When it comes to production printing equipment, Xerox remains a top brand with a loyal following, and for good reason.
In Part II of our Xerox series, we’re sharing the 10 reasons why Xerox is in a league of its own when it comes to production printing.
Compared to traditional offset printing, the term “digital” can sometimes have a negative connotation. Yet many print operators and their clients alike comment that today’s digitally produced prints look as good as offset especially on a Xerox press.
One of the main reasons that digital prints may look so good is because production printers are almost always paired with internal and external print controllers that ensure image quality. A print controller, or RIP (raster image processor), is a dedicated server, either standalone or embedded in a printer, that processes the print and color data. Print controllers allow for advanced color management, custom workflows, and advanced print settings. Some of the big names in Xerox RIPs are EFI (Electronics for Imaging) and Creo.
GMC automobile manufacturer isn’t the only one touting the “professional-grade” classification. Take a look under any Xerox hood and you will quickly notice a significant difference from its competitors -- most all of the internal parts that make up a Xerox production printer are made of metal and built to withstand heavy use. If there is plastic on a Xerox printer, it’s the heavy-duty kind, and usually only found on the exterior.
Finishing (any function performed after a page is printed) your print job “in-line” always saves time. From “File, Print” directly to your finished product, the entire job is done in one motion. No need to remove the paper and take it to another machine to staple or punch, everything happens in one complete pass through the machine, end to end. There's an endless array of applications available on your Xerox press to help you finish any kind of print job, from full-bleed booklets and square spines to hole punching, stapling, stacking, inserting, folding and more.
Xerox manufactures heavy duty production equipment, so all the machines come with highly rated duty cycles capable of accepting complex variable data print jobs from whatever RIP it’s paired with. You might think you can achieve transactional printing because you bought a piece of software to do so, but can the machine itself handle the data flow and still crank out the pages at the unit’s manufacturer rated speed? All too often, when technology is not paired properly with a print engine, operators witness data bottlenecks where the engine can’t keep up with the speed of the software.
In 2017, Xerox launched its revolutionary product platform, ConnectKey – turning printers and multifunction devices into smart, connected workplace assistants both in-house and in the Cloud. Users can browse, select, and install ready-to-use ConnectKey Apps for enabled MFPs right from the company’s App Gallery and add new features to their devices they may not have otherwise had.
“Today we are on the cusp of a set of radical changes where technology at the intersection of the physical and the digital can make a huge difference in how work gets done,” said Steve Hoover, chief technology officer of Xerox, upon acceptance of the 2018 Top 100 Global Technology Leader award last year.
In the world of production, uptime is the number one priority. Yet, because of their professional grade design, most of the competitor’s products require highly skilled technicians for service. Not always with Xerox. With Xerox Smart Kits, the power is in the operator’s hands for commonly replaced parts, or Customer Replaceable Units (CRUs). In one easy step, operators can save time by replacing select parts on their own, and have their printers up and running within minutes, instead of whenever the service technician can arrive.
Xerox has always been at the forefront of innovation and technology so it’s no surprise they seek to partner with like-minded companies, eager to learn and support their products. As an end-user, production users can join the Xerox Premier Partners Global Network for exclusive access to peer-to-peer networking, education, best practices, and regional events around the world.
Benchmark's products come with our Unduplicated Promise. Our Unduplicated Promise (UP) to you is your satisfaction, guaranteed. Through Benchmark's "UP" program, if you are not completely satisfied with your Benchmark equipment, tell us. Benchmark will evaluate your needs, and upon approval, replace your equipment with an identical or comparable model at our cost.*
An increasing issue in modern business is security. Benchmark is focused, now more than ever, on the idea that our printers and smart devices are externally connected, leaving an organization’s network more vulnerable. Benchmark works with compliance-testing organizations and security industry leaders, such as McAfee and Cisco, to enhance and protect devices with the latest security standards.
All too often in the office equipment industry, service providers cut corners and try to convince a customer that their service prices are low by using generic parts and supplies. While the parts may be cost less to acquire, the customer ultimately pays the price when they don’t hold up. To ensure that they are delivering the highest level of performance and reliability, Xerox and its certified resellers, use only Xerox original equipment manufactured (OEM) parts and supplies so you can be sure you are getting the best back in your equipment.
In the end, while many production products may look the same on paper, selecting the right product requires a deeper look. To learn more about Xerox, or to schedule a time to talk about how Xerox could help your organization, contact us.