What to Look For in a Color Multifunction
A color multifunction printer can be a great choice for any office; it allows you to create marketing materials in-house rather than sending them out and add graphics and other such details to your letters without having to print them in grayscale, giving your correspondence a very professional look. If you're in the market for a color multifunction printer, note a few features you might overlook but which are very important, so you know you're getting the right model for your office.
High speed
Many printers will advertise that they are high speed, but you need to actually check the print rate to understand what this means. If they only print 10 pages per minute, this actually isn't very fast at all! That 150-page document will take literally 15 minutes to print out, and this can become very tiresome and tedious as you wait for your document and as others wait before they can print something out as well. Check for actual print time and especially for when you do print out color documents, as having to spray various colors on the page can slow down a printer; printing out that marketing material in-house can put a stop to everyone else's work if you don't check actual print times on a "high speed" printer.
Laser versus inkjet
If you're not sure of the difference between laser and inkjet, a laser printer uses a laser beam to actually adhere the ink to the page, whereas an inkjet printer sprays the ink on the page. For shiny, glossy paper where ink might smear, laser is better. However, laser printers are usually more expensive. If you just need a color printer to add graphics to letters and presentations, you might save the cost and just choose a standard inkjet.
Noise
If possible, note the decibels of a printer or have it demonstrated in a store before you buy and especially if you're going to keep it close to your workers. A printer that hums loudly or clunks in any way when it works can be very distracting, especially if it's not very fast. It can actually interfere with phone conversations as well! If you can't find the decibels or hear a printer in person, find one advertised as being whisper quiet.
Borderless printing
Borderless printing refers to being able to print right to the edge of the page with no margin. This is important for photos, marketing materials, and the like. You may not need it for simply adding graphics to presentations, but don't assume that all printers will allow you to print a photo or other such materials on the entire page unless you purchasing a model with borderless printing.
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