The Difference Between An Analog Copier And A Digital Copier

Content Courtesy of http://articlesadv.com
Article By Steve Tetluk

There are so many different types of copiers on the market today and choosing between them is quite straining. If you are looking for an office copier then you should know the difference between two different types of copiers. Technology has developed a new copier and this is the digital copier. The analog copier is not, what we might call, "ancient" but there are differences between these copiers.
The older copier is considered to be the analog copier. Analog copiers are also considered to be reliable and affordable. If you decide that you are more inclined to purchasing an analog copier you should consider the time it takes to warm up and the quality of the scanned or printed documents.
The reason for considering the time is because in an office there are probably a large number of people that would like to utilize the copier and if the machine takes long this will cause frustration in the office and reduce productivity.
A digital copier works slightly differently. With the coming of the digital age it is only natural to make all machines that worked on an analog system. These are machines such as photo cameras, video cameras, etc. The digital copier does pose some good benefits but there are also negatives to digital technology. There are several advantages to the digital copier. One of the most important is that many digital copiers are multi-functional. 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. It will therefore increase productivity in the work place.
The down side of digital technology is that it uses more power that analog copiers and it therefore produces more heat. The digital copier is also more expensive, of course compared to the analog copier.
Regardless of whether you choose a digital or an analog copier you must always do some research on the specific product you are considering to purchase. There are always people who have used the product and might have written a complaint or a recommendation. It is important to listen to the sales representative but it is also good to get second opinions. You might have heard about another company that used a specific copier and they might have great responses or not. You don't want to waste money and time, therefore choose the copier that best suits the needs of your company.

Steve Tetluk manages a site specializing in digital office automation products such as a copier. For more information visit http://www.pananet.co.za

Copier Lingo: Coverage

Coverage
The percentage of a page's surface that would be covered if you squashed every bit of its ink in one place. If you squeeze together all the black in a regular black and white copy of a double-spaced letter, for example, its coverage will be 6 percent. Color copying typically has higher coverage than standard letters - somewhere between 25 percent to 35 percent.

Copier Lingo: Control Panel

Control Panel
Holds the buttons to control copier functions. The newest copiers have a control panel in the form of an easy-to-follow LCD presentation, which guides you as you select variables such as copy quantity, paper size, reduction, or enlargement.

Copier Lingo: Digital Copying

Digital Copying
A copying technology that breaks an image up into tiny rows and columns as a scanner does. In contrast, analog copiers work more as a camera, using a lens to take a picture of the document to be copied. All color copiers currently on the market are digital.

Copier Lingo: Electronic Recirculating Document Handler

Electronic Recirculating Document Handler (ERDH)
A digital copier that can perform the following functions: copy two-sided originals, handle originals only once when making sets of copies, and electronically sort outputted copies. Also known as a duplex digital document scanner.

Memory

Memory (RAM, the same memory used in computers) is essential for supporting digital copier features such as scan once/print many, automatic page numbering, faxing, and printing. Additional memory can be added to boost productivity and enable more memory-intensive features. Insufficient memory will result in slower output and an inability to print or copy new documents.

In some cases, a fairly small cache of memory is dedicated for each function - copying, printing, and faxing. In other configurations, a single larger cache is shared between functions. Find out how memory is allocated before you decide on how much to buy.

Make sure your chosen machine accepts generic memory like SIMMs. Most do, but some holdouts still use proprietary memory systems - avoid them. If your copier accepts industry-standard memory, you will be able to easily purchase more memory if the need arises.
Copier memory

By holding a scanned image of each original page in memory, digital copiers are able to produce as many sets of documents as required without feeding the originals through again.

The number of pages that can be duplicated with this "scan once/print many" feature depends on the size of the originals and the amount of detail. With less memory, the copier may be unable to complete larger copy jobs in one run.

Often, you can not take advantage of advanced image editing features without purchasing extra memory. Copiers come with anywhere from 4 MB to 256 MB and higher of RAM. If you intend to use any image editing features, or frequently produce complex documents with over 20 pages, make sure you get at least 16 MB of copier memory.
Fax memory

1 MB of fax memory holds about 60 - 80 pages, which should be enough for most offices. Unless you plan to hold many international faxes in memory to send during off-peak hours, you probably won't need to upgrade your fax memory.
Printer memory

Printer memory determines the overall efficiency and speed of the printer. As with the copier, more detailed documents will require more memory to process. In addition, memory-hungry printer languages such as PostScript can require memory for faster printing.

The standard 2 MB to 8 MB of memory many printers are equipped with is typically not enough for effective printing. Additional memory or hard drives are almost always available as an option.

Content Courtesy of BuyerZone

Copier Lingo: Yield

Yield
The number of copies a particular consumable (toner, developer) can support. The yield for toner can be calculated by estimating the number of copies you make a month, and the amount of coverage per page.

Copier Lingo: Duplex Copying

Duplex Copying
The ability to automatically copy on both sides of a page. This can be a useful feature, but it tends to be prone to paper jams. If you want duplex copying, equip the copier with a document feeder called a recirculating automatic document feeder (RADF), which can handle two-sided originals.

Copier Lingo: Consumables

Consumables
The toner, paper, fuser oil, developer, or any other materials or parts that must be periodically replaced in a copier.