Multifunction printers can be ideal for the small or home office. Having one machine that prints, faxes, scans, and copies is a great space and money saver. But they're not for every small business. Most multifunction machines are billed as multifunction printers for a reason; while they perform all four functions adequately, they don't necessarily do all things well. If you need high-resolution scanning or advanced faxing features, choose your multifunction printer carefully.
Multifunction Printer Speed
Speed costs. Many lower-end multifunction printers and quite a few mid-price machines are just plain slow when it comes to print and copy speeds - especially if we're talking color. Get the fastest multifunction printer you can afford. When you're in the middle of a job, you'll definitely notice the difference between 30 and 12 pages per minute.Multifunction Printer Memory
The more memory a multifunction printer carries, the more it costs. When it comes to faxing, printing, or copying documents, however, a lack of memory is extremely noticeable. While 8 MB of memory may be adequate for home office or small office use, if you often work with large documents or will have multi-users you should only consider multifunction printers that have at least 16 MB - and more is better.Multifunction Printer Resolution
The higher the dpi (dots per inch), the higher the image quality. The standard resolution of 600x600 will be adequate for most printing, except for photo quality. Pay special attention to the scanner resolution, as scanner resolutions for multifunction printers are often low. Note, too, that there's a big difference in quality between optimal and interpolated resolution.Multifunction Printer Fax Functions
Check the fax/modem speed. Most multifunction printers that include fax functions have integrated fax/modems of 33 Kbps fax/modem which means that your faxes will take less time on the phone line and save you money. Don't go with one that's lower. Also check the fax features carefully. If you need color faxing, fax broadcasting, and/or group dialing, make sure the multifunction printer you choose has those features; many don't offer full fax functions.Multifunction Printer Automatic Document Feeders
Don't buy a multifunction printer that doesn't have one of these. Some of the lower priced multifunction printers don't. And having to stand by a machine and feed single sheets into it is a real day spoiler. That said, size matters. Get a multifunction printer that has an automatic document feeder that holds at least 50 sheets.Test A Multifunction Printer Before You Buy
Never buy a multifunction printer/fax/scanner/copier without testing it first in the store. Read the specifications and see how the multifunction printer measures up when you run it. Test each function separately to be sure that the multifunction printer you've chosen will meet all of your small business's needs.
