copies or an event, a short-term rental is the answer. If you’d like the convenience of a large capacity machine, but can’t afford one, opt for leasing. Leasing agreements typically include ongoing service and maintenance and some also allow you to upgrade to a newer model when technology changes.
rentals of photocopiers and other related imaging machines at Business.com. Check out Work.com’s guide to buying or leasing business copiers.

• Ask the dealer how long the toner cartridges last and figure out the costs of how many you will use each year to calculate the ongoing costs of each copier.
• Most copiers use regular copy paper, which is relatively cheap in bulk. Make sure you find out if the copier you are purchasing requires any special paper.
• Take measurements of the area where you plan to put the copier to make sure it fits.