There are several reasons for buying a multifunction printing device. For some, this is the first step towards practicality, for others, a kind of upgrade to universality.
However, for most ordinary users, the question “How to choose an MFP for home?” Still causes some difficulties. Still would! Indeed, today the market of "printing" products is represented by dozens of well-known companies and hundreds of new firms.
Of course, it’s easy to get confused as to whom to give your preference to, and on which modification you should pay attention. After all, everyone has different goals and each in his own way intends to use the acquired item of office equipment. “How not to be fooled by expectations?” - it is in this vein that the theme of the presented article will be revealed.
Laser or inkjet: which MFP to choose for the home?
To date, two fundamentally different technologies for applying paint to paper (and not only!) Have gained widespread use. The laser printer uses toner, while the inkjet printer uses inks of various types and properties. In the first case, dusty particles of paint interact with an electric charge and are fixed on paper by heat treatment.
The second type of printing allows you to get the most detailed image using the well-functioning work of thousands of nozzles (nanomized holes). If you want to achieve the highest quality perception from the resulting image (photograph), then the appropriate choice is obvious. However, the user can not always pursue purely "creative" goals ...
Rainbow value
If the color and the vast palette of colors are an unjustifiable luxury for you, and you do not intend to incur significant costs for “juicy” printing, then the monochrome option - a black and white ink application scheme - is your choice, which, incidentally, solves the problem of how to choose a laser MFP for home.
Usually this goal is pursued by business people when their home environment is part-time work. However, not only high-tech laser printers have the “black and white” advantage of saving. Most inkjet units can also function in economy mode, but when you purchase such a device, you still have to pay for the color cartridge, as it comes with the kit.
Copy advantages
The versatility of the device provides a number of incredibly convenient features. And the more “favors”, the higher the price of the product. However, the built-in scanner must have the ability to copy a document with a resolution of at least 600 Dpi, which will allow to maintain a digital duplicate of the sample with optimal accuracy. It is possible that, in principle, the standard Xerox function (simultaneous scanning and printing) is provided in a model that suits your taste. If not, expand your search ...
Print speed
The above parameter is very important when the consumer poses the question in a similar way: how to choose an MFP for the office? The number of copies per minute is not only a technical indicator of the speed capabilities of the device, but also a condition, the favorableness of which will affect the productivity of your activity. By the way, the print speed declared by the manufacturer will be slightly different from the actual indicators.
The justification for the company, which "encourages" the consumer through technical documentation, is likely to be the item "Ideal conditions of use."Carefully, even in a practical way, make sure that the printer is "quick enough" to meet the conditions of use "In the environment of external factors."
Number of paper trays
Not a critical indicator, but nevertheless in the context of the previous paragraph - more than important. However, the question "How to choose an MFP for the home?", Taking into account some circumstances of domestic use, is also relevant here.
Having multiple paper trays can be a very convenient addition, especially if you are printing in large sizes on a large scale. It is worth noting that under this condition, the user will spend less time loading consumables. And another argument in favor of “multithreading” - the simultaneous use of different types of paper requires some comfort in organizing the supply of sheets for printing.
"Cellulose Dependence"
Some multifunction devices are a kind of generalist in relation to the supported paper types. If not all, then a lot depends on the design features of the copying technique. How to choose an MFP if you need to print envelopes or, on the contrary, documents that prevail over the A4 standard?
Very simple! Ask the seller how "omnivorous" the model you are considering is. It would be useful to demonstrate the loading process of various paper sizes. Remember, the future usefulness of the acquired device depends on the breadth of optional features.
Duplex option
Incredibly convenient feature. Imagine how much the operational moment will be simplified if you are freed from the sometimes difficult process - manually turning pages printed on one side. Of course, if you choose a laser MFP for the home, then with a probability of 99% the device will have the ability to independently transfer the document for the next printing stage. It is worth noting that duplex can also be provided in an inkjet printer, but most devices of this type are deprived of this possibility.
Device performance
Another important factor in making an appropriate choice is the work cycle. This term usually expresses the number of printed pages per month. Therefore, the lower the "efficiency", the greater the risk that the device will not withstand the intensive printing mode. A laser printer is more productive than an inkjet. Therefore, when the user is faced with the task of daily replication, the selection process should correspond to the specifics of the question: “How to choose a laser MFP for the home?” For your information, there are multifunction devices with a truly titanic safety factor (from 25,000 to 50,000 pages per month), the rest are “owners” of the light duty cycle.
Communication properties
Agree, when the device is able to print a document directly from a USB flash drive - it is incredibly convenient. Make sure the printer’s arsenal interface has a USB connector. An existing slot (card reader) will be a nice addition, since almost all compact gadgets are equipped with a camera and save data to a memory card.
But the main advantage of the MFP is still considered to be the presence of an Ethernet connector. The possibility of local connection will significantly expand the horizons of comfortable use. And if you do not know which MFP to buy for the home, then focus on this convenience. The presence of a Wi-Fi module or Bluetouch makes the model even more attractive ...
Indeed, in the future, the user will not have difficulties with the organization of a local network, and the inconvenience associated with the connection of connecting cables will disappear on their own. Do not forget that the wireless network allows you to interact with mobile devices. So send a photo directly from your smartphone to print - the reality of today! Finally, PictBridge technology.Perhaps one of the readers will consider the mentioned functionality an excess, however, when you connect the camera to the MFP, the user will be able to instantly print the footage.
Ergonomics and design
The home decor is a place of a special atmosphere. The harmony of the interior depends primarily on the aesthetics of the surroundings. When the buyer solves the “circumstances imposed” problem of how to choose a multifunction device for the home, then the color, lines, shape and dimensions of the device should correspond to the household premises in which he will take his place. The smell emanating from a working unit, and the sounds of mechanisms should not be a source that destroys the perception of home comfort.
Control Panel
As a rule, budget modifications have a small number of buttons. In the case when the result of the election process “How to choose an MFP” is important for the buyer, it is necessary to try the tactile course of the keys and objectively evaluate the convenience of their location. By the way, quite “serious” devices are equipped with an LCD display and a keyboard module.
There are printers with a touch control unit, through which the user can absolutely comfortably work offline, that is, edit multimedia data without a computer. True, such monsters can hardly claim the role of a home MFP, since their cost can border on the expression “beyond”.
Price issue
A good choice is not a definition of high value. Laser monochrome printing technology will be the best option for pupils and students, as well as a group of people whose professional activity requires the systematic printing of reporting documents, etc.
High productivity, a wide range of functions and the practicality of a multifunctional printing device will require more substantial investment. If in deciding how to choose an MFP for the home, it is necessary to take into account the economic feasibility of the acquisition, then you should give your preference to the inkjet type of printer and standard equipment with a minimum set of additional functions.
Now about the value of the acquisition
After you have made sure that all points are taken into account, and the question “How to choose the right MFP?” Was implemented as an optimally selected option, analyze ... Perhaps you missed something from the list below.
- Laser color printers are much more expensive to maintain than the "representatives" of competing technology.
- Choose an inkjet MFP model with cartridges that can be refilled later on.
- Calculate how much paint will cost you?
- Are there high capacity cartridges for your MFP model?
- Bet on the future. Do not buy a device with clearly limited functionality, as you may need “rejected” options in the future.
- Do not trust a manufacturer that is not time-tested. You can always find out about products of famous brands from user reviews and opinions, which can always be found on specialized forums.
Finally
It is impossible to give a concrete answer to the question: “Which MFP is better for home?” Because for each user this is their own set of preferences and requirements. Therefore, before you buy, you need to study the subject of your attention in more detail, and only when your desire gains the power of confidence, make the right choice. Comfortable printing to you!
