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If you buy a traditional office printer, you will likely need to buy upgrades for it at some point.
This could be anything from extra paper trays, stands, WIFI adapters, apps, etc.
There are a ton of extra accessories you can buy for your printer and that’s why it’s so important to learn about the options available because they do cost money.
If you don’t want to waste money on upgrades, it’s crucial to learn about the common accessories you can add to your printer so you can decide before buying whether it’s worth the investment.
We’ve been a print vendor for almost 40 years, and during that time, have learned a lot about the different ways you can add to your machine to make it more efficient and suitable for your workplace.
In this article, we’ll be listing six of the most common upgrades you can choose to add to your printer. We’ll be giving a description of each and a rough price range so you have a ballpark estimate of how much you can expect to pay for each accessory.
We specifically sell Xerox products and accessories, so the examples in this article will be from Xerox. The accessories are common enough that most other printer brands will have something similar, if not the exact same to offer.
All photos courtesy of Xerox.
6 Accessories You Can Buy to Upgrade Your Printer
Here are six of the most common accessories you can add to your office machine:
1. High-Capacity Paper Feeder
The first upgrade we will discuss in this article is a high-capacity feeder: If you find yourself constantly adding paper to your machine, you’re a great candidate for a high-capacity paper feeder.
A high-capacity paper feeder is an external upgrade that is installed on the paper path of printers/copiers. It essentially looks like an extra-large paper tray and can extend the paper capacity of the printer significantly, usually between 2,000-4,000 sheets.
High-capacity feeders are usually installed on machines that are going to be running at a heavy print volume. This saves you time from constantly loading new paper into the machine.
Cost: Can range from round $650 to over $1,400
Here is an example of a 4,000-sheet high-capacity feeder from Xerox:
2. Fax Card
Fax cards are an extra option that can be added to the back of the machine that gives you access to the fax app on the printer and gives you the ability to send and receive faxes.
If you’re a workgroup that constantly uses the fax function on an office machine, this would be a useful upgrade to add as it will save on the time it takes to fax documents.
If you have any questions about faxing, we have a blog answering four common faxing issues that you might find helpful.
Cost: Around $370-$750
3. Print Finisher
A finisher for your printer is an option that is best described as an “organizer” that is added to the end of the paper path.
They do all the end tasks that occur once the documents have been printed, such as stapling, folding, booklet-making, collating, and hole punching.
Finishers come in many different configurations and should be decided on by you and a business consultant based on your business needs.
The cost of finishers will largely depend on the type of machine you have and how many finishers you want to include. They can individually range from $600 to well into the thousands.
Read our blog on print finishers to learn more about pricing and specifics on the different types you can add to your machine.
Cost: Ranges from $600-$1,000+
Examples of finishers from Xerox:
4. Card Reader
Card readers are installed on the front of the printer and are programmed to allow access to the machine by scanning an ID badge.
They are usually utilized for security purposes to protect sensitive data from being exposed.
Card readers can also be used for print tracking, where authorized users can only use certain print functions in order to cut costs.
If you would like to learn more about print tracking and managing your print environment to control costs, read our blog on managed print services.
Cost: Around $189-$210
5. WIFI Adapter
A WIFI adapter connects to the back of the machine and gives you the ability to connect your printer to a wireless network and seamlessly integrate your technology for accessibility and remote printing.
This would be a good accessory to purchase if you needed to connect your printer to WIFI and didn’t have an adequate number of network drops in your office.
It’s also nice for workplaces that need to move the printer around the office frequently and want to ensure that they can print wirelessly.
If you would like some helpful tips on how to wirelessly print or scan documents from your phone, check out the blogs below:
Cost: Around $50
6. Printer Stand
As implied by the name, a printer stand goes under the machine and stands beneath the printer. They are typically used on smaller desktop (A4) machines and allow the device to rest at a comfortable working height for easier access and use if your workplace does not have a counter or desk to place it on.
Printer stands also serve as additional storage, with a small door on the front that opens to a storage compartment for extra sheets of paper or other supplies.
Cost: Around $250
Example of the Xerox VersaLink C7000 with a stand:
Other Printer Upgrades to Consider
The six upgrades listed in this article are some of the more common ones you can have included with your machine, either at the time of your purchase or whenever the need arises.
But they are far from the only extra accessories you can buy with your machine. The following are some of the other upgrades you can purchase for your printer:
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Extra paper trays
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Maintenance kits
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Fiery print servers for production machines
All of these upgrades serve different functions in a print environment, and if you want to make your workplace as efficient as possible, they could be worth looking into.
Need an Upgrade for Your Printer?
Now that you’ve seen some of the common upgrades you can include with your machine, which ones are right for you?
Our best advice as a long-time print vendor is to think of your current printing goals first: Would you like to have more paper storage on your machine? A finisher to automatically staple, hole-punch or collate documents? An adapter to connect to your WIFI network? An app that enhances productive document workflow?
From there, you can confer with a business consultant to decide which upgrades would be worth investing in. Although some upgrades are relatively cheap, like the WIFI adapter, some can be quite pricey---like the advanced finishers.
As a company with professionally trained consultants and technicians, we have the infrastructure in place to both advise and provide you with the equipment or accessories you need to better your print environment.
Whether it’s purchasing simple accessories or a new office machine, we operate by the same policy, which is to offer honest guidance to better your daily business operations.
Because at the end of the day, a printer should be the least of your worries in the workplace.
If you’re interested in an upgrade for your printer or print environment, reach out to us and we will work with you to find your ideal solution.
