Black And White Inkjet Printer

The Best All in One Printers

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All in one devices offer convenience because they take up less space in an office, but is it better to have separate scanners, printers, and fax machines? The only problem with a multifunctioning machine is that if it breaks, you've lost the ability to copy, print and fax but modern machines are more robust than earlier models so there's really no downside to having an all in one machine in your office. Each machine on the market will carry out similar tasks, so which is best? By comparing versatility, paper handling, operating costs, speed, and output quality it's possible to rate some of the most popular machines so you can decide which is best for you.

Epson Workforce WF 3640

The best all in one devices are versatile enough to be used equally well in the office or at home. That definitely can be said of the Epson Workforce WF 3640. It's easy to set up so whether you're an IT expert or someone who's not computer literate, you won't have too many problems linking it to the wireless network. This device will produce 14 pages of black and white prints per minute or seven pages if you print in color, but that speed comes at a cost because the quality isn't that great thanks to banding on some color document and ink spots on the occasional black and white print.

Canon Pixma MG6821

This small desktop machine produces some of the best document and photo prints for any printer on the market, but you can't fax from it and wired networking isn't available. If you're printing needs are very simple, this machine will work wonders for you, but this is very much a home office printer. The paper tray can only take 100 sheets so if you use this in an office, you'll spend a lot of time topping up the paper tray. It's also pretty expensive to use thanks to an average cost per print of 18 cents in a marketplace that looks for 15 cents per page.

Brother Business Smart Plus MFC-J5330DW

This machine is bulky and looks outdated but it's actually a really good device. The machine is ranked third out of the five reviewed here and it's also the third quickest at producing both color and black and white prints. With a resolution of 4800 x 1200 dots per inch, you'd expect quality prints but you'll find too many printing errors and not enough clarity when you print with it. With only four ink cartridges, the Brother printer can't produce the darkest blacks. Precise gradation also suffers as a result.

Canon Pixma MG7720

The second Canon reviewed here offers excellent quality prints for photos and documents, and you'll get them quickly as it'll produce an average of 12.5 black and white or 9.3 color prints per minute. Both of these speeds are close to the category average, but there's nothing average about this device. A print resolution of 9600 x 2400 dots per inch produces documents without any obvious flaws, and when you print images, you'll see sharp detail and vibrant colors that aren't visible on rival printers.

HP Officejet Pro 8740

The HP Officejet Pro 8740 is currently the best all in one printer on the market but it's not so far ahead that it leaves its rival in the shade. You'll get great looking documents at a high speed but this machine doesn't support media like SD cards or cameras. The machine's versatility and durability are what put it ahead of its rivals so this is equally good at home or in an office environment. You'll get 16 pages per minute if you print black and white, and color prints are actually quicker as it will produce 20 per minute, but the quality isn't as good as some of its rivals. If you're only going to print photos, buy the Canon Pixma MG7720. If you need a versatile machine, go for this one.