Is it time to upgrade your office multifunction printer? These versatile machines typically have an anticipated lifespan of five to seven years. With attentive maintenance, your multifunction printer might be able to continue operating for even longer, so you might be tempted to keep going with your trusted workhorse.
However, the older the machine, the more you’re likely to notice that the quality of prints and copies deteriorates over time. Plus, with manufacturers regularly updating their multifunction printer models, sooner or later, some parts or consumables will become obsolete and difficult, or even impossible, to replace. Advances in technology also mean that newer machines might have advanced features that can improve your workflow and productivity.
So, if your multifunction printer is nearing or has reached the end of its anticipated lifespan, or your business needs have changed and it’s no longer sufficient to meet your needs, it’s definitely time to consider an upgrade. But which multifunction printer should you get? There are so many models to choose from.
Understanding Your Needs
The first and most important consideration when buying a new multifunction printer is having a thorough understanding of your business needs. Some of the key questions to answer are:
- What type of printing do we need (mostly black and white business documents, or higher quality color documents)?
- What kind of printing and copying volume will we need?
- What functionality will we need (printing, scanning, copying, faxing, binding, etc.)?
- How many users will be using the machine, and how will they connect to it?
- How important are energy efficiency and environmental concerns?
- What’s our budget?
The clearer an idea you have of your exact requirements, the easier it is to identify the right multifunction printer to meet your business needs.
Top 10 Multifunction Printer Considerations
Assuming you have a thorough understanding of your requirements, let’s take a look at the major factors to consider in your new multifunction printer.
1. Price
Needless to say, for most businesses, budgetary considerations are a crucial factor in any capital expenditure. Fortunately, there are machines available to suit most budgets. You can pick up a basic, entry-level black and white multifunction printer from as little as $100 to $300, while a premium color model designed for high volume printing on multiple materials can cost $1,000 to $3,000, or possibly even more.
However, the costs of a new multifunction printer don’t end at the purchase price. These machines use up paper and ink, or toner, which will have to be replaced. They also need regular maintenance and replacement of worn-out parts, which adds additional, ongoing expenses.
So, it’s worth finding out what these anticipated costs will be for the multifunction printer you’re interested in to get a complete picture of the total cost of ownership.
2. Buy or Lease?
If you don’t have the budget available to buy the higher-end machine that your business needs outright, leasing a copier might be an effective solution. You won’t own the printer during the term of the lease agreement (usually three to five years), and the total cost will be higher than buying the machine outright. However, you’ll only have to pay a monthly fee that’s much smaller than the full purchase price, which can make a world of difference if you’re on a limited budget.
Most lease agreements include maintenance, repairs, part replacement, and supplies of consumables, which, in some cases, make leasing the cheaper option in the long run. However, some providers also offer maintenance contracts on purchased machines, which are often well worth it if you don’t have dedicated printer techies in-house to resolve the inevitable issues that arise.
3. Feature Set
Most modern multifunction printers can typically print, scan, make copies, and fax. However, some models also include additional features like:
- Duplex (double-sided) printing
- Resizing
- Collating
- OCR character recognition
- Binding
- Stapling
These features usually add to the price of the multifunction printer, but can streamline your workflow and save you the expense of buying additional equipment to handle these tasks separately.
4. Color or Black and White?
Color multifunction printers typically cost significantly more, both in terms of the purchase price and the cost of consumables. If you need regular printing of high-quality, glossy color materials, it’s worth not skimping on your printer’s color quality.
5. Print Speed
The higher the volume of printing you need to do, the more important the print speed becomes. For most small- and medium-sized businesses with standard business printing output, a speed of 20-30 ppm (pages per minute) will generally suffice. But if you need the extra speed, you can get affordable copiers that can handle 40-60 ppm, or more expensive machines that can handle even higher output.
6. Print Quality
Some multifunction printer models can deliver exceptional print quality of 1200×1200 dpi (dots per inch) – at a price. If you need to print high-quality materials regularly, the extra cost is likely to be worth it. The most basic models deliver 300×300 dpi, which is acceptable if you just need to print out basic black and white text documents. However, in most cases, consider machines with a resolution of 600×600 dpi, which should be sufficient to handle most business printing at professional quality.
7. Connectivity
Your team members may need to connect to the multifunction printer in a variety of ways and from a range of different devices. New multifunction printers come with a variety of networking options, including USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and printing from mobile devices. Make sure your multifunction printer has the networking connections you need and can handle the number of simultaneous users you’ll require.
8. Paper Handling
Your multifunction printer’s paper-handling capabilities are an underappreciated consideration that can make a big difference to your workflow, for better or worse. Depending on your requirements, consider printers that offer multiple trays, adjustable sizes, and compatibility with various paper types.
9. Security
In this age of rampant cybercrime, the security features offered by your multifunction printer are a vital consideration, particularly if it will be used by multiple users on a variety of devices. Printers are often the weakest link in a network. Consider printers that offer access control, user authentication, data encryption, and secure print release to control usage and safeguard your crucial business data.
10. Energy and Green Efficiency
Your multifunction printer’s energy efficiency can be an important consideration from both a cost savings and environmental perspective. Consider Energy Star-certified machines with features like automatic power-off to save on energy costs, and machines that use environmentally-friendly parts and consumables if you’re concerned about your business’s environmental impact.
A Trusted Multifunction Printer Partner
If you’re in the Burnsville, Twin Cities, Fargo, Duluth, or St. Cloud areas, Metro Sales Inc. is your one-stop shop for new printers and all your office and IT equipment needs. We offer a wide range of multifunction printers to suit all budgets and requirements, and our friendly, experienced team is standing by to assist. Contact us today for a free quote.