Small, inexpensive and well performing, the DCP110C is recommended if you are after a basic machine for very good quality document printing and adequate photo output. It also has a built-in memory card reader.

The Brother DCP-150C's photo prints take an age but are worth it; strong scanning but mediocre copying; very high colour print costs.

The Brother DCP-350C gives slow but top-quality photo prints. Graphics are less impressive, but the Brother DCP-350C is a great scanner and provides so-so copying.

Office users searching for a bargain should snap this up. The PIXMA MP180's text output is excellent for the price, and scan facilities aren't bad either. However, if you're after graphics output that takes the breath away, look elsewhere.

Good at text printing, and the memory card slots are welcome; but for graphics, it's a slow printer and scanner.

The Pixma MP470's design shortcomings should be easy for many people to forgive, considering everything the MFP offers for the price. Its print, scan and copy functions are sound, and its software gives you lots of options.

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.

Though the MP480 suffers from the major flaws found in other budget multifunctions, it largely makes up for these problems through decent quality printing.

The Canon Pixma MP160's everyday print jobs came out crisp, while scans are above-average but with limited resolution. The lack of a memory card slot could be an important omission.

The Canon Pixma MP510 makes an excellent choice if you're looking for a straightforward printer/scanner combo capable of printing good-looking photos, though its colour LCD could be bigger.

The Pixma MP210's real attraction is that it offers extra functions beyond printing for a printer-like price. But if your copying needs extend far beyond the occasional, look for a model that has better capabilities and controls, such as Canon's Pixma MP470, which costs only $60 more.

The Dell 942 is a good buy because it's cheap, easy to use and produces high-quality scans, but its print quality is lacklustre.