Printing with Camelott® Print securely from anywhere. Scan straight to SharePoint or Google Drive. Keep important jobs moving when printers get busy. We make printing and scanning work around your business. Cloud & remote printingMicrosoft 365Google WorkspaceSecure managed print Discuss your workflow ↗Explore what we can do ↓ One team. Printing and scanning solutions built around your workplace. Toshiba GOLD PartnerEquipment & appsCamelott® ServerManaged printingMicrosoft & GoogleConnected workflowsCamelott® supportSetup & ongoing care A better way to print, scan and work. You don’t need to know which app, printer or server you need. Tell us what takes too long, what keeps going wrong, or what you’d like your staff to be able to do. We’ll bring the right pieces together. WORK ANYWHERE Print beyond the office Send work to an authorised office printer while working from home, another site or out on the road. LESS FILING Scan into the right folder Put paperwork into SharePoint, OneDrive or Google Drive without emailing it to yourself first. KEEP MOVING Make the best use of your printers Organise print queues, assign suitable devices and create backup routes for busy departments. BETTER SECURITY Keep confidential printing private Use appropriate authentication, print-release options and permissions for different teams. FASTER DOCUMENTS Make scans searchable Use OCR and selected document-recognition applications to reduce manual naming and filing. ONE CONTACT Get help from Camelott® One team can help choose equipment, configure printing and scanning, and support the setup. Get the document to the right printer. Printing shouldn’t stop being straightforward when someone leaves the building, changes desks or works across more than one site. The Camelott® Server helps us give customers one organised print environment. Print from almost anywhere. A member of staff can send a document securely to an authorised company queue without sitting at a desk inside the office. We configure the workflow to suit where your team works and where the output is needed. Suitable for hybrid teams and multi-site businesses Authorised users and encrypted submission No need to email files to the office just so somebody else can print them Provided by the Camelott® Server Example: A director working from home sends a signed document to the main office printer. The right print queue for each team. Accounts, sales, schools and production teams do not all print in the same way. We can organise their printer access so each department has an agreed route instead of a confusing collection of machine names. Shared queues for staff, departments or sites Permissions and sensible device choices Fewer everyday print-routing decisions for staff Example: Accounts sees an approved accounts queue while the warehouse has a separate production queue. Make space for busy days. When you rely on high-volume printing, we can design primary and secondary printer arrangements. The objective is to spread work sensibly and give teams an alternative when a machine is busy or unavailable. Priority devices and designated alternatives A practical option for multi-device and production environments Flexibility as workloads change Example: A manufacturer uses its primary mono devices first and keeps prepared backup devices available for overflow. Print it when you are ready. Sensitive work should not sit openly on a shared printer. Where supported by the chosen machine and print-management configuration, secure release can hold jobs until an authorised user arrives. PIN, card or other supported authentication options Less confidential output left unattended Useful for schools, offices and sensitive departments Camelott® print management + compatible device release options Example: An HR manager releases employee paperwork only when standing at the printer. Stop moving the same document three times. For many businesses, the problem isn’t scanning a document. It’s what happens afterwards: emailing it, downloading it, renaming it and finding the right folder. On compatible Toshiba e-STUDIO devices, e-BRIDGE Plus apps can take you directly to the service your team already uses. Scan straight to SharePoint or OneDrive. Staff can choose the appropriate authorised destination on the Toshiba touchscreen. A signed contract can go into the shared project library, or a document can go into a user’s OneDrive for Business. Less emailing and re-uploading Shared files stay in the folders your teams already use Supported cloud documents can also be opened for printing Toshiba e-BRIDGE Plus + Microsoft 365 Example: A property team scans a signed agreement directly to its SharePoint job folder. Put paperwork straight into Google Drive. For schools and businesses using Google Workspace, compatible Toshiba apps let authorised users scan straight to Google Drive and work with the appropriate folders from the machine. Useful for Google Workspace schools and companies Organised documents in shared Drive locations Gmail workflows available where the relevant app is configured Toshiba e-BRIDGE Plus + Google Workspace Example: A school office scans an approved administrative form into its authorised Google Drive folder. Still want scan-to-email? Of course. We also configure ordinary scan-to-email, scan-to-folder and standard network workflows where these are the sensible choice. Microsoft 365 and Google integrations are not mandatory for every customer. Sometimes ordinary scan-to-email is enough. If you only send an occasional scan to another person, email is still useful. When people scan the same type of paperwork daily, filing it directly in SharePoint or another library can save repeated work. Choose email when the recipient simply needs a copy Choose cloud filing when the organisation needs a shared record We help select the practical approach, not the most complicated one Example: A supplier invoice is scanned directly into the accounts library instead of moving through two inboxes. SCANpaper document → EMAILreceive attachment → DOWNLOADrename & file SCANpaper document → SHAREPOINTdirect to agreed folderEmail is useful for occasional scans; direct filing removes repeated steps. Don’t just scan the page. Make it useful. When documents keep piling up, small changes to the capture process can make a big difference. With suitable Toshiba OCR, barcode and capture applications, Camelott® can help make documents easier to search, sort and file. Find the document, not just the folder. Optical character recognition (OCR) makes supported scanned documents searchable. Some

5 Ways to Improve Print Quality Before blaming the printer, check the driver, file, paper, cleaning and worn parts If you want to improve print quality, do not immediately assume the printer or photocopier needs replacing. The driver, source document, paper, machine settings, cleaning and worn components can all make a noticeable difference to the finished page. See the 5 Print Quality Checks Quick answer: poor print quality is not always a hardware fault. Start by checking the correct manufacturer driver, the resolution and quality of the source file, the paper and media settings, built-in cleaning or calibration routines, and the condition of image-quality components such as drums, transfer units, developer, fusers or print heads. The complete print path Good Print Quality Is More Than the Printer Specification A printer specification might tell you resolution and speed. It does not tell you how a real document will look when the complete print path is taken into account. FileOriginal quality and resolution DriverPCL, PostScript or manufacturer driver SettingsQuality, colour and media selection PaperGSM, surface and media type Print EngineHow ink or toner reaches the page MaintenanceCleaning, calibration and parts 01 Install the Correct Printer Driver This is one of the easiest opportunities to miss. A printer that appears in Windows and successfully produces a page is not necessarily configured with the best driver for that device. If you simply search for a printer and click Add device, Windows may install an IPP or other generic driver. That can be useful for basic printing, but it may expose fewer device-specific controls than the manufacturer’s full driver. print-resolution and image-quality settings; colour-management options; paper and media types; finishing such as stapling or booklet making; secure print and user authentication; device-specific tray and accessory settings; and advanced graphics or PDF handling. PCL Drivers PCL is widely used for normal office printing and can be an excellent choice for everyday business documents. Exact functionality varies by manufacturer, model and operating system. PostScript Drivers PostScript can be useful with graphics, PDFs and applications that rely heavily on page rendering. It is not automatically better for every document or every printer. The important point: do not assume that because the computer can print, the printer is set up properly. Check the manufacturer-supported drivers for the exact model and choose the one that suits the applications and features being used. 02 Check the Quality of the Original File A printer cannot recreate detail that is missing from the original document. Images & Logos Low-resolution images can become soft, pixelated or jagged when enlarged. Use the best original artwork available rather than a small image copied from a website or screenshot. PDFs & Compression Heavy compression can remove detail before the document ever reaches the printer. Export important documents at a quality suitable for print rather than screen viewing alone. Scanned Documents If the source is a scan, start with a suitable scan resolution, clean original and sensible file format. A poor scan limits the quality of every copy printed from it. Increasing the printer’s resolution cannot restore information that was already lost from the original file. Improve the source first, then use the printer’s quality settings. 03 Use the Right Paper and Media Settings GSM matters, but it is only part of the story. Paper surface, coating, brightness, whiteness, moisture and how the sheet accepts toner or ink can all change the finished result. Put the wrong paper into a printer, or tell the printer the wrong media type, and you can see differences in colour, sharpness, density, solid fills, photographs and duplex quality. Read the Printer Paper Guide 1200 × 1200 dpi Does Not Mean Identical Output Two machines can quote the same nominal print resolution and still produce noticeably different results. The print engine, toner or ink, image processing, colour management, calibration, driver and paper all influence what reaches the page. Some Colours Are Much Harder Than Others Certain purples, subtle gradients and human skin tones can expose differences between devices very quickly. If accurate or attractive colour matters, test your own documents on the machine rather than relying on the specification sheet alone. If colour accuracy is business-critical, ask the supplier to print representative files on the actual proposed device and paper. A real output sample can tell you more than a headline dpi figure. 04 Run the Correct Cleaning and Calibration Process If a printer produced good-quality output when it was installed but the quality has gradually deteriorated, maintenance should be one of the first things you check. Inkjet Maintenance Depending on the model, maintenance may include nozzle checks, print-head cleaning, alignment or other manufacturer routines. Partially blocked nozzles can cause missing colours, banding or inconsistent output. Toner-Based Maintenance Multifunction photocopiers may include colour calibration, registration adjustment, drum or transfer cleaning and other image-quality routines. Some are automatic; others require a user or engineer. Use the maintenance process intended for the exact model. Repeatedly running cleaning cycles without diagnosing the cause can waste consumables, particularly on inkjet equipment. 05 Check Whether Image-Quality Parts Are Worn or Due for Maintenance A printer or photocopier is a mechanical system. Components wear, and some of those components have a direct effect on the quality of the image reaching the page. Toner / Laser Components Depending on the machine, drums, developer units, transfer belts, transfer rollers, fusers and imaging units can all affect image quality as they wear or become contaminated. Inkjet Components Print heads, maintenance assemblies and ink-delivery components can affect line quality, colour consistency and nozzle performance, depending on the printer design. Typical Symptoms Lines, bands, faded areas, uneven colour, repeated marks, poor registration, inconsistent density or toner that is not fixing correctly can all point towards maintenance or worn parts. Check the maintenance information for the exact model rather than replacing parts by guesswork. Some items are normal consumables; others should be diagnosed and replaced by an engineer. What we see in real offices Poor Print Quality Does Not Always Mean You Need a

Printer Paper GuideHow Paper Affects Print Quality, Jams & Reliability This printer paper guide explains how paper weight, thickness, surface, moisture, grain, storage and loading affect an office printer or photocopier. The right paper and settings can improve feeding, print quality, duplexing and finishing without changing the machine. Paper Jam Troubleshooting GSM is not thicknessWeight, caliper and stiffness are different properties Settings matterTray and driver settings should match the media Storage mattersMoisture and temperature changes can distort paper Paper is part of the systemThe cheapest ream is not always the cheapest paper to use Good starting point: 80gsmThen match the paper to the job and the machine The short answer What Is the Best Paper for an Office Printer? For normal office printing, a consistent, good-quality 80gsm plain paper is usually the best starting point. It should be within the printer manufacturer’s specification, stored flat and dry, loaded squarely, and matched to the correct paper type in the machine and print driver. That does not mean 80gsm is automatically right for every job. Customer-facing documents may look better on 90–100gsm stock; presentations may justify heavier paper; high-volume inkjet may benefit from paper chosen specifically for its absorption and surface; and booklets, labels, envelopes or glossy media all introduce their own handling requirements. In this guide Paper Is More Than Just GSM Why paper causes printer jams What GSM really means GSM vs thickness and stiffness Paper settings in the printer and driver Inkjet paper vs laser paper Brightness, whiteness and opacity Paper grain direction Paper storage, moisture and acclimatisation Surface, coating and cut quality Paper dust and high-volume printing Labels, envelopes and specialist media Duplexing, scanning and finishing Paper cost and total cost per page Paper-jam troubleshooting checklist Printer paper FAQ Start with the basics Why Does Printer Paper Cause Paper Jams? Not every paper jam means there is a fault with the printer. A modern office machine has to separate one sheet from a stack, pick it up, keep it straight, transport it through rollers and sensors, print on it and then, in many cases, duplex, staple, fold or sort it. Paper condition affects every stage of that path. Weight, stiffness, curl, surface finish, moisture, static, cut quality and the way the tray guides are positioned can all influence whether the next sheet enters the machine cleanly. Load the Paper Squarely Paper should sit flat and square inside the tray. If the stack starts at an angle, it can enter the paper path skewed. A small misalignment at the pickup point can become a crease, registration problem or jam further through the machine. Set the Paper Guides Correctly The side and rear guides should touch the stack closely enough to locate it, but not squeeze or bow the paper. Guides that are too loose let the stack move. Guides that are too tight can distort the edges and make feeding more difficult. Do Not Overfill the Tray The maximum-fill mark is there because the pickup and separation system needs room to work. Forcing extra paper into a cassette can encourage double-feeds, misfeeds and jams. This becomes even more important with heavier paper because the same number of sheets creates a physically deeper stack. Should You Fan Printer Paper Before Loading It? Often, yes—but follow the instructions for the machine and media. Some manufacturers, including Epson, instruct users to fan ordinary paper for particular models and media, which can help separate sheets that are clinging together. Epson also warns against fanning or curling some photo papers because the printable surface can be damaged. Practical rule: for ordinary office paper, gently separate and square the stack if the machine guidance recommends it. Do not assume every coated, photo or specialist media should be handled the same way. Paper weight explained What Does GSM Mean on Printer Paper? GSM means grams per square metre. It is the grammage of the paper: the mass of one square metre of that material. ISO 536 is the international standard that specifies how paper and board grammage is determined. In everyday terms, a higher GSM usually means a heavier, more substantial sheet. But GSM is only one part of the story. Typical weight Common office use What to consider 70–75gsm Lightweight internal printing Lower weight, but potentially more show-through and less stiffness. 80gsm General office printing A sensible everyday starting point for many printers and photocopiers. 90–100gsm Letters, quotes, reports and presentations More substantial feel; check tray and duplex specifications. 120–160gsm Presentations, covers and promotional work May require a specific tray, media type or slower print process. 200gsm+ Card and specialist work Machine-, tray-, duplex- and finishing limits become critical. The important point is not to choose a paper just because a number on the packet looks suitable. Check what the specific printer, tray, duplex unit and finisher are designed to handle. A commonly missed distinction GSM Is Not the Same as Paper Thickness GSM is useful, but it doesn’t tell you how thick or stiff the paper actually is. GSM measures the weight of the paper. Caliper describes its physical thickness. Two papers can both be 100gsm but still have a different thickness, stiffness, surface and even feed differently through the same printer. A bulky uncoated sheet, for example, can be thicker than a more compressed coated paper of exactly the same GSM. This matters because pickup rollers, bends in the paper path, duplex units and finishing equipment don’t react to weight alone. For unusual paper, ask three questions: What is the GSM? How thick and stiff is it? And is the tray and paper path designed to handle it? Is 80gsm or 100gsm Better? Neither is automatically better. Good 80gsm paper is usually ideal for high-volume everyday office work because it balances cost, storage, duplexing and handling. 100gsm can feel more substantial and may improve presentation, but it uses more storage space, increases finished document thickness and can reduce finisher capacity. Tell the machine what you loaded Why the Correct Paper Setting Matters

Short-Term Photocopier Rental Monthly office photocopier rental from one month Short-term photocopier rental from Camelott® is available from as little as one month, billed monthly without a conventional multi-year equipment finance commitment. It is designed for organisations that need a proper business photocopier for a temporary or uncertain period. Ask About Short-Term Rental Quick answer: short-term rental can suit film and production locations, construction sites, temporary offices, new businesses and other organisations that need office print, copy and scan equipment without committing to a conventional multi-year lease. From One Month For genuinely short requirements Billed Monthly No multi-year finance agreement required UK Coverage Subject to location and equipment requirement Can Continue Monthly While the agreed requirement remains Who Uses Short-Term Photocopier Rental? Short-term rental works best where an organisation needs proper office print, copy and scan equipment, but the expected requirement does not justify a conventional multi-year finance term. FILM Film Studios & Production Locations A production may need an office photocopier only while cast, crew or production staff are working at a particular location. Monthly rental avoids carrying equipment after the production moves on. SITE Construction & Temporary Sites Building companies can rent a photocopier for the life of a site or project rather than committing that temporary requirement to a long equipment finance term. NEW New Businesses A new business may need professional office equipment before it has the trading history or credit profile required for conventional lease finance. Rental can provide another route, subject to the individual arrangement. 1M+ Known Short-Term Requirements Rental can suit organisations expecting to relocate, restructure, close a temporary office or operate from a location for a limited period. How Short-Term Monthly Rental Works Specify the equipment around the real requirement, rent it for the period needed and avoid entering a longer finance agreement purely to obtain an office photocopier. Rental can start from one month. This can suit temporary sites, productions, projects and uncertain requirements. Rental is billed monthly. The customer pays for the agreed rental period rather than entering a conventional multi-year equipment finance agreement. Rental can continue month by month. Where the requirement remains, the arrangement can continue under the agreed rental terms. The equipment is specified around the job. A3 or A4, speed, scanning, paper capacity and finishing should reflect what users actually need. Technical setup can be included. Printing, scanning, networking and user requirements can be configured around the rented equipment where agreed. Short-term does not mean under-specified. A temporary requirement can still need a capable office photocopier with proper scanning, networking, paper handling and support. Rent, Lease or Buy? The right option depends on how long the equipment is needed, how certain that requirement is and whether ownership or longer-term finance makes commercial sense. Short-Term Rental Suits temporary, project-based or uncertain requirements where avoiding a multi-year finance commitment is important. Photocopier Leasing Suits a stable multi-year requirement where the organisation wants to spread the equipment cost over an agreed finance term. Buy a Photocopier Suits organisations with available capital that want to own new or professionally prepared used equipment rather than rent or finance it. Compare Buy, Lease & Rental Equipment, Installation & Technical Support The technology around the photocopier matters as much as the physical machine. The exact installation and support included should be agreed for the individual rental. Office Photocopiers A3 and A4 equipment selected around the actual print, copy and scan requirement. Delivery & Installation Delivery, positioning and initial configuration can be planned around the site. Printing & Scanning Drivers, network printing, scanning and appropriate workflows can be configured where required. Ongoing Support Service and technical support can continue while the equipment remains on rental under the agreed terms. What Should Be Clear Before the Machine Arrives? exact make, model and equipment condition; minimum rental period and monthly charge; delivery, installation and collection arrangements; mono and colour print charges where applicable; service, parts, labour and toner inclusions; IT and scanning configuration included; what happens if the rental needs to continue; and what happens when the equipment is returned. Short-Term Photocopier Rental Around the UK Camelott® provides monthly rental arrangements for customers around the UK. Suitability depends on the equipment requirement, location, rental period and support needed at the site. Whether the requirement is a film location, construction project, temporary office, new business or another short-term operational need, the equipment and support should be specified around the real site rather than forcing the requirement into a standard long-term package. Short-Term Photocopier Rental FAQs Can I rent a photocopier for just one month? Yes. Camelott® offers short-term photocopier rental from as little as one month. Rental is billed monthly and does not require a conventional multi-year equipment finance commitment. Can I continue renting after the first month? Yes. Where the requirement continues, the rental can continue month by month under the agreed rental terms. Is short-term rental the same as photocopier leasing? No. A conventional photocopier lease normally involves an agreed multi-year equipment finance term. Short-term rental can start from one month and is billed monthly instead. Do you rent photocopiers to film and production companies? Yes. Short-term rental can suit film studios and production teams that need office print, copy and scan equipment only while working at a particular location. Can construction companies rent a photocopier for one site? Yes. A building company can rent equipment for the period a particular site or project is active rather than carrying a long finance agreement after the site requirement ends. Can a new business rent if it cannot get a lease? Short-term rental can be an option for a new business that needs office equipment but cannot yet obtain conventional lease finance. Suitability depends on the individual requirement and rental arrangement. Is short-term photocopier rental available across the UK? Yes. Camelott® provides monthly photocopier rental for customers around the UK, subject to equipment availability, location, expected usage and the support required. Can printing and scanning be configured on a rented machine? Yes. Appropriate printing, scanning, networking

How to Choose a Photocopier Supplier in Shropshire 4 checks before you sign a photocopier agreement Knowing how to choose a photocopier supplier in Shropshire starts with four checks: operating base, review history, independent testimonials and clear contract terms. Check minimum billing, CPC increases and recurring charges before signing a three-, four- or five-year agreement. Read the 4 Checks The short answer How do you choose a photocopier supplier? Check the supplier’s real operating base, review history, customer testimonials and written contract terms. Then compare the machine, service, CPC, support and total cost — not just the monthly rental. Check where the supplier actually operates. A registered address does not tell you where machines are prepared, engineers work from or parts and toner are held. Read the history behind the star rating. Dates, detail and the spread of reviews over time can tell you more than the headline score alone. Check who is behind important testimonials. Independent customer feedback carries different weight from praise written by somebody connected to the supplier. Get the commercial protections in writing. Minimum billing, CPC increases, admin fees, delivery, setup, networking and end-of-term obligations should be clear before you sign. After more than 23 years working with photocopier agreements, one lesson is consistent: a low monthly payment can still become an expensive deal if the service structure, specification or contract is wrong. Four checks before signing Four things to check before choosing a photocopier supplier These checks are useful for directors, office managers, procurement teams, school business managers and headteachers comparing suppliers in Telford, Shropshire or further afield. 01 Does the supplier have a real operating base? Establish where the business actually works from and where equipment, engineers, parts and technical resources are based. 02 Do the reviews show a genuine history? Look at dates, detail and the spread of feedback over time rather than relying only on the average star rating. 03 Are the testimonials genuinely independent? Check whether important endorsements come from identifiable customers and whether any connection to the supplier is disclosed. 04 Are the important protections in writing? Understand minimum billing, CPC increases, extra charges, agreement length and exit obligations before the contract is signed. Check 1 • Where does the business operate? Does the supplier have a real operating base? For a three-to-five-year equipment and service relationship, it is reasonable to understand what sits behind the address on the quotation. Ask one simple question Where does the company actually work from? A registered, virtual or correspondence address can be completely legitimate. It may still tell you very little about where the day-to-day print operation is based. If you are considering a long-term agreement, asking where machines are prepared and where engineers and stock are based is sensible due diligence. Why an operating base matters A photocopier supplier may need space for machines awaiting preparation, used equipment being inspected, engineers, toner, spare parts, tools, demonstrations and installation work. Commercial premises do not guarantee good service, but they give you something tangible to verify and help you understand how the supplier supports customers after the sale. Is the Telford address an operating office? A company can legitimately use a registered office, serviced office, virtual office or managed correspondence address. The important point is clarity about what that address represents. If a supplier describes itself as Telford based, ask whether staff and engineers work there, whether equipment is prepared there and whether customers can visit. Can customers visit the address and meet the supplier there? Are company staff normally based at the location? Are engineers, equipment, parts or toner held there? Is the business visibly identifiable at the premises? Can the supplier show where machines are prepared before delivery? Does the website clearly describe what the published address is used for? What to verify: a managed, serviced or home address is not automatically a problem. What matters is whether the supplier is clear about where the actual service operation is based and whether that setup can support your needs. Ask whether you can visit For a significant lease or fleet decision, ask whether you can visit the supplier, meet the team and see how equipment is prepared. Can you visit the operating premises? Can you see new or used machines where appropriate? Can you test touchscreen usability and scanning? Where are machines configured before installation? Where are the engineers based? Are common parts and toner stocked locally? Check 2 • Look beyond the headline score Do the reviews show a genuine customer history? A five-star rating is useful, but the dates and detail behind the score can tell you much more about the consistency of the service. Read the dates as well as the stars Reviews rarely arrive in a perfectly even pattern. A legitimate request campaign can create a temporary increase, so a cluster of reviews is not proof of anything by itself. The useful question is whether the wider timeline shows sustained customer feedback. How far back do the reviews go? Compare the review history with how long the company says it has traded. Are reviews spread over months and years? A sustained history gives more context than one short burst. Do customers mention real work? Installations, engineers, scanning, faults and long-term support provide useful detail. Do the reviews sound like different customers? Genuine feedback normally varies in length, language and subject. What happens when you sort by date? The timeline can reveal patterns hidden by the average rating. Worth checking: if a large number of five-star reviews appears on the same day or within a very short period, ask how they were collected. There may be a perfectly reasonable explanation, but one burst should not be mistaken for years of consistent customer experience. Use reviews as evidence of customer experience, not as a substitute for checking the supplier, the service and the contract. Check 3 • Check who is giving the endorsement Are the testimonials genuinely independent? Testimonials and case studies are useful when you can understand who gave

Cheap Photocopiers How to find the best-value deal without buying the wrong machine Cheap photocopiers should mean the lowest sensible total cost for the work you actually need to do — not simply the lowest purchase price or monthly lease. Compare the specification, running costs, reliability, service and contract terms before deciding which machine is genuinely cheapest. Compare My Photocopier Costs What makes a photocopier genuinely cheap? The cheapest sensible option is the machine that can reliably handle your real workload at the lowest total cost. That could be a small new A4 device, a larger machine with a lower running cost, a professionally prepared used photocopier — or keeping what you already have if replacement does not yet make commercial sense. By Jason Blair Managing Director, Camelott® 23+ years in the photocopier and printer industry What this guide covers Why cheap can cost more Ink, toner and cost per copy Getting the specification right The danger of like-for-like renewals Used vs new photocopiers Contract traps and annual increases Minimum billing The value of the salesperson Lease rates and finance Cheap photocopier checklist Frequently asked questions Need a different photocopier guide? To understand why machine prices vary, read What Affects Photocopier Prices?. If you already have a quotation, use our Photocopier Quote Comparison. For second-hand equipment, see Buying Used Photocopiers. The First Mistake: Treating “Cheap” as the Lowest Purchase Price After more than two decades selling printers and photocopiers, one thing is very clear: the purchase price is only one part of what a photocopier really costs. I understand why businesses start with price. If two quotations land on your desk and one machine is cheaper, that quotation naturally gets your attention. The problem is that a photocopier is not a product you buy and then stop paying for. It will consume toner, require maintenance, process thousands of pages, use parts and, in many cases, sit inside a three-, four- or five-year agreement. A machine that saves you money on day one can therefore cost considerably more by year five. Conversely, a machine that costs a little more at the start can sometimes repay that difference many times over through a lower cost per print, better reliability or a specification that fits the job properly. The question is not: “What is the cheapest photocopier?”It is: “Which photocopier gives me the lowest sensible total cost for the job I actually need to do?” This is usually described as total cost of ownership, or TCO. In practical terms, I want to know what the customer is likely to spend on the equipment, finance, service, toner and printing over the time they expect to keep the machine. Real photocopier cost = equipment + finance + service + running costs + extras + the cost of getting the specification wrong For a detailed breakdown of the individual variables behind machine pricing, see what affects photocopier prices. This guide focuses on how a buyer uses those factors to find the best-value deal. Ink, Toner & Maintenance Can Cost More Than the Photocopier The running cost is one of the biggest reasons a supposedly cheap photocopier can become expensive. With enough volume, the amount you spend producing pages can exceed the original cost of the machine. Smaller printers and photocopiers can have an attractive ticket price, but the consumables can be comparatively expensive. Larger business machines often cost more to acquire, yet may be designed around lower running costs because they are expected to process more pages. That does not mean bigger is automatically better. If you only print a handful of pages, buying a departmental machine simply to obtain a lower cost per page may be pointless. The important thing is finding the crossover: at your actual volume, does the running-cost saving justify the additional machine cost? Real experience A cheaper machine that was too small before it was even installed Recently I looked at a competitor’s proposal for one of my customers. They were considering a small, inexpensive machine and expected to produce roughly 5,000 colour A4 pages. The first issue was not price. It was workload. The level we were assessing for that smaller device was around 2,500 total pages, including mono. The proposed machine simply did not give me enough confidence or headroom for what the customer intended to put through it. I proposed a larger machine. It cost more to acquire, but the running cost was approximately half that of the smaller alternative. It also had substantially greater capacity. So the customer was not choosing between a cheap machine and an expensive one. They were choosing between a cheaper purchase price with a higher ongoing cost and a more suitable machine that could cost less over the full period of use. Why I built my own comparison calculator This type of comparison involves a surprising amount of maths. Machine price, contract length, mono volume, colour volume, cost per copy, service charges and different equipment combinations all affect the answer. Years ago I built my own calculator so I could compare multiple machines and scenarios quickly. I still use the same principle today: I would rather let the numbers tell me which option makes sense than decide which machine I want to sell first and try to justify it afterwards. Having access to different manufacturers, different specifications and both new and used equipment makes that comparison even more useful. Sometimes the winner is a smaller new machine. Sometimes it is a larger machine. Sometimes a refurbished machine makes the most financial sense. The answer should be driven by the customer’s requirement and the total cost—not the salesperson’s stock list. Getting the Right Specification Can Save Thousands Specification is where a lot of money is either saved or wasted. Some organisations buy a machine that is far more capable than they need. Others are sold equipment that is too small because it makes the quotation look cheaper. Both can be expensive mistakes. Over-specification Paying for speed, finishing, paper capacity, A3 printing or

School Lockdown Alarm The threat isn’t always an intruder A school lockdown alarm is not simply an intruder alarm. It is a way to warn people quickly when an immediate threat means normal movement around the site may no longer be safe. One question to ask If a serious threat developed on your site right now, could you warn everyone quickly enough? What is a school lockdown alarm? An intruder alarm is normally associated with somebody entering a building or site without permission. A school lockdown alert serves a different purpose: it helps a school communicate rapidly when people need to respond to an immediate threat. It could involve a pupil. It could involve a parent. It could involve a visitor or contractor. It could also be an incident developing outside the school that makes normal movement unsafe. The important question is not simply “Can somebody get into our school?” It is: “What would we do if somebody who is already here became a serious threat?” “We don’t get trouble here” This is another comment we hear regularly. A school may be in a relatively low-crime area. It may be a private school. It may have strong gates and good perimeter security. Staff may rarely see strangers on the site. Hopefully that remains the case. But “it hasn’t happened here” is not the same as “it couldn’t happen here.” Emergency planning does not mean treating serious incidents as common. It is about having a proportionate, practised response to something that may be rare but potentially serious. Good security does not remove the need for preparedness Some schools can enclose almost their entire site. Others cannot because of public footpaths, shared buildings, open playing fields or the layout of the premises. In either case, physical security and emergency communication are different parts of the school’s overall response. Try this with five random members of staff Don’t ask only the headteacher, safeguarding lead or the person who wrote the lockdown policy. Pick five members of staff at random and ask them the following questions. What is the biggest realistic security threat facing this school? Do all five members of staff broadly identify the same risks, or do you receive five completely different answers? A pupil says somebody is attacking people with a knife. What do you do first? Do you investigate? Do you run towards the incident? Do you contact reception? Can you raise an emergency alert yourself? Most importantly, how long would it take before the rest of the school knew? A serious bomb threat is received right now. What happens next? A bomb threat does not automatically mean lockdown. Depending on the circumstances, the correct response may involve evacuation, invacuation, lockdown or another emergency procedure. Does the member of staff know who to contact and how everyone would be informed? What does your lockdown alert sound or look like? Could staff recognise it immediately? Is it clearly distinguishable from your fire alarm, and do they know what action they are expected to take? Would you receive the alert everywhere? What happens in playgrounds, toilets, sports halls, detached buildings, offices or other areas where somebody may not hear a conventional sounder? If five members of staff give five different answers, the problem may not be your written policy. The problem may be how quickly and consistently that policy can be put into action. “The headteacher will decide what to do” A school’s emergency plan should establish authority and responsibilities. But it should also consider what happens in the first few seconds of a developing incident. Imagine that a teacher witnesses an immediate serious threat. Does the information need to travel: teacher → reception → senior leader → headteacher → reception → alarm? What happens if reception is busy? What if the headteacher is off site? What if the dangerous person is between the member of staff and the office? Technology cannot decide whether a school should lockdown. But once the appropriate response has been determined, technology can help communicate it rapidly and consistently. “We’ll just phone classrooms, shout or send an email” That may form part of a school’s plan, but it should be tested rather than assumed. How long would it take to contact every classroom? What happens if somebody does not answer? How are staff outside the main building warned? Would the message reach noisy classrooms, toilets and corridors? What happens if Wi-Fi, a computer or a phone is not immediately available? How does everybody know that the message is genuine and requires immediate action? A dedicated lockdown alert can provide a recognisable signal across the site, helping reduce the need for staff to interpret several separate messages during a rapidly developing incident. “We have a lockdown policy, so we’re covered” A written policy is important. But a document stored in a folder does not communicate an emergency. The practical questions are whether: staff know the procedure; the correct people can initiate the response quickly; the alert reaches everyone who needs it; staff recognise what the alert means; the system and procedure are tested; people know what to do after the alert is raised. A good lockdown alarm for schools should support the school’s emergency procedure. It does not replace risk assessment, training, safeguarding responsibilities or leadership decisions. “This is only about terrorism” Terrorism is an important part of current protective-security planning, but school lockdown planning is broader than terrorism. Schools need to consider a range of realistic internal and external risks. Depending on the circumstances, the safest response may be evacuation, invacuation, lockdown or another controlled procedure. That is another reason why the phrase “intruder alarm” can be misleading. The threat does not have to be a stranger and it does not necessarily start outside the school gates. What if the threat is a parent? Parents normally have a legitimate reason to be on or near a school site. That does not mean every interaction will remain safe. During one school visit, a headteacher told us that

Martyn’s Law Explained UK requirements, tiers and compliance If you need Martyn’s Law explained in plain English: the Act is law, but its main duties are not yet in force. When commenced, qualifying premises and events will need appropriate public protection procedures, with additional duties for the Enhanced Tier. Check if the Act applies 3 April 2025Royal Assent 200 peopleGeneral in-scope threshold 4 proceduresEvacuate, invacuate, lockdown, communicate Spring 2027Current expected commencement Plain-English overview What is Martyn’s Law? Martyn’s Law was introduced following the Manchester Arena terrorist attack and is named in memory of Martyn Hett. The legislation is intended to improve protective security and preparedness at qualifying premises and events. It does not prescribe one security product or a single standard response for every site. The Act repeatedly uses the concepts of what is appropriate and reasonably practicable, so the procedures and — for the Enhanced Tier — measures need to reflect the specific premises or event. Who is in scope? Standard vs Enhanced Four procedures Schools & education Events Responsible person Penalties Prepare now Scope Who does Martyn’s Law apply to? A premises does not fall within scope simply because it can physically hold 200 people. It must meet the qualifying-premises criteria in the Act, including the relevant Schedule 1 use. The number of people reasonably expected to be present at the same time — including staff — then helps determine the tier. 1 199 or fewer If the greatest number of people reasonably expected to be present at the same time is 199 or fewer, the premises will not be brought into scope by the numerical threshold. 2 200–799 Qualifying premises that reasonably expect between 200 and 799 people to be present at the same time, from time to time, are generally Standard Tier. 3 800 or more Qualifying premises that reasonably expect 800 or more people to be present at the same time, from time to time, are generally Enhanced Tier unless a statutory exception applies. 4 Count the people actually expected The assessment is based on a reasonable expectation of the greatest number of individuals present at the same time. It includes staff; it is not simply the building’s theoretical capacity. Important: the Home Office statutory guidance should be used to determine whether a particular premises or event meets the Act’s full scope criteria. Thresholds alone do not determine scope. Tiered duties Standard Tier vs Enhanced Tier Standard Tier 200–799 For qualifying premises within the Standard Tier, the responsible person must, once the Act is in force: notify the SIA as required; ensure appropriate public protection procedures are in place, so far as is reasonably practicable; consider the risk of an attack at the premises or in the immediate vicinity; make sure people who have responsibilities for the procedures understand their role; and co-ordinate with other responsible persons where the Act requires it. Enhanced Tier 800+ Enhanced Tier premises and qualifying events must meet the public protection procedure requirements and additional duties, including: appropriate public protection measures, so far as is reasonably practicable; keeping those public protection measures under review; documenting the procedures and measures and the reasoning behind them; submitting the required compliance document to the SIA; and where the responsible person is an organisation, designating a sufficiently senior individual. Requirement Standard Tier Enhanced Tier / qualifying event Notify the SIA when required after commencement Yes Yes Appropriate public protection procedures Yes Yes Additional public protection measures No separate Enhanced Tier measures duty Yes Compliance document submitted to the regulator Not an Enhanced Tier documentation duty Yes Designated senior individual where responsible person is an organisation Not as a Standard Tier requirement under this provision Yes Section 5 duties The four public protection procedures Standard and Enhanced Tier premises, and qualifying events, must consider four types of public protection procedure. They are intended to reduce the risk of physical harm if a terrorist attack occurs at the premises, event or in the immediate vicinity. 01 Evacuation Getting people away from danger by moving them out of the premises or event, or away from an affected part of it. 02 Invacuation Moving people to a safer place within the premises or event, including bringing people inside from an external danger where appropriate. 03 Lockdown Securing the premises, event or part of it to prevent people entering or leaving and to restrict movement where this is appropriate to the threat. 04 Communication Alerting people to danger and providing clear instructions as quickly as possible, where it is safe to do so. No specific paid training course is mandated by the Act. However, staff who have responsibilities for implementing procedures need to understand the procedures, their role and how to carry it out effectively. Separate practical guide What does Martyn’s Law mean for lockdown procedures? Lockdown is one of the four statutory public protection procedures, but the practical implementation depends on the site. Full, partial or zonal responses, alert methods, staff actions and testing belong in an operational lockdown plan rather than in this legal overview. Martyn’s Law lockdown procedures Special consideration Martyn’s Law for schools, childcare and education Childcare, primary, secondary and further-education premises receive special treatment under the Act. Where they meet the qualifying-premises criteria and can reasonably expect 200 or more people — including staff — to be present at the same time, they are Standard Tier even if the number reaches 800 or more. Early years, primary, secondary & further education These qualifying premises remain Standard Tier at 800+ rather than moving into the Enhanced Tier solely because of numbers. Events held at these premises are also subject to the Act’s special treatment and are not qualifying events. Higher education Universities and other higher-education premises do not receive the same special treatment. Where the Act’s criteria are met, they can be Standard Tier at 200–799 and Enhanced Tier at 800+. Schools under 200 people are not brought into scope by the numerical threshold. Existing safeguarding, emergency and security planning may still make lockdown

Vape Alarms for Schools School vape detectors for toilets, changing rooms and other privacy-sensitive areas Vape alarms for schools can help staff identify vaping in toilets, changing rooms and other privacy-sensitive areas without installing cameras or microphones inside those spaces. Immediate staff alerts, anti-tamper monitoring and private-network operation, with no monthly platform subscription for the core system. Request a School Vape Alarm Quote Camelott® Vape Sensor Multi-sensor vape and smoke detection for privacy-sensitive school environments. Typical 30m² Zone Radar Occupancy Instant PC Alerts Private LAN Privacy First No camera or microphone required Instant Alerts PC alerts with optional SMS escalation No Platform Subscription Core system runs without a monthly platform fee Anti-Tamper Interference can generate a staff alert School toilets and changing rooms Detect Vaping in Areas CCTV Cannot Cover School toilets and changing areas are difficult to supervise continuously. Vape detection gives safeguarding and pastoral teams another way to identify incidents without compromising pupil privacy. 01 Detect Multi-sensor monitoring identifies environmental changes associated with vape and smoke aerosols in the protected area. 02 Alert Staff can receive an immediate PC alert with optional SMS escalation where mobile notification is required. 03 Respond The location and event can be reviewed quickly so staff can respond using the school’s own safeguarding, behaviour or pastoral procedure. Designed around school environments Where School Vape Detectors Can Be Used Placement should be based on room layout, airflow and the areas where vaping incidents are most likely to occur. Student Toilets Main toilet blocks, smaller washrooms and other areas where pupils may attempt to vape without being seen. Changing Rooms Sports and changing facilities where conventional surveillance is not appropriate. Multiple Buildings Standardise alerting across secondary schools, colleges, academies and multi-site education estates. Privacy-sensitive detection Monitoring Without Cameras or Microphones Vape detectors are particularly useful in places where visual or audio surveillance would be inappropriate. The Camelott® system monitors the environment rather than recording conversations or video inside school toilets or changing rooms. No camera required in the protected area. No microphone required. Connects to the organisation’s private local network. Radar-based occupancy insight is available. Alerts can be routed to nominated staff. Who Can Receive Alerts? Safeguarding teams. Pastoral staff. Reception. Duty staff. Site or estates teams. Other nominated personnel. Alert routing can be configured around the site’s operational requirements and may vary by area or time of day. Point-of-incident alerting Detection Is Only Useful if Staff Know About It The system is designed to turn a detected event into a practical staff response rather than simply recording that something happened. Immediate PC pop-up alerts. Optional SMS escalation via Twilio. Time and location information. Anti-tamper event notification. Configurable routing by area or time. Dry relay output for compatible CCTV/NVR workflows. VAPE DETECTED Main Student Toilets — Ground Floor EVENT LOGGED Time, location and sensor event recorded TAMPER ALERT Device interference detected Reliable alerts matter Reduce Unnecessary Nuisance Triggers A vape detector only helps if staff trust the alerts. The system includes nuisance-trigger suppression and should be configured for the environment, room layout and airflow rather than treated as a one-setting-fits-all device. Room Assessment Consider airflow, cubicle layout, extraction and likely activity areas before placement. Placement Plan Camelott can recommend detector positions based on the site layout and expected airflow. Operational Review Alert behaviour should make sense for the people responsible for responding to incidents. CCTV / NVR integration Connect Vape Detection to the Wider Security Workflow A dry relay output can be used with compatible CCTV or NVR systems so staff can review relevant external camera footage after an alert without putting cameras inside privacy-sensitive areas. Sensor Detects an Event The vape sensor identifies an event in the protected area. Staff Receive the Alert The nominated team receives location and event information. Review the Wider Area Compatible external CCTV workflows can help review people entering or leaving the area. Installation and placement Plan the School Deployment Before Fitting Sensors A sensor should be positioned for the room and airflow, not simply wherever there happens to be a convenient power source. Review the Site Identify toilets, changing rooms and priority areas that require detection. Plan Connectivity Select PoE Ethernet, 2.4GHz Wi-Fi or 12V DC based on building and IT requirements. Configure the Response Decide which staff receive alerts and whether CCTV relay or SMS escalation is required. Technical specification Camelott® Vape Sensor Specification A straightforward technical summary for safeguarding, estates and IT teams. Detection Vape and smoke detection including cannabinoid aerosols. Typical Coverage Up to approximately 30m² per detection zone, subject to room layout and airflow. Alerts Immediate PC pop-up alerts with optional SMS escalation via Twilio. Connectivity PoE Ethernet / 2.4GHz Wi-Fi / 12V DC. Network Private local-network operation. Security Anti-tamper alerting and vandal-resistant design. CCTV Integration Dry relay output for compatible CCTV/NVR workflows. Occupancy Insight Radar-based occupancy level monitoring. Subscription No monthly platform subscription. Practical school deployment What to Check Before Choosing a School Vape Detection System Price matters, but the detector must also fit the school’s IT environment, response process and privacy requirements. LAN Private Network Core communications can operate on the organisation’s private local network. 0 No Platform Fee The core system does not require a monthly monitoring-platform subscription. PoE Flexible Installation PoE is suitable where structured cabling is available; Wi-Fi can help with retrofit or harder-to-cable areas; 12V DC is also supported. CCTV Relay Integration Dry relay output can support compatible CCTV/NVR or other external workflows. Not a school or college? Vape Detection for Hotels, Healthcare & Businesses Hotels, healthcare sites, gyms, offices and other commercial organisations have different operational requirements. Use our commercial vape detector page for non-education deployments. Commercial Vape Detection Frequently asked questions School Vape Alarm FAQs Can vape detectors be used in school toilets? Yes. Toilets and changing rooms are key applications because they require privacy and are not appropriate locations for conventional CCTV or audio surveillance. Does the Camelott vape detector contain a camera? The system monitors environmental conditions rather than relying on a camera