Add Color to Your Copies

Back in 2000, digital copier sales surpassed analog copiers for the first time, a direct result of prices for digital copiers coming down to nearly the same level as analog. Since then, sales of analog copiers have plummeted while digital sales continue to rise: estimates suggest digital copiers will outsell analog 3 to 1 in 2005.

According to the BuyerZone.com copier suppliers we spoke with, the same shift is on the way in 2005, but this time it will be color copiers taking over for black and white. Jeff Elkin, COO of Advance Business Systems, told us that "business color has really started to explode," and pointed to the large percentage of new products being introduced that are color enabled.

Most of these machines are color/black and white hybrids: they operate in black and white reproduction mode most of the time, and switch to color mode only when necessary. Since much of the expense of color copying is in consumables like special colored toners, this keeps your operating costs down while still giving you the benefits of a color copier. Instead of the 8 to 10 cents per page cost of running a dedicated color machine, per-copy costs for hybrids are typically between 1 and 2 cents per page. The costs are usually slightly more than a black and white only copier – but the added convenience can be worth it.

For standard walk-up copying, the machine scans the documents to determine which mode it should use. If the copier is networked – as so many are – users can select black and white or color when they print their documents. The full range of paper supplies, finishing options like sorting and stapling, and other copier features are available in both modes, so you're not sacrificing features for option to print in color.

Andrew Ritschel of Electronic Office Systems describes a scenario where a hybrid copier makes all the difference: with a hybrid machine, you can easily create multiple copies of large reports, including sorting, binding or stapling, and color reproduction of any pages that have illustrations or color charts. Without a hybrid, you would have to run the bulk of the copies on the black and white machine, print the color pages on a color laser printer or get them done at a copy shop (at a much higher cost per page) – and then you would have to manually collate and assemble the copies. What a pain!

There are two cases when you may want to invest in a dedicated color copier. One is if your work is design or graphics and very accurate color reproduction is essential to your business. In those cases, you'll want a machine with a Fiery print controller. Also, hybrids almost always print more slowly in color than they do in black and white. If you need to produce a high volume of color copies, you may want to invest in a dedicated color copier instead.

Alan Hinden of Copier Workshop tells us that one popular option is to setup the copier so it always defaults to black and white, no matter what documents get scanned or printed to it. By forcing users to switch to color mode when needed, you reduce wasteful "accidental" color printing, such as when users print web pages or copy a business document that has a color logo. Some access control systems can also prevent color copying entirely, or limit some codes to a certain number of color copies per month.

Hybrid copiers are still more expensive than standard black and white machines – you'll likely pay a premium of 15 to 25%. But as prices for color-enabled machines continue to drop, expect more and more businesses to choose copiers with color reproduction capabilities.