

A higher base amount will, in most cases, lower the CPC (cost per copy/click). Most service contracts have a minimum number of copies per month (often referred to as the “base” amount). This is that unit that typically sits atop a multifunction printer which holds a stack of papers and automatically sends documents, one-at-a-time, into the unit for copying. While most new machines are digital, analogue copiers and MFPs can typically be picked up for less money than their digital counterparts. To put it bluntly, an analogue copier might be akin to a typewriter, while a digital copier is more like a word processor (this mostly referring to its ability to store information for eventual and multiple reproduction). That’s a lot less wear and tear on the hardware. A digital copier will scan the entire document once (10 scans) and then store it in memory while it prints out the 10 copies. If you want to scan a 10 page document and make 10 copies, the copier will have to scan each page 10 times.

The main disadvantage to an analogue copier today is that it is a “one scan, one print” technology. This simply means that they reflected light onto a photosensitive surface (the drum) which was then charged, attracting toner in the appropriate places, and then that toner was transferred to the paper and fused with heated rollers. Use the following as a quick and dirty guide to get you up and running in the world of copiers and MFPs-I mean, MultiFunction Printers…Oops, we started already, didn’t we? Analogue copiersīack in the day, all copiers were “analogue”. Research is great, but if you’ve been in the business as long as we have, you know that it doesn’t take long to get lost in translation, if you know what I mean. We’re here to give you a leg up in the world of copier and printer terms.

There are tons of acronyms, terms and terminology associated with copiers and MFPs that can leave you with your head spinning. Everyone knows you’re diligent, resourceful, a hard worker…the problem is that you simply don’t know the lingo. You’ve been sent out on a scouting mission to find the best possible printing or copying solution for your office.
