Today’s best office machines offer a large selection of finishing options which may well enhance your work. “Finishing” refers to value-added operations which are performed after the ink has been applied to the paper. Some of these tasks take place before the printing comes off the press (inline), and others take place after the printing comes off the press (offline).

Listed below are some of the most popular finishing options you may want to consider in order to give your work that perfect touch.

Collating – the gathering and arranging of individual sheets or other printed components into a predetermined sequence. Collating creates consistent, logical sets from multiple parts. For example, when printing many copies of a book, the pages would need to be collated in numerical order before being bound. Collating can either be done before the pages have come out of the printer or as a separate step after printing.

Scoring – the process of making a crease in paper so it will fold easier. This indention is made using a blunt metal edge – from either a wheel or a rule – that compresses the paper fibers to enable smoother folding. Scored paper is less likely to cause harm to toner-type inks or thicker clear coats during the folding operation. Thicker paper types usually require scoring before being folded.

Folding – a procedure that bends over a printed piece so that it lays flat upon itself. There are many reasons why you may want to fold your printout. The most common reason would be to reduce the size so that it can fit into something smaller, such as an envelope. It is also often used as a design technique to create separate panels from a single sheet like for an invitation or a brochure. Popular folding styles available include the gatefold, letter fold, accordion fold, mini fold and the French fold.

Binding – holding the pages of your printout together. Here are some of the different methods that can be used to bind your documents:

• Saddle-Stitching is a method of holding together loose printed pages with staples down the middle. Many booklets are saddled-stitched.
• Comb Binding is the most common and simple binding style used in North America. Plastic comb binding books will open flat for easy copying and editing purposes.
• Spiral Coil Binding involves winding a single piece of pre-coiled plastic binding onto the edge of your book. Coil bound documents can open flat and can also wrap around for easy copying and reading. If you intend to mail your documents, this may be your best binding option since the spines are flexible and retain their shape exceptionally well.
• Perfect Binding is the way a paperback book is bound. Perfect bound documents stack well and look professional. However, the pages won’t open flat and cannot be removed once bound.

When choosing your office machine, make sure to look out for the finishing options you will need. Our helpful staff at Copyfaxes will happily talk you through the many different options available so that you can be confident that the machine you pick is most perfectly suited to you.

Copier issues in the workplace are highly frustrating. But don’t think you just have to resign yourself to going through them on a constant basis.

Follow through this infograph to discover solutions to the most common copier frustrations, and even how to prevent them.

What is your most common copier issue? Do you have any solutions to add? Please share in the comments below.

When buying a new business system for your office, there is an overwhelming number of options that can be added to your machine.

Some are like the auto document feeder, an obvious addition that will save your office time and money. Others are vital to some but useless to others, depending on your line of business. A good example would be the booklet finisher.

And then there are those that should be a basic requirement in every office but are not, often to keep the cost of the copier down. In case you missed it, see this news story from CBS – and get an encryption system for your office copier NOW. Its well worth the money.

Shocked? Yes – EVERY copier needs an encryption system. Call 888-298-3095 and speak to one of our reps to find out how you can secure your copier now.

 

 

You know the story already. You are in a rush. You need to use the copier. You take extra care so that nothing will go wrong. You hit the start button. PAPER JAM!

Here is what is really going on inside that copier while you tear your hair out.

Every business needs to make the difficult decision at one point – do you buy your office equipment, or is it better to lease? Well here is why you are better off buying what you need:

1. Cost – The number one advantage to buying over leasing is the price. In the long run, it works out way cheaper to buy equipment than to lease it. Though it does mean an initial layout of a potentially large sum, rather than smaller monthly installments, you will save money when you choose to buy.

2. Interest – Most leasing companies include a very high interest rate in their price. When you choose to buy, you can purchase using a credit card, then it becomes your choice how much interest to pay each month and you can fluctuate it according to your income each month.

3. Tax – When you buy office equipment, you can deduct the entire cost of the equipment from your taxes in the first year.

4. Simplicity – It is a lot easier to buy – you pick what you need, buy it and it’s yours to use. Leasing can be complicated with endless paperwork and difficult terms to negotiate, which, if not done properly, can leave you with less than favorable terms.

5. Unwanted – When leasing equipment, you may be forced to pay for and store equipment that you no longer want or need until the lease is up. When you buy and own your machine, you can choose to get rid of the equipment when you no longer need it.

6. Maintenance – As the owner of your machine, you get to decide how much to invest in the maintenance of it. On the other hand, most leasing companies demand a certain investment on your part in the maintenance of a machine that is not even yours. In addition, you are forced to rely on the agreement of the leasing company and the wait times involved when something needs repairing, as opposed to fixing it immediately yourself.

7. Choice – When you buy, there is a whole market of machines to choose from. You are not limited to the stock of the leasing company.

8. Equity – At the end of the day, you own the equipment! This means you can make any changes you want to the machine. And more importantly, when you want to replace the machine, you have the choice to sell it and make some money back. When you lease, you have no equity at all so there is no chance to recover any of the costs.

Every company has different needs to consider. But do keep these points in mind when making this all important decision, so that you make the choice that is right for you.

Are you starting a new business? Or is your current office machine on its last legs? One look at the choice of office machines available is enough to make you dizzy. Where do you even start? With a huge range of brands, models, functions, features you have never even heard of and, of course, prices, how do know which one is right for you? What do you need to consider when making your choice?

It is a good idea to start by narrowing down your choice with the basics:

2. What will you be using you machine for? Do you need something that will only copy? Only print? Or will you need something with scan and fax capabilities as well? Remember that you can save office space by using just one machine for all these functions.1. Do you need to print color or will black and white be good enough? Reckon that you will pay more for a color machine and the running costs will also be higher. So do you really need color?

3. Do you need finishing options? Stapling? Folding? Are you making booklets? If you do need any of these features, know that you will be looking at a larger, more expensive range of copiers. These are usually options that you have to add to configure the machine to your needs.

4. What paper size are you going to be dealing with? Are you going to need 11×17 paper size, or will legal size be good enough for you?

5. How many pages will you be printing a month? This will help you narrow down your choice to the correct range of copiers. You don’t want to overwork your machine by getting something that cant handle your workload and you also don’t want to pay more than you have to for something that is really intended for a larger workgroup. Learn more about monthly volume here.

6. And of course there is your budget. When buying a machine, reckon that the price will go up as you add more features and functions to your machine. You also want to take into account the future cost of running your machine.

You should now have narrowed down your choice to the range of machines that you should be looking at.

Still not sure? That’s why we have an expert sales team waiting to help you out. Call Kevin on 888-298-3095 to discuss your options and help you choose the machine that will best suit your needs.

 

Looks like this guy needs to check out our Copier-Corner Blog to learn a thing or two!

Anyone in an office can tell you that you need all the tips you can get when it comes to dealing with a temperamental printer. Here are 7 quick tips and a bonus 8th one if all else fails:

1. Save Paper

Before printing your documents, preview and proofread them. This way, you save on both paper and re-printing.

2. Save Space

Save precious office space by buying a machine with networking capabilities that will allow multiple users to use one printer.

3. Smears

Prevent smearing by removing the cartridge and checking that the protective tape over the nozzles is removed completely.

4. Sorting

Some programs offer printing in reverse order for those inkjets that don’t have a reverse print feature in the driver.

5. Save Memory

You can save memory on your PC by picking just the software you want to install.

6. Settings Surprises

Check the settings after installing a printer, so you won’t be surprised by what happens (or doesn’t happen) the first time you try to print.

7. Solo Cartridge

Many (but, unfortunately, not all) printer drivers include an option to print using black only, so that when you are out of color, you can still use your printer. Others include equivalent options to override the refusal to print.

And now for a bonus tip, the best you will ever get!

8. Start Again

Press the “RESET” button!