Multifunction Printer

Multifunction printers have copy, fax, scan and printing capabilities all built into one piece of hardware. They are also called All-In-One printers. Multifunction printers are not much bigger than regular desktop printers. They can potentially replace up to four other machines: printer, scanner, photocopier, and fax. Multifunction printers are also kept as backup in case other machines fail.

Multifunction printers have many advantages, but they also have some drawbacks. The ink cartridges are expensive, and the resolution of the printer and scanner is relatively poor. This is especially true for some cheaper models.

One Machine, Many Functions

A multifunction printer can print a document from a computer, or print directly from the scanner. This means it can be used as a standalone photocopier. A document can also be sent as a fax via the printer’s modem. The scanner can send its output to the printer or computer, or it can use the modem to send it as a fax.

Lower resolution results in scans that are lower in quality, but they are good enough to satisfy most users.

Another drawback of multifunction printers is that a fault usually means the loss of all functions. This could be a nightmare for a home office, but these machines don’t fail too often and they are easy to replace because they’re relatively cheap.

Ink Cartridges

The business model used by printer manufacturers is to sell cheap printers to boost the sales of expensive ink cartridges. Generally, if  a multifunction printer is very cheap, ink cartridges will be very expensive. If you want a printer for every-day use, you should know that these printers cannot replace regular photocopier. For printing jobs larger than a few dozen pages it is cheaper to use a regular photocopier.

Advantages of All in One Printers

To begin with, the price is one of the greatest advantages of multifunction printers. Since you are buying everything in one unit, it can save a considerable amount of money. Instead of having to buy a separate fax, printer, copier and scanner, you can purchase all of these built into one machine. For small businesses, this saved money can mean more funds for other things.

The size of a multifunction printer is another advantage.

Finally, another advantage is related to updating the hardware. Since it is all one machine, you typically only need to install one driver to update the entire thing. If you owned separate units, you’d have to install a driver for each and every one. This saves time and makes it easier to update. Install one driver and everything will work to the new specifications.

Disadvantages of All in One Printers

A major disadvantage is the fact that one device is used for various purposes, so if you are getting the fax machine serviced, that means that the printer, copier and scanner cannot be used.