How to make great photocopiesNow you can make your own copies that will give copy centres a run for their money, with clearer results and less mechanical problems

STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURE

Select the correct paper

There’s a reason why different paper types exist. It is because they are made to complement the type of document you are producing.

General copies (home use or rough drafts) can be printed on 20 lb paper. Choose inkjet paper for inkjet copiers and laser paper for laser machines.

Multi-purpose paper can work with several types of machines. 24 lb paper is good for more professional or business documents. Photo or glossy paper is best for photos. Paper weights or thicknesses are 20, 22, 24, 28, 32, 50-60 lb+.

A4 Paper Copier and Printer Paper 5 Star Value White 80gsm

Xerox Colotech Plus Copier Paper Premium 100gsm A4 White

Logic 300 Copier Paper 80gsm A4 White

Coloured Copier Paper 5 Star Multifunctional Ream-Wrapped FSC 80gsm A4 Yellow

Epson Premium Photo Paper Glossy A3 255gsm

To get the whitest paper, select one with the highest brightness number on its package

The brightness numbers range from about 84 brightness up to over 100. Many papers manufactured nowadays are free of acid, but check the label just the same to be sure.

Prepare the papers to be used for copying

Arrange the papers in a neat stack using your hands. Ensure that there are no edges sticking out, folded, stapled, torn, or loosely taped.

This is important as smooth paper easily goes through the machine, reducing the chance of jamming or damage due to paper being stuck.

The correct placement of copies

Place copies in the top feeder (most machines require paper to be put face/print side up).

Alternatively, place the copy on the glass face/print side down beside the arrow symbol.

Your machine should have paper size guides on the sides (check the product manual if you can’t see it).

Adjust the trays to fit the paper size you’re putting. If you have a rather small item to be copied, put a white sheet behind the item. This will prevent any excess ink being used, as well as gray or black shadows in your copies.

Select the right tray or drawer where the paper will be pulled from

Most copiers have trays for letter, (8.5x11) legal (8.5x14) or ledger (11x17) sizes. There is also a side feeder tray intended for heavy weight paper such as photo paper or greeting card stock.

DO NOT put this kind of paper in the bottom trays as it can jam and damage the machine. Instead, run it through slowly and use settings for heavyweight, glossy or stock card.

The same tray can also be used by transparent mediums, and have a special machine setting. Due to the clear nature of transparent mediums, the machine may have difficulty reading them unless a transparency setting is selected.

Set your preferred lightness or darkness

Some document types such as news print (typically in black and white) or photos will need to be lightened a bit when copied.

Similarly light text, print in bright colours, or pencil drawings will need to be darkened so its details are copied as much as possible.

Use the machine’s photo setting

This setting gives the most detail on a copy.

Check the settings if you want to avail of features beyond copying

Some copiers with advanced features allow you to automatically collate, staple or hole punch documents after they are copied.

Remember that the best printed copies come from a document whose original colour is white or light pastel

Original documents printed in deep colours such as red, green, purple or blue will translate to a pale grey copy and may even be unreadable.

Printing with colour paper will have greater success when the original document is white.

Coloured Copier Paper 5 Star Multifunctional Ream-Wrapped FSC 80gsm A4 Blue

Color Copy Copier Paper Premium Super Smooth Ream-Wrapped FSC 100gsm A4 White

Navigator Colour Documents Printer Paper Ultra Smooth FSC 120gsm A4 White

Avoid ink spots or smudges on your copies

Wipe the glass on the copier or sort unsightly marks on the original document with correction fluid before copying to avoid having spots or smudges on the copy.

Choose the number of copies or sets you require

Press the large copy button and wait for your copy masterpieces to come out

Should there be trouble, there’s usually a red stop button close by. Even then, it will take the machine a few seconds to actually stop.

If the machine requires clarification, an error message will pop and blink. If the paper gets jammed, the machine will advise the area and additional steps to clear the trapped page so you can continue.

Tinker with the settings to get better results

If your copy didn’t turn out the way you like it, adjust the machine settings to create different results.

For example, when copying pages ripped out of a notebook or torn off a book—these have uneven edges—move it over or use a margin shift button to create a better copy.

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