Office Equipment

If you've searched for office printers recently, you've probably come across comments suggesting that Xerox isn't what it used to be. Some people even ask whether the company is going out of business.

Xerox doesn't dominate technology headlines the way it did decades ago, and today's office printing market looks very different from what it was 40 years ago. Businesses print fewer pages than they once did while digital document workflows have become the norm.

Given this, it's easy to assume that these changes mean Xerox is in decline.

As a print vendor for over 40 years, we've seen the printing industry change quite a bit. One thing we've learned is that a company doesn't have to dominate headlines to remain successful. Oftentimes, long-term success comes from adapting to changing customer needs rather than trying to stay in the spotlight.

In our opinion, that's exactly what's happened with Xerox.

A drop in print quality can be due to several factors, but if your Xerox VersaLink C500 or C505 printer is displaying a "Replace Drum” message, then this is most likely the cause.

Thankfully, replacing a drum is an easier maintenance task than it might seem.

Unlike toner cartridges, drums don't need to be replaced as often. Still, they play a critical role in the printing process. Over time, the drum will wear down through normal use and you may notice streaks, faded prints, recurring marks on the page, or get a maintenance alert from the printer tell you to replace it.

At Strategic Technology Partners of Texas (STPT), we've serviced thousands of Xerox printers over the past 40+ years. In this guide, our printer technician Matthew from The Printing Workshop will show you exactly how to replace the drums on a Xerox VersaLink C500 or C505 printer.

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When a printer starts jamming every other day or takes twice as long to finish a print job, it could be that your printer is simply getting old.

While replacing office equipment isn't something businesses plan to do often, holding onto a printer for too long can cost more than replacing it.

The thing is, there isn't a single lifespan that applies to every single printer. A home inkjet printer used a few times each month is different than a business MFP producing thousands of pages every week. The way a printer is used, maintained, and even the environment it's kept in all affect how long a printer will last.

Starting college often means buying new laptops, textbooks, dorm essentials, and countless other supplies. However, an often-overlooked item is the printer. For many students, having reliable access to a printer can make life a lot easier throughout the school year.

While most colleges offer campus printing services, those costs can add up quickly. According to many university printing programs, students often pay per page once they exceed their allotted print credits. If you're printing research papers, study guides, lecture notes, scholarship applications, and class projects, those small charges can add up over the course of a semester.

Convenience is another factor. A personal printer gives students the flexibility to print whenever they need to, whether that's from a dorm room, apartment, library study session, or shared living space.

When it comes to purchasing a printer, saving money is a top priority for most. This is especially true when you have a limited budget. But, you also don’t want to just purchase any cheap printer and have it break down when you most need it. You want a quality printer that won’t break the bank.

In this guide, we'll look at five of the best budget printers available in 2026 and explain who each model is best suited for. With 40+ years of experience in the printer/copier industry, we have broad knowledge of the various types of machines out there.

While we primarily work with businesses, we’ve evaluated printers across several brands and know what makes a printer both affordable and worthwhile.

While these may not be the only options available, they give you a good baseline of what's out there as you search for your next printer.

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