Guides

What is a multi-function device?

A multi-function device (MFD) -- sometimes called a multi-function printer -- copies, prints, scans, and faxes all from one physical unit. Most MFDs should allow you to carry out more than one of these tasks simultaneously. As either laser or inkjet printers, MFDs will print photos and a variety of other document types. Some print in colour while others only print in black and white. They all have various features and networking options and range hugely in price from just over $50 right up to $1000. Quality is fairly similar across the price range, although the high-end devices tend to be faster, have colour printing, and also more networking and office functionality.

In the home, you would look at an MFD to save upfront cost and space if you plan to carry out a combination of faxing, scanning, printing (both photos and documents) and copying on a regular basis. As more households acquire broadband connections and transform into "digital homes", scanning will play a bigger role, requiring residents to seek a combination of printers and scanners in order to print and share their photos and documents. With their own memory, MFDs have the ability to store documents and send them straight to e-mail, becoming intercommunication portals. When looking for more than one device, an MFD is a tempting option.

It's ideal for business and enterprise to look to MFDs as a way to increase productivity, streamline tasks and potentially decrease their costs (for example, only leasing one unit instead of three.)

As you are effectively buying three or more devices in one, there are many factors to consider in purchasing an MFD. This guide will help you think about different features you may want in a device, and suggest some important considerations to cover before making your purchase.

Before you start looking around

When hunting around for an MFD for the home or the office, ask yourself what sort of functionality you require. Maybe you don't need a fax machine? Maybe a card reader is not required? Maybe you don't need a network adapter? Asking yourself these sorts of questions will narrow down your search for a machine and will also allow you to save money by not purchasing an extravagant device.

It is also a good idea, before you start looking, to estimate the maximum number of pages per month that you need to print, and buy a printer that can handle that workload. As a rough guide, for home offices 10,000 pages per month is more than sufficient, and small offices up to 20,000 pages per month. Printers that are networked and shared will need to have the capability to produce 50,000 pages or more per month, depending on the size of the network.

Also, consider whether you want an inkjet or a laser device. Inkjets will be cheaper and do a better job on photos but lasers are generally faster and have better overall print quality, making them the logical choice for business.