What Kind Of Copier Is Best For Law Firms?
Calendar Wednesday, April 16th, 2014
Law firms have different needs from other professional offices. Unlike many businesses, the legal world still uses large amounts of paper. That means a law office can go through reams of paper every day. When selecting a copier for your law firm, it is critical to keep this in mind.
Does my law firm need a multifunction printer?
A multi-function printer/scanner/copier/fax machine sounds like the perfect solution for many law offices. However, it is the best fit?
Legal offices are different from other professional offices. With the need to print in large quantities every day, they need a copier/printer that can print quality documents at a rapid pace. You need to consider the needs of your office first.
How much would you use of each function on an MFP (scanning, printing, faxing, copying)? Printing is obvious. Scanning case documents is another consideration. Can the scan/print combination handle your copy needs? Can you use a computer-based fax function to handle your faxing needs?
By cutting down the number of functions, you have in the machine, the higher the performance level you will get out of what is remaining. For example, by giving up the copier function, you may be able to get a higher printing speed.
What features should my law office’s copier have?
Besides looking at functionality, you have to evaluate other things as well:
Cost per copy is the amount of money your office pays for each piece of paper that comes out of the machine. It is more than just the cost of a sheet of paper. It includes a proportion of the printer purchase/lease costs and the toner, as well. Buying a cheap printer may seem like a good idea until you start buying the expensive toner cartridges for it.
Speed matters in a law office. When you have to be in court or meet with a client, you need documents stat. When you are an attorney, time is of the essence and meeting deadlines is imperative. A copier/printer used for the entire office needs to put out at least 80 pages per minute. Any slower and it will not keep up with the office’s needs.
Paper size is another consideration. A law office uses letter (8.5″ x 11″) and legal sized (8.5″ x 14″) paper most of the time. Many office copier/printers come with these papers as standard options. Unless your office uses larger sizes, like ledger (11″ x 17″), don’t pay extra for that functionality. Sending larger print jobs out to an external print shop is more efficient.
Extra features, like collating, offset stacking, stapling, and three-hole punching, are something to consider carefully. Your office staff can do these tasks manually. However, if your office does a lot of it, having a machine do it for you may be a wise investment in equipment.
Volume capacity is critical for long-term use. Many printer/copier manufacturers have recommended monthly volume ranges. That is the range you need to consider when matching your office volume with a printer. Manufacturers will often have a “maximum” volume they say the machine can handle. It might be able to handle that volume for short periods of time, but if used at that volume for too long, it can lead to long-term machine damage and more repairs down the road.
Where can I get a copier for my law firm in Amarillo, Texas?
If you want to talk to an expert about your law office’s printing needs, give us a call here at UCI. We are the premier copier company in Amarillo, and have years of experience working with Amarillo and Texas Panhandle law firms. Let us help you decide which copier or multifunction printer is best for your law office.