5 Things You Didn’t Know Multi-Function Copiers Could Do

In the past, photocopiers were pretty specialized devices. They did one thing and were generally engineered to do that one thing very well – copying documents.

Decades of engineering talent and a clear market incentive for multi-function copiers have combined to create machines that do much more than just copy documents.

These machines are sometimes called, more descriptive, multi-function devices, since they can print, scan, copy, and even fax documents.

However, these are all functions you would expect from a multi-function device.

The latest generation of multi-function devices offers additional options for finishing documents – for organizing them in an efficient, ready-to-use way.

Introducing Document Finishers

Document finishers are incredibly useful modules that connect to multi-function copiers and give them time-saving capabilities. Here are five things you probably didn’t know your copier can do with these add-ons:

1. Staple and Hole Punch Documents

If your office or institution still requires people to staple or hole punch their own documents, you are missing out on important efficiency-improving technology. Modern printers and copiers can staple documents themselves, using automated processes to make the resulting documents more durable and giving them a professional appearance.

2. Creating Booklets

The process of turning a document into a booklet requires using a saddle stitch finisher. This puts a centered staple in a batch of documents and then folds them into booklet format. This is ideal for creating welcome booklets.

3. Integrate with Mobile, Email, and Cloud Services

Office technology is rapidly transitioning to a paperless environment. Part of that transition involves taking paper documents and transforming them into digital ones. To do this, today’s photocopiers integrate with networks to send and receive documents through the Internet. Now, you can scan images of documents to mail, and even convert them into editable PDFs in the process. You can print images and documents right off your mobile phone, or make physical copies of digital documents located on a cloud-based platform like Google Docs.

4. Fold Documents from your copier

If you have ever tried to make a simple, image-heavy business flyer, you know that reliably folding a large number of individual papers gets boring fast. Not only that, but it’s very hard to maintain consistent quality when manually folding pages – for every one that comes out looking right, it seems like two or three are just a few millimeters shy of a perfect fold.

Finishing modules can fold papers in a variety of ways, using repeatable, mechanized actions to create perfectly consistent folds. You can create Z-shaped folds or folds designed to fit inside envelopes with ease.

5. Create Mail-Ready Envelopes

You don’t need a specialized envelope printer to make hundreds of mail-ready envelopes.

Multi-function copiers with envelope-printing capabilities can print images directly onto envelopes, including address information that changes from envelope to envelope.
This takes a huge amount of time out of the process of starting a direct mail campaign, either for marketing or institutional purposes.

You don’t have to hand-write the address of every mail recipient onto your envelopes – let a multi-function printer do it for you.
Use Case – Stapling Documents with the Konica Bizhub

For instance, the Konica Bizhub series of multi-function printers can automatically staple documents before it deposits them in its output tray.

It can staple up to 100 documents at a time using the FS-535 stapling finisher. This device supports everything from plain paper to thick card stock and makes creating professional-looking documents simple.

To staple a document, all you need to do is follow these steps on Windows:

1. Go to File and select Print
2. Select the Properties tab
3. 3-Click on the Finish tab
4. Checkmark Staple and select the appropriate position
5. Select OK and print

With a few simple clicks, you’re able to save valuable time otherwise spent laboriously hand-stapling sheets of paper together. You’re avoiding the risk of poorly stapled papers shuffling loose and ensuring that your finished document comes out looking perfect.