# Our photocopier at work is now a "printer" on our computers **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 4, 2009, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518 "2009-10-04T05:02:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518/1 "2009-10-04T05:02:21Z")
So, if I need to make 42 two-sided stapled copies of a document, instead of printing, going to the printer to pick up the prints, going over to the copy machine and waiting in a ten minute line, then programming it to make my copies…I just do it all from my computer. No fuss, no muss. This is a big deal. I mean, it’s no cure for cancer, but it’s a big deal! Thank you, technology god! (AKA our “tech guy.”) Now…if they could just invent some way to automatically chop off the right hand of anyone who leaves colored paper in the copy machine’s paper drawers, my life would be perfect. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518/2 "2009-10-04T05:13:09Z")
Yes, it’s very handy. We’ve had one for a number of years. We can also fax from it, scan and email it directly to people, and send stuff to the printer to wait in a mailbox until we tell it to print. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518/3 "2009-10-04T05:22:11Z")
This isn’t exactly new, ya know? ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518/4 "2009-10-04T05:28:22Z")
> [@EmAnJ](#): > > Yes, it’s very handy. We’ve had one for a number of years. > > We can also fax from it, scan and email it directly to people, and send stuff to the printer to wait in a mailbox until we tell it to print. The scanning feature is intriguing. I have to scan workbooks anyway…why not just scan them and have the machine email the project to me as a .pdf and never have to deal with the workbook again? I haven’t figured out the faxing capabilities. I _hate_ faxing…it’s dying a slow death, and I’d do anything to speed it along. ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518/5 "2009-10-04T05:33:16Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > This isn’t exactly new, ya know? Public schools are the last for ANY new technology. My next post is about this AWESOME new ditto machine we just got…the ink is purple! And the chemicals smell fantastic! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518/6 "2009-10-04T05:41:29Z")
> [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](#): > > My next post is about this AWESOME new ditto machine we just got…the ink is purple! And the chemicals smell fantastic! Let me tell you something amazing. We just got this new special paper. You put it between two other pieces of paper and then put all three in the typewriter and you type something and get two copies of it automatically! Also, have I told you about my new sliderule? It made my work fly by so fast that Mr. Lawson gave me an extra nickel for the stereopticon. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518/7 "2009-10-04T14:14:42Z")
Did I just fall out of a time machine into 1999? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![tacoloco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tacoloco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tacoloco)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518/8 "2009-10-04T14:26:52Z")
Everything is fine until the printer starts reporting PC LOAD LETTER. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518/9 "2009-10-04T14:50:04Z")
PC LOAD LETTER? What the FUCK does THAT mean? ---
**Author:** ![Dottygumdrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Dottygumdrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dottygumdrop)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518/10 "2009-10-04T16:08:16Z")
> [@picker](#): > > PC LOAD LETTER? What the FUCK does THAT mean? It means somebody from the US sent you a soft-copy document with page settings for some ancient, outdated type of paper that only one country in the world uses, whereas every paper tray in the printer/copier is loaded with metric standard A4! 😉 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518/11 "2009-10-04T16:51:17Z")
> [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](#): > > I just do it all from my computer. No fuss, no muss. Through the magic of RDP, I rock that copier from _home_, Holmes. It saves having to hear a lot of frustrated muttering if I send any 2,500pp jobs from home after hours and pick it up in the morning. (We have three high end copiers, but it seem everyone has a favourite and it’s a sacrifice to use one of the others.) > [@Dottygumdrop](#): > > It means somebody from the US sent you a soft-copy document with page settings for some ancient, outdated type of paper that only one country in the world uses, whereas every paper tray in the printer/copier is loaded with metric standard A4! Actually thiis is one area where Canadians go along with Americans’ damn-foolishness. Well, that and ketchup on everything. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518/12 "2009-10-04T18:07:45Z")
> [@Dottygumdrop](#): > > It means somebody from the US sent you a soft-copy document with page settings for some ancient, outdated type of paper that only one country in the world uses, whereas every paper tray in the printer/copier is loaded with metric standard A4! 😉 😃 Canada uses it too. But Canada is hardly a country. ---
**Author:** ![notthatagain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@notthatagain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notthatagain)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518/13 "2009-10-04T18:33:36Z")
Years ago I (the tech) tried to integrate one of these into my 5 machine network and it was a nightmare. The factory reps spent a full six hours over the next 3 days before they (we) got it up and running. Once it was working though - it _was_ awsome. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518/14 "2009-10-04T18:40:31Z")
Oh, yeah, had that feature where I used to work - it was great until someone started sending 5,000 page (no, I _do not exaggerate!)_ documents to it, usually at around 9 or 10 am on a day when everyone else had reports due. Dimwit just couldn’t grasp that maybe such jobs should be sent to the Production Center upstairs! ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518/15 "2009-10-04T22:35:33Z")
I wanted that when I was the Asst Controller of a hotel. It cost us about 2¢ to print a page, due to the toner costs. But by using the copier it went down to 1/36¢. But our controller nixed the idea, he said people would let lazy and not pick up the stuff and the accounting office had “classified documents” I tried to explain we could fix it so even if you hit print nothing will print till you walk to the copier and enter a code. But he was agin it 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![shellofmyformerself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@shellofmyformerself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shellofmyformerself)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518/16 "2009-10-04T23:18:44Z")
> [@picker](#): > > PC LOAD LETTER? What the FUCK does THAT mean? Yeah…I’m gonna need you to come in on Saturday… ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518/17 "2009-10-04T23:30:42Z")
We had one of these in the last place I worked - the driver was really smart and would handle the imposition of pages if you wanted to print a multi-page document as an A3-folded or A4-folded booklet - it would even let you print the cover on stock from a different tray, so you could have card or higher-opacity paper for the cover - and it would optionally insert blank pages so the inside faces of front and back covers were left empty. The staples came in a nifty little cassette that just plugged into the machine. It would also punch holes in a variety of selectable patterns and placements. One time, it ran out of staples and I told one of the girls in the office to order a spare cassette of holes too, just in case… ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518/18 "2009-10-05T00:39:23Z")
> [@shellofmyformerself](#): > > Yeah…I’m gonna need you to come in on Saturday… For misquoting Lumbergh, I’m going to have to go ahead and ask you to come in on Sunday, too. ---
**Author:** ![ErinPuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@ErinPuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ErinPuff)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518/19 "2009-10-05T03:12:32Z")
> [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](#): > > The scanning feature is intriguing. I have to scan workbooks anyway…why not just scan them and have the machine email the project to me as a .pdf and never have to deal with the workbook again? That’s what we do in the music department here; the grad students and faculty have access to a scanner that can e-mail us PDFs. It’s brilliant - I can’t imagine having to photocopy all the readings I have to do. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518/20 "2009-10-05T05:59:36Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Oh, yeah, had that feature where I used to work - it was great until someone started sending 5,000 page (no, I _do not exaggerate!)_ documents to it, usually at around 9 or 10 am on a day when everyone else had reports due. Dimwit just couldn’t grasp that maybe such jobs should be sent to the Production Center upstairs! Generally, you can set these machines up so that there is a maximum acceptable page count for a print job. Anything larger gets either bounced elsewhere (like to your upstairs Production Center) or just rejected back to the originator. You need to have smarter people setting this up in your office. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-photocopier-at-work-is-now-a-printer-on-our-computers/512518.md?page=2)