In 1937, a Bulgarian physicist named Georgi Nadjakov discovered the principle behind copy machines through his work on electric polarization. American physicist and patent attorney Chester Carlson took this research and went on to invent photocopying.

Carlson’s New York office job required him to make lots of copies of important papers, but he found it to be tedious and repetitive. He conducted photoconductivity tests, and in 1938, made the world’s first photocopy using a zinc plate covered with sulfur and patented the process.

In 1947, a small New York company called Haloid Corporation used this technology to develop and market a copy machine. With the help of a language professor, Haloid and Carlson came up with the term “xerography” to describe the photocopying process from the Greek words meaning “dry writing.”

Haloid decided to call the new copy machines “Xerox machines” and, in 1948, the word “Xerox” was trademarked. And, as they say, the rest is history.

Features – Make a list of the features you require, such as duplexing, collating, stapling, and paper handling.

Volume – Consider how many copies you’ll need your copy machine to make each month. If you need to make only around 600 copies a month, avoid heavy-duty commercial copiers and invest in or lease a smaller >copier > available from retail stores. If you only need to produce around 50 copies a month, it may make economic sense to use an outside copying service instead, or a self-service copy machine in an office store.

Color – Color or black and white? Color copying offers many benefits to companies, but is obviously more expensive than black and white copying.

Digital – Digital copy machines are becoming a more cost-effective solution than traditional copiers. With digital copiers, a document is scanned and data is saved into memory. These multi-function devices produce higher-quality, crisper images, can be networked, and are able to scan, email, print and do other tasks simultaneously.

Copy Volume & Copy Speed

Make sure to figure out approximately how many copies you’ll make in a month. Also, the CPM of a machine (Copies-Per-Minute) refers to the amount of letter-sized copies the device can produce at full speed for a single minute. (REMINDER: This doesn’t include two-sided prints or unusually sized prints.)

Sorters & Staplers

While a sorter can assist with organization, it’s not a necessity unless you’re dealing with a series of multi-page documents. Additionally, the stapler provides the option to auto-staple documents together, but like the sorter, if you aren’t dealing with a plethora of multi-sheet documents, you may not even need it.

Duplexers

The device that allows you to copy on both sides of a piece of paper. If this is something your business papers require, get one. If not, don’t bother.

There are a bunch of other devices and features on your typical copy machines, such as feeders and paper supply trays. As long as your knowledgeable about what your company needs and what individual copy machines offer, you should be able to easily find the best >copier > for you.

Always store toner cartridges in a cool and dark place, in their original packaging, to increase their longevity. Give the toner cartridge a shake before installing it into the >copier >.

Make sure you use proper >copier >-quality or print-quality paper stock. Cheap, thin, paper can break easily and cause paper jams. Always store paper in a cool, dry place to prevent it from collecting moisture.

Give your copiers a regular clean each week to get rid of dirt and dust, and pay attention to the paper trays and feeders.

Remove paper jams carefully. Pull the paper in the opposite direction to which it was traveling, and check the machine thoroughly for any loose bits and pieces of paper.

Because copy machine technology changes quickly, consider copy machine leasing if you have an older >copier > that’s giving you headaches. Copy machine leasing is a great option if you want to upgrade to a newer model but can’t afford to buy one.

One of the things you should consider when needing a copy machine is to visit www.WorldTradeCopiers.com and get your self a lease to own plan. Yes, this does exist! It shouldn’t really be a surprise since not only cars are getting leased nowadays. Now regarding copy machines, you can lease these for a specific amount of money each month. You can keep the copy machines for as little or for as long as you want – as long as you keep paying for it!

Our “rent to own” option is going to allow you to rent or lease the machine, but over a specific amount of time the copy machine will actually become yours – as in you will claim ownership to it. Not all companies do this, so it’s a good idea to ask beforehand, or just visit World Trade Copiers for all your copy machine leasing needs.

■You get a >copier > faster, and with less paper work. When leasing office equipment, you have to complete only one form.

■A lease can provide you with 100% financing. A bank loan generally covers only 20-30% of your total cost. Additionally, a lease calls for a 0 – 2 months down-payment, while a bank loan typically requires 50-70% of your total project cost.

■Leases are usually 100% deductible over the term of the lease. Additionally, leases free up your cash, allowing you the means to further invest in your business.

■Technology changes quickly, and sometime you buy the best and latest product, only to discover that a better one was released one a week later. Some leases include provisions to trade up to a newer model, allowing you to upgrade without buying anew.

At world trade copiers you can find answers to all of your printing needs including document management, mail room solutions, IT consulting, and much much more. For every phase of the document life cycle – from input to archive – World Trade Copiers offers best-in-class products and services to enhance efficiency.

Let’s take a look at two potential upgrades you may want to consider:

Printing

Many copy machines can be modified to support laser printing for the whole office – all you need is a printer module and network card. This would allow your employees to print documents with special features like stapling and double-sided printing, all in one simple step. Plus, printing from a >copier > can save you as much as 80% off the costs of a conventional laser printer.

Faxing

Copy machines with fax modules give you more options than ever before. Fax multiple pages from the document feeder, or send pages from a book or catalog by scanning over the >copier > glass. Your copy machine will also print your faxes as they are received, and a network card can allow employees to send faxes right from their computers.

If either of these features seems right for you, make sure to include the possibility of printing and faxing upgrades in your copy machine leasing agreement.

If you’re copying color documents or artwork though, something that has to have a professional edge, you should be using a high quality printable paper or colored paper for the job. Most people suggest against UV paper unless you really HAVE to use it – or use it sparingly, this is one of the most expensive papers available and if you go through enough of it, it really could be eating away at your budget for office supplies! One way to up the price on the paper, but still not go over your budget might have absolutely nothing to do with the paper, but instead the actual machine.

If you really have to have high quality paper and you know it’s going to be expensive, you could always try copy machine leasing. This is going to allow you to save money on the >copier >, and have more money to spend on all that ink and expensive paper! To view some of the best brand name copy machines we have and to save a little more money with your office budget.

There are things you should be looking for when you look for copiers NY though. First off, variety. That’s really important. Make sure they have all the best-name brands, the top copiers NY in the industry! Second off, you want to make sure that in the long run of leasing this machine that you aren’t paying more than what it’s really worth.

Just make sure you take a look at prices of the actual sell versus what they are asking you to lease it for. Lastly, you want to make sure the copiers NY offer IT services that include support services, hardware, software, networking, virus removal, etc. This way if anything ever happens to your copy machines you won’t have to pay out of pocket to get it fixed, which simply adds on to your fees and monthly payments therefore making it more!

Where does copy machine leasing fit in to all this, I wondered. Well, copy machine leasing is a little bit different. I mean, I don’t know what happens to a copy machine when the lease is up. Do they take him back to the copy machine center and harvest its parts like organs? Or do they send him to another office, just a quick move from one to the next? Is there a >copier > heaven? Is there a >copier > hell? I don’t know. I guess I never will.