4.4 million pages are printed every minute - and an estimated 2.3 pages will be printed by businesses in 2025, that's not even counting home office or home printers.
Even though we're working with more documents than ever before, printing isn't going anywhere. And the less time employees spend waiting around for their documents, the better.
Keep reading to learn all about the all-in-one multifunction printers.
The All-In-One Printer: A Modern Office Necessity
The modern business world might look digital, but good ol' print documents aren't going anywhere.
Scanning, faxing, copying, and printing are necessary for modern offices. As businesses incorporate smart and cloud-based technologies, it's still important to retain and work with physical copies of documents.
Also referred to as a multi-function printer (MFP), all-in-one copier, or all-in-one scanner, all-in-one printers handle lots of tasks related to physical documents. Advanced models fold, organize, and staple to cut down time and modern laser printers can spew out dozens of documents each minute.
Understanding the Functions
Compared with your typical, retail store printer, MFPs offer a lot of benefits for businesses looking to improve efficiency.
Print, copy, scan and fax is essential for any office.
It allows businesses to create physical copies of important documents. Signed contracts, invoices, and notarized files are vital elements of business. Whether you're a small business or do high volume and need high speed capacity there is an option for you and your business.
A scanner captures images and text and converts them into digital files. It acts as the go-between for physical and digital documents. Modern MFPs offer direct-to-email scanning that lets users send scanned files to a predetermined inbox easily.
The copier function lets users make duplicates of physical documents. This is handy for businesses that need to distribute multiple copies of documents. Training materials, sales reports, hiring packets and meeting agendas are all common.
And - while not as popular as in the late '90s, fax machines can still be handy for businesses that need to send and receive signed documents without relying on email or physical mail. Another option for modern offices is an e-faxing cloud solution.
How To Choose the Right All-In-One Printer for Your Business Needs
The right printer for your business depends on two things: your budget, and your printing needs. The first question to ask yourself is to find a local authorized copier dealer to discuss your specific needs. They will be a helpful resource whether you intend to lease your all-in-one printer or purchase one outright.
Buying vs. Leasing
Commercial grade MFPs offer dozens of features and for small and medium businesses, it's often more cost-effective to lease their printers.
This is because leasing programs are flexible deals that offer additional benefits. This means lower upfront costs and flexible payment terms. And your business will always have access to the latest technology.
Features To Look For
When you're choosing your next all-in-one office printer, consider the following points:
- Current print volume
- Print quality
- Connectivity/wi-fi
- Types of jobs you need to print
In addition, consider the printer's connectivity options. Many printers use a USB-B connection as standard. However, in a modern office, you often need multiple users to have access. Consider a solution that includes wireless printing capability. Another capability to include would be mobile printing scanning using your smart phone or tablet.
If you scan multiple documents dual sided scanning capabilities the way to go. This allows users to print double-sided documents all in one scan without manually flipping each page. Duplex scanning allows for double-sided scanning in a single pass.
Another reason to consider a new device is because they come with robust security features and settings to safe guard your print environment.
Cover Your Office Needs
Whether it's for contracts, resumes, flyers - or invitations to the monthly pizza party - your business still uses the printer every day.
Make sure you're using the right one.
At American Office Solutions, we offer printer management and monitoring, ongoing support, and data insights to help you save money with our flexible pricing plans. Click here to learn more about our managed print solutions.
