Color Copiers

Copy true color images

Because black and white copiers have been so successful over the years, it was only natural that color copiers would eventually follow. All color copiers are digital and work similar to a computer scanner connected to a laser printer. There’s not really anything particularly different about a color copier other than the fact that it can copy a color document and print it in color.

Colored toner became available in the 1950s, however full color copiers didn’t hit the consumer market until 1968 when the 3M Company released the Color-in-Color photocopier. The first electrostatic color copier was released by the Canon Company in 1973. The four colors that are used in color copiers are cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, (CMYK) so the copier can render a true black. Each toner color usually comes in a separate container so you can replace the colors as they run out.

High end copiers apply all four colors in a single application while low end models take four passes of the same image. In the latter method the copier rolls the paper around the drum four times to apply each color separately. This method is less expensive, but it takes longer to make copies.

Some standard features on color copiers include border erasing, image centering, color adjustment, and color balancing. Some models offer various editing functions such as colorizing, which enables you to create color copies from black and white originals. Color copiers can also create excellent black and white documents. Be aware that a color copy will take longer to process than a black and white one.

Color copiers are also available in network copier, printer fax copier and multifunction copier [Multifunction Copiers] versions and you can also rent and purchase refurbished color copiers.

Most color copiers are used to copy images, and graphics instead of text. The copying quality of some color photocopiers is so clear and accurate that they have been known to make excellent counterfeit money. In fact, color photocopying has been of concern to some governments as it makes counterfeiting currency much simpler to do. Some countries have brought in anti-counterfeiting measures into their currency to specifically to make it harder to counterfeit money with a color copier. These tactics include watermarks, microprinting, holograms, small security strips, and ink that seems to change color as the currency is held at a certain angle. It has actually gotten to the point where some copiers have special software in them that prevents the copying of bills (money) that contain a special pattern.

If you happen to get tempted to counterfeit money using your color copier, you can forget about it! Many copiers can be traced by the imperfections in their output. The mechanical tolerances of the toner and the paper feed mechanisms create banding, which contains information about the individual copier’s mechanical properties. It is usually easy to identify the manufacturer and the brand of the copier, and in some cases, the individual unit can be identified. Some top of the line copiers can even embed their identification code into the copied pages as very fine and almost invisible patterns.