Top 6 Multifunction Inkjet Printers

The Epson WP-4540 is at the upper end of the inkjet printer lineup and is suitable for high-volume business environments. It offers 2-sided (duplex) printing at up to 4800 x 1200 dpi. Printing speeds are extremely fast; based on the ISO print speed ratings Epson claims the WP-4590 to be the "world's fastest automatic two-sided printer". Paper capacity is 330 sheets via a 250 sheet main tray and an 80 sheet rear-feed tray. An optional 250 sheet tray is available. The automatic document feeder has a 30 sheet capacity. USB, network, and wireless interfaces are standard as is iPrint, which allows you to wirelessly print/scan documents directly to/from tablets, smartphones, and the cloud. The monthly duty cycle is 25,000 pages. According to Epson the WP-4540 print costs are less than comparable laser printers as is the energy usage. All in all the WP-4540 is an excellent choice for a busy office.

If your business needs a high quality photo printer with basic print/copy/scan (no fax) abilities the Pixma MG8220 photo all-in-one is perfect for the job. It can make superb glossy prints from a variety of sources including the usual supported interfaces (USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet) but also from memory cards, cameras, mobile devices, Google Cloud Print, HD Video and legacy film (the MG8220 comes with a 35 mm film and slide scanning adapter). You can also make direct copies of photos using the front panel "Photo Copy" command as well as print labels on printable CD, DVD, and Blu-ray discs. A full range of photo management software is included. The Mg8220 prints up to 12 ppm and the maximum print resolution is 9600 x 2400 dpi. Duplex printing is supported but there is no automatic document feeder. Paper capacity consists of two 150 sheet trays.

If you need to “go big” with your business printing and scanning the Epson WF-7510 fits the bill. It can scan media up to 11" x 17" in size and print up to 13" x 19" documents. Print speeds are very fast – up to 34 ppm and maximum print resolution is 5760 x 1440 dpi. Standard input paper capacity is 250 sheets and the automatic document feeder capacity is 30 sheets. The wide range of connectivity options includes USB, Wi-fi, Ethernet, Google Cloud Print, Apple AirPrint. Epson Connect allows anyone with a mobile device or computer to print to the WF-7510 from anywhere in the world via an assigned email address. Note that the WF-7510 does not include duplexing; this is available in the more expensive WF-7520. Don't expect to share a desktop with the WF-7510 - the large print/scan format means an equally large footprint.

The MX892 is an extremely capable all-in-one printer that is perfect for a small or home office. In addition to USB, network and Wi-fi interfaces the MX892 supports Google Cloud Print and direct printing from mobile devices (a PC is not required). It features fast printing speeds, auto duplexing, and high quality output at up to 9600 x 2400 dpi. The MX892 also excels at photo printing; it is capable of printing a photo lab quality, borderless 4" x 6" photo in about 20 seconds. A 35-sheet duplexing automatic document feeder is included and paper capacity is 300 sheets in total via the main tray and top sheet feeder.

For an inexpensive small or home office all-in-one printer the Brother MFC-J825DW has an impressive list of features including automatic duplex printing, a 20 page automatic document feeder, and Web Connect, which allows you to directly print from or scan to Web services such as Facebook and Google Docs. You can also print labels directly on printable CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs. Maximum print resolution is 6000 x 1200 dpi and print speed is acceptable except for photo printing. In comparison with the Canon MX892 above the MFC-J825DW took over 2 minutes to generate a 4" x 6" photo. Paper tray capacity is a skimpy 120 pages.

It is no accident that three of six printers recommended in this article are from Canon. According to PC Magazine Canon printers have earned Reader's Choice awards for eight straight years. For less than $100 the MX432 makes a fine home office or personal all-in-one printer. In addition to wired and wireless interfaces the MX432 supports AirPrint and Google Cloud Print for printing directly from Apple mobile devices and Google cloud applications. Print speeds and resolution do not match the more expensive MX892 mentioned above; it takes more than twice as long to print a 4" x 6" photo and the maximum print resolution is 4800 x 1200 dpi. Paper capacity is 100 sheets and a 30 page automatic document feeder is standard, as is manual duplexing. For a bit more money the MX512 has automatic duplexing.