General Chat

Hi A support group Im invoved with are thinking about trying to buy a photocopier. We produce a monthly Newsletter, posters, leaflets and copy various items for our members. Now we are not sure what it would be best to buy, a printer if so ink jet or laser or one of the multi function thingys, or should we just buy a straight forward photocopier. Interested to know about running costs etc, we just dont know what to look for any suggestions please? Many thanks, Kathleen

Hi Kathleen I am no expert and hopefully someone who is will reply. However, personally I would have thought that you would be better with a scanner and printer. That way, you can print things from the computer and scan and print anything else. We have an inkjet printer (I can recommend Hewlett Packard) and are very happy with it. Also, I am not sure but I think that you can only do black and white with a laser printer. Hope this helps and that you will get a more expert opinion too. Cheers - Chrissie

I know nothing about makes, costs etc, but the sort of things to think about are: Do you want A3 items? Do you want colour? How many copies? What quality? What quantity? Our old photocopier is going to the great scrapheap in the sky. It's slower to do fliers on my inkjet, but the quality is infinitely better. I don't get spots from dust on the glass, or lines at the edges or crooked copies. The laser printer is faster, but again doesn't look as good. My inkjet can take up to a minute to produce a sheet if there's colour, or a lot of text. A3 printers and colour photocopiers are both likely to be expensive. Our laser printer does approx 10,000 copies for £70 toner. The inkjets work out much more expensive in terms of toner. Also, the more people who use a machine, the more likely it is to go wrong! Brenda

p.s. Hubby has just informed me that if you are doing hundreds of copies a photocopier would be cheaper (I'm surprised he told me as he does loads of copies on our printer for the drama group !! LOL)

Thanks, Chrissie and Brenda, We mostly just print A4, about 30 newsletters each month,(although are membership is on the increase) as well as info sheets.We are in the process of organising an event and have spent so much time (and money) backwards and forwards getting stuff photocopied. Ido have a little cannon ink jet printer, but friend said I would be for ever replacing ink cartridges if I used that for the group and it would work out too expensive Thanks again Kathleen

Hi Kathleen, I`ve recently,bought an all-in-one,an Epson Stylus CX6400,and I must say, the printing qualities are great. I use compatable ink cartridges from Mouse2house(.) (com )which are very good. This keeps the cost down. The cost of the Epson is about £140,depending on where you buy, and will print to A4 in colour or black and white. Good luck, Baz

Hi Kathleen, you can get colour laser printers; they were very expensive so used more by businesses than individuals, but they are coming down drastically in cost now. Maybe take a look at PC World or Currys websites for info. If you wanted to do colour copies, a printer would be far cheaper than a colour photocopier, and although the cartridges are expensive they last a long time. Thanks for your email, will reply soon! Love Mandy :)

Hey Baz,is your new printer the one that has the slots for the camera cards built in.I have the c3200,but it,s getting on ,and i was thinking of upgrading,i would like to stay epson because the repo is so good,but whats the consensus on your model?Fred ptfg.

Hi Baz and Mandy Thanks for replies Best wishes Kathleen

Fred I have the Epson R200 which is very good but doesn't take memory cards. But my HP tower does. The only criticism I have of the new generation Epson printers is that you have to replace single colour cartridges and mine all ran out almost simultaneously which cost about £40 to relace them all, and that was by using 7dayshop(.)com Ann glos