Multifunction Printer vs. Desktop Printer, Which is Best for Your Company?

Are you in the market for a new printer? If you are, you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed with the amount of companies, models and features you can chose from. There are so many things to consider before purchasing a new piece of office equipment, and we are here to help you out! We will guide you by sorting out all the pros and cons of different types of printers, so you can make an appropriate and responsible decision. To start off, the first question you must ask yourself is; multifunction printer or desktop printer? We’ll go over the capabilities of both printers to help decipher which would be most suitable for you, but first let’s cover the basics:

What is a multifunction printer?

A multifunction printer, or an MFP, is a machine that incorporates the features of multiple office machines into one. A multifunction printer gives you the ability to email, fax, scan, print and copy all from one machine! MFPs have become increasingly popular over the past few years in both small and large businesses. They can save space, energy and money by catering to all your printing needs in one place.

What is a desktop printer?

You probably already know the answer to this question. A desktop printer is a simple machine that is used only for printing and copying documents. That means if you do have to fax and scan often, you would have to have separate machines for printing, scanning and faxing. Even though multifunction printers may seem like the most desirable all-in-one machine, there are many reasons why desktop printers are still present in the business world.

Functionality

When deciding between a multifunction printer or a desktop printer you must first assess what your needs are. Is scanning and faxing a big part of your day-to-day? How often do you use your copier? What volume of paper are you printing regularly? If faxing and scanning do play big roles in your day-to-day business, then a multifunction printer could be very beneficial for you.

You should invest in a desktop printer if most of the work you do is just copying and printing, or if you already have separate scanning and faxing machines. Another important factor to consider is the size of paper you work with. If you often work with lots of different sizes of paper, you will most likely benefit by having a desktop printer and separate scanning and faxing machines. The all-in-one multifunction machine can only do so much. When you begin changing the tray sizes frequently it can potentially cause issues and become irritating.

Cost

Cost is obviously one of the most important deciding factors when purchasing any piece of office equipment. When comparing the prices of printers, you must consider the initial cost as well as the recurring costs. Desktop printers tend to have a lower initial cost than multifunctional printers. However, multifunction printers have a much lower cost per page, which leads to less expensive recurring costs than a desktop printer. In addition to the lower cost per page, the fact that a multifunction printer is several machines combined into one will also make it less expensive to service in the future.

Office Space

If you have a small work environment and are short on space a multifunction printer can be an amazing space saver. While they are larger than desktop printers, all your printing, scanning and faxing tasks will be completed on one compact machine.

Security

Maintaining security within your business is very important. When printing confidential documents, some users prefer having them printed right at their desk, which is why the presence of a desktop printer is necessary. Multifunction printers do have some security features, like secure pull printing, which is when a print job is held on the printer’s server until the user accesses it on the machine to prints it. But for many people, having the ability to print confidential documents right at their desk gives them the peace of mind they need.

Desktop printers and multifunction printers both have their strengths and weaknesses and are both great machines. Desktop printers should not be dismissed just because they are more basic machines than MFPs. Your business and your needs are unique, so you should carefully weigh out the factors to decide which would work best for you specifically.

If you are still feeling unsure about your decision, we are happy to help you out! Give us a call at (866) 922-9003 or visit our site!