Collection: Multifunction Printers

Laser or inkjet, for a business

Laser suits offices printing mostly text in volume. Output is dry and smudge-proof immediately, the first page arrives quickly after standby, and toner does not dry out when a machine sits unused over a holiday. Inkjet has closed much of the gap on speed and running cost, handles colour graphics and photographs better, and costs less to buy. The old rule still broadly holds: high volume and mostly text points to laser, mixed and lower volume points to inkjet.

Cartridges or refillable tanks

This is the decision that moves running costs most. Conventional machines take cartridges. Refillable tank models — HP Smart Tank, HP LaserJet Tank, Epson EcoTank — ship with bottled ink or toner and are refilled rather than replaced. They cost noticeably more up front and substantially less per page, so they repay the difference only above a certain monthly volume. Work out your actual pages per month before choosing: below a few hundred, the cheaper machine usually wins.

Decoding the HP model suffixes

HP's LaserJet and OfficeJet names end in letters that describe the machine, and they are the fastest way to compare two models:

• d — automatic two-sided (duplex) printing
• n — wired network (Ethernet)
• w — wireless
• f — fax, which also means a document feeder is fitted
• s — sheet feeder

So a 4102fdn is fax, duplex and Ethernet with no Wi-Fi, while a 4102fdw adds wireless. If a machine is going into a server cupboard on a cable, the n model is usually the cheaper and more reliable choice.

Scanning is where all-in-ones differ most

Every machine here scans, but not equally. A flatbed alone means feeding multi-page documents by hand. An automatic document feeder handles a stack unattended, and a duplex ADF scans both sides in one pass — the difference between a five-minute job and a thirty-second one if anyone digitises paperwork regularly. Check the feeder specification rather than assuming, since it varies widely across otherwise similar models.

Connection and management

Ethernet is steadier than Wi-Fi for a shared office machine and avoids the printer disappearing when the access point reboots. Enterprise-badged models — LaserJet Enterprise and the Pro range — add the security and fleet-management features an IT team needs across many devices. Some HP models are listed as Instant Ink ready, which supports HP's subscription ink service; the machine works normally without it.

Brands

HP across OfficeJet Pro, LaserJet Pro, LaserJet Enterprise, Smart Tank and LaserJet Tank, with Epson EcoTank, WorkForce and Expression, and Canon PIXMA.

Trade pricing and business accounts are available for UK organisations, and bulk orders are welcome — request a quote.