Multi Function Color Laser Printer Guide

Color laser printers that do it all, called all-in-ones or multi function color laser printers, are the right choice for small businesses on a budget. They can scan, send faxes, copy, and print, among other things. However, any machine that does everything will not do any one thing particularly well, so if you don't really need all the capabilities most of the time, you should consider more specialized machines. For example, no laser printer is going to as good of a job printing photographs as a good inkjet printer.

First, you need to be sure you really want laser rather than inkjet. While lasers are faster in most cases and text looks crisper, the cost per page is not any cheaper than with an inkjet when it comes to color documents, and the printers themselves are more expensive. Go with the laser if most of what you print is black and white text, and get an additional, inkjet model for the color printing. If you mostly deal with color, only go with laser if speed is your biggest concern. If a multi function color laser printer is right for you, here is a guide to what to look for and how to get a good deal.

When researching different brands and models of a multi function color laser printer, make sure that each can truly do everything you need. Some will print color, but copy and scan only black and white. Also pay attention to speed; the models that only print tend to be faster, and some of the all-in-ones are painfully slow. Another thing to keep in mind is which function is most important to you, and look for a model that performs that function particularly well. For instance, if you send a lot of faxes, you want a lot of memory for storage of documents.

The most efficient way to do your research is by doing searches on the Internet. Use search phrases such as "color laser multi function printer review" and read through a minimum of twenty or thirty websites. Do several searches using different combinations of words, and focus primarily on reviews by experts and by customers, while ignoring ad copy. Once you have narrowed your selection down to a few, do some more searches in order to get the best price. For these searches, use the model name and number and add a word such as "price" or "lowest". You are almost certain to pay a lower amount overall with an Internet purchase than with a store purchase, even though you pay for shipping. But do check what the shipping cost is before you buy.

Here are a couple of brief reviews of printers to get you started on your research. The Brother MFC 9840CDW color laser multi function printer truly does it all, with an auto feeder that will take 50 sheets, wireless capability, and the ability to copy legal size documents on glass as with a traditional copier. The price per page is relatively low for printing, and it collates. On the negative side, it does not handle envelopes well, is rather heavy and large, and can take a while to warm up. This machine is in the middle range in terms of customer satisfaction, but is one of the best if you want one that can do just about anything.

The Dell 3115cn is exceptionally fast, has a better than average feature set, and its capabilities can be expanded more than for most printers. For instance, you can add a tray that will load a full 550 sheets. On the negative side, the print quality is below average. Consider this one if you mostly churn out large volumes of monochrome text documents. 

If you base your choice of color multi function laser printer on careful research of features and reviews instead of price alone, you have a much better chance of being satisfied with your purchase.