GOING to the photocopier with a simple but urgent job to find it’s out of order is an all-too-common problem in offices and homes around the country.

It could be an error code, it could be a paper jam, but more often than not, it has run out of ink.

And for those at home who believe they have bagged a bargain, the joy is short-lived when the ink quickly runs dry under the onslaught of the household’s admin, children’s homework and relentless printing of photographs taken on the family’s smartphones ­—followed by the cost of new colour cartridges.

Ink prices soon blot out the initial affordable cost of the printer which now doesn’t look as cheap as it once had.

Two Cumbrian businessmen have come up with the answer. Infinity Print Solutions has launched a new product to coincide with moving to new, larger premises in Carlisle.

Domestic and corporate customers can rent quality printers starting from under £10 a month and the ink is unlimited. They also gain the security of maintenance backup while over-the-air monitoring allows some problems to be resolved even before the customer notices there is one.

“Our range of packages for home users and businesses offers an incredible deal,” says CEO Daren Perryman, who is based in the new premises at Durannhill Industrial Estate.

“We started to develop business to customer packages in 2014. I became aware of loads of parents coming in complaining that the cartridges didn’t seem to last long, and new ones costs a fortune. It started me thinking how we can come up with a package to help them that also works for us. So, for the monthly subscription they get a quality, wireless, colour air printer, fully maintained, with unlimited ink.”

Infinity Print Solutions managing director Martin Casson-Grave, who is based in the company’s Lancaster premises, added: “It’s a complete no-brainer and it changes the dynamics of the atmosphere in the stores because it removes the burden of the ink running out and the expense of having it replaced. Our customers come in happy to pick up more ink – they love it.”

Infinity Print Solutions was founded 20 years ago by Daren, who has been in the print business since he left school at 16.

He teamed up with Martin, who is originally from Coniston, in 2010 adding the Lancaster site to the portfolio. Six years ago, a stroke of luck saw them invite Matt Ellis to join them in the business and he now works as service director. “I trained Matt when he worked in Cyprus and it just happened that an opening appeared just as he was looking to move back to the UK,” Daren said.

Today, business is booming for the nine-strong firm which has moved to the larger premises to meet the increasing demand from southwest Scotland, Cumbria and Lancashire. It is also acquiring other businesses in Carlisle and south of Lancaster and is taking on extra staff including digital marketers.

“It’s ironic really,” reflects Daren. “I remember in the 1980s attending conferences abroad when computers and the worldwide web were just in their infancy, but developers claimed it would lead to a paperless world.

“We have seen no drop-off in the demand for paper products and photocopying, in fact we have had to move from our old building in Port Road to larger premises to meet demand. Firms may email invoices and remittances and save on the postage, but generally they will also print them off for their records. The printers also act as scanners so records can be easily digitised as well.

“Domestically, children seem to use printers more and more for their schoolwork and everyone likes to print off the photographs they have taken on their phones and the equipment is certainly more than capable of doing that.”

Modern equipment tends to be reliable, but it can fall prey to human error causing breakages and like all machines needs servicing. Infinity Print Solutions also provides the backup home and office printers need to ensure maximum efficiency.

“We are always at the end of the phone,” says Martin. “There’s nothing more annoying than going to the photocopier and the person before you have had a problem but not reported it. Much of the equipment allows us to monitor it remotely and we can order and deliver toner often before the customer realises it is needed, or we can spot the error codes and get the problems rectified. We are all about taking the hassle out of printers and photocopiers and our packages are designed to be as flexible as possible catering for everyone’s needs.”

Daren adds: “We know our customers well and are delighted to chat through people’s needs and advise them of the very best package to use.”

A new website has just been launched so customers can now go online – infinityprintsolutions.co.uk – and design their own packages depending on their specific needs.

“This third-generation website is slicker and more sophisticated,” says Daren. “All they have to do is follow the simple guidelines which seek to assess their specific needs, help them understand what is on offer, make recommendations and secure the best possible package for their needs.”

Martin adds: “We are offering a unique service for customers ranging from individuals in their own homes to small, medium and large enterprises, offering everything they could possibly want from a printer. It doesn’t matter who they are, we can find the best printer solution for them.”