Printer Buying Guide: How to choose a printer that best fits your needs - Multifunction printers
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Multifunction printers
A multifunction printer is a printer that can also scan and fax as well as print. They come in both inkjet and laser varieties and are usually called “all-in-ones” or multifunction printers (MFPs).
For home use, a multifunction unit makes a lot of sense, not only because it’s cheaper than buying a printer and a standalone scanner, but also for the sake of saving room. Since all-in-ones are extremely common and manufacturers rarely charge much of a premium for them (you can often find some for as little as $50 to $60), we highly recommend them for home users.
MFPs make it easy to scan documents directly to your computer, while some even offer faxing. They’re more likely to be used in the office, but even then, faxing has largely faded out of the business world except in a few select industries, so the added value isn’t great.
