Copier repair issues that tie up the whole office are not good for productivity, and you might think that getting everyone their own multifunction printers instead of springing for a new copier would be a good idea. After all, printing would be just like copying, and if there's one printer per person, then if one breaks, that printer's main user can ask a neighbor about using their printer, right? It's not that simple. Despite the improvement in the quality of multifunction printers, copiers still have their place in the modern office.
Not Enough Ink for Big Jobs
Multifunction printers work well for fast jobs, but they often don't have the ink to handle large copying or printing jobs. This opens up the possibility of finding a few copies that have missing ink blotches and poor print quality as the ink runs out. That wastes paper and time. Copiers are set up to have enough ink to handle several huge copying jobs with advance warning of low ink.
Speed
If you have to make 200 copies on a copier, it takes you a few minutes. If you have to make 200 copies or printouts on a multifunction printer, even a laser printer that is relatively fast, it's going to take you a lot longer to get the copies done. Printer cartridges just don't emit ink that quickly. Plus, smaller printer printheads can clog up rapidly.
Have Fun Sorting and Collating
The minute you have to put together a multi-page packet for tens or hundreds of people, you are going to regret switching to multifunction printers. Copiers can collate automatically. That should be a winner for the pro-copier side automatically.
Automatic Two-Sided Printing Is Not an Option
Speaking of automatic, multifunction printers do not have the ability to automatically copy and print multiple two-sided copies. You have to manually reload the paper with proper orientation to get that done -- and if you mess up the orientation, you have to start all over again. A copier can do it in a few minutes without any intervention from you, short of programming the initial commands on the front panel.
If your copier has required a lot of repairs, it's just time to get a new copier, not redo your office's entire printing and copying protocol. Have a repair person give the copier one last look, and then start asking about replacing it with a new model.
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