Desktop Copiers

Types of desktop copiers

There are two main types of copiers: analog and digital. Traditional analog copiers use light lens photocopying technology. Analog copiers scan the original document each time a copy is needed. Because each page is scanned before a copy is produced, this process takes a long time if you need more than one copy. Although most manufacturers have stopped making new analog models, these copiers are still widely available. Analog copiers used to be much cheaper than digital copiers, but the prices are now comparable. One remaining advantage is that analog copiers are easier to use. Once the machine is on, you usually just need to press one button.

Digital copiers only scan the document once, and the image is saved as digital information in the copier's memory. That makes producing multiple copies much quicker. Digital copiers usually produce a higher quality copy than analog copiers. Digital copiers also make less noise than analog copiers and are better at reproducing photographs. Better Buys for Business recommends buying digital copiers over analog models.

Monochrome (black and white) copiers are less expensive than color copiers. Only digital copiers offer color copying. Digital copiers also allow you to switch between black-and-white and color modes. However, no there are no desktop standalone copiers. If you need a small model that can make color copies, you'll need a multifunction printer.

The least expensive desktop copiers can make 15 to 18 copies per minute (or cpm) -- standard for a low volume copier. If you produce several thousand copies a month, you probably want a copier with a higher cpm rating. Some desktop copiers can spit out up to 30 pages per minute, but faster copiers are more expensive. The duty cycle of a copier tells you how many copies can be made each month. Most desktop copiers are rated for 10,000 or 15,000 pages per month.

Resolution determines the image quality, but high resolution only matters if you need to copy photos or graphics with fine detail, or if you need to print very small fonts. Most copiers have between 300 and 600 dpi (dots per inch.) Look for a larger amount of internal memory if you expect to produce many multi-page documents. Memory generally ranges from between 4MB to 256MB.

Best desktop copiers

We found generally good reviews for the Sharp AL1631 (*est. $350) digital copier. The Sharp AL1631 is rated to copy up to 16 pages per minute. With a 250-sheet paper capacity and a 30-page automatic document feeder (ADF), the Sharp is speedy for the price, but it can't print automatically on both sides of the paper. Resolution is 600 dpi -- standard for a monochrome copier. It can enlarge copies from 25% to 400%. Monthly duty cycle is 2,000 pages. Though relatively pricey, this particular Sharp copier often has a rebate attached to it, bringing down the total price.

The Sharp AL1631 also has three exposure modes, auto, manual and photo. The automatic exposure scans the original document and adjusts the machine to the best exposure for that document, but you can adjust output by using the manual control. The Sharp can copy up to legal-sized pages. Four owners posting comments to Epinions had good things to say about the Sharp AL1631. Most say that enlarging or reducing the size of the copy and setting contrast to dark or light works well. The automatic shut-off is an energy saver. At Amazon.com many owners of the Sharp AL1631 like its high quality copies, though reviews are mixed overall. Several comment on slow startup times, and some complain that they were unable to get replacement parts from Sharp, even under warranty. Comments for output are uniformly good, however.

If you do need automatic duplexing and collation, the Xerox CopyCentre C20 digital copier (*est. $1,300) can print on both sides of the page without requiring the user to flip the document over. It is also faster than the Sharp printer, rated for 22 copies per minute up to legal size. There's a larger capacity 50-sheet ADF, plus a 1,200- sheet input tray and a 100-sheet bypass tray. Monthly duty cycle is 20,000 pages. Obviously, this copier is meant for heavier use than the Sharp AL1631. However, it doesn’t collate, and we did not find any reviews for this copier.

On the other side of the price spectrum, Canon has two very compact, inexpensive monochrome copiers meant for light duty. Better Buys for Business says that these two Canon personal copiers are the only analog copiers still being manufactured in the low-volume category. That means the copier scans the page for each copy. On the plus side, the Canon PC150 (*est. $75) , which copies up to letter-sized pages, and the Canon PC430 (*est. $250) , which can copy up to legal-sized pages, are very compact, easily fitting on a desk. Some users even carry these around in a messenger bag for copying on the road. On the downside, you can get multifunction products at similar prices, so Better Buys does not see "much benefit in going with Canon at this level of the market."

Both models, however, get good reviews from owners. The PC150 and PC430 both print slowly (up to 4 copies per minute), but there's almost no warm-up time, which owners appreciate. There's a 50-page paper tray, but no automatic document feeder. Auto shut-off saves power. Be aware that the toner and drum cartridge for these printers costs $85 for about a 2,000-page yield, and the copiers only ship with half-capacity starter cartridges.

Multifunction printers: Print, copy, fax and scan

Multifunction printers, also called MFPs, have a wider range of uses beyond copying. These are easily network-able, since they are connected to a computer. Home offices will be able to simply use Windows printer-sharing function. Larger offices will want a dedicated network printer. Our report on multifunction printers includes information on this type of office machine, but here are a few models you might consider instead of a desktop copier.

One of the multifunction printers featured in our other report is the Dell 1815DN (*est. $340). This monochrome laser printer is rated to print and copy up to 27 pages per minute (CNet.com tested actual copying speeds at about 12 pages per minute). It has an auto-duplexer for two-sided printing, plus a 50-sheet ADF and a 250-sheet paper tray. Its monthly duty cycle is rated at 25,000 pages per month.

The Dell 1815DN is the top monochrome laser MFP at CNet.com, and this model also gets high ratings at PC Magazine. CNet's editors say text printing is excellent, even down to 2.5-point font sizes. PC Magazine's editors aren't quite so enthusiastic, but say text quality is very good -- perfect for internal use, but maybe not quite good enough to present to an important client. Both reviews say that graphics printing is fine, but that this model has some trouble with printing solid areas of gray and with gradations in monochrome photos. This Dell MFP costs about the same as the Sharp AL1631 copier, yet it has a higher duty cycle, faster speeds and greater functionality. Therefore, it's easy to see why most reviews recommend going for a multifunction printer instead of a standalone copier.

If you need something that can collate pages, the Xerox WorkCentre PE120 (*est. $550) and WorkCentre PE120i (*est. $650) win the Editors' Choice Award at Better Buys for Business. These two black-and-white multifunction machines have a copy/print speed of 22 pages per minute. The monthly duty cycle is 15,000 pages. Both models have three paper trays, including a bypass tray for envelopes and transparencies. There is also a maximum capacity of 550 sheets. There's a 50-page automatic document feature, as well as electronic collating, which is handy for making multiple copies of multi-page documents.

The Xerox WorkCentre reduces, enlarges, lightens and darkens copies. Its image editing software allows you to alter scanned text documents. The main difference between the PE120 and the PE120i is that the latter allows for networking capabilities. The PE120 is an excellent multifunctional office machine for those who want to do more than just copy. One user at Amazon.com is very happy with the PE120 and feels that its various functions work very well.

Important Features: Desktop copiers

Experts say to keep the following in mind when buying a desktop copier:

• Digital vs. analog. Experts generally recommend digital copiers, because you pay less per copy and get better-quality duplicates. However, analog copiers (like the Canon PC 150) are cheaper and more suitable, if you make infrequent copies.

• Consider a multifunction printer instead. Among desktop office machines, there's been much more product development in multifunction printers than in copiers. Multifunction printers can print, scan and fax -- in addition to copying. However, many MFPs are slower than a dedicated copier. MFPs also need to be connected to a computer, while copiers do not.

• If you need duplexing, check the specs. Many copiers advertise duplexing, but unless you love to stop and flip the original page over, look for 'automatic duplexing,' which means no paper-flipping.

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of Picks	Model (With Retailer Links)
1 each	Hewlett Packard Digital 610, Xerox Phaser 6110MFP , Canon PC150 , Canon PC 430 , Sharp AL1631 ,

It's getting harder and harder to find standalone copiers, since multifunction printers are now much more popular. Hewlett Packard and Brother no longer make desktop copiers. Canon only makes two analog models, and Sharp only makes one. Xerox makes a larger number of copiers, but most are floor models.

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