Productivity and information flow are essential for offices in all kinds of businesses. Up-to-date equipment is equally important. Employees need to have machines that can handle the workflow without bogging down or sidetracking their work. That’s why it’s important to have the best multifunction laser printer.

Combining an entire set of devices in one multifunction laser printer or color laser multifunction printer offers process enhancements designed to close gaps in production, economize motion, and even multitask to fast-track jobs.

What Is a Multifunction Printer?

The concept of a multifunction printer has always meant a device that can carry out various information and document-related tasks in one place. And with the advent of ever-evolving technology, these machines can do more than ever.

A color laser multifunction printer will print modern file formats at optimum speeds, even over Wi-Fi, scan images using current scanning software and monitor usage so the ink doesn’t run out. These devices can also copy, fax and email. Additionally, multifunction printers save space while consolidating tasks in a single, easy-to-use platform, conserving task economy and keeping efficiency and productivity high.

The Copier Machine in Copy Room for Scanning Document

Color Laser Multifunction Printer Types

Printer types currently on the market include:

  • 4-in-1 printers – These compact devices have 4-in-1 full functionality, offering the ability to print, scan, copy and fax from a single space-saving desktop location.
  • All-in-one printers – An AIO, also known as a multi-function printer, or MFD, combines even more features in one machine. Added functionalities can be both inkjet and multifunction laser printer capabilities, file conversion and document editing software, stapling, hole punching, and duplexing, along with scanning, printing, and copying.

The multifunction printer that works best for your organization depends on the types of workflows involved, including the amount of printing, scanning, and copying that happens each day. To provide some insight into what multifunction devices can do, here are some of the major advantages they provide.

Space Saving With a Smaller Footprint

As companies grow and add more services and personnel, they tend to aggregate a collection of specialized devices, such as a standalone scanner or color laser printer, leading to a dispersed group of devices attached to individual workstations and scattered functionalities, and complicated network management.

By getting a multifunction device, an office can combine these functionalities in one economical device to complete several tasks in one visit and save offices both time and money.

Workspace Convenience and Economy

With multiple capabilities in one location, employees no longer have to travel from place to place but can instead optimize their workflows with side-by-side document scanning or printing in a single, coordinated system. Administration and IT also only have to manage and maintain one machine rather than a scattered network. And you can station a multifunction printer in any out-of-the-way place, not just near a single workstation.

Onboard software and routers make printing and printer operation possible through wireless devices, including smartphones and mobile devices. Office staff can put together a document on a mobile device and print it directly from their desks or on the go without the need to transfer the file to a local workstation. And since mobile devices are playing a bigger role in job management, this capability is of particular benefit. 

Lowered Operating Costs

Several factors impact operating costs for multiple devices. Every machine involved needs infrastructure, including its own supplies, individualized maintenance, spare parts, service terms, and individual energy consumption. 

A single multifunctional device cuts these costs down to one efficient system. The best multifunction laser printer will have an ENERGY STAR rating, designating it as more energy-efficient, which helps reduce the company’s carbon footprint overall. 

A Better-Controlled Print Environment

When all work takes place on a single device, all activities happen on a single network, making increased control over print environments easier. 

Management can directly track printing costs and purchase the right amount of supplies, cutting down on shortages. With print activity logs containing detailed information, companies also have greater oversight, which improves security, protects critical and confidential information, and prevents personal and unauthorized material printing.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Device

Every printer manufacturer offers a variety of printing devices, each with different features. And every company will have different demands. The best multifunction laser printer or inkjet printer will meet the unique needs of your office and boost productivity while optimizing sustainability and security.

The following is a shortlist of features to consider when choosing a multifunction printer:

  • Work volume – Carrying out a workflow audit for the entire office will inform which power level and output your multifunction printer should have.
  • Printing speed – Higher printing speeds, indicated in prints-per-minute, or ppm, help work throughput stay on target.
  • Printing resolution – The required image resolution depends on the work involved. Text documents may do fine with 300 dpi, while design firms may need more image fidelity.
  • Laser or inkjet – Inkjet results in better images. Alternatively, the toner in color laser lasts longer, but a multifunction laser printer will cost more.
  • ENERGY STAR – Printers with an ENERGY STAR rating include such features as toner saver, duplex printing, and sleep mode, which, when combined, lower costs and increase sustainability.
  • Memory size – Multifunction printers store multiple scans and documents in working memory in the form of SSDs, HDDs, RAM, or other onboard memory storage. Ample storage space can make a big difference for high-volume jobs that need to complete at maximum output.

Businessmen Press Button on the Panel for Using Photocopier or Printer for Printout and Scanning Document Paper at Office

Top-Selling Multifunction Printers

The following is an overview of the best multifunction printing devices available. Whether your organization only needs to handle a modest amount of documents but looks to save space and costs or whether it’s a high-volume organization that needs to handle heavy workloads, these items cover a range of capabilities.

  • Canon i-SENSYS MF742Cdw: All-in-one color laser printer, 27ppm, up to A4 paper size, 250 + 50-paper capacity, 58.9 pounds, suitable for home or small to medium offices, easy-to-use touchscreen interface, 50-sheet ADF, duplex printing, front USB port, moderate print speed, no duplex scanner
  • Brother MFC-J5330DW: 4-in-1 color inkjet printer, 22ppm, up to A3 paper size, 300-paper capacity, 37.3 pounds, bright and bold color prints, nearing laser-printer speed at a slightly higher cost, many features, compact A3 printing, A4 scanner
  • HP Envy 5055: 3-in-1 color inkjet printer, 10ppm, up to A4 paper size, 100-paper capacity, 11.9 pounds, full-color prints on photo paper, affordable and compact printing, scanning and copying, low and straightforward feature operation, slow print speed, no USB or Ethernet, high ink cost
  • Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4630: 4-in-1 color inkjet printer, 20ppm, up to A4 paper size, 150+ 35 ADF paper capacity, 17.6 pounds, prints faster than many laser printers, solid and economical photo and color imaging, feature-rich with cloud printing and faxing, average print quality, high-noise operation
  • HP LaserJet Pro MFP M227fdw: 4-in-1 monochrome laser printer, 28ppm, up to A4 paper size, 300-paper capacity, 37.3 pounds, larger, bulky footprint MFD, crisp and business-quality prints, automated photocopying, 35-sheet ADF, slower in terms of laser printing but faster than inkjet, balances features with performance
  • Lexmark MB2236adw: color laser MFD, 23ppm, up to A4 paper size, 251-paper capacity, 59 pounds, heavy-duty and reliable copier, and all-in-one device for the busy home or small office, ample paper and toner space, monthly duty cycle up to approximately 2,500, duplex scanning, multiple security features, user-friendly interface, somewhat slower laser printing
  • Epson EcoTank ET-2760: All-in-one color inkjet printer, 33ppm, up to A4 paper size, 100-paper capacity, 12.1 pounds, higher up-front cost but an estimated 90% reduction in long-term consumables costs due to refillable tanks, fully-featured, Wi-Fi connectivity, duplex, and fast monochrome printing, economical operation, no Ethernet or ADF
  • Brother MFC-J5945DW: 4-in-1 color inkjet MFD, 22ppm, up to A3 paper size, 500-paper capacity, 46.3 pounds, feature-loaded MFD with laser-printer speed and inkjet-quality photo prints and high ink and paper capacity, smaller footprint than equivalent laser printers with affordable A3 printing capacity although not as economical as lasers and demonstrating inconsistent printing results
  • Canon PIXMA G7020: All-in-one color inkjet printer, 13ppm in mono, up to A4 paper size, 250+ paper capacity, 21.2 pounds, economical all-in-one for small offices with a high volume of color documents, multiple features, including cartridge-free Canon MegaTank construction, duplex scanning, and printing, faxing and ADF, holds enough ink for up to 7,700 color images and 18,000 monochrome prints, slower printing speed, and small display
  • Xerox VersaLink C405: 4-in-1 color laser MFD, 35ppm, up to A4 paper size, 550+ paper capacity, 72.8 pounds, large footprint and bulky 4-in-1 laser device with very high-capacity paper and toner storage and added 150-count multi purpose tray, large and feature-rich touchscreen interface and high-speed copying and printing, also on the expensive side

Offices of all kinds can increase productivity and reduce operating costs by consolidating printing operations in a single and streamlined multifunctional printing device that handles generalized printing for demanding workloads. You can gain an additional layer of process control and oversight through managed print services. Our specialized print management team will handle all printing needs, from printing tasks and maintenance to optimizing allotted budgets.

We’re Frontier Business Products, a premier Colorado-based vendor for equipment, supplies, maintenance, and security software and a sponsor for the Denver Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce, and the Longmont Chamber of Commerce and a supporter of the Colorado League of Charter Schools.

Are you interested in high-quality printers, copiers, and supplies that save space, reduce costs and optimize workflows? If you are, contact us at (303) 529-8163 or online to schedule a free consultation with a solution specialist.