The Top 5 Photocopiers For Your Small Business

This article will help you get the best deal on photocopiers for your small business.

While some businesses embrace the cloud and move into the digital sphere, others will always need a reliable copying machine. After all, it’s still important for businesses to replicate reports, scan in account information, and handle admin work using good old-fashioned paper.

A multifunction photocopier can help your small business accomplish these tasks. Coming in all shapes and sizes, the right photocopier can help increase productivity and cut costs – so it’s vital you pick the perfect one to suit your needs.

That’s where we come in.

We’ve done our research and found the top photocopiers for different categories, including black and white, colour, A3, and best overall.


The top photocopiers for small business

CategoryPhotocopier Model
Best overall photocopierXerox WorkCentre 6505/DN
Best colour photocopierHP LaserJet Pro M477fdw
Best A3 photocopierBrother MFC-J6530
Best value photocopierBrother DCP L2550DW
Best black and white photocopierCanon i-SENSYS MF742Cdw

Xerox WorkCentre 6505/DN

Our top pick photocopier overall

At £514, this is the priciest model we looked at – but what else would you expect from the best? The WorkCentre prints 24 pages per minute at 600×600 resolution, and boasts advanced features like banner, booklet, and poster printing. What’s more, it’s compact in size, so it fits in most small office spaces. For any small business, this photocopier should top your list of printing priorities.

Pros

  • Best photocopier for small business
  • High resolution prints

Cons

  • Expensive initial cost

HP LaserJet Pro M477fdw

Our top pick for colour photocopying

Wireless is more with this HP model, offering printing, scanning, copying and faxing without any cables to mess around with. It’s eco-friendly, and at £367, it’s not going to set your business back too much. Using an HP ColorSphere 3 toner, you’ll get the high HP printing standards you would expect, too. All in all, this ‘green’ colour copier will boost productivity in your small office, without costing the earth.

Pros

  • Wireless connectivity
  • Eco-friendly

Cons

  • Expensive toner

Brother MFC-J6530

Our top pick for A3 photocopying

This printer can handle big bulks of big paper. The catchily named MFC-J6530 provides the best A3 printing based on our research, offering a 250-sheet deep tray and producing 15 prints per minute. While the initial cost of £380 is more steep than the rest, the ink is really cheap to refill, which will reduce your spending in the long term. This model also has a touchscreen, meaning this A3 printer definitely gets an A-grade from us.

Pros

  • High printing volume
  • Touchscreen interface

Cons

  • Relatively expensive initial cost

Brother DCP L2550DW

Our top pick for value for money

This multifunction monochrome machine is ideal for small businesses on a budget. Costing under £120, it produces double-sided paper and can handle up to 250 sheets, with a printing speed of 36 pages per minute (ppm). In summary, it’s fast, reliable and affordable. If you’re looking for a decent black and white copier from a trusted brand, you can’t go wrong by adding this Brother model to your family of equipment.

Pros

  • Affordable model
  • Quick printing

Cons

  • Only black and white prints

Canon i-SENSYS MF742Cdw

Our top pick for black and white photocopying

This Canon model fires on all cylinders, offering printing, scanning, and copying in both colour and mono, with printing speeds up to 27 PPM. Its 12.7” LCD colour touch screen makes it simple to use, while its toner cartridge costs, averaging at 2.0p per mono page, make it cost effective. Pricing starts at £327.60 inc. VAT.

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Cost effective

Cons

  • Not the fastest printing speeds

Expert verdict

There we have it – our definitive list of the best photocopiers for small businesses. Let’s recap what we’ve covered.

If black and white photocopying is all you need, then you can’t really go wrong with cheap, reliable Canon i-SENSYS model. But if you’re looking for a quality colour photocopier, the wireless HP LaserJet Pro M477fdw could be fore you.

Looking for bigger prints? The Brother MFC-J6530 has all your A3 printing needs covered, while the Xerox WorkCentre 6505/DN is our overall winner.

Still need a little help finding the right photocopier for you small business? Simply fill out our short form to get free tailored quotes from different suppliers, and find out more about prices and your buying or leasing options.


FAQs

How cost-effective are photocopiers for small businesses?

As a small business owner, you probably spend a lot of time thinking about costs – and quite rightly. With so many invoices, calls, and costs to contend with, it can be difficult to find the best photocopying solution for your business.

You might be thinking that small businesses can’t afford to splash out on top-of-the-range equipment. But with photocopiers, paying a smaller fee doesn’t always mean you’re restricting productivity.

Some of the office photocopiers designed for small businesses still have great functionality, and can actually work out as being more cost-effective. You will just need to carefully consider which features your office will use most.

No longer the preserve of large, floor standing photocopiers, even small office photocopiers now boast multi-functionality. These machines are versatile and powerful allies – often referred to as MFPs (multi-functional photocopiers), they offer the ability to copy, print, scan, and in most cases, fax. This cross-functionality means they are usually the best solution for small businesses.

A common additional benefit of MFPs is network capability. This means that staff can access the machine remotely, saving time, space, and money.

How should I choose a photocopier for my small business?

There are some things to consider when picking a photocopier for your small business, which we’ll highlight below.

Firstly, don’t focus on speed. A pacey photocopier is less important when there’s just a few people using it. Use your budget on more important features, such as higher volume capabilities, or better printing resolution.

Secondly, size matters. Small businesses usually come in like-sized spaces, so you don’t really want a bulky photocopier that takes up room which could be used for more desks. That’s why we’ve included smaller options in our definitive list.

Thirdly, as with all technology, you’re bound to encounter some issues that will need resolving quickly. That’s why you should consider a brand’s customer service offerings when picking a photocopier. The faster you can fix your problems, the sooner you can get back to growing your small business.

Small office copiers vs mid-large office copiers

Small businesses don’t always stay that size, so what should you do if your team outgrows your photocopier’s capabilities? It all starts with picking a model – so to avoid paying for a printer twice, make sure you plan for any scaling up. Below, we’ve highlighted some benefits of larger photocopiers…

As well as greater speed, larger copiers can work more closely with an office IT system. They offer a wider range of control when printing and scanning documents. The network can be accessed through the copier’s interface, with cost centres to allow for smart budgeting.

These copiers also offer the flexibility of copying double sided sheets in sizes up to A3. Furthermore, they can make administrative tasks much simpler with their ability to punch holes, collate items, fold, and bind.

Generally, these photocopier models will start at prices of £2,500, but may cost up to £9,000. This is likely to be well outside your small business’ purchasing budget, but not necessarily your monthly leasing budget.

Written by:
Dan’s a Senior Writer at Expert Market, specialising in digital marketing, web design, and photocopiers, amongst other topics.