Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The Home Office Copier
The home office copier is a much appreciated convenience placed in your hands. No more rushing to the office or copy shop just to print a copy or two of an important document. Printing a copy has now been made affordable especially to those people who have small businesses. So why not purchase a personal copier of your own? But wait, choosing a home copier should depend on your needs. Whether you are a small, medium or a large scale type of business, there are certain factors that you might want to go over before you buy your own home office copier. You may be glad to know that there are many options when it comes to these machines, including multifunction devices. Call Progressive Copier Systems today (619) 593-1000
Monday, November 29, 2010
The History of Xerography
Content courtesy of The Copier Blog
Chester Floyd Carlson (February 8, 1906 – September 19, 1968) was an American physicist, inventor, and patent attorney born in Seattle, Washington.
Carlson invented Xerography
Carlson was originally a patent attorney, a part-time researcher and an inventor. He is best known for having invented the process of electrophotography, which produced a dry copy rather than a wet copy, as was produced by the mimeograph process. Carlson's process was subsequently renamed to xerography, a term that literally means "dry copy."
Necessity is the Mother of Invention
His job at the patent office in New York required him to make a large number of copies of important papers. Carlson, was arthritic and found using mimeograph machines, Verifax, and carbon paper copying a painful and tedious process. Being an inventor, he worked to invent a solution to his physically difficult job.
His Kitchen was his Lab
It took 15 years of experiments with photoconductivity to come up with a . He used his kitchen for his "electrophotography" experiments, and, in 1938, he applied for a patent for the process.
First Photocopier Ingredients: Zinc and Sulfur
He made the first photocopy using a zinc plate covered with sulfur. The words "10-22-38 Astoria" were written on a microscope slide, which was placed on top of more sulfur and under a bright light. After the slide was removed, a mirror image of the words remained.
No market for Copiers before the 1960s
Carlson tried to sell his invention to some companies, but failed because the process was still underdeveloped. At the time, multiple copies were most commonly made at the point of document origination, using carbon paper or manual duplicating machines, and people did not see the need for an electronic machine. Between 1939 and 1944, Carlson was turned down by over 20 companies, including IBM and General Electric—neither of which believed there was a significant market for copiers.
Xerox finally finds Copier Market
Xerox was founded in 1906 in Rochester, New York as "The Haloid Company", and originally manufactured photographic paper and equipment. The company subsequently changed its name to "Haloid Xerox" in 1958 and then simply "Xerox" in 1961. Xerox came to prominence in 1959 with the introduction of the Xerox 914, the first plain paper photocopier using the process of xerography developed by Chester Carlson.
Chester Floyd Carlson (February 8, 1906 – September 19, 1968) was an American physicist, inventor, and patent attorney born in Seattle, Washington.
Carlson invented Xerography
Carlson was originally a patent attorney, a part-time researcher and an inventor. He is best known for having invented the process of electrophotography, which produced a dry copy rather than a wet copy, as was produced by the mimeograph process. Carlson's process was subsequently renamed to xerography, a term that literally means "dry copy."
Necessity is the Mother of Invention
His job at the patent office in New York required him to make a large number of copies of important papers. Carlson, was arthritic and found using mimeograph machines, Verifax, and carbon paper copying a painful and tedious process. Being an inventor, he worked to invent a solution to his physically difficult job.
His Kitchen was his Lab
It took 15 years of experiments with photoconductivity to come up with a . He used his kitchen for his "electrophotography" experiments, and, in 1938, he applied for a patent for the process.
First Photocopier Ingredients: Zinc and Sulfur
He made the first photocopy using a zinc plate covered with sulfur. The words "10-22-38 Astoria" were written on a microscope slide, which was placed on top of more sulfur and under a bright light. After the slide was removed, a mirror image of the words remained.
No market for Copiers before the 1960s
Carlson tried to sell his invention to some companies, but failed because the process was still underdeveloped. At the time, multiple copies were most commonly made at the point of document origination, using carbon paper or manual duplicating machines, and people did not see the need for an electronic machine. Between 1939 and 1944, Carlson was turned down by over 20 companies, including IBM and General Electric—neither of which believed there was a significant market for copiers.
Xerox finally finds Copier Market
Xerox was founded in 1906 in Rochester, New York as "The Haloid Company", and originally manufactured photographic paper and equipment. The company subsequently changed its name to "Haloid Xerox" in 1958 and then simply "Xerox" in 1961. Xerox came to prominence in 1959 with the introduction of the Xerox 914, the first plain paper photocopier using the process of xerography developed by Chester Carlson.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Determining Your Copier Volume
Content courtesy of Copy Machine Blog
If you’re looking to buy, rent, or lease a copy machine, it’s important to figure out your expected copy volume. This will help you determine which kind of copier (or copiers) will best suit your office.
In this way, choosing a copier is much like choosing a car. If you’re planning to make frequent trips across the country, you’ll want a car able to stand up to a lot of mileage, and — if you’re leasing — it would be wise to secure a generous service agreement as well. Alternatively, if you’re only going to be driving to the supermarket once or twice a week, a top-of-the-line vehicle might be a waste of money.
How can you calculate your volume? If you already have a copier, this is as easy as examining the counter, which you can typically find beneath the glass. To obtain an estimate without a copier, we recommend looking at the receipts from your copy shop, in addition to checking out your month-to-month paper consumption.
After you’ve come up with a predicted volume, most experts advise inflating this number by 15 percent or more. This will factor in your business’s potential expansion, as well as manufacturers’ tendencies to overestimate their product capabilities. If your machine will be working as an office printer or fax, consider inflating your figure even more.
Note: If your expected monthly volume is under 700 copies, you probably don’t need an expensive industrial copier. Save some money by investing in a smaller office copier instead.
If you’re looking to buy, rent, or lease a copy machine, it’s important to figure out your expected copy volume. This will help you determine which kind of copier (or copiers) will best suit your office.
In this way, choosing a copier is much like choosing a car. If you’re planning to make frequent trips across the country, you’ll want a car able to stand up to a lot of mileage, and — if you’re leasing — it would be wise to secure a generous service agreement as well. Alternatively, if you’re only going to be driving to the supermarket once or twice a week, a top-of-the-line vehicle might be a waste of money.
How can you calculate your volume? If you already have a copier, this is as easy as examining the counter, which you can typically find beneath the glass. To obtain an estimate without a copier, we recommend looking at the receipts from your copy shop, in addition to checking out your month-to-month paper consumption.
After you’ve come up with a predicted volume, most experts advise inflating this number by 15 percent or more. This will factor in your business’s potential expansion, as well as manufacturers’ tendencies to overestimate their product capabilities. If your machine will be working as an office printer or fax, consider inflating your figure even more.
Note: If your expected monthly volume is under 700 copies, you probably don’t need an expensive industrial copier. Save some money by investing in a smaller office copier instead.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Copier Stands
A copier is a delicate machine that requires proper handling. While some copiers stand on their own without support, others need a copier stand. Copier stands keep your machine steady and secure, and also hold other accessories like paper. Copier stands come in many sizes and shapes. Please feel free to call Progressive Copier Systems at (619) 593-1000 if you need any assistance in determining which size fits your make and model.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Things To Consider Before Buying A Small Business Copier
Courtesy of The Copier Blog
Small business owners need to be able to advertise and produce certain papers in bulk. So the purchase of a copier is a natural step for up and coming small businesses. With a lot of home copiers coming in combinations of printers and fax machines, and many business copiers being large and full of unnecessary features, the decision on which copier to buy can be confusing. Here are a few things to look for in a small business copier that will save time and money.
Black and white or color?
The decision between a black and white or color copier really depends on the business. Color copying takes longer, requires more ink, and the copier is more expensive when first purchased and in the long run. At the same time color copying is essential if the copier is going to be used to make fliers or banners to promote the business. Color fliers look more professional and eye-catching. If the copier is just going to be used to print off memos and paperwork, then go with a black and white only copier, and if advertising is going to be done, go with color.
Paper handling and response time
The whole point in purchasing a copier is to save time, so buying a copier that needs single sheets fed through or a paper tray that needs to be refilled three times a day defeats that purpose. To make your copier efficient make sure it can handle at least 250 pieces of paper in the copy tray to minimize refills. Copiers are also notorious for their warm up times, and a long warm up time can also defeat the purpose of owning a copier in the first place. Some copiers today offer a short warm up time of around one minute for larger copiers and even ten seconds for smaller personal copiers.
Versatility
A good copier doesn't just copy papers. A copier worth buying can also can handle index cards, transparencies and other heavier media. Versatility in a copier is a must, and it is essential to buy a copier that can handle everything you throw at it. A good feature to look for is a flatbed copying surface so the copier can copy pages from books and manuals as well.
Money saving features
Higher end copiers can have features that make up for the large initial price. One important feature to look for is duplexing, which is printing on both sides of the page. If used correctly, this feature can literally cut paper costs in half. Some copiers can also switch from color printing to strictly black and white. By doing a little research on which features are needed for a specific business a lot of costs can be cut by purchasing the right copier.
Like a computer or printer a copier is a big purchase for a small business, and an important one in taking said business into the technological age. With the right copier for that specific business the work load can be lessened and former tedious tasks can be made simple.
Small business owners need to be able to advertise and produce certain papers in bulk. So the purchase of a copier is a natural step for up and coming small businesses. With a lot of home copiers coming in combinations of printers and fax machines, and many business copiers being large and full of unnecessary features, the decision on which copier to buy can be confusing. Here are a few things to look for in a small business copier that will save time and money.
Black and white or color?
The decision between a black and white or color copier really depends on the business. Color copying takes longer, requires more ink, and the copier is more expensive when first purchased and in the long run. At the same time color copying is essential if the copier is going to be used to make fliers or banners to promote the business. Color fliers look more professional and eye-catching. If the copier is just going to be used to print off memos and paperwork, then go with a black and white only copier, and if advertising is going to be done, go with color.
Paper handling and response time
The whole point in purchasing a copier is to save time, so buying a copier that needs single sheets fed through or a paper tray that needs to be refilled three times a day defeats that purpose. To make your copier efficient make sure it can handle at least 250 pieces of paper in the copy tray to minimize refills. Copiers are also notorious for their warm up times, and a long warm up time can also defeat the purpose of owning a copier in the first place. Some copiers today offer a short warm up time of around one minute for larger copiers and even ten seconds for smaller personal copiers.
Versatility
A good copier doesn't just copy papers. A copier worth buying can also can handle index cards, transparencies and other heavier media. Versatility in a copier is a must, and it is essential to buy a copier that can handle everything you throw at it. A good feature to look for is a flatbed copying surface so the copier can copy pages from books and manuals as well.
Money saving features
Higher end copiers can have features that make up for the large initial price. One important feature to look for is duplexing, which is printing on both sides of the page. If used correctly, this feature can literally cut paper costs in half. Some copiers can also switch from color printing to strictly black and white. By doing a little research on which features are needed for a specific business a lot of costs can be cut by purchasing the right copier.
Like a computer or printer a copier is a big purchase for a small business, and an important one in taking said business into the technological age. With the right copier for that specific business the work load can be lessened and former tedious tasks can be made simple.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Copier Toner
Many of us often refer to toner as dry ink. The truth is that toner has nothing to do with ink (a pigmented liquid) at all. Toner is a powder that is plastic-based and negatively charged. The blackness of copier toner comes from pigments blended into the plastic particles while being manufactured. In a copier, the toner stored inside a cartridge is stuck on larger, positively charged beads. As toner-coated beads are made to roll over the drum, the toner particles are more attracted by the positively charged ions on the unexposed areas on the drum’s surface than the weakly charged beads. Later, the same particles are attracted even more towards the electro-statically charged paper. The plastic in the toner lets the user keep it from jumping ship once he/she has finally got it on the paper. Now all that is needed is to apply heat to the toner. Once the temperature rises, the plastic particles melt and fuse the pigment to the paper. The fuser adds the finishing touch.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Have you ever had an important job running on your copier and when you see the finished product, you find lines running through your copies? There are several common causes. After more than 20+ years in the business, the copier repair professionals at Progressive Copier Systems have seen just about everything and we offer these tips to help you get crisp, clean copies every time.
There are several common causes of copies with lines through them. The vast majority of these problems can be addressed with a simple cleaning. If this doesn't help, our technicians are available to help get your copier running smoothly.
The first thing you'll want to do is clean the glass where you put your originals. A dirty platen glass can cause black streaks and smudges to appear. Make sure to use lint-free towels and isopropyl alcohol. Also, always make sure everything dries completely before using your copier.
Sometimes, dirty or extra toner can get caught in the exit area where your copies come out of the copier. There are usually fine, soft brushes attached to the copy machine that will sweep away dirt particles from exiting copies but these brushes can get dirty. Remove them by gently pulling them away from the copier and clean them with mild soap and water. Replace them after they are fully dry.
The next thing to check is the drum unit. It's the round, shiny unit. The first thing to do is to make sure the copier is unplugged. Warning: The drum unit is very sensitive and can be easily scratched or damaged. Make sure you remove any watches and rings before you begin.
Using a soft mylar brush, gently remove any dirt or surface dust on the drum and then check the machine. If your copier is still out-putting streaked or lined copies, unplug the machine and clean the drum with isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free towel. Let the drum dry completely before plugging your copier back in and turning it back on.
The last area that could cause problems is the fusing section. It's prone to dirt and toner build up but because of the electrical wiring and complexity, you'll want to make sure a certified technician is the only one to examine your fusing section. The fusing section is prone to dirt and toner build up and can create lines across your copies.
Of course the easiest way to avoid problems is to schedule regular maintenance of your copiers. Progressive Copier Systems can help. Our expert San Diego copier repair technicians are trained and certified to provide maintenance and repair to help protect your investment for years to come. Visit our website at http://www.progressivecopier.com for our on-line maintenance and repair specials or call us at (619) 593-1000
There are several common causes of copies with lines through them. The vast majority of these problems can be addressed with a simple cleaning. If this doesn't help, our technicians are available to help get your copier running smoothly.
The first thing you'll want to do is clean the glass where you put your originals. A dirty platen glass can cause black streaks and smudges to appear. Make sure to use lint-free towels and isopropyl alcohol. Also, always make sure everything dries completely before using your copier.
Sometimes, dirty or extra toner can get caught in the exit area where your copies come out of the copier. There are usually fine, soft brushes attached to the copy machine that will sweep away dirt particles from exiting copies but these brushes can get dirty. Remove them by gently pulling them away from the copier and clean them with mild soap and water. Replace them after they are fully dry.
The next thing to check is the drum unit. It's the round, shiny unit. The first thing to do is to make sure the copier is unplugged. Warning: The drum unit is very sensitive and can be easily scratched or damaged. Make sure you remove any watches and rings before you begin.
Using a soft mylar brush, gently remove any dirt or surface dust on the drum and then check the machine. If your copier is still out-putting streaked or lined copies, unplug the machine and clean the drum with isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free towel. Let the drum dry completely before plugging your copier back in and turning it back on.
The last area that could cause problems is the fusing section. It's prone to dirt and toner build up but because of the electrical wiring and complexity, you'll want to make sure a certified technician is the only one to examine your fusing section. The fusing section is prone to dirt and toner build up and can create lines across your copies.
Of course the easiest way to avoid problems is to schedule regular maintenance of your copiers. Progressive Copier Systems can help. Our expert San Diego copier repair technicians are trained and certified to provide maintenance and repair to help protect your investment for years to come. Visit our website at http://www.progressivecopier.com for our on-line maintenance and repair specials or call us at (619) 593-1000
Friday, November 5, 2010
Copier Hard Drive Security
Do you have a copier? A printer A fax? Do you use it most days to copy or print confidential information? Well here is some rather worrying news that you ought to be aware of.
The majority of people don’t realize that most scanners, copiers, faxes and multifunctional printers , certainly ones manufactured since the early 2000′s have hard drives in them. These hard disks copy and store every single piece of information that you put through them. This includes anything that you have scanned, anything that you have copied, printed or in some cases even faxed.
Now, consider this – When you replace or upgrade a PC or laptop, people usually (as its been drummed into them by people like me) remove the hard disk, erase the data or destroy the disk before either recycling the machine, giving it away, selling it on or dumping it. What happens when the lease on your copier expires and you upgrade it? Do you clear its hard drive before you return it? I’m guessing, like most people, you don’t.
Recently in America, when an undercover team looked into a number of places that re-sell used copiers and the like they recovered thousands of documents, images, photos, bank statements, accounts records etc from the many hard drives that were left, untouched, in the old copiers – all of which were waiting to be resold. Imagine if everything that you have ever printed, photocopied or scanned could be seen by someone else? A competitor perhaps? Or even more worrying, an undesirable? It could have devastating results for both you and your business.
Progressive Copier Systems is all about total care for all things that concern your copier systems. If you do have a copier that has seen better days that you are thinking of recycling and you want the data erased, get in touch and we will help you to clear it. We'll be glad to help you learn more about copier hard drive security.
The majority of people don’t realize that most scanners, copiers, faxes and multifunctional printers , certainly ones manufactured since the early 2000′s have hard drives in them. These hard disks copy and store every single piece of information that you put through them. This includes anything that you have scanned, anything that you have copied, printed or in some cases even faxed.
Now, consider this – When you replace or upgrade a PC or laptop, people usually (as its been drummed into them by people like me) remove the hard disk, erase the data or destroy the disk before either recycling the machine, giving it away, selling it on or dumping it. What happens when the lease on your copier expires and you upgrade it? Do you clear its hard drive before you return it? I’m guessing, like most people, you don’t.
Recently in America, when an undercover team looked into a number of places that re-sell used copiers and the like they recovered thousands of documents, images, photos, bank statements, accounts records etc from the many hard drives that were left, untouched, in the old copiers – all of which were waiting to be resold. Imagine if everything that you have ever printed, photocopied or scanned could be seen by someone else? A competitor perhaps? Or even more worrying, an undesirable? It could have devastating results for both you and your business.
Progressive Copier Systems is all about total care for all things that concern your copier systems. If you do have a copier that has seen better days that you are thinking of recycling and you want the data erased, get in touch and we will help you to clear it. We'll be glad to help you learn more about copier hard drive security.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Digital Color Copiers
Color copiers support color printing and work much like a computer scanner connected to a laser printer. A color copier scans a document and then uses a laser to put the information on an image drum. The copier then fuses the image onto paper. High-end color copiers will transfer the image in one pass while lower-end color copiers may take as many as four passes to make the transfer. Something to keep in mind; lower cost copiers have slower copying speeds. As far as costs, you'll find that color copiers will typically cost 20 or 30% more than similarly rated black and white copiers. You'll also need to examine your copying needs. Businesses requiring extremely accurate graphic reproductions will need to invest in a dedicated graphic color copier which provides very accurate print-quality color specifications and faster processors. Progressive Copier Systems can help you determine what your needs are.
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