Multifunction Printers Reviews

Multifunction printers (MFPs), also called multifunction devices and all-in-one printers, are inkjet or laser printers that, in addition to printing, can scan, copy and, in some cases, send and receive faxes.

BeHardware.com, a French website devoted to computer hardware evaluation, has a wonderful roundup that directly and comprehensively compares 16 multifunction inkjet printers. Every important consideration is covered and sample prints are provided. However, the article includes several now-discontinued all-in-one printers, and several additional models that aren't sold in the U.S. PC Magazine no longer publishes such complete, visually documented, and thorough reviews of multifunction printers, but its reviews still rise above the norm and the magazine reports on lots of all-in-one models. CNet.com's reviews aren't as thorough, but the site covers more multifunction printers than just about anyone else. PrinterInfo.com is a new online reviewer with tremendous potential, but so far, the site's editors have only reviewed a handful of multifunction printers. Consumer Reports' review lacks details and includes some significant gaps in its coverage.

Sales of multifunction printers now outpace sales of regular inkjet printers. You can find a basic model with no built-in fax modem for about what you'd pay for a regular inkjet printer. Reviews show that MFPs are not equally adept at printing, scanning, copying and faxing. Often, a model that excels in one aspect sputters on others. In particular, the most credible reviews explain or show that print quality from multifunction printers is not as good as what dedicated printers can produce. In his favorable review of the now-discontinued Canon Pixma MP600, Tom Warhol of PrinterInfo.com explains that people who are "more serious about color and resolution should consider purchasing a separate scanner and photo printer because bundling does sacrifice quality." However, if you have limited desk space and need to occasionally fax, copy or scan in addition to printing, a multifunction machine can be a big space saver, particularly if you don't need the very best scan, print and copy quality.

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

Canon, HP and Epson each have champions among reviewers. Some of the most prolific reviewers are clearly partial to either HP or Canon models, but nearly all reviewers agree that Epson's photo multifunction printers produce the most accurate photos. Canon introduced new models in August, and Epson recently turned over its product line. At the time of this report only the new Canon multifunction printers have been reviewed, though it is expected that the Epson printers, such as the Epson Stylus Photo RX595, will perform very similarly to their predecessors. Reviewers like the all-around performance of the Canon Pixma MP610, but are disappointed that it is not more of an upgrade over the MP600 it replaces. It's marketed as a photo printer. HP's Officejet line is engineered for text quality, while the Photosmart line is oriented to photo quality. The new Canon Pixma MP210 is a good performer, but lacks some important features. The Canon Pixma MP470 adds many of those features and costs just a little more. The only difference between the HP Officejet Pro L7680 and HP Officejet Pro L7780 is that the L7780 has an additional paper tray for higher-capacity input.

Inkjet multifunction printers are reviewed radically more often than laser multifunction printers. The reason is undoubtedly that many of the latter are just marginally consumer products. Laser models are big and bulky, and reviewers say they are loud. Still, many are moderately priced and appropriate for people who won't use their MFP for photos. No individual laser model is a consensus favorite, and we'd have to stretch to identify a single brand as most recommended in reviews. Brother comes closest.