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The Ultimate Guide to Multifunction Copier Leasing!

Business Print Lease

Six steps to consider before leasing a copier or printer.

In the past few months, we have been writing a great deal about copier leasing, and we have decided that now is the time to write the ultimate guide on what you should look for when entering a copier lease agreement. BDS covers you whether you are looking for a short-term or longer lease! This article aims to advise someone who has already decided to lease instead of buying a copier. In case you haven’t made it this far with your copier decision journey, we have a great article on How a multifunction copier can benefit your business or Buying or Leasing an MFP, which explains how copier leases work.

Here is an infographic that can help you get started with your new copier lease with an authorized copier printer dealer. Just download the infographic, and you are ready to go.

6 Step Guide to Copy Machine Leasing

Step 1: Special Copier Needs

The requirements of a multifunction copier are usually straightforward, and what type of MFP copier you need will depend on your industry and prerequisites. Most businesses can benefit from standard multifunction copiers that can copy, print, fax, and scan. This section will explore the MFP features that aren’t so standard and are additions to your Multifunction copier lease.

Copier Finishing options

    • External Staple Finisher – a large capacity stapling tray that sits beside the copier.
    • Inner Finisher is a smaller staple finisher integrated into the copier to avoid any size increases.
    • Booklet Finisher – a saddle-stitch finisher for creating booklets.
    • A booklet finisher or external staple finisher with an external hole punch can hole punch your documents with 2, 3 or 4 holes.
    • The inner hole puncher works the same way as the external hole puncher, except it is built into the copier instead of on the outside.
    • You can create Z-Folds, C-Folds with your documents with the Folding Unit.

Customizable device platforms for easy workflow creation.

End-to-End workflow and print automation solutions. There are many software platforms compatible with your MFP choice.

  • Create custom dashboards for your Multifunction printer.
  • Automate finishing and optimize your printing.
  • Custom Applications to make your business more productive.

Increased memory media storage repositories

  • MFP’s allow for cloud storage and many control permission-based document storage options. Never lose a document – Cloud & IT Software may be needed.

Confidential Copier solutions

  • Depending on your industry, confidential printing may be required. Since printers handle many print jobs containing sensitive and private data, sensitive information can be easily compromised.
  • Data encryption – Secure it with several different protocols for encryption, such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)/Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Internet Protocol Security (IPSec).
  • Access Control – Authenticated and logged-on users can be granted appropriate access levels.

Step 2: Copier Monthly Volume – How many copiers are in your fleet?

Getting ready to talk to a salesperson about a copier lease, one of the first things you need to determine is how much printing your office does. Multifunction printers are available in various sizes – compact, large, extra large – and depending on your volume will determine which machine you choose. To ensure you have room to grow, always look at your monthly volume as “going bigger or adding 10% to your monthly volume.”

It would help if you accounted for months when companies have slow or high printing periods compared to other months. BDS categorizes Copier Printer volume into three categories:

  • Low volume printing (less than 3,000 copies per month)
  • Mid-volume printing (3,000-10,000 copies per month)
  • High Volume Printing (10,000+ copies per month)

Your print volume will determine the number of machines you’ll lease. Do you need a fleet of copiers for a large organization, or just one? The leasing company can also assist you in determining the number of copiers you need based on your current print environment. After determining your monthly print volume, it moves into our next category on how fast you need those prints and copiers to come out.

Step 3: How Fast Do You Need to Print and Copy?

Next, you need to consider the speed at which you need the office copier to print and copy. A printer’s speed is measured by its pages per minute (ppm). A higher rating indicates faster printing.

The speed of your printer should depend on the size of your office and how often you print. Our multifunction printers are usually categorized into three categories based on their print speed:

  1. 20-40 pages per minute: With a few people in a small office, a machine that prints 20 ppm can handle the workload without causing significant delays.
  2. 41-60 pages per minute: Mid-sized offices need machines that print at least 30-50 pages per minute, while midsize to large offices often upgrade to 50-70 ppm.
  3. 60+ pages per minute: Does your office have a lot of print activity? Consider a machine that can handle 70-90 pages per minute. Look for production printers designed for commercial printing if you need incredibly high pages per minute (PPM).

Step 4: Do You Need to Copy in Color or Black and White?

Entering copier leases requires you to consider your color printing needs. You can save money and reduce your environmental impact by knowing when to print in black and white and when to print in color.

Printing in color is a good choice if you print a lot of high-volume jobs with vibrant images such as advertisements, brochures, and pamphlets. You can use a black and white multifunction printer if you only print documents and forms. Black and white multifunction copiers typically don’t have as high a resolution when it comes to printing and copying because they don’t need to produce high-quality images.

Note: You will need four different color cartridges if you are printing in color – magenta, yellow, cyan, and black – for the printer/copier to produce the correct color. Having a Managed Print Services provider with your copier lease is a great way to stay on top of your print supplies needs!

Step 5: Copier Paper Sizes & Weight

If you’re like most users, you print on letter, legal, or Ledger/tabloid sizes. However, Multifunction copiers can handle a wide range of paper sizes and weights, but they vary by manufacturer (Ricoh, Canon, Xerox, HP, Kyocera, etc.). Supported media weights of cassettes, multi-purpose, and duplexing, which include anything from 16lb bond to 142lb index. Look later for our article covering paper sizes! Large printing projects can be handled in-house, such as posters and marketing materials with your MFP. The more finishing options with your copier lease, the higher the monthly rate.

If your office requires specific paper sizes, check the manufacturer’s website or work with a reputable reseller like BDS who can guide you. Many MFP manufacturers will list even the custom-supported sizes. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, additional finishing options can be added to your copier lease.

Step 6: Copier Technology

There may also be operating system requirements at your workplace that will impact the copier service agreement. When looking into your print specifications, you want to check OS Compatibility, Mobile printing options, interfaces, drivers, utilities, and even electrical requirements. Ensure you work with your IT support to set up the right network, including security needs. Please read our article on why you need print security in-house or in your copier leasing contract.

Ready To Get Started With Copy Machine Lease?

We hope this article was beneficial in making your MFP copier lease decision easier. Our goal at BDS is simple: to provide unparalleled technology and impeccable support to your business. As the second largest business technology reseller in New England, we’re committed to educating you on everything you need to know before entering a copier lease. Contact us for the best pricing guaranteed with a service and support plan tailored to your business needs. We offer many different types of leases with monthly payments and rates to fit your budget.

BDS Author Logo
Written By:BDS
July 28, 2022

About BDS:

BDS is an authorized office technology provider/reseller with corporate headquarters in Marlborough, MA, and offices throughout New England and Florida. Since 1978, we have supported local customers in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and Florida with copier and printing solutions.
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