Similar, if not identical, features are offered by multifunction printers and copiers. The size, amount of features, and level of flexibility of these devices are frequently where they diverge most from one another. Examine which makes the greatest decision for your business when considering either or both as a hardware addition to your office by evaluating how many users your device must accommodate and how much performance you require.
MFP Functions
Multifunction devices combine the capabilities of up to four pieces of hardware into one, scanning, printing, copying, and — often, but not always — faxing. The majority of these gadgets resemble little copiers and pack a lot of features into a tiny tabletop footprint. MFPs employ tall casework and weigh too much for one person to carry in return for their tiny footprint. As opposed to servicing a large number of concurrent users, their speeds and duty cycles indicate they would be more suited as a networked device serving a small office or workgroup.
MFP Advantages and Disadvantages
Some MFPs can only handle one task at once. For instance, they cannot print or scan simultaneously when faxing. Other people can utilise them more effectively since they can multitask well. Despite their extensive capabilities, depending on the scan resolution, print flexibility, copy speed, and other performance requirements you have, they can be jacks of all trades and only marginally masters of any of them. Because they require so much ink to perform the functions of a copier and printer, inkjet-based MFPs can have a higher total cost of ownership.
Copier Functions
Copier functionality today goes well beyond what is listed on the label. Many have all the functionality of a multifunction colour printer but are faster, support more paper sizes, and have finishing options including binding, three-hole punching, and stapling. Most copiers use laser-based mechanisms that rely on toner rather than ink, especially full-size floor-standing ones. At the higher end of the price-performance spectrum, these devices perform similarly to — or actually meet the criteria for — digital printing presses.
Copier Advantages and Disadvantages
The more features a copier has, the more expensive it is. These machines employ large-capacity consumable cartridges, similar to large colour laser printers, and a full set of toner colours can cost as much as the selling price of certain MFPs. Copiers may blend paper sizes in a single document and can support several paper sizes simultaneously in separate paper trays or decks. Large copiers may need their own separate areas, especially if humidity control is installed to regulate paper handling and lower jams and misfeeds.
