Photocopier: Is It Better To Rent or Buy?

Photocopiers have been around since 1938. And ever since their launch; they have become an indispensable part of every office. That said, most business owners struggle with one key question when planning to include one in their office. Should I buy a photocopier or lease it? This article aims to make the decision easier for you. We’ll discuss the pros and cons of both buying and renting a photocopier for your business. Buy a Photocopier Outright Before you make up your mind to purchase a photocopier let us consider some of the pros and cons of buying a photocopier. Pros of purchasing a photocopier 1. Less expensive 2. Zero paperwork 3. Flexibility and control 4. Tax incentives 5. No contracts 6. Recoup investment Cons of purchasing a photocopier Agreed that the advantages of buying a photocopy machine are attractive. However, before you jump in to purchase one, take a quick peek into the drawbacks mentioned below: 1. High initial expense 2. Replacement costs 3. Lack of standardization Rent a Photocopier Before talking about the advantages and disadvantages of renting a photocopy machine, let’s run through the types of lease agreements considered for renting. Types of photocopier lease In general, photocopier leases can be classified into two: 1. Operating lease 2. Capital lease (rent-to-own) Pros of renting a photocopier While renting a copier, it is essential to consider what type of lease (renting lease or operating lease) you are asked to sign. Businesses often choose the renting lease instead of operating lease because of lower monthly payments and tax benefits. Let us, therefore, focus on the benefits of the renting lease. 1. Avoiding machine being obsolete 2. Leading technology 3. Convenience 4. Low upfront cost 5. Tax deductions Cons of renting a photocopier 1. Higher expenses 2. Tight contractual obligation 3. Lack of flexibility and control Should You Lease or Buy a Photocopier? Photocopiers are one of the essential pieces of equipment for running a physical office. The purchasing option may not always suit the pockets of an SMB or a new business. In such cases, leasing is considered the best choice. On the other hand, if your company wants to stick to basic features and technology, buying is considered a better and more cost-efficient option for the long run. It is safe to say that the choice depends on the type of your business and the goals that you have in your mind. The article provides a detailed discussion on the pros and cons of both buying and renting a photocopier. We hope it helps you take an informed decision! Want to explore both renting and buying options? Contact us for a consultation today. Frequently Asked Questions on Photocopier Lease or Buy Is there a buyout option in the photocopier lease? Some photocopier rental suppliers provide a buyout option during the lease period of the copier. This is an option to purchase a leased copier at any point of the lease period. The leasing company determines the buyout price depending on the equipment’s residual value and the remaining payments left. Opting for the buyout is a great option when the agreement for lease is not meeting your needs. How long is a photocopier lease term? It depends on the terms of the contract. In general, a period of 24 months and 36 months is standard. If the company wishes, they can opt for an extended lease period. Does the photocopier need to be insured? Yes, it is advisable to insure your photocopier to safeguard your company from legal suits. This is a vital requirement for several photocopier leasing companies while you lease their photocopier. Printer and copier insurance covers situations where your machine is destroyed by some mishaps or accidents such as fire, lightning, short circuits, earthquakes, etc. The policy can also cover legal expenses and other related costs. Can I add to the photocopier lease term? Yes, you can. It will depend on your service provider. Several service providers give their customers the option to add to the photocopier lease term. If you are looking for a new or refurbished photocopier for your copying and scanning needs, Bizcopier Solutions Sdn bhd offers competitive photocopier rental packages for businesses in KL & Selangor. Contact us now to learn more about our packages!

Why a Laser Printer Is Better Than an Inkjet

Today, there is a wide variety of printers with many different features to choose from in the market. However, every print device will fall into one of two categories: inkjet or laser. These two types of devices operate in very different ways.  • Inkjet printers use a system of tiny nozzles to spray liquid ink onto the paper.   • Laser printers use a toner cartridge filled with powdered ink and a heated fuser. Both technologies have pros and cons. Here are our top three reasons why a laser printer wins over an inkjet printer.

The Benefits of Document Scanning

Consider scanning your records into digital images if you are in charge of managing the paper documents and other hard copy files of your business. We are not recommending that you scan your files on your own; It’s likely that your company doesn’t have scanners with a lot of capacity to handle the many paper files and business documents you’ve kept for years. The good news is that all of your electronic capture requirements can be met quickly by a reputable document imaging and scanning service company. Why You Should Choose to Scan and Make Digital Files There has never been a better time to make digital images of your documents. Digitized documents offer a wealth of benefits, many of which you may not be aware of. Here are ten excellent reasons to have your office documents scanned and converted to digital format. The average worker searches for documents for 400 hours per year, according to the Gartner Group. If your documents could be accessed almost immediately, just imagine how much time and money your business would save. Finding and retrieving files can save your business tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars even if you only spend half as much time doing so. Even if you did not index or capture the file names, you can use optical character recognition (OCR) software to apply optical character recognition to your digital files and locate records almost immediately! Laws and compliance guidelines like HIPAA and FACTA require businesses to protect sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands. Digitally stored documents allow you to control user permissions and audit who accesses a digital copies of records as well as when the access occurred. According to Privacy, Confidentiality: and Electronic Medical Records by Randolph C. Barrows, Jr., MD, and Paul D. Clayton, Ph.D ., “Electronic records are arguably more secure if the proper policies and best available technologies are in place. For example, paper medical records do not allow one to obtain an accurate audit trail of who has seen the record and what portions of the record were accessed. Also, the use of paper records make it difficult to restrict certain classes of users to see only particular types of information. Paper records are easily altered by removal or substitution of documents, but an electronic document signed with an encrypted digital signature is much more difficult to alter.” 3. Protect documents from natural disasters Floods, fires, tornadoes, and other emergencies have the power to permanently destroy hard copies of documents, resulting in their loss. On the other hand, scanned images from your company documents can be backed up to a remote location or cloud storage and made accessible during and after an emergency.

How to Fix Printer Paper Rollers That Aren’t Feeding Paper Properly

An inkjet printer’s inability to properly feed paper can be caused by a variety of factors, making paper transport issues difficult to resolve. When you start having problems with transport, the rollers are usually to blame. You can try a few things that don’t require any tools to get the rollers working again. Before we move on, a few points:1. Except for changing ink cartridges, you shouldn’t touch the inside of your printer if it’s still under warranty. Have the paper transport serviced for free if something is wrong. 2. Gears and rollers are clearly not the same thing. Even when there is no paper in the printer and it is simply attempting to reset itself, you can tell there is a gear problem when you hear grinding or chattering sounds. I do not recommend replacing gear unless you are a printer technician because it typically results in more work than it is worth. 3. If your printer is an older model, be willing to accept the possibility that the rollers are simply worn out or will soon become worn out. You can try the following to restore your rollers’ functionality. Be aware that dust kills rubber rollers. Printers that load paper from the top and leave it in the open are most susceptible to this.The majority of people use a top-load printer to load paper into it and then let it sit and print as needed. In this case, a thin layer of dust will accumulate between the paper and the rollers if you only print occasionally, and when you go to print, the dust will be squashed onto the rollers.When this occurs enough times, dust settles on the rollers repeatedly until they no longer grab. Things you can do to stop this: Take the paper out of the printer and pull the plastic flap down when it won’t be used for more than a week to prevent dust from getting on the rollers.If you don’t have a flap, cover the area around the paper insert with something to keep dust out (for example:a small towel, a magazine, or anything else you have on hand) Use high-quality, “grabby” printer paper. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: don’t use cheap paper. Always read the paper’s packaging to make sure it says it will work with inkjet or laser printers.This is not the case with all printer paper, contrary to popular belief. Since older printers already have rollers that have been used a lot, they should be printed on better grabby (or slightly textured) printer paper.It’s less expensive to purchase preferable paper over another printer, so it merits an attempt. Print something at least once per week. Printing without a printer is the main thing that causes rollers to fail more quickly than anything else. Assuming that you notice when you print that the initial not many pages “struggle” going through the printer and the rest go through alright from that point forward, odds are you’re not utilizing your printer enough.Typically, the rubber rollers are slightly warped here, but after sending a few pages, they return to their normal round shape and begin to grasp paper. Due to their manufacturing process, rubber rollers will warp if left unused for an extended period of time.Print more frequently in order to maintain proper roundness.The rollers will remain in good condition if you send at least one three-page job once per week to a printer. Clean your rollers. Once more, if your printer is still covered by a warranty, you should have it serviced.Depending on whether you can actually get to your rollers, cleaning them will either be simple or challenging.They can be cleaned if you can get to them. Cotton swabs and water are all you need to clean rubber rollers. The printer must be physically removed from the wall, the cotton swab must be dipped in water, the excess water must be squeezed out of the tip, and the rollers must be gently cleaned. Rub the roller with the wet side of a cotton swab, then rub it again with the dry side before moving on to the next rubber part until the job is done.

WHY DO COPY MACHINES HAVE HARD DRIVES?

Companies all over the world are becoming increasingly concerned about the safety of their data and information in the era of cloud computing and digital business. Every business has an IT department that works to protect computers from viruses and provide safe connections for employees who use tablets and smartphones to remotely access applications. However, the security concerns do not end here. Have you considered the possibility of a security structure flaw in your office copy machine?According to Digital Copier Security’s John Juntunen: Since 2002, almost every digital copier has a hard drive. It stores an image of every document that is scanned, copied, or emailed by the machine, just like your personal computer does.So, what are the most important aspects of copy machine hard drives to know?In addition, do these hard drives for copy machines pose any security threats to your company? Basics of Copy Machine Hard Drives copy_machine_hard_driveMost of the time, copy machine hard drives can be found on devices that are used in the majority of offices and copy centers. These devices require multifunction applications, can handle a lot of work, and are shared by many people. Hard drives are now included in copy machines as a result of this. The hard drive permits a copier to fulfill its multifunction needs and stay up with the duplicate, print, fax and output projects it is approached to finish. A copy machine hard drive, for instance, enables one machine to handle a print job at the same time as another employee stands at the machine to make a copy. Additionally, projects can be stored in queue by multiple users on the hard drive. The hard drive can store information on upcoming print, fax, or copy jobs and automatically start them when a previous job is finished, even if one employee is working on a print job.The data on a copy machine hard drive should theoretically last until one of two things happens. First, when the hard drive reaches its storage limit, older data will be overwritten. Unless it is physically destroyed or manually erased using a software program, any data that is not overwritten will remain on it indefinitely. POTENTIAL SECURITY RISKS AND HOW TO PREVENT THEM An increasing number of wirelessly connected copy machines in office buildings and copy centers necessitate the availability of security software to guard against malicious use. Data encryption, authentication codes, and user access restrictions are all included in the majority of security kits offered by providers and manufacturers.

Overview of TCP/IP Printing

If your printer is “TCP/IP Addressable,” the preferred method for network printing is TCP/IP. It is a fast way to send a print job straight to a printer. Printing is the most noticeable method for making a decision about network execution and dependability. Previously, printers were connected directly to PCs via a serial, parallel, or USB port. Nowadays, it is common practice to connect printers directly to the network. Network Printers With today’s network printers, all you need is a power outlet and a network port. Then, add a network printer and cables, and you have a remote printer. Well, almost. Connecting Printers to the Network There are several benefits to connecting the printers directly to the network: TCP/IP Printing Protocols LPR/LPD LPR/LPD Protocol is the printing method commonly used in TCP/IP networks. It is in use on university and business campuses where UNIX printing, AS/400 printing, and mainframe printing systems have been in place for a while; the new generation of the operating system now supports both mainframe and TCP/IP and LPD as well. Thus, it is a computer-to-computer printing method rather than PC-to-PC. LPR/LPD protocol consisted of two parts, LPR and LPD.  Line Printer Request (LPR) LPR is an acronym for Line Printer Request; this is the part that submits the print request. LPR is the client part of the protocol and is sometimes confused when used on a mainframe. Any system submitting requests via an “LPR client” is a client.  Line Printer Daemon (LPD) LPD stands for Line Printer Daemon; this is the piece that receives and processes the request. A “daemon” is a server or agent. JetDirect Protocol The HP JetDirect printing® protocol is one of the most widely used for network printers. HP JetDirect supports bidirectional communication as Queue status, Job status, and Page status. Telnet protocol Telnet is a straightforward method based on transferring data safely between TCP ports used for printing purposes. This approach is sometimes called raw TCP/IP, Stream, or direct sockets printing. Internet Printing Protocol Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) is an Internet protocol that allows universal solutions to users trying to print documents from the Internet. The protocol allows the user to:

Common Toner Question and Answer for Copy Machine

To produce printed text and images on paper, a toner cartridge is typically used in laser printers and photocopiers. Toner is a powder mixture. Initially, only carbon powder and iron oxide were added to the mixtures, which mostly consisted of granulated plastic. Since then, however, mixtures containing polypropylene, silica, and a variety of triboelectrification minerals have been developed. There is also toner, which uses plastic made from plants as an alternative to plastic made from petroleum. The fuser’s heat causes toner particles to melt and bond to the paper. This inexpensive carbon toner was poured into a reservoir within the machine from a bottle in earlier photocopiers. The sealed toner cartridge is fed directly into subsequent copies and laser printers beginning with the initial 1984 Hewlett-Packard LaserJet. The cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK) sets of laser toner cartridges for color copiers and printers allow for a wide range of color combinations.Some of the most frequently asked copy machine toner questions are as follows: What is the typical toner cartridge’s printing capacity?There is no hard and fast limit to the number of pages you can print or copy with a toner or ink cartridge because it varies greatly from model to model. Toners and ink cartridges that have been approved by the manufacturer typically last longer and are more cost-effective, despite having higher initial expenditures.Because it uses less ink, switching to draft or lower resolution output whenever possible will also result in higher print output.However, the majority of printers and copiers only support a few thousand pages per toner.New toners typically include a yield estimate to assist you in making a purchase. How do I change a photocopier’s toner cartridge?Although replacing the large toner cartridges on a photocopier may appear to be a daunting task, the process is actually straightforward, quick, and clean. When the toner in your photocopier runs out, the display unit will let you know so you can get a new one. You simply open the toner compartment, which is typically very simple to access, release the old toner, and insert the new cartridge when it is finally finished.To enable this, you may need to press the release button. To ensure that the new toner is installed correctly, make sure to remove the protection tab and follow any installation instructions, such as printing a test page. Consult your photocopier’s manual or contact the service provider if in doubt. Is each toner identical?No. The first copy machines used a light-excited static drum as their power source. You direct the reflected light to the rotating static drum by shining a bright light at the object you want to copy. Except where the text is, the drum is statically charged. The toner cartridge is repelled by the charged areas as the drum rolls past it. The toner is then transferred to the paper after the drum rolls to it. After that, fix the toner and heat the paper. You can make as many copies of the process as you like.On the other hand, laser printers functioned in precisely the opposite manner. Naturally, the issue is somewhat muddled because new copiers are basically laser printers on steroids. It is also possible to construct a copy or printer that performs exactly the opposite of what was previously described by utilizing various materials for the static plate or drum. or sets of matched static material and toner.You can test whether the toner you’re currently using and the toner you’ve found respond in the same way by inducing a charge on the part of the static plate in an old laser printer cartridge that is basically a whole printing mechanism. If the temperatures are different, you still run the risk of jamming the printer, but at least you won’t be printing negatives. What are toner cartridges’ components?The toner’s two main components are plastic resin and iron oxide. The form that this takes is powder. Laser and copy printers work with toner. To get the most out of their toner cartridges, they simply keep them in place and refill them. Cartridges are also collected by other people and sold to other vendors who require them for their businesses. After one use, should I throw away the toner cartridge?After only one use, approximately 85 percent of cartridges are discarded. Millions of cartridges could end up in landfills as a result, which could harm our land.Y ou can save money, energy, and pollution by refilling cartridges. By choosing to refill cartridges rather than tossing them away, you can save the world and safeguard your business at the same time.

Should You Update Your Printer’s Firmware? 

How important is office security to you? If it’s not already a priority, this statistic could move a few places on the list:A study conducted by the Ponemon Institute found that organizations 68% have experienced one or more endpoint attacks affecting their data and/or their IT infrastructure. Security breaches can come in many forms, but one of the most common ways hackers enter networks is through printers. There are a number of steps you can take to protect yourself from cyberattacks on your printer, but perhaps nothing can prevent an attack more quickly and effectively than updating your device’s firmware, described in this blog. We have been in the printer/copier industry for almost 40 years, and one of the major trends over the past decade has been the increasing importance of printer security as a matter of concern for organizations that handle sensitive data. Like a tornado or a hurricane, printer security breaches can come out of nowhere and wreak havoc on those who were unprepared. I want to share some proactive steps you can take now so you don’t get caught off guard later. Once a cyberattack occurs, it is difficult to stop and can cause great economic damage. The first step in securing your printer is to update its firmware. But what exactly is firmware? Before we get into why it’s important to update your firmware, and how you actually do it, let’s look at that question first. What is firmware?firmware is a hard-coded language that machines need to communicate processes. Firmware is necessary for the operation of the device itself, as it decodes and provides instructions from the computer to the printer. Firmware is your first line of defense against security breaches, and not applying the latest firmware updates to your printer will make your printer more vulnerable to cyberattacks. To put firmware into context, think about your smartphone. The phone itself and its accompanying applications require frequent updates to fix technical issues or add additional features that will heighten its productivity. Firmware updates for your printer work in the same way, and it is precisely why they are so important to install on your device: 4 Reasons Why It’s Important to Keep Your Firmware UpdatedThere are many things firmware updates can do for your device, but here are the four main reasons why it’s important to have the latest firmware update for your printer: Gives You the Latest Printer Security FeaturesAs mentioned previously, one of the major advantages of having the latest firmware update for your printer is it gives you the newest security features that will further enhance your device’s security mechanisms. For example, Xerox (who we partner with) has multiple security features like McAfee’s Whitelisting Technology and Cisco’s Identity Services Engine (ISE) that you might not be able to get if your device doesn’t have the latest firmware update. New security features are essential to equipping your device with the latest technology to combat intrusions and shore up any vulnerabilities with your printer. Fixes all features that may not work properlySince the firmware acts as a communication between the printer driver and the printer, this interpretation via programming code is a bug that may affect the device or can lead to minor problems. Just like with phones, updating printer firmware can fix technical bugs

What Would Cause A Laser Printer’s Dirty Back Page To Emerge?

A powdered mixture of granulated plastic and pigment is used in laser printers, and intense heat is used to fuse it to the surface of paper sheets to form a permanently bonded image. When the pages you print come out of the printer with what looks like dirt on the back of the sheets, it doesn’t look good to the people who buy from your business. Before calling in a professional to fix your printer, first look for symptoms that you can fix yourself. Paper Issues Your stock may not properly feed through the printer if you use paper with a heavy surface texture, sheets that are too thin or thick, or media that has been exposed to excessive heat or humidity. Additionally, if you place materials designed with only one imageable surface upside down in the input tray, they may print poorly. When you replace the printer’s paper supply or orient it correctly for your intended use, output symptoms go away. This indicates that the problem is with the media only, not the printer or its toner supply. Contamination in the Printer A leaking cartridge can spill toner all over your printer’s interior. The extra toner adheres to the sheets as the paper moves through the imaging path, resulting in what appears to be dirt on the back of each page. If there is a leak, you should be able to find it if you open the printer and take out the toner cartridge for more in-depth examination. You can use the cleaning-page procedure in your user guide to get rid of the contamination. By creating a word processing document that only contains carriage returns and printing it ten times, you can create a testing and cleaning page. Keep your hands away from your face until you are able to thoroughly clean them if any loose toner gets on them. Duplex Unit When printing two-sided sheets using duplexing, either print one side and feed the page back through to print content on the back in a second pass, or use automatic duplexing features on a printer that automatically prints on both sides. Check the hardware’s paper specifications to see if the stock you’re using can be duplexed, and if not, substitute suitable paper.Y ou can rule out your printer as the cause of your output symptoms if the issue disappears when you print on media that is certified for two-sided printing. Other Factors to Consider While the majority of brand-new toner cartridges produce flawless output when paired with the right paper, some brand-new and remanufactured consumables may exhibit output flaws.In the event that you utilize another cartridge to test your printer before you invest energy exploring its side effects, you can preclude basic, client resolvable issues right away and return to work. For expert assistance, contact a technician if the output issue persists.

Do You Need a heavy Duty Photocopy Machine?

The term Heavy Duty Photocopier or Heavy Duty Printer Scanner Copier can mean different things to different people. In the printing industry we generally measure the capability of the equipment by the print speed and the average number of prints/copies it can handle per month. To begin with, we would like to discuss the entry level Ricoh Copier MPC 3503. This is a 35ppm A3/A4 colour photocopier with Print, Scan, Copy and Fax(Optional) functionality. It can scan documents at a speed of 40ipm and used wired network connectivity as a standard feature. This heavy duty copier machine is designed to handle an average of 2,000 – 8,000 prints per month and is ideal for a small office or a medium sized department. The model also has an optional 3 Year Warranty. Perfect for your demanding work environment, Ricoh offers the reliability, productivity and functionality you need, combined with a level of connectivity you expect in today’s technological world. Our Smart Operation Panel allows you to bring a wealth of usability features and applications to your fingertips, so improved workflow and productivity. Supremely fast printing at 35 ppm works alongside professional level output that’s ideal for flexible and high volume working. Of course, security is more important than ever, so Ricoh is set up to help you meet your network security policy or governing body standards, and ensure your data is as safe as possible. A heavy duty photocopy machine is designed to handle a large volume of printing and copying jobs regularly. Capable of printing at more than 50 ppm, a heavy duty printer scanner copier is flexible enough to meet your business needs today and in the future. If your business prints, copies and scans a large amounts of documents on a daily basis, then a heavy duty copier will be beneficial for you.