What Does Copier Speed Consideration Mean?

As you assess your office copier needs, you should consider both copier speed and monthly volume. Many companies get caught up in the fancy features available when they’re shopping for a copier and don’t think about the important factors for a smart copier purchase. Keep in mind that prices are higher for copiers that have higher speed and volume capabilities.

There are several commonly used terms for copier speed including pages-per-minute (ppm), copies-per-minute (cpm), and outputs-per-minute (opm). All of these terms refer to the quantity of letter-sized pages the a machine can produce in one minute while operating at maximum capacity. There are six segments for copier speed. Segment 1 machines run at 15 to 22 ppm while Segment 6 machines can reach speeds of 100 ppm.

Segment 2 to 4

The average company operates smoothly with a copier machine in the Segment 2 to 4 division, which is in the range of 20 to 50 ppm. Unless you are an individual working out of your home or you run a very small office, you will become frustrated with the slow Segment 1 machine copy times.

Do you have a lot of users who make large quantities of one-time single copies? Make sure to check the copier’s first-copy speed, which is the number of seconds that it takes for the copier to make a single copy. Keep in mind that more complicated types of copying, such as copying onto larger sized paper (i.e. 11 x 18 inches, 16 x 20 inches) and making stapled packets, run at slower speeds.

Segment 5 and 6

Segment 5 copiers are intended for very large offices and/or print runs and have a 70 to 90 ppm range. Segment 6 copiers are designed for commercial level corporations. They can run 90 to 100 ppm or above. While these machines are quite powerful, they are also expensive. Copies at these levels are overkill for most companies.

Monthly volume

Do you already own a copier? Get an estimate of your current volume with the machine’s counter or by tracking your paper usage. If you don’t own a copier yet, add up the copy expenses from your outsourced copy jobs to get a current volume total. It is best practice to add a 15 percent buffer to your estimate in order to avoid overworking a copier.

Are you looking for a reputable copier company in the Texas Panhandle? Look no further than UCI in Amarillo, Texas. We have been providing cost-effective copier solutions, under four-hour service response times, on-hand parts inventory, and same day supply deliveries for more than 10 years. Give us a call today at (806) 372-7722.