What are Multifunctional Printers?

If you have an established business or are thinking of starting a new business then you may be thinking of upgrading to a multifunctional office printer. However, you may be overwhelmed by all of the different options on the market, as virtually every company claims that their printer is the best. Moreover, you may not require a multifunctional printer; different multifunctional printers have different price points as well as different features that you may or may not need for your day to day operations.

For those unaware, multifunctional printers have many functions that a stand-alone printer will likely not have, such as being able to scan documents, copy and fax documents, and of course, printing. Here, we will discuss the differences between multifunctional and single-function printers so that you will be better informed in order to make the right decision for your enterprise.

What are your needs?

First and foremost you need to determine your current needs, as well as your potential future needs. If you print, scan documents, send faxes, and make photocopies on a daily or semi-daily basis at your office then a multifunctional printer will fit the bill nicely, as it can perform many different office tasks simultaneously, which will save you money in the long-run.

You may not need to buy a separate printer, fax machine, copier, and scanner. If you decide to buy one device that can perform all of the above, you will also save some office space by not having to find space for four different office machines.

However, your office may already have a separate photocopier, scanner, and fax machine. In this case, you will have the option to either consolidate all of your office devices or buy a stand-alone printer to complete your office collection. The choice that you will end up making is entirely up to you, as you may not want to waste the devices that you already have. You may also want to reduce your carbon footprint by choosing not to send your existing office equipment to landfill.

Alternatively, you may decide to save space and get rid of your existing office equipment and purchase a multifunctional printer to handle your day-to-day office tasks instead. You should note that not all multifunctional printers have the exact same features. Some multifunctional printers can print, scan, and copy documents but may not have a built-in fax feature. Take the time to check all the features that each printer provides and select one that only has the features that you think you will use on a routine basis; you may be able to save money in the process.

Saving Space

A fax machine, printer, scanner, and copier can easily overcrowd an office, especially if it is a small office for a startup company. If saving office space is a priority for you, then consolidating the aforementioned four devices into a single device is highly recommended, as you'll save a significant amount of space in your office.

In fact, you can select a bigger unit that has a higher volume output, if your office needs to boost its productivity, which will take up roughly the same amount of space as a single-function printer. You’ll get more features and a higher-volume device that takes up roughly the same amount of office real estate as a single-function apparatus.

Consider Costs

Up to this point, we have focused only on the benefits of multifunctional printers, however, one drawback is the cost. Multifunctional printers tend to cost more than stand-alone printers, which makes sense, as they have far more features. Still, they tend to cost less when compared to the price that you would have to pay to purchase four separate devices. So, if you need to print, fax, scan, and copy documents then you will likely save some money by buying one device that can do it all, not to mention saving space in your office as well.

The cost of the device that you end up purchasing goes beyond the initial price point. That is, you will also need to strongly consider the maintenance or upkeep costs of your printer.

If you opt for a full-service inkjet printer, you may discover that your upfront cost compared to a desktop laser printer will be less than if you only need a device to scan and print documents from time to time. However, if you print documents on a daily basis, and at a high volume, you will quickly discover that those ink cartridge replacement costs quickly add up.

In the aforementioned scenario, you may be better off with buying a stand-alone document scanner and a desktop laser printer instead, as laser printers do not require ink cartridges to print. Purchasing a multifunctional printer may end up saving your company more money in the long run.
To learn more about multifunctional printers and how they could save your business money, call DOS Canada at 1-647-547-9867 or contact us here.