A Versatile Future

Color copier/printers are coming down in price and going up in quality. Find out why you should fit one into your in-plant's future.

"INTRODUCING THE new ABC 2000000 color copier/printer/fax/coffee maker/toothbrush."

OK, that's a little extreme. But color copiers are becoming more versatile every day.

You can't afford a machine like that, you say? Well, prices are dropping. Even small in-plants can afford quality multi-task machines. Plus, these machines quickly pay for themselves, says Ron Potesky, Ricoh's director of color products—especially if you're outsourcing more than 500 copies a month.

"The in-plant is saving at least a 40 percent margin over what they would pay to outsource," he says. "Buying a color copier, connected, will pay for itself in no time."

And then there's the convenience factor.

"Having it available [in-house] makes it so much more convenient, even if it costs the same" as outsourcing, notes Les Eisenberg, category manager of multi-function products for Xerox. "It allows you to make adjustments that you may not be able to make if you outsource."

The days of the single-function color copier are fading fast.

"Over 90 percent of the color copiers we sell are sold as printers," Potesky reports. "The copying function is less and less important. Printing is king."

Potesky says that networkable printer/copiers are becoming an alternative to offset printing for short-run, quick turnaround color jobs. And for long-run jobs, you can print a few hundred copies on your color copier/printer for immediate use and let your press handle the rest.

The most exciting fact, though, is that while quality has risen, price has dropped. You can now buy a networkable color copier/printer with a photo-quality scanner and fax capabilities for under $400. "Three or four years ago, you couldn't buy a machine with this functionality for five times the price," Eisenberg reports.

With quality and demand on the rise and the price falling, perhaps it is time for your in-plant to purchase one of these versatile machines. Here are some products that may spark your interest:

Quality And Production

Outputting 24 copies per minute, the Canon Color Laser Copier 2400 offers standard automatic duplexing and 11x17˝ full-bleed output capabilities. It has a 5,250-sheet paper capacity. Its digital imaging capabilities allow you to change the look and feel of any document. Optional accessories include a recirculating document feeder and a 20-bin stapler/sorter. When configured with a Canon ColorPASS print controller, the CLC 2400 is transformed into a powerful in-house color publishing device.

Meet A Good Copier

The Kyocera Mita Ci7600 copies/prints at six ppm in full color and 23 ppm in black and white at 400 dpi. Featuring advanced digital technology, the Ci7600 is perfect for full-bleed work, duplex and test print mode, while copying sharp, fine lines and smooth crisp text.

A Worldwide Copier

The Lanier Worldwide 5722 has a first copy speed of 10 seconds. It outputs 22 ppm and has a maximum paper capacity of 3,950 sheets. The 5722 features 600 dpi/10 bit copying and printing, auto color calibration, color selection (full color, mono color and black), color image adjustment and full bleed 11x17˝ onto 12x18˝.

Expanded Handling

The Minolta CF910 color printer/copier can output six color ppm and 23 black-and-white ppm. Its expanded paper-handling capabilities give it a 2,300-sheet capacity. The CF910 is networkable, offers advanced color management capabilities and supports several print controllers, including an embedded controller.

Fast Color System

Océ USA offers the Color System 200, a four-color, 400-dpi, cut-sheet printing system that outputs 31 images per minute. It accommodates 11x17˝ paper and can offer full-bleed print capabilities. Configured with a film scanner, film projector, editor or sorter/stapler options, it creates presentation materials easily. The CS 200 also offers spooling, archiving, fast reprinting, document merging and editing. Web utilities allow color images to be manipulated online using a standard browser.

A Color Aficio-nado

The Ricoh Aficio Color 6110 outputs at 600 dpi, eight-bit resolution with full 256 gradations. Its first copy speeds are 16.5 seconds for full color and eight seconds for black and white, thus fostering increased office productivity. A 10.4˝, full color LCD operation panel helps document editing. Print controllers from Colorbus and Electronics For Imaging allow networked printing.

Sharp And Compact

The Sharp AR-C150 delivers high-speed laser color at 15 ppm (25 ppm for black and white). Offering 600 dpi resolution, this product is ideal for large workgroups or centralized copy and printing departments. Its small footprint makes the Sharp AR-C150 one of the most compact four-drum digital color copiers on the market.

Small And Fast

Toshiba's FC22 color copier offers full-color networked printing at 25 ppm and color copying at 22 cpm. The machine features a print resolution of 9,600x600 dpi. Its is reportedly more compact than many of the current six- to 12-ppm models on the market, yet it's two to four times as fast. The FC22 can scan a color original in a single pass to create all four color separations (CMYK). First copy out time is 10.3 seconds. The system is built on Toshiba's four-beam laser technology.

Thirty Pages A Minute

With the Xerox DocuColor 30 CP, you can take a job from design to finished print run. It outputs 30 color pages per minute at a maximum resolution of 400x400 dpi, with a monthly volume of 75,000. The DocuColor 30 CP includes color registration auto fine tuning, highlight image enhancement screen technology, and a tone reproduction auto correction system. Maximum paper size is 12x18˝, and it comes with three standard paper trays. It can handle a maximum of 1,250 sheets, and comes with auto duplexing and counterfeit deterrent.

by Joe Ranoia