Canon's LaserShot LBP-3000 runs quietly, quickly and offers acceptable print quality for work documents or assignments - provided you run Windows.

Pumpkin-coloured people aside, the Canon Pixma MX700 is, overall, one of the strongest multifunction packages we've seen to date. It stuffs a lot of functions into a fairly user-friendly package and offers scads of software to help you along.

Canon's LBP-5200 offers straightforward colour laser printing for a single machine or small workgroup. Unfortunately, you'll be struggling to get it to work with Mac OS or Linux

Rich colours, zippy print speeds, an easy-to-use interface, and a two-year on-site warranty help make the C2600N a solid printer for small business

With a load of features, cheap consumables and an intuitive menu system, the PIXMA MP610 is possibly the best value multifunction on the market. Its print quality may have some flaws when compared to its bigger brother, the MP970, but its scanning quality and lower price tag more than make up for this.

HP’s Officejet Pro K5400dn is the perfect printer for small businesses that don’t need multifunction capabilities. Although it doesn’t have the largest feature set, the features it does boast are implemented well and it provides tough competition for its laser counterparts.

This laser printer combines low-cost with speed and quality printing.

For a small office where cost effectiveness in an issue, the HP Officejet Pro L7380 provides an excellent multifunction solution. The only real problem is the lack of networking options.

Although it might not be the best choice if you’re looking to print lab-quality photos, this workhorse will definitely increase office productivity.

Situated in the middle of Epson’s Stylus multifunction range, the CX7300 is an ideal family device in terms of quality, features and running costs. Although there are some flaws, the multifunction is an excellent device for its price.

Slick, very user-friendly and high in quality, the Canon Pixma MP540 is on the whole a superb printer. It’s perhaps not quite as fast as we’d like but, otherwise, it’s a very good model.

The Dell isn't cheap, but its running costs are among the lowest available. Add strong output, some heavyweight specifications (with options that'll beef it up considerably) and network support as standard, and you have an excellent colour laser that should go down extremely well with small and medium-sized businesses.