Printers and photocopiers are often an essential part of many businesses that are relied upon but taken for granted. Choosing the right device that offers the services and functionalities you need can make your business run more smoothly and save you money by combining your devices.
Modern printers combine printing, copying, scanning and fax functionality which have made traditional photocopiers redundant in most circumstances as printers have taken on their role.
There are many distributors of printers and photocopiers but few manufacturers, so we have examined what each of the manufacturers has to offer.
The table below gives a quick price comparison of the top UK providers for business printers and photocopiers.
Company Printers starting price Large-scale printers starting price
HP £59 £252
Canon Not stated Not stated
Epson Not stated Not stated
Brother £42.06 £454.80
Xerox £122 £254
Lexmark £189 £339
* The facts and figures included here come from each company’s website and were accurate at the time of writing but may have since changed. Also, please keep in mind these may not be apples to apples comparisons as each provider offers different solutions. This guide should be used as a starting off point for more research on your part.
Below we profile each of the companies’ services and features in a bit more detail.
Note companies are ranked in no particular order and this no way indicates one solution is better than another.
Topics
1. HP
Some of the features and benefits of HP’s business printers and photocopiers.
- A wide range of printers
- All-in-one small printing devices
- Large-scale multifunctional printers
- A range of plotter and postscript printers
- Wireless printing
- Variety of printing speeds
- Print volumes up to 80,000 per month
- Many can be delivered in 48 hours
- Cashback offers
- Offer a range of product support
HP manufactures a wide range of printers from small desktop printers to large-scale printers. Smaller printers can offer flexibility including print, scan and copy, as well as some offering fax functionality. These printers cater for a variety of budgets and printing needs.
HP’s printer range also includes large-scale printers that combine the functions of a photocopier, and also offer specialist printers for large print documents. Their high use printers are multi-functional offering printing, copying, scanning and some have a fax function. These offer a variety of printing speeds and volumes up to 80,000 pages per month. They also make plotter and postscript printers that allow very large-scale print sizes.
2. Canon
Some of the features and benefits of Canon’s business printers and photocopiers.
- A wide range of printers from single to multifunctional printers
- All-in-one devices for print, copy, scan and fax
- Some have a customisable touchscreen
- Advanced security available
- A range of print speeds
- Offer printers with volumes of up 100,000 pages per month
- Energy efficient models
- Offer online, phone and email support
- Run a recycling programme
- Has a configuration tool to help you select the right printer
Canon produces a wide range of printers to meet a lot of businesses’ needs with their ranges of single and multifunctional printers. Their single function range offer printers that require less maintenance and more mobile connectivity as well as not compromising on quality or efficiency.
Canon’s multifunctional printers offer up to 100,000 printed pages per month, and can scan, copy and fax. They come with a variety of speeds and offer energy efficient models to reduce their running costs. To help you to discover which printer will best meet your needs you can use their configuration tool which asks a series of questions to match your needs with printer options.
3. Epson
Some of the features and benefits of Epson’s business printers and photocopiers.
- Printers designed for small offices or busy home offices
- Printers catering for busy offices with higher volumes and quality requirements
- High-performance printers that combine quality and speed
- Label printers
- Large format printers
- Specialise in inkjet printers but also offer laser and dot matrix printers
- Printers that can produce up to 100,000 pages per month
- Offer inkjets that are 3.5 times faster than laser print solutions
- Energy efficient models
- Categorise printers by the key elements and users to aid selection
Epson is a renowned printer manufacturer who has a diverse range of printers available to meet most business needs. They specialise in inkjet printers that they state are 3.5 times faster than competing laser printers, but they still offer laser and dot matrix printers.
Epson offers smaller volume printers through to high volume printers that can produce up to 100,000 printed pages per month. They also offer a range of specialist printers that include label printers and large format printers. Epson has made selecting a printer easier in their product brochure as they categorise them by key factors that help distinguish what you need.
4. Brother
Some of the features and benefits of Brother’s business printers and photocopiers.
- Offer a variety of printers for all needs
- Home office and small office printers
- Versatile printers for small to medium-sized businesses
- Reliable high quality and volume printers (Workgroup printers)
- Offer both inkjet and laser printers
- Mobile printing solutions
- All-in-one solutions offering printing, copying, scanning and fax facilities
- Wireless, networked and cloud connectivity available
- Cater for a wide range of needs
- Recommended print volumes of up to 10,000 pages per month
Brother offers a variety of printers that can cater for most business needs which include home offices, small offices, small to medium businesses as well as larger businesses that require more robust printers that can deliver higher print volumes.
Brother offers both inkjet and laser printers that have a single function or be multifunctional which can include printing, copying, scanning and fax facilities. Their printers can be connected through a variety of means including wireless, networked and cloud connectivity for flexibility and ease. They also offer mobile printing devices for those that need agile printing solutions.
5. Xerox
Some of the features and benefits of Xerox’s business printers and photocopiers.
- An extensive range of print only and multifunctional printers
- Can include copy, scan and fax functionalities
- Cater for small offices with fewer users
- Cater for larger offices with very high print demand
- Offer digital presses
- Print volumes up to 150,000 pages per month
- Provide a range of print speeds
- WiFi connectivity
- Mobile printing
- Premium security features
Xerox is a brand that is synonymous with photocopying as they have a long history in office-based printing. They offer a wide range of printers that cater for small offices with lower print volumes through to high volume printers that can print up to 150,000 pages per month.
Xerox offers printers that can be solely printers or multifunctional equipment that enables printing, copying, scanning and fax capabilities. They also provide mobile printers and digital presses to cater for more flexible or higher quality printing needs. Xerox offer premium security on some of their printers for confidentiality and data security purposes.
6. Lexmark
Some of the features and benefits of Lexmark’s business printers and photocopiers.
- A diverse range of single and multifunctional printers
- Devices designed for small offices
- Cater for small workgroups of up to 10 people and 3,000 pages per month
- Medium to large business for teams over 10 people and volumes over 3,000 pages per month
- High tech printers offering advanced features and integrations
- Print sizes up to A3 and SRA3
- Offer a range of printing speeds
- Print volumes of up to 100,000 pages per month
- Some models offer long-life components and reduced downtime
- Productive apps available
Lexmark is a leading printer manufacturer who produces a wide range of printers which include single and multifunctional printers that can also be used for scanning, copying and fax capabilities. Their printers are categories as small offices and workgroups which are split into two groups of under and over 10 users, and under and over 3,000 pages per month.
Lexmark offers a range of high-performance printers that deliver faster printing speeds, higher-yield toner suppliers, larger input/output capacity and productivity apps. Some high output printers offer longer life components to reduce downtime, advanced features and integrate solutions to maximise efficiency and capabilities.
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