What is the difference between a scanner and a printer?

When looking at the pace of development of digital technologies, it is not difficult to imagine the near future when the exchange of information will completely go into electronic format. But we still have to grow to this point. Now smart technology coexists with classic paper media, which periodically has to be digitized or printed on familiar sheets. And a printer and a scanner are called upon to perform these tasks—assistants that, thanks to the copier and MFP, are sometimes mistakenly perceived as one and the same thing. So, what is the difference between a 2in1 printer and an MFP?

Scanner and Printer Tasks

Scanner - a device designed to recognize paper documents and create their electronic copies. If we consider the most common tablet model, then its working surface consists of two parts: glass, behind which there is a document recognition mechanism (can be compared to a camera), and a cover that ensures a stable position of the sheet while making a copy. The electronic content of the scanner is focused on translating the resulting image into a computer-readable code.

Printer - a device designed to create paper copies of electronic documents. The size of this equipment is due to the need to place in the housing:

• mechanism for applying data to sheets;
• dye storage and supply system (cartridges);
• paper pulling line.

Reference! The electronic filling is focused on recognizing computer code and converting it into commands understandable to the printing mechanism.

Combined versions and analogues

Since a printer and scanner are highly specialized and far from compact equipment, caring manufacturers have created for the convenience of users a combined “2 in 1” hybrid - a device that combines the working parts of both predecessors in one housing. This device is capable of both creating electronic copies of paper documents and duplicating text and graphic files onto sheets.

The copier is mistakenly considered a close relative of this hybrid. But although the latter can also print, there is a significant difference between them: a copier is designed to transfer information from paper to paper. Roughly speaking, it takes a photo and immediately reproduces it, bypassing the process of creating an electronic copy, which is typical for a printer combined with a scanner.

But if you combine this couple, you get an MFP - a 3-in-1 multifunctional device (copier + scanner + printer). Office models of such equipment can be made in the “4 in 1” format - a fax option is also added to the above trinity.

Is it profitable to buy 2in1?

The 2-in-1 hybrid has several solid advantages:

• increasing the speed of sequential scanning and printing of paper documents;
• a price that is less than the total cost of two separate devices;
• compactness - the dimensions are slightly larger than those of a simple printer.

But highly specialized equipment provides higher quality scanning or printing. Therefore, before assessing the benefits, you should determine the requirements for copies.If mediocre resolution and color rendition are an acceptable price to pay for the advantages of a hybrid, and you have to scan and print regularly, then purchasing a “2 in 1” model would be the best option. But when quality comes first, it’s better not to do this.