What is a digital photocopier and how does it work?

With several different types of photocopiers on the market today, the digital photocopier is often the best choice for office use.

With several different types of photocopiers on the market today, the digital photocopier is often the best choice for office use. Designed to work on the basis of scanning documents, the digital photocopier produces a high quality printed document, is often easier to maintain than other types of photocopiers, and can be very cost efficient. Here are some of the advantages to choosing a digital photocopier for the office instead of other types.

Many photocopiers operate with an older process that is sometimes known as analogue copying. Essentially, this older method involves the use of an internal mirror that copies the image of the master document onto a drum Using static electricity, the analogue photocopier utilizes particles of toner to create an image of what is found on the drum, uses a heat element to dry and fix the toner into place, and then produces the copy on a piece of paper.

Digital photocopiers do not employ the use of a mirror, drum, or toner to produce the copy. Instead a digital photocopier will actively scan the document and save the data into memory. Once the image of the document is securely in memory, most forms of the digital photocopier allow the document to be printed from the memory or in some cases transmitted electronically to other digital devices that are capable of receiving the transmission.

There are several advantages to the digital photocopier. One of the most important is that many digital photocopiers are multifunctional. Hard copies of the original can be produced, or electronic copies may be transmitted to fax machines or even as text to an email address. This can eliminate many steps in the communication process for a company that operates multiple locations. Also, this can eliminate the need to mail hard copies of the document to several different physical sites, both within the departments of the company as well as outside the physical location of the company.

Next, the digital photocopier produces a superior copy of the master document. The increased print quality means that the copies/prints will be essentially indistinguishable from the original document. That is not always the case with other types of copy machines.

Last, the cost of operating a digital photocopier is lower, especially if a great deal of copying is done. Several factors help to keep the cost down. First, there are fewer moving parts to break down. This means the potential for a digital photocopier to need work is decreased. In addition, the ink that is used for digital copiers usually produces more copies per cartridge than analogue photocopiers. While the digital photocopier will cost more on the front end than other types of devices, the lower cost of day to day usage will soon make up the difference in price and begin to actually save money over the long term.