Do You Know Your Copy Machine History?

In an age where gadgets are commonplace, and the next-best-version rolls out before you’ve seen the first model, it’s refreshing to stop and smell the toner. You’ve printed those urgent reports, distributed them, and won the day: But do you know how it all came together? Here at World Trade Copiers, we’d like to think we’re history buffs in our area of expertise. So we’d like to share a little Copy Machine History 101: How Does a Copy Machine Work?

Welcome to your first, short lesson in xerography! (That’s copy lingo for the “dry photocopying.”) This will be fun, I promise. If you’ve ever wondered how a clean sheet transforms to a photo copy in mere seconds, here’s the breakdown: It’s a five-step technology patented in 1942.

Step 1: Charging
A wire surging with electricity charges a round drum made out of a material that’s photoconductive (receptive to currents when exposed to light).

Step 2: Exposure
The original copy is illuminated by a strong bulb, which reflects onto the drum. The drum picks up the whites of the page are picked up by the drum conductively, while the writing or dark figures on the page remain as negatives. The drum now carries an electrical imprint of the page.

Step 3: Developing
As the image or words on the drum remain negatively charges. As toner is positively charged, it is electromagnetically attracted to the imprint of these negatively charged surface area.

Step 4: Transfer
The drum, now with toner, rolls the pattern of toner onto a clean sheet of paper.

Step 5: Fusing
A quick blast of heat and another roll bonds the toner to the paper. Voila! A copy machine duplicate is born.

Investing in Color Copy Machines

Thinking about leasing color copy machines? If so, you’ve got some decisions to make: Do you want a high-end or low-end machine? And, do you want advanced or standard features?

For most people, a high-end color copier is worth the extra price. This is because high-end models have the technology to add all four colors of ink in a single sweep. Low-end copiers have to do four separate passes, which means color copy jobs – especially long ones – will go a lot slower.

As for features, it’s usually better to stick with the standard features such as color balancing and adjustment, as well as image centering and border erasing. Advanced packages include all of these features, in addition to other features like colorization, which allows you to add color to black and white documents.

Features like these sound impressive, but they’re often difficult and more time-consuming than their computer software equivalents. Plus, different copy manufacturers tend to use different names for the same features, making it hard to compare models when researching.

For all of these reasons, if you’re investing in copiers NY, your best buy (or lease!) is a high-end model with standard features.

Copy Machine Leasing Ideas: Remember Memory!

Even the best copy machines can flounder with inadequate memory. This is because memory is essential for many valuable features, including auto page numbering, scan once/print many, and image editing. Just like personal computers, copy machines rely on RAM (random access memory) to perform many of their functions.

So, how should memory affect your copier search?

First, look for copy machines compatible with generic memory such as SIMMs. This will be true for most copiers, however some manufacturers’ machines do not support standard memory, making it more difficult to increase your memory down the road.

You also need to learn how each machine’s memory is distributed. Some machines use universal memory cache for multiple functions, while others have separate caches for each feature (copying, faxing, etc.). So, if you’re mostly interested in copying, you should avoid machines with too much RAM tied up in printing, for example.

Most copy machine leasing agreements will provide somewhere between 4 MB and 256 MB of memory. You’ll only need about 16 MB to perform most image editing functions. Your other memory needs will depend on your average document length and the detail present in each original – the more detailed and intricate your documents are, the more memory you will require.

More Upgrades for Copiers NY

Even if you don’t know which copy machine upgrades you might want several months in the future, it’s still important to consider upgrades while browsing copy machine leasing agreements. This is because, although some copiers are compatible with upgrade modules, not all of them are this flexible. Thus, if you think there’s any chance you’ll want to upgrade to certain features later on, be sure to only look at copy machines that are compatible with the relevant modules.

Last week, we discussed two different upgrade modules available for copy machines: printing and faxing. Read on for some other modules you may want to consider.

Image Editing

Complex image editing requires special computer software, however copy machines can accomplish certain edits independently, such as adding page numbers, watermarks, or “confidential” labels to duplicates. Additionally, some copiers NY are advanced enough to copy double-sided items such as checks onto a single page.

Advanced Security

High tech copy machines provide security in two forms. First, they require an access code before making copies, sending faxes, etc. This restricts usage and can help you monitor which employees or departments are making the most copies. Additionally, many copiers NY require a code before a document or fax can be printed, so that confidential items are not left sitting in the tray.