Copier for office and home: which one is better to choose

A copier for the office and a model for the home may differ in such indicators as sheet format, print speed and the availability of color printing. When choosing a device, you should proceed from the amount of work and your own tasks. The most important parameters and selection tips can be found in this article.

Selection criteria for a home

It is advisable to buy a photocopier for your home only if you have to copy or print documents quite often. For example, if you do this once a week or less, the cartridge may dry out, and buying a new one is expensive.

If we talk about which copier is better to buy for home use, you should consider the following parameters:

1. Sheet format is usually A4, but there are also non-standard options, for example, A2 or A3. They are suitable for copying or printing, for example, large drawings or diagrams.
2. The service life of the photodrum - the longer it is, the more reliable the device. If you focus on high-quality models, their lifespan is 60,000 pages or more.
3. Image resolution (in dpi) – the higher, the higher quality the copy or print will be.
4. Printing speed is typically 20-30 pages per minute. But other models with a speed of 5-10 pages are also suitable for home use.
5. Some users are interested in whether there is a color copier. Such models are also found, but compared to black and white ones they are more expensive. In addition, they require periodic replacement of ink cartridges.
6. It is also worth understanding that there are analog and digital devices. The latter provide a higher quality image, but are about 4-5 times more expensive than analogue ones.

Selection criteria for an office

The best copier for an office should be reliable and productive. To choose it, it is advisable to take into account the following characteristics:

1. High speed – printing at least 30 pages per minute (although for some companies 10-20 pages are enough).
2. Sheet format - in most cases, in the office, as well as at home, A4 is required. But there are times when A3, A2 and even A1 come in handy.
3. Even though digital devices are more expensive, they are more durable and provide maximum quality, so it is better to choose such models.
4. The size of the tray for blank sheets of paper should be quite spacious (2000-3000 sheets).
5. The device must be equipped with an automatic paper feed function.
6. The limit on the number of copies per 1 cycle (1 user request) is 999 and above, since sometimes it is necessary to copy a very large document.
7. Duplex is a two-sided printing option that allows you to save on paper.

Based on the parameters considered, you can understand which copier is better. It is quite obvious that a device for home may not be as productive and simply black and white. But the copier must produce high-quality images and have a sufficiently long service life of the photodrum.