Which photocopier is best for a small business?

Count prints plus copies in a typical month. A rough method: reams of paper used per month × 500. If the current machine shows a page counter, take two readings a month apart. Then compare that figure to the manufacturer's recommended monthly volume, not the maximum duty cycle. The duty cycle is a ceiling the machine can survive, not what it should do every month.

Browse A3 photocopiers and multifunction printers to compare specifications.

• A document feeder if you copy or scan multi-page documents. See ADF and duplex explained.
• Duplex printing to cut paper use.
• Network printing and scan to email or folder, so everyone can use it from their desk.
• Paper capacity matched to volume. The Canon imageRUNNER 2925 holds 1,100 sheets in two cassettes as standard.
• Secure printing or user accounts if confidential documents go through it.

A cheaper machine with expensive or hard-to-find toner costs more over three to five years. Ask for the toner yield and price, the drum or maintenance kit interval, and who will service it. Read how to reduce office printing costs for the full calculation.

Buying suits businesses with steady volume and cash to spend; renting suits those that want a predictable monthly cost with service included, or that need a machine for a fixed period. See buy vs rent a photocopier.