Tips in Buying an All-In-One Printer

All-in-one printers, or multifunction printers, are now becoming a "basic need" because they offer the ultimate convenience: the functionality of a printer, scanner, copier and sometimes even a fax machine all in one single unit.

Yes, an all-in-one printer is more expensive than your ordinary printer but it is still cheaper than the prices of all those other office equipment combined. The fact that it comes in as a single equipment means that it's also a space-saver.

Now, I bet an all-in-one printer is now on your wishlist. Here are some tips when buying an all-in-one printer:

• Ink or toner? All-in-one printers use either inkjet or laser technology. An inkjet all-in-one printer is for residential or small business purpose since this can accommodate low print demands. For bulk printing or printing on a regular basis, it is more advisable to get a laser jet all-in-one printer. All-in-one printers, whether inkjet or laser jet, which are designed for office use usually has only four colors. Those that use more than four colors can can be used for photo-printing since more colors can create a wide range of hues. For budget-conscious individuals or businesses, they should also consider the cost of replacement for inks and toners.

• How fast can the all-in-one printer print? Print speeds are normally measured based on the number of pages it can print per minute (ppm). Remember that the image quality and printer settings can affect the speed of printing. Most printer manufacturers use print speeds based on the Draft setting because this gives the fastest print speeds.

• How many papers can the printer hold? Most of the all-in-one printer models in the market today can hold 100 to 250 sheets of paper. For those who frequently do bulk printing, they should consider getting an all-in-one printer with larger paper capacity. Some may even prefer printers with additional paper feeders for varying paper sizes. An all-in-one printer also offers the convenience of having a built-in duplexer which allow the user to print on both sides of a page. This saves on paper but it can decrease your print speed.

• Is the scanner reliable? Many of the all-in-one printer models today have a an efficient general-purpose color scanner. This performs at 24-bit scanning and can already handle documents, charts and graphics. It can also be used for non-professional photos. Graphics enthusiasts may go for scanners with 48-bit scanning. We also suggest that you go for all-in-one printers that have one-button scanning so you can scan even without the software interface. The scanner function in all-in-one printers doubles as a copier so if you are into multi-page copying, we suggest that you get an all-in-one printer that has an automatic document feeder.

There are other things that you may want to consider like connectivity or the capacity of the all-in-one printer. With these tips, you know you’re now ready to shop for your all-in-one printer…