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Multifunction Inkjet Printers.

This is a Comprehensive inkjet printer Buyers guide with detailed information for people who are looking forward to buy a Multifunction Inkjet Printer, and want to learn about how to shop for all in one printers on the market.

Introduction to All in one or Multifunction Inkjet Printers

If you need a color inkjet machine that can perform more than just the common printing tasks, the multifunction Inkjet printers conveniently combining the color printing alternatives with advanced fax performance, scanning and copying, all into one unit. Providing the ease and versatility in-one single appliance and saving you both on the cost and space.

The all in one Inkjet printer is the combination of the exceptional versatility, speed, networking ability, and adequate print quality. If you are setting up a new office and plan to print documents, drawings, and web pages as often as you send faxes and copy or scan, the affordable and space-saving multifunction office machine can be your optimum choice.

Printers use similar technology and components with faxes, scanners and copiers so manufacturers wisely combined them all in one machine. So the multifunction printer was born as a result of a brief love affair between the printer and the fax machine.  

Multifunction Inkjet printers can complete multiple tasks at the same time such as printing while receiving a fax. Small businesses generally have to manage office activities with limited space and often on shoestring budgets. For this reason beside the printer, the multifunction office machines are suitably combining the scanner, copier and often fax machines all in one, saving you money and desk space as well.

Four machines for the price of one. In addition to the space and cost savings, the separate machines can be a nightmare to maintain not to mention having to deal with separate supplies and warranties for each device.  

Many Multifunction Inkjet printers include built-in Web pages, which permits you to verify the status and change settings from the network by connecting to its IP address with a Web browser or telnet even if the printer is not in the same room.  

Although these printers can function as fax machines, copiers and even scanners, before you purchase a multifunction office machine you should think about what functions you would use most often.

Choose a multifunction machine with better than standard features for the functions you'll use most frequently!

If you intend to copy a lot of documents we recommend selecting a multifunction inkjet printer that allows glass-top copying, and if you plan to scan many documents check the resolution for the scanner. If faxing is an important feature, go for the model that contains plenty of memory for storing documents.

The common and useful LCD panel may include a numeric keypad for dialing, will show you text messages, and allows you to scroll through configuration menus and modify preferences without using the driver software.

Fax Specifications for an all in one Inkjet printer.

    Fax machines transmit data at different rates, from 4,800 kbps to 28,800 kbps. The average is 14.4 Kbps but from 9,600-bps fax machines typically require less time on the phone line and save you money. A machine with above 33 bps will be satisfactory.

    The standard resolution for multifunction faxes is 203 X 196 dpi.

     The nice autodial feature enables you to program the fax to send a document at a given time so you can take advantage of the lowest telephone rates. Some models also offer two-to-one image reduction for incoming faxes; this reduces transmission time and saves paper. A good number of Multifunction printers allow you to send and receive a fax straight from or onto your PC, even in color.

    Fax Forwarding is a useful feature, which automatically forwards the received faxes to another number. Pay attention to the features that might interest you, like color faxing, fax broadcasting or group dialing.

Fax memory is used to store incoming and outgoing faxes. In any case, 15- 20 pages of fax memory will allow continuous fax-printing, in case you run out of paper or receive the next fax during printing. After restocking the paper for the fax, it then prints out the faxes that were stored in the memory. Furthermore, it allows you to investigate  the recent faxes you have sent or received.

As with the printer itself the automatic paper feeder in the fax is a very handy addition, which automatically sends multi-page documents, allowing hands-free faxing. The larger memory size enables you to save more faxes.

Scanner advice: Try to look for a multifunction printer that comes with a color duplex scanner to allow scanning of both sides of a color document at the same time.  It will save you significant amount of paper. The resolution for multifunction scanners usually ranges from 300 dpi to 1,200 dpi. Beside the resolution, the other aspect that may influence the quality of scanned documents is the maximum color depth. This is the number of colors used to display a graphic image.

The higher its number, the more color can be represented. Number of colors in an image: 8-bit (256 colors).

Converting the scanned text documents onto your computer and into editable text usually requires software.

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The photocopier is also often found as a part of the Multifunction Inkjet machines. 

Nearly all multifunction copiers are capable of reducing the size of a copy to 25 percent or 50 percent of the original size or enlarge it 150 percent or 200 percent. If color copying is an important feature, go for the inkjet model but if you plan to make many photocopies, you may want to consider the laser multifunction models. Color copying is a little more dawdling, since the printer must apply color at the same time. The required speed for the first page is a bit longer than that of the second pages.

Because the copier has to scan the original document to create the first page, it requires more time than the rest of the pages. 

To verify both the quality and speed of your future printer and other combined machines in it, test drive before you buy it. Refer to the specifications about its memory, resolution, the fax/modem speed and features. Choose a Multifunction Inkjet with better than standard features for the functions you'll use most often.

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