Copiers were once simply the large, ugly machines in the office that made poor quality copies, but that’s no longer the case. Today, copiers do much more than make copies: they print, fax, scan, collate, staple, and much more. Some are even capable of using media other than paper, transforming them into an all-purpose machine with multiple uses.
Copier trends have continued to evolve over the years, and 2025 is no different. Today, smart copiers are wireless, secure, and energy efficient. They’re the hub of any office in Sonoma County, and they’re often an essential piece of equipment.
Let’s take a look at some of the copier and printer trends the team here at Common Sense Business Solutions has spotted for 2025 and why these trends may be ones you should follow.
AI and IoT Integration
AI seems to be everywhere these days, but it’s not just a buzzword—it’s a wave of transformation in many industries. While AI may not be revolutionizing printer and copier technology just yet, it is making things much easier. AI can monitor your copier for errors, offer troubleshooting advice, and keep an eye on your toner levels. Some AI can even be set to automatically re-order certain supplies when needed. This helps your team focus on what only humans can do instead of worrying about the printer.
One of the most helpful changes to the copier and printer industry is the ability of AI to perform predictive maintenance. With sensors collecting data and an AI to analyze it, you can be ready for printer issues before they happen. This includes toner and ink levels, of course, but it can also indicate the remaining lifespan of the printer drum and other parts as well as suggest specific types of maintenance.
Today’s copiers also offer more automation. AI can learn what certain types of documents are and how they’re used. For example, AI could automatically pull information from invoices and auto-fill fields in billing software or automatically know which scanned documents need to be saved to a shared drive.
Finally, AI reduces some costs and waste. With AI providing maintenance insights, you may be able to avoid unexpected downtime from a copier malfunction. AI can also suggest cost-saving settings such as duplex printing or grayscale printing for certain documents. If you have multiple printers, AI may even be able to route print jobs to the devices that are not busy at the moment.
Leveraging AI can help your office become more efficient, experience fewer downtimes, and save time and money. While AI may seem like a trend right now, experts predict it’s here to stay.
Cloud-Integrated Printing
Cables and wires looping all around the office is a thing of the past thanks to wireless technology. It’s hard to find a copier or printer that doesn’t have wireless or Bluetooth capabilities these days, and that’s definitely for the best. This is especially true with the recent trend of hybrid or remote work. Employees can log in to your network and remotely send print jobs to the office, allowing them to share documents or make hardcopies no matter where they are. Employees at the office can also scan and send documents to your remote workers, making collaboration quick and easy.
By sending all print jobs through one central cloud system, your IT team doesn’t have to deal with troubleshooting multiple print server issues or various drivers. Instead, all print jobs go through one central hub, making troubleshooting easier.
Of course, there are concerns with remote printing. For example, what happens if someone comes along and picks up copies that were not meant for them? Modern printers and copiers have the solution to this. Enhanced security features can be implemented on a task-by-task basis. An employee who is printing documents with sensitive information can set the documents to only print after a code is entered at the printer. These documents will be held until the employee is actually at the printer and ready to receive them.
Wireless copiers and printers also make use of encryption and other security features to protect your data from theft. You won’t have to worry about anyone intercepting your data.
Sustainability and Eco-Friendly Practices
While sustainability has been on many business owners’ minds for years, it’s a trend that has continued to evolve. In 2025, sustainability is more important than ever due to concerns about both the environment and a company’s bottom line. Local businesses in Sonoma County that are dedicated to sustainability can find significant cost savings as well as increased customer satisfaction as more and more individuals look to brands that have gone green.
What does sustainability mean in 2025? First, it means looking at new forms of materials such as the newer plant-based inks. These inks are created from vegetables or soy, both of which are renewable resources. They’re replacing older petroleum-based inks. Recycled paper use is also on the rise.
Energy efficiency and waste reduction are also important. Many ink cartridges, toner cartridges, and even entire printers can be recycled now. Many new copiers and printers are designed with auto-sleep modes and other low-power options, reducing your carbon footprint and utility bills.
Adapting to Remote Work
As we’ve already touched on, one of the biggest trends of 2025 is remote or hybrid work and how businesses are adapting to these models. Cloud printing solutions is certainly one way of adapting to remote work since it allows employees at their homes, satellite offices, client locations, and traveling to print to a designated office printer or receive scanned documents from the office. By putting all resources in a centralized location, there’s less work for your IT team to manage.
Printing to a central server is just one part of the overall trend of streamlining your digital workflow. In the past, it wasn’t unusual for every office or even every desk to have a small printer in it. Today, this setup has become fairly rare. Instead, multiple offices or even an entire floor of offices often share the same printer/copier machine. Users can print wirelessly to this machine from anywhere using secure settings. Should an issue occur with one floor’s printer, print jobs can be routed to another floor or even to a temporary printer until the issues are resolved.
If a remote worker needs a printer for some reason, they can still have one; however, you don’t need to provide printers for everyone in the office or for those who don’t need to print hardcopies on a regular basis.
Substrate Versatility and Customization
The fifth trend in coping and printing for 2025 is the use of different substrates, which is simply another term for the material being printed on. Most people think printers print on paper, and of course they do, but today’s printers can do more. New printers can print on fabrics, magnets, transfer paper, plastics, metals, and more. While most low-cost office printers won’t be able to do metal or plastic, they may be able to print on many different specialty papers.
Being able to print on more media is a great option, but it’s only the start. More and more printers are becoming capable of customization. Some printers can now add raised textures, foil stamps, and even UV coatings. These embellishments are especially useful in marketing where they can help pull in new customers.
Which Trends Have You Embraced?
Whether you’re making use of different substrates, have implemented cloud printing so your team can work remotely, are harnessing the power of AI, or have gone green, these trends can help transform how your business uses copiers and printers. They can save you money, make your office more efficient, and even bring in new customers.
Of course, you can’t make use of any of these trends without the right equipment. Whether you need a multifunctional device to serve as the hub of your cloud printing system or a printer for every floor of the building, Common Sense Business Solutions is here to help. Our leasing options are budget-friendly and make it easy to upgrade should you decide you need a machine with more features. Reach out today to learn more about leasing copiers in Sonoma County.