A copier is a photocopying device that enables people to create copies of a document or a photograph, which are not too cheap. Copiers use a similar xerography process to that used on a laser printer. Occasionally copier’s machines print quicker than multifunction printers, but with short runs you’ll be hard pressed to find a difference. If it comes to pace, if you make a thousand copies of a single document, the copier can beat out the multifunction tool. Copiers were an alternative to printers, which were originally expensive and time consuming.

Printing makes use of more ink and toner to produce vivid images. More toner is used during copying to create a less vivid image of the original. It is easier to photocopy. When time is a factor and not the price, this is how the project will be replicated. It is however best for small amounts and people who are budget-conscious too.

Photocopiers do not use liquid ink; they are using what is called toner, a dry powder stored in a tube. While the process is somewhat complex, it’s basically a combination of light, heat, and static power. Photocopiers use light in ultra-simple terms to illuminate the image or copy text, and then add a positive charge to the toner, while the page itself bears a negative charge to attract toner. The charged toner hops to the page when the toner is glued to the paper by heat.