Canon imageFORCE C3135 versus Konica Minolta bizhub C361i – Which is the best A3 colour printer for a busy office?

If you are looking for an A3 printer for a busy office, you are not buying a home-office printer. You are choosing a business-class A3 colour office printer (many people still call it an office photocopier or copier) that the whole team will rely on. You need a shared business machine that can cope with several people sending print jobs, copying invoices and contracts, scanning paperwork to email or cloud folders, and producing the occasional high-quality colour document without becoming the bottleneck in the office.

There are two A3 colour multifunction printers that will almost certainly end up on your shortlist: the brand-new Canon imageFORCE C3135 and the established top-selling model in Europe, the Konica Minolta bizhub C361i. Both print at around 35 pages per minute, both handle everything from A6 to SRA3.

The Canon imageFORCE C3135 and Konica Minolta bizhub C361i multi-function printers (MFPs) can work as departmental printers for larger teams or as the main office printer for a small or medium-sized business, or mid-sized workgroups. Both print, copy and scan in colour; both can be expanded with high-capacity paper trays and professional finishing; and both have the security and document-workflow features that a multi-user business environment needs.

On paper they look almost identical. Look closer, though, and you will find real differences in speed, running costs, finishing, scanning, security and sustainability. In this head-to-head, we have inspected both models thoroughly and cited the independent awards and accreditations each machine holds, to help you decide which one is right for your office.

Who are these A3 business printers suitable for?

The Canon imageFORCE C3135 and Konica Minolta bizhub C361i are designed for multiple users. They are a good fit for:

• Small and medium-sized businesses that need one central print, copy and scan hub.
• Finance, HR, legal, property, construction and logistics teams that scan and print large quantities of documents.
• Schools, professional-services firms and healthcare-adjacent offices where secure user access and reliable scanning are important.
• Departments in larger organisations that need their own A3 colour MFP rather than relying on a central reprographics room.
• Businesses producing proposals, presentations, manuals, training packs, drawings, brochures or client paperwork.

They are not the best choice for an individual working from home who only prints a few pages each week. Their value comes from shared use, expandability, managed service and the ability to process a mixture of office workflows reliably.

What size office printer does your business need?

Businesses often start their search with phrases like “best printer for a small office” or “photocopier for 20 users”. In practice, the right size depends less on headcount and more on how many pages you print each month, how much of it is colour and how much paper you scan. As a rough guide:

When the MFP will be the only printer in a small or medium-sized business, choose a configuration with headroom: extra paper trays, a fast document feeder and a finisher, so one machine can handle everyone’s work without queues. As a departmental printer, match it to that team’s workload and make sure it fits your existing print management, security and scanning set-up. Konica Minolta recommends the bizhub C361i for up to 33,000 pages a month, so it has plenty of capacity for a busy office.

New to buying a business printer? Our beginners guide to choosing an A3 office printer and multi-function copier explains the basics.

Canon imageFORCE C3135 vs Konica Minolta bizhub C361i at a glance

Meet the contenders

Canon imageFORCE C3135

Launched in June 2026, the C3135 sits in the middle of Canon’s new imageFORCE C3100 Series (22, 26, 30, 35 and 50 ppm models). It is Canon’s latest thinking on the A3 office MFP, with a strong focus on fast start-up, high-speed scanning, layered security and recycled materials.

Konica Minolta bizhub C361i

The C361i is the 36 ppm model in Konica Minolta’s bizhub One i-Series, the latest update to one of the most widely installed A3 platforms in UK offices. It builds on a proven engine with a smartphone-style interface, extra security and a very broad range of finishing options. If you are also considering Xerox, see our Xerox AltaLink C8235 versus bizhub C361i comparison.

Print speed and productivity for multi-user offices

Headline speeds are almost level: 36 ppm for the Konica Minolta and 35 ppm for the Canon, with both machines keeping full speed when printing double-sided. On A3 the bizhub is again one page ahead (18 ppm against 17 ppm).

Where the difference really shows in day-to-day use is first copy out time. Most office jobs are short, just a few pages, so the time to get the first page out matters more than the pages-per-minute figure. The bizhub C361i delivers its first mono page in 4.6 seconds and first colour page in 6.1 seconds, against 5.5 and 7.4 seconds for the Canon. That is almost a second and a half saved on every colour job.

The Canon fights back on warm-up. Its Quick Startup mode has the machine ready in 4 seconds, or 10 seconds from sleep, compared with around 11 seconds for the bizhub. If your MFP spends most of the day asleep and wakes for occasional jobs, the Canon will feel quicker to respond.

Under the bonnet, the bizhub has more working memory (8 GB against 5 GB), which helps with large, complex colour files and when several people print at once. Both come with a 256 GB SSD as standard, upgradeable to 1 TB.

Winner: Konica Minolta, on faster first-page times, faster A3 output and more memory. The Canon wins on wake-up time.

Colour print and copy quality

Both machines print true A3 colour at office quality. Canon quotes a print resolution of 4,800 x 2,400 dpi. Konica Minolta quotes 1,800 (equivalent) x 600 dpi and 1,200 x 1,200 dpi, using its Simitri® V polymerised toner, which is designed for sharp text and consistent colour. Konica Minolta was named Keypoint Intelligence’s Most Colour Consistent A3 Brand for 2021–2023.

For businesses where colour accuracy really matters, such as design studios, marketing teams, estate agents and architects, the bizhub has a clear advantage: it can be fitted with an optional EFI Fiery IC-420 print controller. Fiery is the industry standard for professional colour management and is not available on the imageFORCE C3100 Series.

Winner: Konica Minolta, for colour consistency and the Fiery option.

Paper handling and media

Out of the box the Canon holds slightly more paper (1,200 sheets against 1,150), but fully configured the bizhub goes further, to 6,650 sheets against 6,350. Both handle A6 to SRA3 and paper up to 300 gsm, although the Canon needs an optional Media Adjustment Kit to feed coated stock between 257 and 300 gsm.

The bizhub also duplexes heavier paper automatically (up to 256 gsm, compared with 220 gsm on the Canon), and it can print banners up to 1.2 metres long. That is useful for signage, posters and event material. An optional Intelligent Media Sensor can even detect the paper weight and type automatically, so users don’t have to set it.

The Canon’s cassettes are more envelope-friendly, taking C5, DL and other envelopes from the drawers (with the supplied Envelope Feeder Attachment) as well as from the bypass tray.

Winner: Konica Minolta, for maximum capacity, heavier duplexing and banner printing.

Finishing options

Both machines offer an internal finisher, a floor-standing staple finisher and a booklet maker, with 50-sheet stapling, 2/4-hole punching and 20-sheet saddle-stitched booklets.

The bizhub C361i has the more versatile line-up. Its booklet finisher can also letter-fold (tri-fold) up to 3 sheets, ready for envelopes, and there is an optional offline stapler for stapling documents by hand. It also supports mixplex and mixmedia printing, drawing different paper types from different trays within the same job.

The Canon has two clever touches of its own: Eco Stapling, which binds up to 10 sheets without using a metal staple, and Staple on Demand for manual stapling at the finisher. Its maximum output capacity is also slightly higher (3,450 sheets against 3,300).

Winner: Konica Minolta, thanks to letter folding and wider media flexibility.

Scanning and document capture for paperless offices

This is where the Canon pulls clearly ahead. Its Single Pass DADF-E1 feeder holds 200 originals and scans both sides at once at up to 270 images per minute. The bizhub’s dual-scan feeder holds 100 originals and scans at up to 200 ipm, which is still very quick, but if you digitise large volumes of paper the Canon will get through it faster.

Both support scan to email, network folders, USB and the cloud, and both can create searchable PDFs and Microsoft Office files (on the bizhub via an optional licence). Canon adds a handy Advanced Space shared storage area on the device and scanning to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace email using modern OAuth 2.0 sign-in.

Winner: Canon, for scanning speed and feeder capacity.

Office printer security: protecting your business data

Security is now one of the most important parts of any MFP decision, and both manufacturers take it seriously.

The Canon imageFORCE C3135 has an impressive specification: a Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) as standard, FIPS 140-3 validated encryption for network traffic and the SSD, firmware that checks itself at start-up and recovers automatically if it has been tampered with (NIST SP800-193), Trellix runtime intrusion detection, NIST 800-88 data wiping, two-factor authentication and sign-in with Microsoft Entra ID or Google Workspace.

The Konica Minolta bizhub C361i comes with bizhub SECURE features including AES-256 SSD encryption, secure print, SSD overwrite, TLS 1.3 and IPsec. New to the bizhub One generation is Authentication Attack Detection, which spots and blocks brute-force password attacks and alerts IT. Options include a TPM, Bitdefender® antivirus that scans all data coming into and out of the device in real time, finger-vein biometric login and card readers.

Most importantly, security features on a datasheet are only half the story. In March 2026 the bizhub i-Series received Keypoint Intelligence’s Security Validation Seal for Device Penetration, after independent ethical hackers attacked the devices’ firmware, web interfaces, ports and protocols. They found no vulnerabilities rated High or Critical. Both manufacturers’ Common Criteria certifications were listed as pending at the time of writing.

Verdict: very close. The Canon has more security built in as standard; the Konica Minolta has been independently tested against real attacks, with built-in antivirus available as an option.

Cloud printing, mobile printing and ease of use

Both machines use a 10.1-inch tablet-style touchscreen. The bizhub’s interface works like a smartphone, with multi-touch, drag and drop, and apps grouped into folders so each user can find what they need. Canon’s interface offers step-by-step guidance and accurate print previews.

For mobile printing, both support Apple AirPrint and Mopria. The Canon adds IPP Everywhere, Microsoft Universal Print and uniFLOW Online, Canon’s cloud print management platform. The bizhub offers Konica Minolta Mobile Print, Wi-Fi Direct, driverless printing of PDF, Office and image files, single sign-on for Microsoft and Google users, and serverless pull printing, so staff can release their jobs at any bizhub without the cost of a print server.

If you want wireless, the Canon’s optional Wi-Fi supports the latest Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) standard; the bizhub’s supports 802.11ac.

Sustainability and energy use

Canon has made sustainability a headline for the C3100 Series. The machines are made from 30% recycled plastic and 5% recycled steel, ship in cardboard packaging, and have a published Typical Electricity Consumption of just 0.33 kWh (ENERGY STAR 3.2). Sleep power is around 0.5 W, and the machine is officially “noise-free” on standby.

Konica Minolta has not published a comparable TEC figure on its UK datasheet, but the bizhub C361i is ENERGY STAR certified and uses energy-saving modes, space-saving design and award-winning air-cushion packaging. It also offers an optional air cleaning unit that reduces emissions to improve indoor air quality.

Both machines carry the Blue Angel (Blauer Engel) eco-label, the independent German certification for low energy use, low emissions, low noise and durability.

Winner: Canon, on published energy figures and recycled content.

Awards and accreditations

Independent testing is one of the best ways to cut through marketing claims. Keypoint Intelligence (formerly Buyers Lab, or BLI) is the industry’s leading independent test lab, and both manufacturers have strong records.

It is worth noting that these are brand and product-line awards. Neither the C3135 nor the C361i has received an individual Keypoint Pick Award, and Canon’s 2026 A3 Line of the Year was announced before the C3100 Series launched.

The verdict: which is the best A3 colour office printer for a busy business?

Both of these are excellent A3 colour MFPs, and you would be well served by either. But for the typical office we work with, the Konica Minolta bizhub C361i comes out on top.

It is faster where it counts, with quicker first pages and faster A3 output. It has more memory, larger paper capacity and longer lasting colour toners. Its finishing is more versatile, with letter folding, banner printing and the option of a professional Fiery colour controller. The bizhub C361i security has been independently tested by Keypoint Intelligence, with no high or critical vulnerabilities found. Add in a mature, well-proven platform and it is the safer all-round choice.

The Canon imageFORCE C3135 is still a very strong machine, and it is the better pick if:

• you scan large volumes of paper and need the fastest possible document feeder
• published energy figures and recycled content are a priority for your sustainability reporting
• you are already committed to using Canon’s uniFLOW software across your business

The Konica Minolta bizhub C361i is ideal for

• offices with around 10–30 users printing a healthy mix of colour and black and white
• businesses producing marketing material, booklets, letters for mailing or banners in-house
• colour-critical work where a Fiery controller would help, such as a marketing or design team, or Architects practise
• firms wanting proven reliability and independently tested security

It is not the best fit for

• very small offices printing only a few hundred pages a month, where an A4 device may be more cost-effective

What should be included when you buy, lease or rent an office printer?

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is comparing two quotes that do not contain the same equipment. The base printer is only the starting point. If you are buying, leasing or renting an office printer in the UK, ask every supplier to quote the items below clearly and line by line.

1. A proper document feeder

A busy office needs a feeder, not just a scanner glass. The Canon C3135 can be fitted with either a 100-sheet DADF-F1 or the 200-sheet DADF-E1. We would recommend the DADF-E1 if you need to scan larger batches of documents regularly.

The C361i can be configured with Konica Minolta’s DF-714 dual-scan feeder, with a 100-sheet capacity. It is a capable option for typical office scanning, but high-volume users should compare the 100-sheet Konica feeder with the 200-sheet Canon feeder carefully.

2. Enough paper capacity for several users

Both machines start at around 1,150–1,200 sheets. That may sound generous, but a shared printer running invoices, delivery notes, proposals and general office printing can burn through it quickly. If it is the only printer in a 10–50 person business, we would normally explore a larger cabinet / tray configuration rather than relying on the standard set-up.

The Canon imageForce C3135 can expand its paper capacity to 6,350 sheets. Konica Minolta expands to 6,650 sheets. The Konica has the very small maximum-capacity advantage, but the correct choice depends on whether you need high-capacity A4, multiple paper sizes, SRA3, coloured stock or pre-printed forms available at the same time.

3. The right finishing equipment

For offices that produce reports, manuals, tender packs, property particulars or client presentations, finishing stops staff wasting time at a separate stapler. Both Canon and Konica offer options including staple, saddle-stitch booklet making, hole punching, and offset. Canon also offers eco staple less stapling.

Ask for the finishing equipment to be quoted now if you know you will need it. Retrofitting equipment later can be possible, but it is not usually the cheapest or simplest route.

Office printer running costs, maintenance and service support

For a business printer, the monthly rental or purchase price is only one part of the cost. A printer that sits idle because of a fault, missing toner or a slow call-out is not a bargain. The important comparison is total cost of ownership: the configured machine, monthly service charge, inclusive page allowance, excess-page pricing, toner, parts, labour, delivery, installation, network support and service response.

Ask suppliers the following before signing:

• What is included in the monthly service and supplies agreement?
• Are toner, consumables, parts, labour and call-outs all included?
• What is the expected and contractual response time?
• Does remote monitoring automatically order toner and identify faults?
• Are there minimum monthly charges or annual commitments?
• What are the mono and colour click prices?
• Who installs the machine, connects scan destinations and trains users?
• Do you provide support for network issues, such as loss of scanning or printing functionality, and is there an extra charge for this?

We recommend genuine manufacturer toner and a proper maintenance agreement for any business that depends on printing. A low-cost compatible toner can look tempting, but it can cause print-quality problems and lasting damage to the printer. The true cost is the interruption to the business, not simply the price printed on the cartridge.

Is it best to buy, lease or rent an office printer?

That depends on cash flow and your appetite for using finance over an outright purchase. The important point is to compare like-for-like configurations and fully understand the terms of the lease rental agreement, not simply choose the lowest advertised monthly figure.

When comparing leasing prices for your office printer, ask how much the initial payment is, what the ongoing rental amount is, the frequency of ongoing rentals and how many payments there are in total. And the total amount repayable.

For example, a standard rental term of 36 months usually consists of 1 quarterly rental followed by a further 11 equal rentals. Quite often the supplier will hit you with two payments up front, meaning that you pay two quarterly rental payments followed by a further 11.  Or they sign you up to a rental plan that takes one initial payment, but is then followed by a further 12. Either way, it’s an underhanded way of making you pay 13 rentals. In other words, overcharging you by 8%.

For a full breakdown of the pros and cons of each option, read our essential UK business guide to buying, leasing or renting an office multifunction printer.

Office printer and photocopier FAQs

What is the best A3 colour office printer for a busy small business?

For most small and medium-sized offices printing a mix of colour and black and white, we recommend the Konica Minolta bizhub C361i. It has faster first-page times, 8 GB of memory, 28,000-page colour toners and very flexible finishing. The Canon imageFORCE C3135 is the better choice if high-volume scanning is your top priority.

How many users can share an office printer like the bizhub C361i?

There is no fixed user limit. Both machines are networked and designed to be shared, so monthly volume matters more than headcount. Konica Minolta recommends the bizhub C361i for up to 33,000 pages a month. As a guide, a 35–36 ppm A3 MFP comfortably serves around 5–30 users as the main office printer, or a single team as a departmental printer in a larger organisation.

What is the difference between a photocopier, a printer and a multifunction printer?

Today’s office “photocopiers” are multifunction printers (MFPs, sometimes called MFDs): one networked device that prints, copies, scans and, optionally, faxes. The Canon imageFORCE C3135 and Konica Minolta bizhub C361i are both A3 colour MFPs, so whichever term you search for, these are the machines you are looking at.

How much does it cost to lease an office photocopier?

It depends on the configuration (document feeder, paper trays and finisher), the length of the lease and the service agreement, including the mono and colour cost per page. When comparing quotes, check the total amount repayable and the number of rentals, not just the monthly figure. Our buy, lease or rent guide explains what to look for.

Is an A3 printer worth it if we mostly print A4?

For a shared office, usually yes. A3 multifunction printers are built for higher monthly volumes, hold more paper, offer stapling and booklet finishing, and scan much faster than most A4 devices. They also print A3 spreadsheets, drawings and posters when you need them. The cost per print on A4 machines is usually 2-3 times the cost of an A3 machine. If your print volume is around 2,000 pages per month, an A3 machine will work out cheaper overall. If you only print a few hundred pages a month, an A4 MFP may be more economical.

Can these office printers scan to email, network folders and the cloud?

Yes. Both scan to email, network folders, USB and cloud storage, and both can create searchable PDFs. Canon adds OAuth 2.0 sign-in for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace email; Konica Minolta offers serverless pull printing and single sign-on for Microsoft and Google users.

Get expert advice and a free quote

Choosing the right MFP depends on how your office actually prints. At Scriptum we look at your print volumes, the mix of colour and mono, scanning needs and security requirements before recommending a machine, and we will give you an honest comparison of the options.

Scriptum supplies, installs and supports the Konica Minolta bizhub C361i, configured for your office with the right paper trays, document feeder and finishing, and backed by a service agreement covering toner, parts and labour. Whether you need a departmental printer or the main printer for your whole business, we will size it to your workload.

For a free print assessment and a bizhub C361i quotation, call us on 0800 011 2858 or email interface@scriptumds.co.uk.

Request a bizhub C361i quote

Specifications are taken from the manufacturers’ published datasheets (Konica Minolta bizhub C361i, February 2024; Canon imageFORCE C3100 Series, 2026) and may change. Some features require optional accessories.