Apex Communications
50 S Picket St., Ste. 207
Alexandria, VA 22304
(703)370-1230

Resources
Request Your Document Assessment
Browse Our Product Catalog
Order Supplies
Home ›

News Room

Comparing Printers Before You Buy

Submitted by Webmaster on Mon, 11/30/2009 - 21:26
in

iStock_000004423793Small If you’re in the market for a color laser printer for the first time, you are in for some surprises and a few shocks. Color laser printers have come a long way in function and reliability and are now offered by a large number of companies. Laser printers can be all-in-one machines and be as industrial-strong as any company would need them to be. They can also be more moderately priced for the smaller companies and even less expensive for home, business, or personal use.

When comparing color laser printers you need to consider many aspects in order to ensure the best purchase for your needs. Excellent refurbished printers are available at remarkable savings and many will include a warranty that will give peace of mind concerning the cost. Any color laser printer comparison needs to consider those as well. Some laser printers are capable of label making, shredding, gluing pages, collating, stapling and will easily serve the printing needs of one computer or an entire department. A color laser printer comparison needs to consider the ink the printer will use, because toner and cartridges can get very expensive. continue reading...

A Buyer’s Guide to Printers

Submitted by Webmaster on Tue, 11/24/2009 - 01:27
in

With so many brands and types to choose from, finding the perfect printer for your needs can be daunting.  It’s important to assess your printing needs before buying.

First, decide whether you need an inkjet or laser printer. An inkjet printer can provide decent print quality in documentsSupplies and photographs, but are not usually professional grade.  Generally, laser printers are faster and more precise than inkjets.  A laser printer is a better choice if you regularly print photographs, documents that contain graphics, or if you print in high volume.

Another point to consider is whether you need a printer that is multifunctional. Many printers are now all-in ones or Multifunction Printers. They scan, fax, copy and print documents. Multifunction Printers can either be inkjet or laser and the cost of the machine reflects the number and functions the machine provides. continue reading...

OCR and Small Businesses

Submitted by Webmaster on Tue, 11/17/2009 - 00:04
in

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) has made great progress in the fight for paperless offices. It’s become a staple component in just about any document management software.

iStock_000004115693Medium So what is OCR? Wikipedia offers this definition: “…the mechanical or electronic translation of images of handwritten, typewritten or printed text (usually captured by a scanner) into machine-editable text.” (2008)

Fundamentally, a computer reads the document and creates a library of searchable information. This type of application allows an EDM solution the opportunity to build a database of text, making the search for usable information within and across documents much easier.

While many argue the accuracy levels for OCR engines can reach 98 or 99 percent, small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) may find this hard to achieve with most commercially-available software. Many variables can affect the accuracy levels of output, ranging from document condition to readability.

Where problems can begin to occur is when OCR is not applied to the text contained within the scanned document, but used to lift index values themselves (e.g. customer name, number, etc.). This becomes dangerous if there are no quality assurances or stop-loss measures in place. If that is the case, it becomes likely a document will be misplaced due to a character being off here or there. continue reading...

Print Audit Named 2009 TechRev Innovator

Submitted by Webmaster on Thu, 11/12/2009 - 21:46
in

CALGARY, ALBERTA (November 12, 2009) – During the 2009 TechRev Innovators event, Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier stressed the growing importance technology companies bring to Calgary’s economy and the continuing need for collaboration, promotion, and advancement in this sector. Shortly after his speech, global print management solutions company, Print Audit, was named one of Calgary’s 2009 TechRev Innovators.

The award, which recognizes outstanding technology enterprises located in Calgary, was given based on entrepreneurship, innovation, growth, promise, company culture, and pioneering ideas. TechRev acknowledged ten companies out of over 130 nominations, highlighting organizations as diverse as a Biotech company developing a unique cancer treatment to a multimedia company that monitors social networking website user engagement.

In recognizing Print Audit as a 2009 Innovator, TechRev cited the Calgary-based company’s impressive entrepreneurial beginnings, their ongoing environmental concerns, and their often-lauded customer service. In addition, TechRev praised Print Audit’s warm business environment, which is focused on the five core values of respect, integrity, growth, family, and fun.   continue reading...

Inside Innovation at Xerox: Scientists Develop Chemical Armor to Extend the Lifespan of Printer Components

Submitted by Webmaster on Thu, 11/12/2009 - 21:40
in

ROCHESTER, N.Y., 12 Nov. 2009 -- Tasked with developing ways to extend the lifespan of printer components - and reduce their impact on the environment - a group of scientists at Xerox Corporation (NYSE:XRX) have developed a new chemical armor that protects photoreceptors, the light-sensitive elements in xerographic machines. Protected from normal wear and tear, a photoreceptor coated with the new "armor" can survive more than one million revolutions - nearly doubling its usable life.

"The long life of the photoreceptor reduces the need for replacement cartridges, enabling a 33 percent reduction in waste," said Yonn Rasmussen, vice president of the Xerographic Component Systems Group. "Customers experience less down time, and therefore reduced interruptions to work flow, improved productivity, and fewer service calls."
Photoreceptors are multi-layer thin film devices that convert light into electrostatic images. They must be replaced periodically due to surface wear and scratches that can affect image quality.

"This novel long life overcoat is an example of cutting-edge chemistry at work that required both materials and process innovation," said Giuseppa DiPaola-Baranyi, laboratory manager for Materials Integration at the Xerox Research Centre of Canada. "The ultimate goal is to develop photoreceptors that will last the entire life of the machine. For example, when you scratch your hand and you heal, that's a biological process. We are looking at how to mimic nature and leverage our expertise in smart materials design and nanotechnology to create molecules for next-generation photoreceptors with self-healing capabilities." continue reading...