Multifunction printer or separate printer and scanner: which is better

What a multifunction printer does

A multifunction printer, often called an MFP or MFD, combines a printer, copier, scanner and sometimes fax in one machine. Office models usually include a document feeder that scans both sides of a page in one pass, scan to email and scan to network folder, secure print release, and a touchscreen that can be customised with shortcuts. They range from compact desktop units for a few people to large floor-standing copiers for busy offices.

The appeal is consolidation. One device takes one power socket, one network connection, one set of consumables and one service contract. Staff only have to learn one machine, and IT only has to keep one set of drivers, settings and security updates in order.

When one device is the right answer

For an office of up to around twenty people with moderate printing, a single A4 or A3 multifunction device usually covers everything. Most printing is ordinary documents, copying is occasional, and scanning is a few pages at a time for invoices, signed forms or IDs. One good machine with a decent document feeder handles that comfortably.

Larger offices often place several multifunction devices around the floor, one per team or area, rather than separate printers and scanners. Using the same model everywhere means consistent drivers, consumables that fit all of them, and staff who can walk to whichever device is free.

When separate devices make sense

Dedicated scanners are worth considering where scanning is a core part of the work: accounts teams processing many supplier invoices, legal or medical practices digitising records, or a reception desk scanning identity documents all day. A desktop document scanner is faster, handles mixed paper sizes better, and keeps the main printer free for printing.

A separate printer can be worth it for very high-volume or specialised printing, such as a dedicated black and white printer for a warehouse or a colour printer kept for marketing material. Label, receipt and wide-format printing almost always need their own devices. And where printing is genuinely critical, two devices rather than one mean a breakdown doesn't stop everything.

Costs to compare

The purchase price is only part of the cost. Compare the cost per page for black and white and colour, the price and yield of toner and drums, and what a service contract covers. Many office MFPs are leased with a service agreement that charges per page and includes toner, parts and callouts. Smaller devices are often bought outright, with consumables bought as needed.

Inkjet devices for business have improved and can be cheap to run, but check their duty cycle and how they handle being idle for long periods. Laser devices remain the default for most offices because they handle volume and sit unused for days without problems. Be wary of cheap home-oriented printers with expensive cartridges, which can cost more over a year than a better office machine.

Security and management

Multifunction printers are networked computers. They store scanned images and print jobs, connect to email and file servers, and run firmware that needs updates. Change the default administrator password, apply firmware updates, turn off unused protocols, and make sure scan to email uses a secure, authenticated connection rather than an old open relay.

Secure print release, where a job waits until the person taps a card or enters a PIN at the device, stops sensitive documents sitting in the output tray. It is particularly useful in shared offices, medical practices and anywhere handling personal information covered by the Privacy Act 2020. Separate devices each need the same attention, which is another reason consolidation can be simpler.

Choosing for your office

Start by measuring how much you print, copy and scan each month. Most current devices and print servers can report this, or your supplier can read the meters. Then match a device to that volume with some headroom, and look at the features people actually need, such as A3, colour, stapling or booklet making, rather than buying the biggest machine on offer.

Place the device somewhere central, near a network point, with space around it for paper and supplies. If you're replacing an old device, take the opportunity to tidy up print settings, scan destinations and user shortcuts at the same time. Most frustration with office printers comes from setup, not the hardware.

Ask suppliers for the device's monthly duty cycle and recommended monthly volume, which are different numbers. The duty cycle is the maximum the machine can survive in a month; the recommended volume is what it handles comfortably day after day. Choose a device whose recommended volume sits above your real usage, and you will see fewer jams, fewer callouts and a longer life from the parts.