by Larry Brooks

In the market for a color copier? Well things have changed in the last few years. Color copiers have come way down in price and the features available has really increased.

Do you have an old slow noisy analog copier that takes forever to warm up? Do you have to outsource for color copies? It may be time to think about having your own color copier.

Hopefully this article can give some insight into buying a color copier. If you buy new, you will be getting a digital copier. In the long run, digital copiers cost less to operate than the older analog copiers that required a lot of service calls. Almost all of the new ones can be set up to print and scan documents and send and receive faxes. You will see these some times called MFPs.

The number of copies you will run in a month is your copy volume. This is an important factor when buying a color or b/w copier. If the copier is to slow, you will waste a lot of time waiting for the run to finish. But the faster the machine the more it costs. So it is wise to discuss with your sales rep.

Almost all of the mid to high volume copiers can be networked. When networked the copier will act as a high speed printer with features such as duplexing, sorting, stapling and choosing paper size.

You may find that the savings from switching laser printers to a color copier may offset the cost of the copier.

All copiers need service periodically. A maintenance agreement can be obtained from the dealer. These may include toner and developer or may not. If you have a small machine and you can purchase toner, developer and drum at the local office products store, you may not need a service contract.

So here are a few other things you might look into.

* Try to tell the sales rep all your requirements.

* Have you worked out a budget for this?

* You also have the option of leasing.

* If you need black and white and color copies? How many?

* Are you looking for a multifunction machine (printing, scanning, faxing, etc) or just a copier?

Go to some dealer sites and look at their specs and recommendations, check e-bay copier sales and spend some time with google. When you purchase a color copier, get just what you need.

About the Author:

Larry Brooks has been in the copier industry for more than 30 years and is now retired. He now does some writing and consulting to help others with their copier needs. If you are looking to purchase a color copier, please visit the website www.colorcopier.ws.