Commercial color copiers are built to provide high-volume, high-speed copying. Understanding exactly what your needs are will help you make the right choice.

Copier features
Modern commercial copiers are sometimes referred to as "multifunctional products" because they can do more than just copy. Almost all can be easily connected to your computer network and used for printing, faxing, and scanning, as well as copying. Decide which functions you want your machine to handle.

Volume for commercial copiers
Copiers are rated according to the number of copies they can make per month without being overworked. Use your existing copier or copy shop receipts to determine what your current volume is - than add at least 15% to account for growth and manufacturers' inflated stats. Add in printing volumes as well, if you're going to use the copier as a network printer.

Commercial copiers are really only worthwhile at volumes over 700 copies a month. If you expect to make fewer than that, save yourself money by purchasing a small office copier from an office superstore.

Copier speeds
Speed is measured in pages per minute (ppm), and can range from 15 to 100+ ppm. Commercial copiers generally fall into the 20 to 50 ppm range. Higher speeds than that carry considerable premiums, and lower speeds are more typical of small office copiers.