Best Photocopier Brands for Business
How to compare Toshiba, Epson, Konica Minolta and Katun Arivia properly
The best photocopier brands are not automatically the brands with the best-known name. The right choice depends on the individual model, your print and scan workload, paper handling, security, running cost and the support you receive after installation.
How to read this comparison: Camelott® is a Toshiba Gold Partner and also supplies Katun Arivia, Epson and Konica Minolta equipment where it fits the requirement. Manufacturer specifications are identified as such; comments about reliability, scanning, paper behaviour and serviceability are based on our own field experience and should not be treated as independent laboratory testing.
Define “best” first
What makes one photocopier brand better for your business?
Reliability matters, but even a good platform can be a poor choice if the machine is undersized, badly configured or supported by a supplier that cannot solve the workflow problems around it.
Workload fit
Can the actual model comfortably handle your monthly volume, peak periods, paper capacity, A3/A4 requirement and finishing?
Scanning & workflow
Check feeder performance, scan speed, OCR, authentication and the destinations staff actually use, including Microsoft 365, Google or document-management systems.
Running cost
Compare equipment cost, colour and mono CPC, service charges, minimum billing, consumables and the real colour coverage of your documents.
Support life
Consider parts, firmware, operating-system compatibility and how long you intend to keep the machine.
Energy & waste
Technology type, heat, power draw and consumable design can matter where energy reduction or waste is a material buying requirement.
Dealer support
Installation, driver configuration, scan setup, diagnosis and parts response can have as much effect on day-to-day ownership as the manufacturer's badge.
What we see in real customer environments
Toshiba, Epson, Konica Minolta & Katun Arivia
These are not universal verdicts on every machine a manufacturer has ever made. They are a practical summary of the current ranges we work with and the patterns we have seen while installing, supporting and replacing business equipment.
Our usual all-round benchmark
- Scanning and workflow are strong in our experience. We support several scanning-heavy professional customers who have specifically commented on Toshiba scan quality and usability.
- The range is broad. Toshiba covers compact A4 equipment, A3 mono and colour MFPs, higher-speed devices, multiple paper configurations and finishing options.
- It suits mixed office requirements well. Where print, scan, authentication, finishing and different departments all matter, Toshiba is normally one of the first platforms we compare.
- It is not automatically the right choice. A simpler or more specialist requirement can favour another platform.
Strong energy proposition with different inkjet economics
- Energy use is a genuine strength. Epson's Heat-Free business inkjet technology avoids the fuser heating process used by conventional laser equipment and Epson states that comparable inkjet devices consume substantially less electricity.
- Paper and image coverage deserve more attention. In our field experience, media choice and print settings can have a more noticeable effect on output and ink behaviour than customers used to toner devices may expect.
- Routine maintenance can be simple. The architecture has fewer of the traditional drum/fuser consumables found in laser MFPs.
- Application fit matters. High colour coverage, long periods of very low colour use, specialist media and finishing requirements should be modelled rather than assuming the lowest-energy machine is automatically the lowest-cost machine.
Strong colour and a deep route into production print
- Colour output is a notable strength in our experience. Konica Minolta is particularly worth comparing where colour quality is scrutinised closely.
- The office i-Series remains substantial. Current UK models include higher-speed A3 office systems such as the 65ppm bizhub C651i.
- Its production-print range is much deeper than a normal office MFP range. Current AccurioPress systems extend well beyond normal office workloads and media handling.
- Judge the exact model and support package. Production capability on the brand does not mean every office needs a production-class machine.
A newer UK MFP range with a broader record developing
- Arivia is still relatively new. Katun launched its MFP range in Europe, including the UK, in November 2024, so it does not yet have the same long field history as Toshiba or Konica Minolta.
- The current range is now substantial. Katun lists 11 A3 MFPs: six colour models from 25–65ppm and five mono models from 25–55ppm.
- Security integration has moved on. Katun announced portfolio compatibility with inepro RFID and mobile authentication tools in May 2026.
- Environmental certification has strengthened. Katun announced Blue Angel certification for the Arivia MFP line in June 2026.
- Our early service experience has been encouraging. We still describe it as a newer proposition rather than claiming a long-term reliability record it has not yet had time to build.
Worked consumables example · checked 22 September 2026
Why colour coverage can change the economics
One useful difference between platforms is how much of the page cost sits in the coverage-sensitive consumable. The example below uses the Epson WorkForce Enterprise AM-C6000 and Toshiba e-STUDIO6525AC because both are high-speed A3 colour devices and current yield data is published for each.
Epson WorkForce Enterprise AM-C6000
Epson publishes 50,000 pages for black and 30,000 pages for each colour ink pack. Using genuine Toner24 UK prices visible on 22 September 2026 and removing VAT gives a simplified CMYK consumable calculation of about:
The 40% figure is a proportional illustration, not an Epson-rated yield. Actual ink use changes with image composition, cleaning, media, print mode and usage conditions.
Toshiba e-STUDIO6525AC
Toshiba publishes toner yields of 39,800 pages for black and 38,000 pages for each colour at 5% coverage. Using current genuine Toner24 UK prices and removing VAT gives a simplified CMYK toner calculation of about:
The 40% figure again assumes proportional consumption. Real toner and component life varies with media, duty cycle, image composition, environment and machine behaviour.
What if both quotations say 3.00p per colour page?
For illustration only, assume each supplier has built a 3.00p colour CPC around the reference usage above. If only the coverage-sensitive ink or toner component doubles, while other service and page/cycle costs remain unchanged:
This does not mean the customer automatically pays 4.75p or 3.83p. On a genuinely fixed CPC with no coverage adjustment, the extra consumable cost is normally the supplier's commercial risk. The example is useful when testing whether a quote is sustainable, understanding coverage clauses, or comparing self-purchased consumables. At 100,000 high-coverage colour pages, 0.92p represents roughly £920 of underlying consumable-cost difference in this simplified model.
At-a-glance comparison
Photocopier brands by requirement
These descriptions are intended to help build a shortlist. The final comparison should still be between actual models and support terms.
| Requirement | Toshiba | Epson | Konica Minolta | Katun Arivia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scanning / workflow | A major strength in our customer environments; broad office workflow fit. | Capable scanning; assess software, destination and application fit carefully. | Strong business scanning and workflow across current office ranges. | Current models offer fast duplex scanning; shorter field history for us. |
| Colour output | Strong general office colour. | Good business inkjet output; paper and settings matter more in our experience. | Particularly worth comparing where colour quality is closely scrutinised. | Good office colour where the individual specification fits. |
| Energy use | Conventional toner platform with heated fusing. | Heat-Free inkjet is the clear differentiator; lower electricity use is a manufacturer-documented strength. | Conventional toner platform across mainstream office MFPs. | Conventional electrophotographic platform; current line now holds Blue Angel certification. |
| Range breadth | Broad A4/A3, mono/colour and higher-speed office range. | Strong business inkjet range, but different finishing/configuration choices from toner ranges. | Broad office range plus a deep production-print portfolio. | 11 current A3 models from 25–65ppm colour and 25–55ppm mono. |
| Higher-volume work | Strong departmental A3 options up to 65ppm in the mainstream colour office range. | Enterprise models can support substantial volume; media and colour economics still need analysis. | Strong route from office MFPs into dedicated production systems. | Higher-speed A3 models now reach 65ppm colour. |
| Our practical starting point | Usually our broadest all-round benchmark for mixed office requirements. | Compare first where energy reduction is a major requirement and the application suits business inkjet. | Compare where colour quality, robust A3 or production capability is particularly important. | Compare where the specification and commercial terms fit and a newer platform is acceptable. |
What about Canon, Ricoh, Sharp, Xerox or HP?
A good brand can still be the wrong machine — and vice versa
This page focuses on the manufacturers Camelott® currently supplies. That does not mean other established brands should automatically be rejected.
If an existing Canon, Ricoh, Sharp, Xerox, HP or other business MFP is reliable, economical, secure enough for your environment and still suits the workflow, changing it simply because a supplier prefers another badge can be poor value.
The manufacturer narrows the shortlist; the model and support agreement make the decision. Compare the machine at the workload you actually have, then compare who will install, configure and support it.
A practical selection process
How to choose between photocopier brands
- Measure the workload. Monthly mono and colour pages, peaks, job sizes, A3/A4 use, paper capacity and users.
- Define the scan workflow. Scan-to-email, folders, Microsoft 365, Google, OCR, document management and high-volume scanning.
- Identify security requirements. Authentication, secure release, user tracking, address-book control, storage and data handling.
- Check the physical requirements. Space, noise, heat, paper types, finishing, accessibility and any specialist media.
- Compare total cost. Equipment price or lease, service CPC, minimum billing, consumables, energy and expected life.
- Compare the support organisation. Ask who services it, who configures scanning and drivers, and what happens when the fault is software rather than hardware.
- Then compare actual models. Do not choose a manufacturer first and force the requirement into whichever machine happens to carry that logo.
Common questions
Best photocopier brands FAQs
What is the best photocopier brand for a business?
Which photocopier brand does Camelott® usually recommend first?
How is Epson different from a conventional office photocopier?
Is Katun Arivia now an established range?
Does the dealer matter as much as the photocopier brand?
Should I replace a good existing photocopier just to change brand?
Does high colour coverage make an inkjet photocopier more expensive?
Research behind the current comparison
Manufacturer information and dated cost sources
Product ranges and consumable pricing change. The links below show the principal sources used for the factual parts of this September 2026 update.
Need help comparing actual photocopier models?
Tell Camelott® what you print, how much you print, how you scan and what is wrong with your current setup. We can compare suitable models from the ranges we support instead of starting with a predetermined manufacturer.