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Printer or Multifunction Machine?

Buying a new printer for your office might seem like a relatively easy task….until you realize the incredible number of options associated with the decision.

Inkjet or laser? Color or monochrome? Do you need two-sided printing, collating capabilities, or an extra-large input tray? What about wireless?

If you’re going to print a lot of black and white pages, a laser printer is your best choice because it’s faster and costs less to print each page. (Inkjet printers initially cost less but because it’s more expensive to print each page, the cost of cartridges can really add up). Many businesses today, however, are now deciding to upgrade to a laser or inkjet multifunction machine because in addition to printing, they can also handle scanning, copying and faxing.

Buying a multifunction machine can save your company money, space…and maybe a little bit of aggravation, too. Here’s how:

• Save money – you could spend many thousands of dollars for a dedicated printer, flatbed scanner, copier and fax machine….compared to only a couple hundred dollars for a reliable multifunction.
  One multifunction machine also consumes less power than three or four separate machines.
• Save space – if things are getting just a bit crowded in your office, a multifunction can consolidate all your necessary office functions into just one machine
• Save some aggravation – having one machine that does it all can also make office life just a little bit easier. You’ll have to download just one driver update (as opposed to separate downloads for different machines) and you’ll only have to purchase ink and toner for just one machine (and not different kinds of ink and toner for each of your machines).  

If a multifunction machine is right for your office, here are some recommended models to take a look at:

• Canon ImageCLASS MF4370 Mono Laser Multifunction—Features 2-sided printing, copying, faxing and scanning and includes a 35-page auto document feeder and built-in Ethernet port for network printing. Prints up to 23 ppm with up to 600x600 dpi resolution.
   
• Brother MFC-7840W Mono Laser Multifunction—An ideal choice for wireless networking. Has a 10,000 pages per month duty cycle and prints up to 23 ppm with extra sharp 2400x600 dpi resolution.
  
  
• HP Color LaserJet CM1312 NFI Multifunction—Perfect for creating marketing brochures and other presentation-quality materials that require sharp graphics and attention-getting color. Prints up to 12 ppm (black) and 8 ppm (color). Energy Star® qualified.

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