MFP is

The abbreviation MFP is quite common and is used to describe devices with a wide range of tasks. Further in the article, the features of MFPs, their types, price category and selection tips are discussed in detail.

What is MFP?

Decoding MFP is a multifunctional device. A multifunctional device (MFP) is a special type of equipment that can simultaneously work as a printer, copier, scanner and fax. A standardized kit may contain all the options of the above devices or add new ones at the user’s request. The purpose of the MFP is to work with documents.

The first idea to combine a pair of devices in one place came from the Garther Group at the end of the last century. The company's employees calculated the costs of maintaining and repairing office equipment and began to look for a way to reduce it. The very first device made copies and scans, but did not print documents. In a modern interpretation, the product was produced by Okidata from Japan. They created a unique printer that allowed scanning, printing, and photocopying data.

Why do you need such equipment?

Despite the rapid growth of electronic media, MFPs are indispensable office equipment in any office. Indeed, thanks to the versatility of the device, many work processes can be optimized. The MFP has a number of significant advantages:

• Saving work or home space.Thanks to its small parameters, it will not take up much space in the room. After all, it is much easier to place one device instead of several different ones.
• Offline mode. The ability to make copies even when the computer is not working.
• Inexpensive price. One device will cost much less than if you had to buy a printer, scanner and other equipment separately.
• It has been experimentally proven that the cost of a copy is several times lower than on other devices.
• Convenience and ease of use, as well as availability and standardization of consumables.
• The user does not have to purchase three different cartridges for a scanner, copier and printer. One set will do all the work.
• They have useful options such as duplex and autofeed. However, they significantly overload the MFP operating system.

Possibility to independently select configurations. In addition to the standardized set, you can purchase the necessary functionality and improve the MFP.

REFERENCE! When buying an MFP for your office, you need to understand that its failure will lead to a disruption in the work of the entire team, since several functions will be unavailable at once.

Varieties

There are a large number of different models on sale. According to the method of displaying the image, they are:

Jet. They are in demand in photo salons, as they have good quality when printing graphic data and photographs. The image is produced from small droplets of ink that come from the channels of the print head.

LED. They are purchased mainly by professional photo salons and workshops. The device can work with graphics of any complexity. Such models are expensive and have a special imprinting technology.This method uses special LEDs, which are located on a special ruler.

Laser. They are most widespread because, along with high productivity, they provide decent quality. The image is recorded on the built-in photodrum using a thin laser beam. Next, the paper is sent to the oven, where the ink adheres to the texture of the sheet.

ATTENTION! Depending on the color rendering, MFPs are available in color and monochrome.

MFPs are chosen by both large enterprises and small firms just starting to develop their business. They prefer to buy them when there is no time resources for testing and selecting equipment, since various options may be needed. It is great for small spaces. It is better to give priority to options with the ability to connect to a local network or with a Bluetooth system. For a large office, it is better to buy several MFPs. However, check with employees in advance about the required options, since the models used may have specific specifics. Also, an MFP would be an excellent choice for a home where each family member may have their own purposes for using office equipment.

ATTENTION! A variety of sizes, parameters and configurations allows the use of MFPs in all spheres of life.

How much are?

The formation of the price range is influenced by the characteristics and power of the equipment. The device has a long service life and allows you to save a large amount of money during use. Here is the estimated cost of various types of MFPs:

For a home office – from 250 to 1000 dollars. The monthly turnover reaches 10,000 pages, and the printing speed is up to 10 pages per minute. When choosing, you should focus on the planned scale.

For small businesses – about $1,500.Print speed is up to 30 pages per minute, and monthly turnover is up to 3000 pages. Must have a touch screen and USB input.

For an office – up to $2,000. Monthly workload – more than 5000 pages. There is an option for duplex printing and network distribution of documents. The machine can be used to make brochures and bind files.

For powerful corporations – more than $2,000. The maximum possible print speed is 43 pages in 60 seconds; it produces up to 200,000 pages per month. In addition, the use of A3 sheets is provided.

Tips on how to choose an MFP

There are a large number of MFP models, and it is difficult for an inexperienced person to make a choice from such a variety. The issue of choosing an MFP should be approached seriously, since it is purchased for a long time. First, you need to figure out which features and options are of utmost importance. For example, if the device only plans to print text files, then there is no point in buying an MFP with color printing capabilities. You should pay attention to the following parameters:

• Availability of color or monochrome printing.
• Possibility of connecting via the Internet, which is convenient when there are several users on different computers.
• Print speed (pages per minute). This is a priority feature for a large and busy enterprise.
• On time. On some models, the mechanism must warm up before starting. The time may be several minutes or seconds.
• Maximum possible monthly load.
• The quality of the tasks performed.
• Paper feed or number of blank sheets in the device. It is desirable that they be enough for a full shift or a specific project.
• Supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and mobile printing.
• Price of the device and consumables for it.
• Availability of copy sorting.In this case, each subsequent stack moves relative to the previous one by several centimeters. There is a separation of one task from another.
• Design and dimensions so that the device fits perfectly into the interior and area of ​​the room.

The laser device is ideal for printing black and white sources. They are purchased for both office and home use. Most buyers prefer this type for the following reasons:

1. The operating speed is many times higher than that of an inkjet. This makes it possible to process a lot of information in a short period of time.
2. The models are durable, do not cause inconvenience with the coloring pigment and rarely break.
3. In terms of cost, printing one page is cheaper than using inkjet.
4. It is possible to print at different resolution settings.

IMPORTANT! In a minute, the laser MFP prints up to 23 A4 sheets. A full refill of toner is enough for 3,000 – 10,000 medium-sized pages.

However, there are also fans of inkjet models. It is indispensable for household needs. The following advantages can be highlighted:

• Reasonable price: several times lower than that of laser “brothers”.
• Great for printing photos and color images.
• It is possible to adjust quality indicators.
• High quality reproduction, not inferior to photographs taken in darkrooms.

The advantages of MFPs compared to single types of equipment are obvious: compactness, savings on purchase and ease of use. We hope that this article will be useful and help you choose the right device.