Capabilities that used to be expensive or simply not available are now standard on today’s digital multifunction devices. Remember that you can upgrade many of these features later – if you choose the right copier.

Some machines can be upgraded with a “plug and play” type of upgrade, while others require more extensive hardware fixes. If you are considering adding printing or faxing modules later, ask about the specifics of the upgrade process.

Printing

Add a printer module and network card to a digital copier and it can double as an office laser printer, working at the same speed it makes copies. A copier can allow your employees to produce dozens of stapled copies of a five-page, two-sided proposal – without leaving their desks. Most offices can benefit from using a copier as a printer as per-page costs can be as little as 20% of laser printer printing costs.

Most copiers run standard networking protocols, but you still need to make sure the model you choose is compatible with your network. Involving your IT department in this aspect of the copier purchase decision upfront can save you significant headaches later.

Scanning

Digital multifunction devices scan every document being copied into memory before printing a copy, so it’s natural that they can be used for creating electronic versions of your paper documents. A document feeder can be used as a sheetfed scanner, rapidly scanning multiple pages, while books and other thicker objects that can’t go through the feeder can be scanned directly on the glass.

Add-ons to scanning functionality include OCR (optical character recognition) software that turns your papers into editable electronic documents, and the ability to scan directly to e-mail or a computer desktop.

Faxing

With the addition of a fax module, you can send and receive faxes through the copier. You can easily send multi-page faxes using the document feeder, or you can use the copier glass to fax single pages or parts of books or catalogs. Incoming faxes are printed as they’re received, sometimes into a separate output tray. With a network interface, users can even send faxes from their computers.

Image editing

Digital multifunction devices can edit your documents while duplication is happening. This can include automatic page numbering, adding watermarks such as "confidential" or "copy,” or adding date stamps. They can rotate scanned images to match the orientation of the available paper supply, saving on wasted time and paper from unanticipated errors.

They can also combine images in creative ways, such as copying a two-sided original – say, a check – onto one page, or reducing and combining originals to put 2, 4, or 8 pages onto one.

Stackless duplexing

Digital copiers with enough memory can support stackless duplexing by storing each side of the original page in memory, then printing both sides of the copy. This means the number of two-sided copies you make is no longer limited by the capacity of a duplex tray. You will get your duplexed copies much faster, too.

Automatic sizing

Digital copiers usually offer an automatic sizing function on their machines. This enables the copier to note the dimensions of your original document and adjust itself using preset reduction/enlargement settings, even if your copying paper is a different size than your original.

Automatic shut-off

Almost all copiers now have an automatic shut-off option – it saves energy and decreases wear on a copier by turning the machine off if it has not been used for a set period of time.

Security

Many digital multifunction devices allow you to require that users enter a code before they can make copies. This provides a level of security – preventing unauthorized usage – as well as allowing you to analyze current usage patterns by department. Some machines can also hold faxes or network documents in memory until the correct code is entered, then print them. This prevents confidential documents from being left in the output tray for any passerby to view.

Wired and wireless connection options

Some digital copiers now come with a wireless LAN interface – either the 802.11b wireless LAN standard, or a Bluetooth wireless board. Some also have separate parallel and universal serial bus (USB) interfaces that allow you to connect laptops or storage devices.

Environment friendliness

Copiers can be huge consumers of electricity – and all that paper has to come from somewhere. But despite this, copiers are becoming more environmentally friendly all the time: energy efficiency is one of the prime concerns of manufacturers and consumers alike.

Newer digital copiers usually have “energy save” modes that cause the machine to power down if it hasn’t been used for a certain period of time. Also look for “Energy Star” rated copiers that save money while protecting the environment through intelligent power management.

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