Like the name suggests, all-in-one printers, also known as multifunction printers, are able to do much more than traditional printers. An all-in-one printer can print, copy, scan and sometimes more. Like normal printers, all-in-one printers can be designed for multiple usage tiers, including small units for home offices or small businesses, mid-size units, and units built to handle a larger volume of work, which typically feature more advanced finishing. In fact, depending on which model you purchase, an all-in-one-printer might have the following additional capabilities:
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Faxing
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Stapling and hole punching
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Duplex printing
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Photo organization software
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Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software
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Quiet mode
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Touchscreen
There are many advantages to having one device that can do the work of three. Let's explore these in the next section.
Benefits Of All-In-One Printers
1. Less Space
One device takes up less space than three devices, which provides a rather obvious benefit, especially for smaller offices. Printers, scanners, copiers and fax machines tend to be bulky objects that can take up a lot of room on a desk, reducing available workspace. This may seem insignificant, but studies show that cluttered offices drain productivity and creativity, and increase stress.
2. Lower Energy Use
Here's another obvious one: unless you unplug each device when it's not in use, reducing the number of large electronic devices from three to one will save you money on your electric bill.
3. Convenience
Unless you frequently need to send and receive faxes, you probably don't have a fax machine. Therefore, an all-in-one printer can handle this occasional need without an added errand. Plus, you'll be maintaining one device instead of three separate ones.
Potential Drawbacks Of All-In-One Printers
One drawback of all-in-one printers is found across all multifunction devices: if one component fails, you could lose multiple abilities at the same time. Additionally, all-in-one printers may not perform some tasks quite as well as a specialized device would.
How To Find The Right Printer
There are many factors to consider if you're thinking of buying an all-in-one or multifunction printer. What's right for one office may not be suitable for another. If you're trying to narrow down your search, Marco provides a 2-minute questionnaire to help point you in the right direction. Our printer experts are also happy to answer any questions you might have.
No one looks forward to buying a new printer. But if it's older than seven years, it certainly doesn't owe you anything, and could potentially cost you quite a bit. If you're considering upgrading, Marco can make the next steps easy. In fact, more companies are avoiding the research and purchasing process altogether, and opting for Managed Print Services (MPS) instead. As printers become more sophisticated, and their software more complex, it’s often the easiest, and most productive path.
