Buying a multifunction printer can be a valuable purchase for the small business or office. These devices allow you to save space and money by combining scanning, fax, printer and copier. The difficulty is that you also need to understand all of these devices in order to buy the right product. This covers five basic tips that will help you buy the right device.
First, be aware that you will almost certainly spend more money on the device after you purchase it than the cost of buying it. The cost of ink, repairs and maintenance will continue for a long time. This means that checking the price of all the things you're going to buy to maintain the machine is at least as important as the purchase price.
The second thing to consider is the need to communicate with your network (the computers in your house or office). A good multifunctional printer should easily link to your network. By checking that it fits your network well, you can save many hours of frustration. A good device often will come with access to technical help for setting it up, so don't be afraid to ask.
Third, low-cost multifunction printers often have slow printing and copying speeds. If your office uses a lot of paper, 12 pages a minute is going to create bottlenecks and slow everyone down. In the same vein, make certain that you have an automatic document feeder so people who have larger printing jobs don't have to stand by the printer wasting time and money.
Another important point you'll want to check is the amount of memory the device uses. Eight megabytes of memory is a lot of pages of text. But if you print images or other more memory-intensive things, it can become a problem. If you're not sure how much memory you need, some multifunction printers have a digital memory card slot, allowing you to add memory later.
Finally, the most important tip for buying a multifunction printer is to try it out before you buy it. Make a list of the things you'll use the device for, and find a display unit that will let you try all of it. Among the things you'll want to check: how easy it is to switch from one function to another, how easy the interface is and if you can use two or more of the functions at one time.
Ultimately, it's crucial that you know exactly what you're getting when it's time to buy a multifunction printer.
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