Printing Solutions for Education

Photocopiers and Printers for Schools

Connect is an independent family business providing print solutions. We supply quality printers, photocopiers and multi-function devices (MFDs) to education providers from primary schools, secondary schools and academies to colleges and universities.

Schools rely on printers and photocopiers every day, from producing worksheets and teaching materials to managing administrative documents and communicating with parents.

Having reliable, cost-effective equipment is essential to keeping everything running smoothly. Connect not only supplies the hardware but offers a complete service from supply, managed print services, and service level agreements to repairs and maintenance.

Connect’s bespoke service will find photocopiers, printers and MFDs suited to your needs and budgets. Whether you need a single multifunctional photocopier or several devices across classrooms and departments, we can recommend suitable equipment, manage printing costs and keep your systems working efficiently.

Reliable Photocopiers and Printers for Schools

Every school has different printing requirements. A small primary school may need one centrally located photocopier and a handful of classroom printers, while a larger secondary school or academy trust may require several high-volume devices connected across different departments or sites.

Choosing the right equipment means considering more than the initial purchase or leasing cost. Print volumes, reliability, running costs, document security and ease of use can all affect how well a device performs.

Connect is aware that schools are under financial constraints, so we can recommend a range of options that meet your school’s budget. These include new or remanufactured machines, various lease choices, and the option to buy outright.

School staff get frustrated at constant problems, such as paper jams and warning indicators. Acquiring the right printers that reduce these issues is just the start. Connect will work with you to understand your existing printing arrangements, identify opportunities for improvement and recommend practical solutions that support everyday operations, including jams!

Our school photocopier and printing solutions can include:

  • Multifunction Devices: Print, copy and scan from one device, reducing the need for separate equipment.
  • High-volume school printers: Suitable for producing large quantities of worksheets, examination materials and classroom resources.
  • Colour and black-and-white printers: Flexible options for everyday documents and colour teaching materials.
  • Networked printing solutions: Allow authorised staff to access shared equipment across classrooms and departments.
  • Print management software: Monitor usage, manage permissions and help control unnecessary printing.
  • Maintenance and technical support: Help minimise disruption when equipment requires servicing or repair.

Whether you're replacing an ageing photocopier or reviewing your school's entire bank of printers, Connect can help you to find printers or photocopiers that balance performance, affordability and long-term reliability.

Choosing the Right Photocopiers and Printers for Your School

Photocopiers and printers for schools need to handle a variety of tasks, often with several members of staff relying on the same equipment throughout the day.

The best choice of machine will depend on your school's size, how frequently documents are printed and the types of materials being produced.

Photocopiers for Primary Schools

A reliable multifunction device can provide printing, copying and scanning in one central location, helping staff to prepare resources efficiently without having to rely on multiple small printers.

Features such as automatic double-sided printing and economical black-and-white printing can be particularly useful for managing everyday workloads.

Printers and Photocopiers for Secondary Schools

High-capacity multifunctional photocopiers, networked printers and print management software can help schools manage these requirements more efficiently.

Depending on the school's needs, a combination of centralised high-volume photocopiers and smaller departmental printers may provide the most practical arrangement.

Printing Solutions for Academies and Multi-Academy Trusts

Academies and multi-academy trusts may need to manage printing across several buildings or school sites.

Connect can help assess existing printer banks and identify opportunities to improve consistency, reduce unnecessary expenditure and support staff across different locations.

Photocopiers and Printers for Colleges and Universities

Colleges and universities often require high-volume photocopiers, networked printers and print management software can help institutions manage printing more efficiently while maintaining appropriate access controls.

Connect takes time to listen to how print currently works in your situation and where you would like to see improvements. We include explaining your maintenance options once you’ve decoded on your hardware.

We work with procurement and administrative officers to provide the best recommendations whatever your establishment.

As an independent company, Connect isn’t tied to one manufacturer so we can investigate a wide variety of makes and models of equipment and get the best print solution for you.

How Schools Can Reduce Photocopying and Printing Costs

Connect’s team can help schools to find practical ways to improve efficiency and control spending on their print operations. We can help you to:

Review Existing Print Usage

Connect offers free, no-obligation print and workflow audits that can help to identify inefficient equipment, excessive printing and opportunities to improve how resources are managed. Find out more here: Free Print Audit & Workflow Assessment

Choose Equipment with Suitable Running Costs

The cheapest printer to purchase is not necessarily the most economical to operate. Toner costs, maintenance requirements and cost per page should all be considered when comparing equipment.

Introduce Print Management Software

Print management software can help schools to monitor their printing activity and introduce sensible usage policies that encourage efficient printing practices.

Encourage Double-Sided and Monochrome Printing

Setting double-sided printing and black-and-white printing as defaults, where appropriate, can help to reduce paper consumption and limit unnecessary colour printing.

Consolidate Underused Equipment

Some schools operate multiple desktop printers that are expensive to maintain individually. Replacing selected devices with shared multifunctional photocopiers may provide better value, depending on usage and staff requirements.

School Photocopier Leasing or Purchasing: Which Is Better?

Connect has over forty years’ experience in the print industry, including working with schools and colleges. We understand tendering, procurement and budgets. We offer a range of options for leasing machines as well as outright purchase.

Both the purchasing and leasing of photocopiers and printers for schools have advantages, and the most suitable option will depend on your school's financial arrangements, expected print volumes and equipment requirements.

Leasing Photocopiers and Printers for Schools

Photocopier and printer leasing can provide access to modern equipment without requiring the full purchase cost upfront.

Leasing offers predictable payments, options to upgrade equipment and access to maintenance arrangements.

The total cost of the lease agreement, contract length and any additional charges need to be considered before committing.

Schools and academy trusts should also check their applicable procurement and financial rules before entering a leasing arrangement.

Purchasing School Photocopiers and Printers

Purchasing equipment outright may be preferable for schools with available capital budgets or those planning to keep equipment for several years.

Ownership removes ongoing equipment rental payments, although consumables, repairs and maintenance still need to be considered.

Connect is here to help your school or college to compare suitable equipment and explore available options based on your individual requirements.

Print Management Software for Schools

Connect knows that managing printing across a school can be challenging, particularly when multiple devices are shared by teachers, administrative staff and other authorised users.

In these cases, we recommend using print management software. This provides greater visibility and control over how printing resources are used.

Depending on the chosen system, features may include:

  • Monitoring print volumes and usage across devices.
  • Setting printing permissions for different users or departments.
  • Encouraging double-sided and black-and-white printing.
  • Releasing print jobs securely when users authenticate at a device.
  • Identifying unnecessary or uncollected print jobs.
  • Producing reports to help monitor printing expenditure.

For all educational establishments, handling confidential pupil information, staff records and examination materials, secure print release can also help to prevent sensitive documents from being left unattended in printer output trays.

Connect offers a range of software options and can advise on print management solutions that suit your school's existing equipment, network and operational requirements.

School Printer and Photocopier Maintenance

Frustrating paper jams can be caused by damp or low-quality paper, misaligned paper guides, overloaded paper trays, dust and more. Connect can offer training that will enable prevention of these time-wasting problems and demonstrate how quickly some can be fixed in-house. We even offer telephone support with an experienced engineer.

However, a broken photocopier can cause considerable disruption during a busy school day, especially when teachers need to prepare lesson materials or print important documents.

Reliable maintenance and technical support are therefore important considerations when choosing photocopiers and printers for schools.

Connect offers printer and photocopier maintenance services designed to help organisations keep their equipment operating efficiently.

Depending on the equipment and agreed support arrangements, services can include:

  • Routine servicing and preventative maintenance.
  • Diagnosis and repair of printer and photocopier faults.
  • Replacement of worn or faulty components.
  • Technical assistance with printing problems.
  • Ongoing maintenance contract options.

Connect offers quick response to printer faults and when you call us, you speak to a real person, not an AI Bot.

Connect has a great team of experienced engineers ready to fix printer problems, whether you have a service level agreement, or may just want to call us out for a repair.

Having an appropriate support arrangement in place can help schools manage unexpected problems and reduce the risk of extended equipment downtime.

Secure Printing and Document Management in Schools

Connect offers modern multifunctional photocopiers and printers for schools with associated print management systems that have features that help those schools manage sensitive documents more securely.

Schools regularly handle confidential information, including pupil records, safeguarding documents, staff information and financial records.

Printing and scanning systems should therefore form part of a school's wider approach to information security and data protection.

Features include:

  • User authentication – Set access permissions and have the ability to control scanning
  • Secure print release - This can hold a confidential document until an authorised member of staff identifies themselves at the photocopier. Secure print release reduces the likelihood of documents being left unattended.
  • Connectivity, Networks and Security - Schools should also consider how devices connect to their existing IT infrastructure, how stored information is protected and how equipment is securely managed or disposed of at the end of its life.

Connect will recommend the most suitable printing features and discuss your requirements with your IT teams to ensure the systems work seamlessly and keep sensitive information secure.

More Sustainable Printing for Schools

Reducing unnecessary printing can support both financial efficiency and environmental objectives.

Schools looking to improve sustainability can consider equipment with energy-saving features, automatic double-sided printing and efficient consumable usage.

Print management software can also help to identify waste and encourage staff to print only what is required.

Connect helps schools to choose the right equipment. A device that is too large for a school's requirements may introduce unnecessary costs, while one that is too small may struggle to handle daily workloads.

Carrying out an audit of print operations can identify where waste can be reduced.

Connect offers free, no obligation print and workflow audits that will produce a per-copy cost and identify where schools can make their print more sustainable.

Why Choose Connect for School Photocopiers and Printers?

With so many makes and models of printers and photocopier on the market, it can be hard to find just the right one for your school or college. Connect takes the task out of your hands.

Connect not only has decades in the trade but is independent and works with the top printer and photocopier manufacturers.

We work with makers including Konica Minolta, Ricoh, HP, Epson, and Xerox. We can supply new or quality remanufactured equipment to match all budgets.

Connect takes time to find out what you want to achieve in your print, will find you suitable equipment and offer clear advice, reliable support and a printing solution that fits your budget.

Our approach focuses on understanding how equipment is used, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and recommending solutions that provide long-term value.

Connect provides:

  • Tailored Equipment Recommendations - We recommend photocopiers and printers based on the school’s size, print volumes and everyday requirements.
  • Cost-Conscious Solutions – As well as equipment, Connect looks at the whole cost, including ongoing running costs, to help schools make informed purchasing or leasing decisions.
  • Print Management Expertise - We can help schools explore software solutions for greater control over printing activity and expenditure.
  • Maintenance and Support - Our maintenance and repair services from our in-house experienced engineers, help organisations to manage equipment faults and keep essential printing systems operating.
  • A Practical, Straightforward Approach - Connect aims to make choosing and managing printing equipment easier, with clear, jargon-free advice and provide we tailored solutions suited to each organisation.

Connect has been supplying, installing and maintaining photocopiers and printers for schools since 1999 and we pride ourselves on our independence and our ability to find just the right printer or photocopier for the situation we find.

Why not make an enquiry and discover how we can support your school, academy or college’s print needs.

Photocopiers and Printers for Schools Across Dorset and Hampshire

Connect works with schools and colleges across Dorset, Hampshire and surrounding areas with their printing and photocopying requirements.

We can help schools that are looking for equipment, maintenance and print management solutions in locations including Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole, Southampton, Portsmouth and surrounding communities.

Whether your school needs to replace a single photocopier or is reviewing printing arrangements across multiple departments, Connect’s experienced, independent team can discuss your requirements and help you to get the best print for your needs.

Frequently Asked Questions About Photocopiers and Printers for Schools

What is the best photocopier for a school?

The best photocopier for a school depends on its size, printing volume and the types of documents it produces. Multifunctional photocopiers are often a practical choice because they combine printing, copying and scanning in one device. Schools with higher print volumes may benefit from equipment with larger paper capacities, faster printing speeds and print management features. Connect is independent and will offer recommendations based on your needs.

Is it better for schools to lease or buy photocopiers?

Both options have advantages. Purchasing provides outright ownership, while leasing can spread equipment costs over an agreed period. Schools should compare the total costs, maintenance arrangements and contract terms, as well as any procurement or financial restrictions that apply to them. Connect has a range of options and can help you to make the best decision.

How can schools reduce their printing costs?

Schools can reduce printing costs by reviewing existing print usage, introducing double-sided printing, limiting unnecessary colour printing and selecting equipment with economical running costs. A print and workflow audit from Connect can help with this and they are free with no obligation. Additionally, Print management software can also help by monitoring activity and identifing areas where resources are being wasted.

What is the difference between a school printer and a photocopier?

A printer primarily produces documents from computers and other connected devices. Modern multifunctional photocopiers combine printing, copying and scanning, making them suitable for shared use by teachers and administrative staff. The best choice depends on the school's requirements and expected usage.

Can schools control who uses their printers and photocopiers?

Yes. Compatible print management software can allow schools to set user permissions, monitor printing activity and require authentication before documents are released. These features can help to control expenditure and support a more secure document handling.

What should schools look for when choosing a photocopier supplier?

Schools should consider whether the supplier helps with equipment suitability, total running costs, maintenance arrangements, technical support and contract terms. It is also important to choose a supplier that understands the school's printing requirements and can provide clear advice about suitable options. They should ask whether the supplier is tied to one manufacturer or, like Connect, is free to recommend machines from a broad choice of manufacturer. With so many makes and models of photocopiers and printers on the market, it can be confusing, so why not let Connect help?

Can a school use one photocopier for several classrooms?

Yes. A networked multifunctional photocopier can allow authorised staff from several classrooms or departments to send documents to one shared device. However, schools should consider the number of users, printing volumes and location of the equipment to ensure it can meet demand without causing unnecessary delays. Connect’s team can help you to decide with clear, jargon-free information.

How often should school photocopiers be serviced?

Servicing requirements depend on the equipment, its usage and the manufacturer's recommendations. High-volume devices may require more frequent maintenance than smaller printers. A suitable maintenance contract can help schools plan servicing and address faults before they cause significant disruption. Connect offers service level agreements and bespoke arrangements for printer and photocopier servicing.

Get in Touch

Find the Right Photocopiers and Printers for Your School

Whether you're replacing an existing school photocopier, exploring printer leasing or looking for ways to reduce printing costs, Connect can help you to get the best device and a great deal.

Connect are specialists in supplying photocopiers and printers for schools. We are independent and put our customers at the heart of everything we do. Why not get in touch and tell us about your school's current equipment, printing requirements and any challenges you're experiencing.

Our experienced team is ready to help you to find the best solutions that support staff, control costs and keep everyday printing running smoothly. Speak to our team about school photocopiers, printers, leasing, print management and maintenance.

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