Copier Terminology

Pages per minute, or ppm, indicates how quickly a device outputs single-sided letter pages in ideal conditions, though duplex and mixed jobs run slower.

Duty cycle refers to the maximum number of pages a manufacturer expects the machine to handle in one month without premature failure; a separate recommended volume indicates the range for optimal reliability.

MFP stands for multifunction printer, meaning the device also scans, copies, and often faxes from the same footprint. Other common specifications include ADF capacity, which controls how many originals load at once, and warm-up time, which affects first-page-out speed after idle periods.