Looking for a copier system that’s able to keep up with the precise printing and scanning needs of your practice?

Having the right equipment is crucial in the fast-paced environment that is any law firm. This is especially true when it comes to copier and printer systems. 

As you may already know, law firms have distinctive, rigid requirements for printing infrastructure which go beyond what any other typical small business may require. 

And so, the best copier for your law firm will need to be able to keep up with your high volume of prints while supporting efficiency and meticulously meeting the stringent needs required by the legal industry.

What to look for in a Copier for Your Legal Practice:

• A centralized print environment which supports your firm's workflow.
• A system that is able to consistently handle large amounts of data.
• Integrated software that lets users access the printer from their workstations.
• Next-gen digital security which keeps documents safe (whether they’re being printed, scanned, faxed or emailed).

Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Firm's Copier:

In order to choose a copier system that will handle the specific printing needs of your practice, you’ll need to consider the features, functions and the capabilities offered by these machines as well as the requirements of your firm. This will ensure you don't end up paying for unnecessary features that won’t be used.

First, ask yourself..

• What is our firm's monthly print volume?
• What are we currently spending on our printing (either outsourced or in-house)?
• How often does the need to print in colour arise?
• What software is our practice currently using?
• Are there any specific features (like stapling functions) that your firm may need?

Now consider the features you will need...

Printing Method:

Laser printers use toner, they’re generally faster than their ink counterparts and are common in business settings. These copiers are often the first choice for offices that practice law as they’re able to easily withstand high volumes of prints. 

Paper Storage Capacity:

Unlike many businesses, the legal world still uses large amounts of paper - with most practices going through multiple reams each day. Remember to take the machine's storage capacity into consideration when choosing your copier. It should be able to store at least enough paper for several days’ worth of usage at a time. 

Printing Speed:

With case briefs and documents running into the ‘hundreds of pages’, your practice needs to print jobs quickly and efficiently. When looking at output speed, consider the types of jobs your firm handles (how many people will be using the machine and how long with their prints take).The best printers for small law firms should be able to print at least 50 pages or more each minute in order to avoid slowing down any other operations.

Data Security and Compliance:

For any business, being able to secure data safely is crucial, this is specifically true when it comes to any firm practicing law as they’re responsible for adhering to associated compliance regulations. When choosing your firm’s copier, it needs to be able to accommodate these regulations.

The right copier for a law firm contains features which specifically address the security of data passing through its hard drive.

For more information on these security specific features, contact us at X Corp.

Colour or Black and White:

When deciding whether to invest in a colour or a regular mono copier you need to consider the amount of colour copies you generally make. If you’re going to do anything promotional or visual, or you deal with case reports that contain large numbers of photos (which would need the same quality as the text) it is best to opt for a colour printer capable of at least 600 dpi (dots per inch) resolution for scanning photos. 

If you rarely need to print in colour, it would make more sense to invest in a mono machine and outsource colour specific jobs. 

Printing Costs:

Document processes like printing and photocopying make up a significant portion of a practice's expenses. In order to choose a copier that will help you keep these expenses down you will need to factor in the initial investment of your printer, the cost of its maintenance, and any extra costs of paper and toner.

Choose a printer based on how economically it will allow you to print your items.

A copier that...

• Is EnergyStar certified - This reduces electricity usage and overall power consumption.
• Is part of a multifunction device - This eliminates the need to buy separate supplies and consumables.
• Has ink or paper-saving settings.
• Integrates with other access control measures to reduce the amount of usage (Like MP’S agreements).

For more information on how to spend less on your firm’s printing costs, check out our article on Reducing monthly printing costs for your business.

Workflow Integration & Document Management:

While many copiers are able to interface and connect with a variety of products, it’s always best to do the research and ensure that the copier system you’re considering works well with the software that your firm already uses.

Paper size:

Lawyer firms and offices generally use letter (8.5″ x 11″) and legal sized (8.5″ x 14″) paper. Many office copiers and printers come with these as standard options. So, unless your firm uses larger sizes, like ledger (11″ x 17″) It’s best to make sure you don’t end up paying extra for that functionality. 

Print Quality & Legibility:

As you are well aware, cases, reports, and letters all contain pages upon pages of text that require pristine legibility. Your firm's copier will need to have a high print quality, capable of meeting these requirements.

Managed Print Services:

When purchasing a printer it’s a good idea for busy firms and offices to consider MPS agreements. With these in place, your service provider will work to ensure your printing practices run smoothly and efficiently. The use of MPS through copier rentals can reduce your operation cost by up to 30% as your provider will troubleshoot issues, offer preventative maintenance and reduce any costly and unplanned downtime on your printing equipment. 

For more info on our MPS Solutions at X Corp, feel free to contact us. 

Why Choose to Rent Your Firm's Copier System?

Once you have decided on a copier system for your law firm, you will need to make another decision... Will you be buying or renting your machine? 

Whether it comes down to being able to keep up to date with the latest technology, the need for large capital outlays being eliminated or the peace of mind of maintenance, as many as 80% of companies (with many of them being leading law firms) are choosing to lease, rather than buy their printers. And so...Why are they choosing to do so?

Advantages of Leasing Your Firm's Copier:

Tax Efficiency:

Copier rentals are fully tax deductible. VAT is also paid monthly with each installment instead of being capitalized for upfront.

Budgeting & Money Saving:

Rental agreements ensure that each month a fixed monthly value will be budgeted and paid for by your firm. Leasing also alleviates the risk and pressure of any large capital expenses.

Maintenance: 

When leasing a printer for your practice, you will not have to worry about any maintenance. This will be taken care of by your service provider, allowing you to focus your attention to the more important aspect of your day to day operations.

Life Cycle Management:

Like any IT hardware, photocopiers and printers depreciate and become outdated over time. A well implemented rental agreement will ensure that your law firm enjoys maximum value from your copiers while ensuring they’re upgraded at the correct time in their life cycles.

Flexibility:

Copier rentals allow for early upgrades, easy budgeting and the addition of new technology as and when it emerges. When leasing a printer, you will be able to scale your systems according to the growth of your firm.

Looking to rent a reliable and robust copier system that can handle the heavy workloads of your firm's copy needs? Contact us at X Corp for further assistance.

Multifunctional Printers for Law Firms:

Law firms, as you are well aware, are document-intensive enterprises. With the average lawyer generating up to 100 000 printed documents every year of practice. And considering the average law firm embodies several lawyers, these numbers can accumulate very quickly.

Multifunction printers (MFPs) embody productivity. While being able to handle high speeds, they remain reliable and economical. MFPs are the first option that offices with demanding print environments turn to when they need a dependable machine. 

In Conclusion.

By now you know that you should never just pick a copier. Instead, do the research and get a copier that’s best suited for your law firm. One that has rigorous document capabilities to support your everyday operations while still remaining compliant to an array of legal regulations. 

Contact us today at X Corp for further assistance or try our ‘Quick Quote Tool’ to get your firm's own custom copier pricing. We’re here to bring the best in service and overall office-automation to our customers throughout South Africa.