Let's discuss three printing technologies: toner-based color copiers, digital duplicators, and high-speed inkjet printers. Each has its advantages and trade-offs.

Digital copiers are the most common device used in offices today. Generally, copiers use a technology called electrophotography (EP). EP technology utilizes a heat fusing process to melt toner particles on a page at about 350+ degrees Fahrenheit. These devices are simple to use, producing high quality color images on glossy paper. Depending on your requirements for volume, speed, and other features, the operating costs range from about four and a half to nine cents per page for full color and about one cent per page for monochrome. Leading manufacturers of digital color copiers include Xerox, Ricoh, Canon, Konica Minolta, Toshiba, and Sharp.

A second option is a digital duplicator, which uses an ink-and-master process to reproduce monochrome or highlight color documents quickly and inexpensively. Designed for longer run print jobs of 25+ copies per original, digital duplicators are not designed to print variable data, glossy paper stock, or single copies. They are extremely fast (up to 180 ppm) and are great for highlight color printing of bulletins, newsletters, flyers, envelopes, and post cards. Operating costs average about a half-cent per page for either monochrome or highlight color, with no capability for process color. Using no heat process, these devices run completely cool, often lasting for 10-15 years and reliably producing multiple millions of copies. Digital duplicators don’t replace the need for digital copiers, but rather these two technologies complement one another. The inventor and leading manufacturer of digital duplicators is RISO, with more than 60% of the market share.

A third (and newest) option is the high-speed inkjet printer/MFP. Here, we are not referring to the common inkjet printer that sits on your desktop and handles low-volume personal printing applications. Recent innovative breakthroughs in inkjet technologies now allow for very high speeds and very low running costs for volume color. Print speeds currently reach 120 full color pages per minute, a feature that is unparalleled by most digital color copiers. With no heat, fuser, toner, or complicated optics, these high-speed inkjet printers are extremely reliable, even for the most demanding print volumes. They also have the versatility of being able to print variable data full color envelopes on demand. No other digital color device available can match inkjet’s ability to produce fast, personalized envelopes in volume. Depending upon the graphics you use and the ink coverage on the page, the operating costs for high-speed inkjet printers can average one to four cents per page for full color and about less than one cent per page for monochrome.

If you would like to get more info about the differences between these technologies, call 1.800.876.7476