Are You Tired of Throwing Away Cash on Your Color Copier?

Have you been ready to shop for a color copier in Colorado Springs? Buying a copier in Colorado Springs can be a difficult thing to do, and color is an even more important decision!  If you want kind of a “cheater’s guide” to copier purchasing in Colorado Springs, here are some important things to consider!

• When buying any copier, make sure the first thing you do is write down a list of all the things the copier MUST do, should do, would be nice to do and is unnecessary. (Tabloid, stapling, duplexing, faxing, networking, etc…)
• Get some print sample files ready and look at the differences in the copiers.  Like wine, tastes vary…  your preferences and your reps can vary wildly
• Feel free to ask for better pricing after you get a quote from a rep.  They will generally try and take at least a bit off since you asked.

If you need a color copier in Colorado Springs, please give us a call!

Xerox WorkCentre 6400X Multi-Function Copier

Have you been thinking about a color copier and you don’t want to spend $3,000 for a used color copier or $8,000 for a new color copier?  You want other options…  The Xerox WorkCentre 6400X may be the perfect copier for your company.  Why?  Because this copier can do several things for your company in Colorado Springs.

• It is fast at over 35 copies per minute
• It is BRAND NEW and under $3,000 if you include the trade in rebates
• It is easy to move around if you need to get the copier in a different department or area of your company
• It is Brand New

So, if you are not wanting to spend as much on a used copier as you can on a new copier in Colorado Springs, give us a call!!

What are you paying per print?

There’s a phrase in the business world, “Where there’s mystery, there’s margin,” which happens to be extremely true in regards to color copier or plain copier purchases in Colorado Springs.  What’s the point of this saying?  Basically, the more you can “hide” or “wrap” together, so that people don’t know all the details, the more margin (margin as in profit margin) you can derive from that client.  So, I give you the following scenario

Copier — $269 per month for 60 months with 5,000 included pages…  

 —  or  —-

Copier  — $3,899

Extra tray — $600

Fax Option– $600

Supplies + Maintenance is at $.02 per print for 5,000 prints ($100 per month)

Which is a better deal?  You probably don’t know unless you figure out the second one…  (Which by the way works out to be around $225.00 per month)…  Now, what if you don’t really even need fax, or extra trays?  Those numbers can be removed from the equation.  When the mystery is gone, the margin goes with it.  You can see how this $269 a month sale can easily get down to $179 or so for the same term if you don’t need all the options.  This is precisely why you should get all the options itemized so you can make sure you are getting a fair price on everything as well as getting what you need and not just what pads the sales reps pockets.

If you want an itemized copier quote in Colorado Springs, give us a call!

Missing the Bus is Expensive!

Today I come as the bearer of bad news. I am here to remind you to do something that your copier rep in Colorado Springs never seems to want to remind you about.  You have a lease?  If you do, pay attention!  There is always lingo buried in that lovely fineprint which talks about things like”auto-renewals” and such.  There are provisions like “This contract will auto renew on a quarterly basis if we do not receive written communciation from you that you intend to cancel the contract at the end of the lease term.” Practically, what does this mean for you and I?

Here it is in a nutshell.  If you forget to send a letter over three months before the contract ends, you get to pay the current rate (no break) for at least 3 more months…  and what if you wait a few months before sending that letter?  The 90 day provision still applies.  If you are sloppy, you could end up paying for 6 extra months on a copier contract.  The timeframe to write in is called the bus.  When you miss the bus, you pay for it!

Doing What's Best for Your Colorado Springs Color Copier

Given the economy, most people in Colorado Springs are looking for every little way to get the most out of their budget.   Perhaps you’re one of those people, and if so, this post is for you.   Compatibles and remanufactured cartridges (if they’re warrantied and from a reputable manufacturer) can be a great way to save cash on your color printing.  Manufacturers don’t want people doing this, and so they (sometimes correctly, but generally incorrectly) tell you using anything other than OEM products will most likely ruin your color printer…NOT true!

However, when it comes to color copiers, the story is much different.   I’m generally for whatever is the least expensive and still produces results…which is why I generally recommend compatibles for color printers.   However, copiers are much more precise technology, and if you’ve ever watched an old color copier’s prints go downhill fast, you know what I’m talking about.   Given their expense, more fragile working parts, and the already fairly low price of OEM consumables, using a compatible ink or toner in a color copier just isn’t worth it.

It’s a little like putting a new bio-fuel in a Lamborghini–it may work just fine, but given the expense and demanding nature of the machine, I’d feel a lot more comfortable putting it in a simple, sturdy Corolla.   Feel free to give me a call for a quote on your new color printer or color copier in Colorado Springs.

Color Copiers Colorado Springs: 5 Tips to Keep in Mind

Buying or leasing a color copier in Colorado Springs should be one of those fairly easy tasks.   However, like cars, insurance, or financial planning, there is a lot of information you just don’t know unless you’re in the industry.   This blog is about pulling back the curtain on my industry and giving you solid advice about your next purchase of a copier in Colorado Springs.

Color Copiers can either save you lots of money by bringing your color printing/copying in-house, or it can break your monthly budget.   Here are 5 tips to consider when purchasing your color copier in Colorado Springs:

1. Understand Coverage.  This is how much color you’re actually putting on your prints.   The quoted industry average is 20%.   I saw a church flyer today that was around 180% color on the page.   20% means that it uses 5% Cyan, 5% Magenta, 5% Yellow, and 5% Black.   If your page has very much color on it (at all!), you are very likely well over the 20% average.   This makes color copiers very expensive if you’ve purchased one that has high toner costs.

2. The less expensive the color copier, the more expensive the toner and supplies.   Don’t just buy it because it’s cheap.

3. Buy a common brand.   If you’re purchasing the color copier in Colorado Springs, you want to make sure there is a local tech (who has competition) that can fix your machine quickly.

4. Figure out if leasing or purchasing is better for your needs.   Both have their positives and negatives, your next color copier here in Colorado Springs should meet your budget needs.

5. Consider a cost per print plan (like Xerox’s).   If you have high-coverage copies and regular monthly print cycles, you’ll end up saving a LOT of money.   The key here is keeping your print plan right at your monthly needs so you don’t end up paying for prints you don’t use.

Give us a call for information, color copier advice or a copier quote in Colorado Springs.   We are passionate about helping people print and copy smarter and more efficiently.   We look forward to talking with you!

Color Copier Colorado Springs

Even with a new administration and lots of stimulus cash out there, the economy is still in a stall.   People are worrying about their jobs now more than ever, and this is causing some interesting trends in the copier and printer industry.  One big trend is that of businesses and churches bringing printshop outsourcing “in house.”  It is more labor, but for the possible savings, it can be a huge money saver.  Bringing your printing in house may be a good idea.   However, it may not if you don’t fully understand how color costs are computed.

The first thing to be aware of is that for most color printers/copiers (i.e. Lexmark, HP, Kyocera, Konica, Ricoh, Okidata, Xerox, etc…) there is a rated coverage.  This is 20% for color and 5% for Black and white as an industry standard.  When there are deviations (for example Kyocera rates some cartridges for 6% coverage) it will be noted on the spec sheet.  Higher coverage means more toner is used on your print.   However, this does not necessarily mean more of the page is covered in toner.

A brochure with 120% coverage may wind up costing twice of what it would have cost to go to a printer.   However a 50% coverage brochure may be the same cost as your print shop.  There are ways to get per-print charges no matter what your coverage, but you need to assess your average coverage per color print…or you could make a bad scenario worse.

The second thing people face is purchasing a less expensive printer (to keep the budget low), without looking at long term consumable costs.  If you buy a cheaper color printer, say an HP CP1510, you would feel great about spending less than $300 for the printer.  However,  if you are printing 2,500 sheets a month (about a ream a week) using standard office color (20% coverage), at the end of three years, you would have spent more than $12,500 than you should have.   The “super expensive” Xerox 8860 printer would have worked out to be $12,500 less expensive over that 36 month period?  You might have wasted over $10,000 just because you didn’t have all the information before you purcased your machine.

Reasons like these are why having a consultation with us can help you radically reduce your costs on these devices.  We actually consult and show you how to save significant money while INCREASING productivity.   Feel free to give us a call with questions or quote requests.